- Gnosticism and Hermeticism have no discernable key founder figures that can be

tied to history, though some sects may or do. Most Gnostic scriptures make repe
ated authoritative appeals to Jesus as a figure. Hermeticism is sometimes referr
ed to as pagan gnosticism.
- There was no historical figure that fits Hermes role in Hermeticism, the origi
ns of the system are unclear. Hermes is the Greek god of the Mind or Consciousne
ss, wisdom as well.
- Hermes is also known as possesing wings on his sandals and helmet.
- Many text attributed to Hermes himself. There is extensive literature survivng
that is attributed to Hermes.
- At the time personal glory were considered incompatible with spiritual pursuit
s. When people wrote something they felt it was inspired it wasn't considered di
sengenous to attribute it to the figure of their inspiration EX. Hermes. This tr
adition was later literalized by Christians.
- There was a shift from an archetypal and mythological world view toward a line
ar and literal world view that began to emerge in the 4th century and had won a
victory complete by the renissance.
- The various writings that are key sources of Hermeticism are in a modern sense
anyonymous, however they seem to have been inspired by a common mysterious prin
ciple that could be called an archetype, in this case given the name Hermes.
- The Hermes of Hermeticism is not exactly the Greek Hermes but is much more rel
ated to the Egyptian god Thoth. A wisdom god that was common th Egypt since the
early Pharonic times and possibly before. He was also seen as a guide of souls i
n the underworld and was seen as the father of writing and the lord of the moon.
He was in the divine word from which the whole of existence emerged. He was the
first Logos in that region, the word incarnate. He was also a master magician.
- The mythical battles battles between Horus and Seth are the archetype for Ale
chemy, Hermes is tha facilitator of these battles, he soothes their wounds and a
llows them to continue their struggle and eventually facilitates their reconcill
ation, however this occurs only when the time is right for it. The themes in thi
s myth cycle resonate through Hermetic thought. Hermes guides the conflict until
l the proper solution can be brought about.
- Hermes was considered by some scholars to be the most complex of the gods, his
name comes from the root Hermione(?) which means a pile of stones. Hermes is ca
lled Mercury by the Romans, interestingly Buddha is associated with the planet M
ercury.
- The greeks seemed to be aware of Archetypal reality, they simply admitted that
Hermes was Thoth just as they felt most Goddesses were Isis. Archetypal realtiy
allows one to say that dissimialr things can fufill the same or similar roles a
nd such things can be equated, however the rational worldview does not allow suc
h equivocation.
- Hermes of Hermeticism is the combined sub archetypes and shared large archetyp
es of Thoth and Hermes.
- The period of from perhaps 0-200 A.D. was a messianic period for the mediterra
inian, the archetype of redemption became of great importance. Jesus fufilled th
at role for large swathes of the Jewish community. However many other communitie
s were awaiting a Messiah type figure. During this time period a spiritual reali
ty was trying to manifiest in the cultures of the region and was seen through th
e lens of various cultures that wrestled with this spiritual force. In the Egypt
ian milue this movement manifested itself around the figure and idea of Hermes.
In palastine and Syria this developed into Christian Gnosticims. These two movem
ents are nearly identical in many respects, the principle difference is in that
Hermetics accepted Hermes as the Archetype of Salvific wisdom where Gnostics acc
epted Jesus.
- The Hermetic writing tend to contain the elements of profound experiences on t
he part of the author. They also stress that direct experience of the divine is
not only possible but critical for fufillment. The goal of their writings was to
lead to that expereince. The idea was to follow the spiral and come closer and
closer to the center of the psyche/soul. Everything in the writing seems purpose
full.

- Rationalist deny the possibilty of divine experience, they deny that such a th
ing is and prefer to catagorize and break down the world into neat units.
- We know the names of no great Hermetic masters, they seemed not to care about
leaving their name behind with them.
- The 8th reveals the 9th, which describes the spiritual experiences of a Hermet
ic teacher and how he relates them to a disicple. It reveals a sort initiatory p
rocess, whereby someone with hands on experience in the journey sets an intiate
on their path and guides them through. They echo the role of Hermes himself.
- Hermes is called the psychopomp, or the guide of the soul.
- Some Hermetic writing describe visionary experience. One shows a precondition
that one begins to discern what truly exist, (karma dependent origination), you
must direct your consciousness above or outside the realm of karma toward someth
ing that acts in and of itself. Are you seeking things within the process, thing
s that have a dependent origination? If so Hermes does not come to you. You must
be seeking above these things. If you do Hermes reveals himself as having been
there all along. You must move into Hermes world he cannot come into yours. How
is this done? Typically through an altered state of consciousness, though not ne
ssecasirly chemically altered. In a state outside the world and your current mod
e of thinking is where you might actually learn, in the current states of mind g
rowth of wisdom is impossible.
- First you learn and know, you interact with the spheres of psyche that run wit
hin the mind, then you begin to rule over them. This seems to mirror a process o
f discovering yourself, learing of the forces that govern the psyche and soul an
d then you transcened them you learn to will self into existence beyond the infl
uence of these things. The process can't be circumvented, you must walk the path
to gain the needed levels of understanding to get the desired result.
- Don't indentify simply with your surroundings (the planets), you are beyond it
you can transcend it however there is a realtionship between you and the cosomo
s. It is the overcoming of limitation by understanding the proper relationship t
o all things.
- Hermeticism was never driven as far underground as Gnosticism. Alchemical, Mag
ical, and Astrological knowledge was considered the realm of Hermes as all of th
ese are arts related to understand the proper realtionship between various force
s. Hermeticist do not practice Magic to gain power, the alchemist not just for m
aterial gain, they do these things for wisdom and for transformation.
- Hermetic works may have driven the Renissance in many respects. Most artistic
and scienctifc men of time were familiar with the works.