Cosmogony is the study of the origins of the universe (cosmo=universe, gony=origin). Cosmology is the study of the universe as a whole, past and present (cosmo=universe, ology=study). The cosmogony and cosmology found in the Corpus Hermeticum and the Asclepius presents a nearly exact parallel of Neoplatonic cosmogony and cosmology and, for convenience of access, we will use this as part of our model of the universe. The cosmology of the Corpus Hermeticum is, if nothing else, interesting in that it successfully combines classical pagan Greek, Neoplatonic Greek, Gnostic, Jewish and Christian theology and cosmology while at the same time having anti- classical pagan Greek, Gnostic and Christian sentiments.

The Neoplatonic universe has four primary levels. The first level is that of god, To En (τό εν), sometimes called the Good, itself. All things come from the Good. The Good is similar in concept to the Hindu Brahman. So we find that according to the “soft” polytheism of Neoplatonism, god is essentially a monistic principle that contains everything within itself and is contained within everything else. While the essential nature of the Good is transcendent we are able to gain knowledge of the Good through its creation. In this view the Good is then transcendent, immanent and emanent; i.e. beyond creation, in creation and in our heads. How is the Good in our heads? Well, our minds are ultimately the product of the Good, created in the image of the image of god according to the Corpus Hermeticum.

The second level is Nous (Νους) Mind. Mind is not something that we all possess according to Neoplatonic and Hermetic cosmology. Instead it is something that only a relatively few people are capable of possessing and the exact way in which we gain it is a bit murky. Not surprisingly the acquisition of Mind is linked to piety and devotion to the Good, above and beyond any sort of devotion to the gods, which are after all but children of the Good and in comparison to the Good, not gods at all, simply powerful immortals in comparison to us being relatively powerless mortals. However, though acquisition of Mind we are able to transcend our regular state and are capable of not only knowing the Good but through that exalted experience of gnosis, which is always about more than simple “knowledge” in the regular sense of the word, we can become like unto the gods themselves. While we are stuck with a mortal body our essence becomes truly eternal.

It is also important to note that of mortal kind it is only humans, according to this greatly theological cosmology, that are able to attain mind; no other animal can do so. Because of this it is apparently our duty to take care the rest of the world. Also, for those of us who do not gain Mind, we too should be taken care of by those who do have Mind as they better know the thought of god and are better able to function in the material world. However we are not the only things in creation that have Mind, the gods have Mind as does the universe itself, which is considered to be the first god, and the mother of the gods, after the Good.

The third level of creation is Psyche (Ψυχή), Spirit or Soul. While not all of us have Mind every living creature has spirit. Whether this is meant to extend to a more animistic level, granting spirit to everything that is created, is unclear but does not seem likely that the material world itself has Spirit due to the Gnostic anti-material reality emphasis in the Corpus; though it is possible, due to Greek animism, that it may extend at least to plant life. Spirit is the animating principle; if you can move of your own volition then you have spirit. While the individual parts of the universe, i.e. rocks, sand, clouds, etc., do not appear to have Spirit the universe as a whole does and from here we get a notion of Anima Mundi, the World Soul. The planets of our solar system, at the very least, are also considered to have Spirit and these planets are also the embodiments or physical manifestations gods of our solar system, this appears to include the Earth as well.

The final level of creation is Physis (Φύσις), Nature. This is the material world we live in.

This world is composed of four elements and these have been discussed here.