The Hermeticism Information Thread

[A Murder of Angels]

Hermeticism

Contents:
I. Introduction
II. Basic Beliefs
III. Origin and History
IV. God, Man and the World
V. Hermetic Philosophy
VI. Rituals and Spiritual Practice
VII. Hermetic Societies and Orders
VIII. Further Study
IX. Sources
X. Q & A

I: Introduction

Why I Made This Thread

Hermeticism is something that can be followed by members of any religion, or can be a religion in itself. For me, I realised I really have no religion beyond my Hermetic beliefs. I've recently started claiming Hermeticism as my religion, though I've been studying it for years. Since I started calling myself a Hermeticist, many people have asked me "What's Hermeticism?" This thread is to explain all about it.

What Hermeticism Is

Hermeticism is a spiritual philosophy. It is often called the "Western Mystery Tradition," implying that it is the largest, or at least, the most influential form of Occultism in the Western Hemisphere. As such is often widely misunderstood by outsiders. For this reason, up until recently, it has been almost non-existent outside of Secret Societies. The Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, and Aleister Crowley, to name a few, all have close ties to Hermeticism.

The primary goal of Hermeticism is to reveal the secrets of the Universe, allowing one to become closer to or one with God. This is accomplished through Occult sciences designed to purify the soul and get you in touch with your higher self.

Variations in Teachings

This thread intends to describe the basic and most widely accepted ideas within Hermeticism. If contradictions can be found in this thread, that is because both beliefs have been used by various Hermetic groups. No religion is without contradiction.

Hermeticism has been constantly evolving for two thousand years and will continue to evolve in the future. The system was meant to be adaptable from the start. Anyone who says any concept mentioned here has to be a specific way has strayed from the original teachings.

 

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II: Basic Beliefs

These are the core ideas of Hermeticism, as compared with other religious perspectives. Several of these beliefs will be discussed more in-depth later in this thread.

God
In Hermeticism, God is distant and unknowable figure. This figure is often called The All, as it is believed that "All is One." It can be seen as a powerful mind, whose thoughts control the universe. The goal of Hermeticism is to reunite oneself with The All.

Mankind's Spiritual Nature
Mankind stands above all other living things in the fact that man has the ability to reason. Inside man is a "spark of divinity" which is actually a fragment of God. This spark is what other religions refer to as the soul.

Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife
When a person dies, they are reincarnated in a new body. This person loses all memory of their past life, but retains any spiritual progress they might have made. Reuniting the divine spark within oneself with God closely matches the Buddhist idea of Nirvana. The final union with God after physical death fits the concept of going to Heaven. There is a separate plane of existence that demons live on which fits the idea of Hell, but humans don't go there after death.

The World
Hermeticists believe that the material world is comprised of four elements, being earth, water, fire, and air. Though objects are made up of various chemical and mineral make-ups, on a spiritual level, they are made of a certain combination of these four elements. There are spiritual planes above this physical plane which spirits reside in. God resides in the highest spiritual plane.

Scripture
Hermeticism doesn't have any holy writings. There are texts that are purely Hermetic in nature, but no text is seen as law. The founding texts of Hermeticism were forty-two books of philosophy known as the Hermetica, recorded by an Egyptian priest named Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus. Other Hermetic texts have been recorded over the years, but none as important as the Hermetica. There is also said to be an oral tradition that was written down in the early 1900s in a book called The Kybalion.

Doctrine
Hermetic belief is very eclectic, meaning it can be changed or molded to fit other beliefs. In fact, very few Hermeticists claim Hermeticism as their religion. Therefore, Hermeticists are encouraged to follow the doctrine of their religious beliefs, while following the philosophy of their Heremetic beliefs.

Ritual Practice
Hermeticists don't meet for worship, but do meet for other ritual purposes. Certain forces may be honoured at various times, but nothing is worshiped as a part of Hermetic belief. There are no holy days in Hermeticism, though certain groups may choose a couple specific days out of the year to hold certain rituals. Hermetic ritual is generally about honouring certain forces and using magic to improve oneself.

Sects and Denominations
Hermetic groups are referred to most often as Orders or Societies. Since the beginning until recently these groups operated in secrecy protect themselves from persecution and their rituals from corruption. Different Orders usually have different ways of delivering teachings, and incorporate different systems of Occult Arts. There is a system of ranks inside each Order, and students are ranked according to skill and knowledge, receiving an initiation into each new grade.

 

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III: Origin and History

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus
The Hermetic tradition started under the name Hermetism, which was based on the writings of an Egyptian priest named Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus. He was said to have written forty-two books of esoteric wisdom, collectively known as the Hermetica. Part of this work is survived in a later work called the Corpus Hermeticum, which is the most important work of Hermetic literature. The system of belief he wrote about came to be known as Hermetism, the predecessor of Hermeticism. Another text by him, the Emerald Tablet, is believed to be the foundational text of alchemy.

Being a living avatar of the syncratic god Hermes-Thoth, Hermes Trismegistus was the greatest of all philosophers. He lived in the days of the earliest dynasties of Egypt. (Later scholars give a later date, in the 2nd century C.E.) He was believed to be a mentor of Abraham in mystic arts. He was also said to be the father of Occult Wisdom, the founder of Astrology and the discoverer of Alchemy.

As an historical figure, Hermes Trismegistus never existed. At an earlier time, Hermetists believed in a literal man, but today Hermeticists agree that Hermes Trismegistus is a symbolic figure representing the greatest Master and Teacher of Initiates. The Hermetica was written by Egyptians from Alexandria, but the text itself can be divided into two distinct parts, written over several centuries.

Early Influences on Hermetism

The Greek city of Alexandria in Egypt was a melting pot of ancient civilizations. Cultures were present from Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Persia and religious groups in the city included Christians, Gnostics and Jews. It was in this area that Hermetism emerged. What follows is a list of religions and how each influenced early Hermetism.

Much symbolism from Egyptian death rituals has been incorporated into Hermetism. In later years of Egyptian religion, many began to follow the idea that the “true” God was unknowable and distant. The lesser, more well-known gods served as intermediaries between man and this distant figure. This belief has continued into modern times among Hermeticists.

In Greek philosophy, a similar view was that “All is One.” A philosopher by the name of Empedocles was the originator of the idea of the four classical elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Anaxgoras taught that a divine mind was the substance and power behind the universe. Plato believed in Archetypes, the idea that everything in the world is an inferior copy of perfect spiritual counterparts. Neoplatonists believed in emanations of God, the highest being incomprehensible. They also believed in invoking deities. Each of these ideas play a major part in Hermetism.

After the spread of Roman religion, secret religious groups called Mystery Cults were formed to pass on divine knowledge. A few of these included the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Cult of Osiris, Mithraism, and Early Christianity. The Mystery Cults held in common the belief in a “saviour” who suffered, died and was resurrected. Deities such as Jesus, Persephone, Mithras, and Osiris were seen as saviour figures. Their deaths and resurrections were emulated by their followers in the practise of initiation, which was seen as a spiritual cleansing and rebirth. Initiation and purification went on to play a major role in Hermetism.

Gnosticism, a mystic form of early Christianity, focused on spiritual fulfillment by personal revelation. They believed that the human soul was a fragment of God trapped in a mortal shell, and the goal of human existence was to reunite with God. Hermetists shared the Gnostic view that Christ was sent to share divine knowledge, and that our goal is to “unlock” the divine fragment within ourselves.

Hermetism, Predecessor of Hermeticism
The majority of early Hermetists were Egyptian. It can be assumed that Hermetism existed in small, secretive groups, much like the Mystery Cults of the time. From its inception, Hermetism was adaptable. Nothing in the teachings were set in stone and there are wide variations within the Hermetica itself. Rather than seeing this as inaccuracy, Hermeticists view this as examples of the wide range of adaptability within the system. Nearly every Hermetist considered himself part of a religion other than Hermetism itself and his Hermetic beliefs were molded to fit around his religion.

Hermetism and Christianity
When Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, Hermetism, along with all other non-Christian faiths, was suppressed. The Hermetica however, being esoteric in nature, attracted the study of Byzantine scholars, who preserved the books in their libraries. During this time period, in the Middle Ages, Christian ideas became intertwined with Hermetic teachings.

The Renaissance
By remaining within the study of scholars, when the Dark Ages gave way to the Renaissance, Hermetic Literature was already in good standing. The Corpus Hermeticum was translated into Latin and English, allowing more people the ability to study the text.

Alchemy and astrology, developing outside of Hermetism, became incorporated with it, each influencing the development of the other. Solomonic Magic, and other forms of Ceremonial Magic became incorporated as well.

Arguably the most important addition to Hermetism was that of the Kabbalah. A scholar by the name of Pico Mirandola noted major similarities between Hermetism and the system of Jewish mysticism. From that point on, the Kabbalah became fused with Hermetism. It was the fusion of Hermetism with Renaissance Magic and the Kabbalah that transfigured Hermetism into modern Hermeticism.

Hermeticism in Modern Times
In the 1700s a new system of magic arose, known as Rosicrucianism. This Secret Society focused on Christian mysticism from a Hermetic viewpoint and emphasized alchemy and Kabbalah. It incorporated Freemasonic ritual structure lending ceremonial practises to Hermeticism.

The occult revival of the nineteenth century, brought new interest to the Hermetic Tradition. A group called the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded in 1888. This group grew to be a large fraternity of magicians and many modern occult movements can trace their roots back to it. By the time the group disbanded in the 1930s, it had influenced nearly every corner of Western Occultism.

Before the group disbanded, a man by the name of Aleister Crowley rose to the rank of Adept-hood and was expelled from the order. He went on to found a tradition known as Thelema. Thelema continued to draw heavily on Hermeticism and Kabbalah, while incorporating elements of Yoga and Eastern mysticism. One of Crowley's students, Gerald Gardner was to become the founder of the modern Neo-Pagan movement, also known as Wicca.  

[A Murder of Angels]

IV: God, Man and the World

The All, The Hermetic View of God

To Hermeticists, the force most people view as "God" is commonly known as The All, The One, The Absolute, The Supreme Mind, and other like names. The All seen as more of a force than an actual deity, and to humans this force is unknowable. The All is seen as hermaphroditic, having both a male and female aspect.

The All can be viewed as a great Mind. Everything that exists is a manifested thought of this Mind. This Mind can influence us but not control us, since we can make decisions of our own free will.

There are three aspects of The All. They are Nous, Logos, and Anthropos.

Nous
Nous, which means "Mind", is the aspect of The All that is seen as the Supreme Mind. Nous is the aspect of The All that would fit the Christian "Holy Spirit." The Corpus Hermeticum states that Nous is the aspect of The All that taught Hermes Trismegistus his divine knowledge. Hermes Trismegistus proclaims that Nous is the cause of existence.

Logos
Logos means "Reason," and can be equated with rational thought. It is the ability to form abstract ideas and use logic. Logos is one with Nous and their union is Life. Logos inhabited the elements to create the planets, which in astrology are seen as governing forces that control destiny. Lifeforms lower than humans are seen as operating without Reason.

Anthropos
Anthropos is the human soul that comes from God, and is destined to return to God. It is the part of man that is not material, the spiritual part of Man as opposed to the man's physical body or nous/mind. God is made up of an innumerable amount of these souls, and if they conduct themselves properly they may become Powers of God.

Planes of Existence
Material Plane
This is the Plane that everyone is aware of. The lower part of this plane is the world that is perceived by the five senses, being composed of that which we can see, touch, feel, hear and taste.

On a more subtle level, but still within the Material Plane is a world composed of ether, which is the densest form of spiritual energy. Every physical object also has an etheric double that overlaps its existence.

Mental Plane
Things in this plane are less dense than in the Material Plain, but more dense than that of the Spiritual Plain. The Astral realm exists on this level. Astral substance is a less-dense form of ether and can be shaped by thoughts and emotions.

The realm of Thought also exists on this plane and is composed of thoughtforms, created by living things of the worlds below, or by The All, of the world above. Before thoughts take the shape of ideas or events in the Material Plane, they form here.

Spiritual Plane
This plane is comprised of The All, and is where The All mainly exists. It is a realm of pure spiritual substance. Angels also reside in this realm, as well as Archetypes or ideas that take the forms of gods to interact with humans.

The Subtle Bodies of Man
Man has 5 bodies that correspond to each of the realms within the Planes of Existence.

The Physical Body is the body of the senses. Within the body are centers of energy, known in the East as Chakra, which generates ether. This ether is circulated around the body via ch'i lines, similar to how veins and arteries circulate blood.

Once ether escapes the body, it forms a sort of shield known as the Aura. This is the body that exists in the Etheric Realm. It is capable of detecting subtle energy as well as projecting energy.

The Astral Body exists in the Mental Plane. Contrary to popular belief, astral projection is not the aura leaving the body. Rather, it is the consciousness being transmitted into the Astral Body. Many dreams happen to be experiences of the astral body remembered by the consciousness.

The Mental Body is the source of our thoughts. It is the unmanifested form of our ideas before we express them through actions or speech. Its constant interaction with the Astral Body produces our instincts, impulses and unconscious actions.

The Spiritual Body is the highest part of ourselves. It can be seen as being one with The All, but our being unaware of our spiritual nature is what separates us from fully integrating with The All. The goal of Hermeticism is to move the consciousness from the Physical Body to the Spiritual Body to become one with God.

 

[A Murder of Angels]

V: Hermetic Philosophy

Seven Hermetic Principles

The entire Hermetic Philosophy is based on these Seven Principles.

Mentalism
"All is Mind." The All is, essentially, Spirit. This Spirit is infinite and unknowable, and can be viewed as a great Universal Mind. That which we know as the physical world and the universe is simply mental creations of The All.

Correspondence
"As above, so below." There is always a correspondence between the events and phenomena of the various planes of existence. Something that exists in one plane of existence exists on the other planes as well.

Vibration
"Nothing rests; everything moves." The difference in manifestations on various planes of existence is its rate of vibration. Physical objects vibrate very slowly. Energy vibrates much faster. The All, which is Pure Spirit, vibrates fastest, at an infinite rate.

Polarity
"Everything is dual." "Opposites are the same, but different in degree." For example, Hot and Cold are the same in that they are both temperature, and the difference is the varying degree. The same is true of concepts like Love and Hate, or Good and Evil.

Rhythm
"All things rise and fall." Everything moves between the two poles mentioned in the Principle of Polarity. This is seen in the rise and fall of nations, the stages of life, the mental states of man, etc. The goal of Hermeticists is to learn to use this Principle, rather than being used by it.

Cause and Effect
"Every Cause has its Effect." There is no such thing as coincidence. Everything happens for a reason, whether the event is large or small. Hermeticists attempt to mentally rise to a higher plane to be a direct cause, rather than be blindly led around as "effects."

Gender
"Everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles." Every male thing has female elements and vice versa. A union of these two parts is required to make anything whole. To teach that this union is lustful, however, is a degradation of true Hermetic teachings.

Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Universe
In the Emerald Tablet, Hermes Trismegistus states that there are "three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe." These parts are alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. This statement is the reason Hermes Trismegistus is (symbolically) attributed as the father of Theurgy, the founder of Astrology and the discoverer of Alchemy.

Alchemy
"The Operation of the Sun." Alchemy is not the literal changing of lead into gold. Rather, one attempts to turn himself from a base person (symbolized by lead) into an adept master (symbolized by gold). The various stages of chemical distillation and fermentation expressed in Alchemical texts are metaphorical for the Magnum Opus (Latin for Great Work) performed on the soul.

Astrology
"The Operation of the Moon." In Hermetic thought, the movements of the planets are symbolic manifestations of thought in the mind of The All. Astrology influences us but does not control our actions, and wisdom is gained when we know what these influences are and how to deal with them.

Theurgy
"The Operation of the Stars." There are two different types of magic, completely opposite of one another. The first is Goëtia, black magic reliant on the alliance with demons. The second is Theurgy, divine magic reliant on the alliance with angels and gods. Theurgy is the practical aspect of the Hermetic art of alchemy. Alchemy is seen as the "key" to theurgy, the ultimate goal of which is to become united with one's higher self, leading to the attainment of Divine Consciousness.

 

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VI: Rituals and Spiritual Practice

Initation
In the early days of Hermeticism, initiation served the purpose of creating an oath to keep the secret teachings hidden. This was not the only function however. It also served as a spiritual death and rebirth. It was intended to purify and infuse the magician with spiritual energies so that in the future he could be carry out his spiritual work on a higher level.

Another reason for initiation is that to become an Adept practitioner of Hermeticism, one must be initiated by another Adept. The energies infused with the new Adept can only be given from another Adept. In theory this line can be traced all the way down to the first Adept, Hermes Trisgemistus.

Initiation is still performed by Hermetic societies today, usually each time the student attains a new level within the society. It is just as necessary now as it always has been, though secrecy is no longer a major factor.

The Great Work
The Great Work is the process of Hermeticism. Everything a Hermeticist does is geared toward moving one's consciousness into his Spiritual Body to become one with The All. The Spiritual Body of man is a part of The All, and all Hermetic work is meant to build a spiritual bridge over which the Hermeticist can establish a connection with his higher self.

Divination
Aside from astrology, other forms of divination may be employed by the Hermeticist. These forms of divination are not viewed as "fortune telling," which is seen as a lower technique, but as a way to build psychic senses and tap into the World Mind. Forms of divination practised by Hermeticists may include geomancy, tarot, and, in later training, astral projection to tap directly into the World Mind itself.

Magic
Magic, as is commonly accepted today, is the use of one's spiritual energy to effect change in the world around them. To the Hermeticist, there is never a moment in the day when magic is not being performed. From mental concentration, to daily rites and prayers, to meditation, astral projection and lucid dreaming, the magician is always employing spiritual forces.

The majority of simple rites a Hermeticist performs daily, and the advanced ones he performs every so often, belong to a system called Theurgy, which means "God-working." Theurgy is using power sent or drawn directly from The All. In some rituals, angels or gods may be invoked to access knowledge or lend aid to a working.

 

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VII: Hermetic Societies and Orders

Hermeticism has existed within secret societies since its inception. Since most Hermeticists believe that group initiation is required to advance in one's personal spiritual progress, Hermeticism still continues to exist mainly in societies, secret or not. The earliest secret Orders and teachings have been lost to time, but some of the more recent and well known are mentioned here.

The Rosicrucian Order
According to legend, this Order was founded by Christian Rosenkruez in the 15th century. It disbanded at his death and was reborn in the 17th century upon the discovery of his perfectly preserved body.

The Rosicruscians created a blend of Hermetic principals with Christian Mysticism. Their core principals included Alchemy, reincarnation and cosmology. The most highly advanced Rosicrucians are said to exist invisibly in the inner worlds.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
This is perhaps the most well known of Hermetic secret societies. It was founded in 1888 by William Woodman, W. Wynn Westcott, and S. L. MacGregor Mathers, all of whom were members of a Rosicrucian Masonic Order, Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. They made the claim that secret chiefs from a higher Order had given them teachings intended to perfect mankind one by one.

For 50 years until the Order died out in the 1930s, the Golden Dawn taught a combination of Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Alchemy, Enochian Magic, Divination, and Rosicrucianism. In the 1970s, Israel Regardie, whom had been an Adept of the original Order, laid the foundation for a revival of Golden Dawn teachings. Today there are several seperate Societies that each follow the traditional teachings and claim lineage descending from the original Order.

Ordo Templi Orientis
The Ordo Templi Orientis originated from an earlier Society known as the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. It was originally a Hermetic order modeled on Freemasonry with elements of Eastern mysticism worked in. Under the leadership of Aleister Crowley, the OTO was reformed based on his system, Thelema. After Crowley's death, membership in the Order dropped to near extinction, though the OTO managed to pull through and has survived into modern times.

Other Spiritual Systems Related to Hermeticism
The Freemasons
Though there seems to be little about Freemasonry itself that is Hermetic, there have been Hermetic sub-Orders within Masonry. The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia is a Rosicrucian Society open only to Master Masons. The Scottish Rite also incorporates Rosicrucian symbolism.

The rituals of many Hermetic Societies were built on Masonic ritual structure, and some Masonic symbolism has worked its way into these Societies.

The Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society, founded in the 1800s showed many parallels to Hermeticism, though the philosophy itself is not Hermetic. Incorporating Eastern and Western occult ideas into the same philosophy, the Society caught the attention of many Western mystics and played an influential role in the creation of several Hermetic Orders.

Thelema
Thelema is a spiritual philosophy that is a combination of Hermeticism and Eastern philosophies created by Aleister Crowley. Crowley had been expelled from the Golden Dawn and joined the OTO, as well having founded his own Society, the Argenteum Astrum. In 1904 he channeled a book called The Book of the Law, which served as the basis for Thelema. The OTO was reformed to follow Thelemic principals.

Wicca and Neo-Paganism
Gerald Gardner was an anthropologist and student of Thelema in the OTO. In 1954 he published Witchcraft Today, claiming to be a practitioner of ancient European Witchcraft. Due to his publicity he recieved many requests for teachings, but he claimed to be bound by oath not to reveal what he had learned. To make up for this, Gardner manufactured a new religion by combining Thelemic principals with what he had learned from his anthropological and folklore studies. This religion became known as Gardnerian Wicca and is considered the first group within the Neo-Pagan movement.

 

[A Murder of Angels]

VIII: Further Study

Hermetic Texts
Foundational Texts
Corpus Hermeticum by Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus (Translated by John Everard, 1650)
This is the earliest English translation of the foundational text of Hermeticism. It contains 17 of the 42 books of Hermetica.

The Emerald Tablet by Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus (Various Translations)
Allegedly the foundational text of the science of Alchemy.

The Virgin of the World by Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus (Translated by A. Kingsford, E. Maitland, 1884)
Another part of the Hermetica, consisted mainly of fragments.

The Kybalion by Three Initiates, 1912, The Yogi Publication Society.
A short book of Hermetic Philosophy, fully explaining the Seven Principles.

Hermetic Collections
The Hermetic Library - A collection of contemporary and classic Hermetic writings.

Western Esoterica Library - Ancient and cultural works relating to Hermeticism.

Alchemical Texts - A large collection of Alchemy-related writings.

Modern Writings
General Info
Wikipedia - Hermeticism - This page is a basic, encyclopedia-like summary of Hermeticism.

Hermeticism Description and Beliefs - A general site that goes more in depth than the previous one.

Secret Teachings of all Ages by Manly P. Hall, 1928, H.S. Crocker Company
A large book that goes into detail on many forms of Western mysticism.

Hermetic Societies
Rosicrucian
Fama Fraternitatis by The Rosicrucian Order, 1614
The first manifesto published by the Rosicrucians.

Confessio Fraternitatis by The Rosicrucian Order, 1615
A second manifesto published by the Rosicrucians.

The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz by The Rosicrucian Order, 1690
An allegorical romance used to explain alchemical processes.

The Real History of the Rosicrucians by Arthur Edward Waite, 1887
A history of Rosicrucianism.

Golden Dawn
Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie, 2002, Llewellyn Publications.
Contains the majority of teachings from the first 5 grades.

Essential Golden Dawn by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero, 2003, Llewellyn Publications.
An excellent introduction to the Golden Dawn and its teachings.

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn - A resource website run by the branch of the Golden Dawn founded by the Ciceros with the help of Israel Regardie.

Thelema
The Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley, 1904
The foundational text of Thelema, channeled to Crowley in Cairo, Egypt.

Magick by Aleister Crowley
A full explaination on the theory and practise behind Magick.

 

[A Murder of Angels]

IX: Sources

In case anyone has dispute to any of the claims I made in this thread, here is a list of my sources.

Basic Beliefs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_All
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos
"The Essential Golden Dawn" by Chich and Sandra Tabatha Cicero
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/kyb00.htm

Origin and History
"The Essential Golden Dawn" by Chich and Sandra Tabatha Cicero
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/kyb00.htm
http://www.meta-religion.com/Esoterism/Hermeticism/hermeticism.htm
"The Secret Teachings of All Ages" by Manly P. Hall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_cult
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osiris
http://www.well.com/~davidu/mithras.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Christianity
http://www.geocities.com/alandwpeters/hermeticism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelema
http://www.geraldgardner.com/

God, Man and the World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_All
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/kyb00.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planes_of_existence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esoteric_cosmology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_plane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_plane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etheric_body
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtle_body
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_body
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aether
"Monsters" by John Michael Greer

Hermetic Philosophy
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/kyb00.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism

Rituals and Spritual Practice
"The Essential Golden Dawn" by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero
"The Secret Teachings of All Ages" by Manly P. Hall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy
"The Golden Dawn" by Israel Regardie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theurgy

Hermetic Societies and Orders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian
www.levity.com/Falchemy/Ffama.html
"My Rosicrucian Adventure" by Israel Regardie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societas_Rosicruciana_in_Anglia
"The Golden Dawn" by Israel Regardie
"The Essential Golden Dawn" by Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Order_of_the_Golden_Dawn
http://www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordo_Templi_Orientis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Rite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelema
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Law
http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/engccxx.htm
http://www.geraldgardner.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Gardner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiccan_Rede
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardnerian_Wicca  

[A Murder of Angels]

X: Q & A

I'm prepared to answer any question you've got, as long as it's intelligent and not already answered in the above posts.