Hermeticism

Hermeticism is either of two things:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The study and practice of occult philosophy and magic, of a type associated with writings attributed to the god Hermes Trismegistus, "Thrice-Greatest Hermes," a syncretistic deity who combines aspects of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. Hermeticism is also associated with astrology and alchemy. These beliefs were influential in European occult lore, especially from the Renaissance forward, when the Hermetic Corpus was translated by Marsilio Ficino in1463 (published in 1471). This was on the instructions of Cosimo de'Medici who saw them as more important than translating the works of Plato

At this time the Hermetic Corpus was seen as being more ancient than both Plato and Pythagoras, though St Augustine thought Hermes lived later than Moses. Whilst Augustine opposed hermeticism, some Renaissance scholars claimed that Hermetic thought was closer to Christianity than those of ancient Greek.

Related Topics:
Pythagoras - St Augustine - Moses - Christianity - Greek

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However the claim that hermeticism embodied the oldest wisdom in the world never recovered from the work of Isaac Causabon published in 1614 which showed that the texts were written sometime between 200 and 300 AD by some "semi-christians". This view was based on careful linguistic analysis.

Related Topics:
Isaac Causabon - 1614

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hermetic magic underwent a 19th century revival in Western Europe, where it was practiced by people such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Aurum Solis and Eliphas Lévi.

Related Topics:
19th century - Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn - Aurum Solis - Eliphas Lévi

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From the arcane language associated with these beliefs, comes the second meaning:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The deliberate use of obscure, convoluted, or esoteric imagery in various arts.
 
Hermeticism: See also ►