Hermeticism: The Ancient Wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus

The legendary figure of Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes Thrice Great) is the inspiration for the spiritual teachings known as Hermeticism. He is a syncretism (joining) of the Greek deity Hermes, the winged messenger of the Gods, and his Egyptian counterpart, the Ibis-headed moon god Thoth.

The Way of Hermes involved altered states of consciousness in which practitioners went through a training regime that involved luminous visions, spiritual rebirth, cosmic consciousness, and union with the divine beauty of universal goodness and truth to attain the salvational knowledge known as gnosis.

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📚 Recommended Reading

▶ The Way of Hermes
▶ The Asclepius
▶ Hermetica
▶ The Greek Magical Papyri
▶ The Egyptian Hermes
▶ The Arabic Hermes
▶ Hermetic Spirituality and the Historical Imagination

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🎶 Music used

1. Desert City – Kevin MacLeod
2. Dreams Become Real – Kevin MacLeod
3. Promising Relationship – Kevin MacLeod
4. Smoother Move – Kevin MacLeod
5. Crystal Dream Mix Background Music – CO.AG Music
6. The Long Dark – Scott Buckley
7. Evening Fall Harp – Kevin MacLeod
8. I Walk With Ghost – Scott Buckley
9. Heartbreaking – Kevin MacLeod
10. Gregorian Chants – Kevin MacLeod
11. Extrapolation – Scott Buckley

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📝 Sources

- Copenhaver, B. P. (1995). Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a new English translation, with notes and introduction. Cambridge University Press.
- Hermes (Trismegistus), & Salaman, C. (2000). The way of Hermes: New translations of The Corpus - Hermeticum and the definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius. Inner Traditions.
- Hanegraaff, W. (2008). Altered states of knowledge: The attainment of Gnōsis in the Hermetica. The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition, 2(2), 128-163.
- Lachman, G. (2011). The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World. Floris Books.
- Hanegraaff, W. (2012). Esotericism and the academy: Rejected knowledge in Western culture. Cambridge University Press.
- Van den Broek, R., & Hanegraaff, W. J. (Eds.). (2013). Gnosis and hermeticism from antiquity to modern times. State University of New York Press.
- Salaman, C. (2013). Asclepius: the perfect discourse of Hermes Trismegistus. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Litwa, M. D., & Hermetica, II. (2018). The Excerpts of Stobaeus. Papyrus Fragments, and Ancient Testimonies in an English Translation with Notes and Introduction, Cambridge.

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⌛ Timestamps

0:00 Introduction
3:43 Renaissance of Hermeticism
9:33 Technical and Religio-philosophical Hermetica
11:38 Where to start?
15:53 Gnosis
18:36 Hermeticism and Gnosticism
21:40 Eusebeia
22:50 The Hermetic Universe: Ogdoad, Ennead, the One
25:20 The Three Worlds: God, Cosmos, Man
28:03 The Three Faculties: Logos, Gnosis, Nous
29:08 Corpus Hermeticum: Introduction
30:48 The Vision of Poimandres (Nous)
37:05 Corpus Hermeticum: Hermes and Tat
43:05 The Discourse on the Ogdoad and Ennead
46:22 Writing as Healing or Poison (Pharmakon)
48:24 The Illusion of Death
50:30 Man as a Divine Being

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#hermeticism #hermestrismegistus #thoth

[Eternalised]

*“O night, thou black nurse of the golden stars.”*


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[careless]

I met him a few years ago in my DMT trip. Told me he is the master of masters and then proceeded to test me. I was given the chance to create this reality for myself from the very same seat of creation god sat on. afterwards I found myself before what I can only describe as God. No bearded white man in the sky... But a universal consciousness connected to all. The only way I can describe it is complete. We're divided.. It's whole... This video does a pretty good job of summing up so many of the words I'm missing to do so... I started off my journey an atheist, and found my answers & peace the day I met thoth. So if your here and listening to this ancient truth, you're probably supposed to be here listening... This stuff has a way of finding who it's meant for... This is what the Christians tried to wipe out in the crusades, yet somehow a small amount survived, hidden for 2000 years until technology advanced far enough for this word to spread again.. Dont follow blindly, know god for yourself

[felinehermetica]

This is the best explanation of Hermeticism I have heard since my dad started teaching me 30 years ago.

[jayabyss]

Highlights
21:30 Instead of us trying to reach the gods, it is they who come down to heal our soul
39:31 We suffer not because of our body, but because of the passions in our body
45:22 The pupil expresses himself by means of silent hymns that are heard and understood only by an interior faculty of perception
47:53 That is the philosophy of the Greeks: a noise of words. We do not use such language but sounds full of power
50:19 We think we are alive; the reality is that we are dead, and when we die, we become alive
50:52 Not one of the heavenly gods will leave the boundaries of heaven and come to earth, but man ascends to heaven and measures it... he ascends while not leaving earth... man on earth is a mortal god, and the heavenly god is an immortal man
51:42 Allow yourself to grow larger until you are equal to him who is immeasurable, out leap all that is corporeal, transcend all time and become the Aion, then you will understand God

[AltrusianGraceMedia]

This video was like a fine meal, leaving me greatly satiated.

[youtubemucimucipucioasagam]

Oh to be blessed with another Eternalised piece of art. This is what I've been missing these past months.

[tobiaspucheta]

I couldnt have wished for a better birthday gift, thank you Eternalised, your work is pure gold.

[nenjabim]

It's amazing to run down the rabbit hole of philosophy, then esotericism, and realize many/most notable philosophers garnered wisdom from these gnostic teachings.

[frankietricarico]

What an absolute wonderful video! It is thorough and on point, I have bin studying the hermetic texts and practices for years now, and I have pulled a lot of great wisdom, out of your insights on the hermetic teachings! Anyone who watches this or comes across it, is on the right path! And I would be pleased to meet any of you! May the light of wisdom guid the way! Blessed be!

[GhostAdvocate]

The subtle, beautiful and mysterious music you sprinkle these videos with are the final perfect touch that make these a transcendent experience.

[CJ-ufxl]

You have managed to take a very awkward and cumbersome subject and make it as understandable and succinct as possible, that alone deserves a medal sir.
Thank you.

[pierocaruso]

I usually never comment, but I feel the urge to thank you for your work. Your channel opened a world of possibilities and interests I doubt I would've discovered in other ways. Thank you Eternalised!

[aubreyekstrom]

Thank you for your high quality effort on this video.

As a life long Buddhist, and someone who has long studied many branches of mysticism and Western occultism, I thought you did an amazing job doing indepth coverage of this topic, both of the academic historical context, and of the basic, central and most important details of the teachings themselves... All in under an hour!

It is always good to be reminded of the truth, and a validation for me of my own experiences, that all true mystical teachings teach the same truth, regardless of their age or origins.

That the truth exists within ourselves. Knowing that truth can only be experienced by each individuation (i.e. person). That ultimately we are all consciousness, The Self, or Source, and everything is interconnected as one.

Liked and Subscribed. Namaste 🙏

[LittleOne]

Abstaining from physical gratification for the last 4 years.. .. im studying hermetic religion..
Truth in soul and knowledge of magic and shadow self...
Ima wtiter .. spontaneous writer .. poet.
Your videos are at the center of my study .. i wouldn't have any good information if I had not found your channel..
I am .. eternally grateful dear friend and teacher 🙏😇

[hiniewinie]

20:24 I think I was lead to this book. When I was feeling lost..I came across Plato's theory of forms which lead me to this. I have a friend that subscribed to Gnostic teachings and it really didn't sit well with me. He even was trying to convince me of them. I couldn't accept it. I love beauty with all my heart. Everything. The trees. The plants. The way in which out solar system is built. It's mother wtaringly dazzling to me. I want to protect beautiful things and be beautiful myself. I think Thats why I can't bring myself to hate the physical world. There is bad here, I get it. But I love being alive.

[thisguyhasbadtastes]

I literally knew this was coming after that alchemy video. One of the finest creators on this platform!

[eternalreality]

Thank you so much Eternalised for this video. I am a spiritual seeker from India, I follow Advait Vedanta ( Non - Dual Vedanta ) and I am shocked to see how much the teachings of Great Hermes have so much in common with the Ancient Vedic spiritual knowledge( The Upanishads ).
To know the non - dual reality, your true nature, desires- the root cause etc.
So
In Hindu Vedic traditions/core teachings to know oneself is the only way you get to know the true reality and it is the most important purpose of human life.
So good to see the ancient traditions around the world focusing on knowing our true nature rather than having blind false beliefs.
Thank you!

[uncivilizedrebirth]

I was in meditation last year and was surrounded by ascended masters for a short while. They encouraged me, and then I told them I was not worthy and hung my head low. They reassured me that I was worthy. It was not spoken maybe it was more a feeling. The faces were brilliant, they were at ease, and they were welcoming me. Last night I had a dream of a bald eagle landing in a tree above me. One year ago, when I had several visions, my entire internal world shifted. It took one whole year for my brain to process it. Organized religion is programmed to reject this. Thus I have searched mostly in silence.

[protagtom]

I am a practicing hermeticist, it makes me so happy to see you covering this! You did a very good and thorough job, you absolutely hit everything you should! And taught me even more! And I'm a nerd for Hermetic writings.

[freethinker]

The Ancient Gnostic perspective was that our personal awakening, correction, and restoration is also Hers (Earth/The Universe). It was viewed as a symbiotic relationship. That is what is meant by "escape." It is the rescue of the Aeon Sophia, Goddess of the Earth and Mother of the Universe. As Miguel Conner brilliantly stated: "The awakening of any individual is a cosmic rebellion."