When we started our magic together, we included both study and practice. Alannah quickly reached out to the community and our temple was formed, with seasonal rituals and weekly classes. And, we began to ask ourselves how to share this powerful thing we were doing with others. We landed on an overarching theory of Hermeticism as a guiding principle in our study and understanding of magic. We felt aligned with the principles of hermeticism; they allowed us to have the freedom we wanted in a magical practice. We liked the connection with the mystical mythologies and the unbroken wisdom that comes from ancient times with life today.

The magic that we create is largely influenced and based on the Ceremonial Rituals of Frater Barrabbas of the Egregore Stella Sancta Gnostica (ESSG).

We have focused on a small number of main workings that we use regularly; these are suitable for layering and can build a powerful energy field that we call an eidolon. The two rituals we most often use are the Elemental Octagram, which utilizes the same five elements that are considered foundational in so many traditions, and the Pyramid of Power ritual, which calls upon the powerful archetypes of Qabalistic energies to capstone our workings.

These rituals make use of sacred calls, invoking the aid of pantheons of the Egyptians, the Hebrews, and the Greeks, as well as many others. Enochian sounds through the walls of our Temple. That said, for your magic, the pantheon of deities and divine forces can be ones of your own choosing, after you have a grasp of the energetic intent.

We believe that ritual is not stagnant. It is alive and can be crafted to suit a useful purpose. It is a tool of empowerment and creation and beauty. And when you hand someone a magical tool, such as a physical implement like a wand, or a technique like a ritual, you hand them a key to unlocking a process of self discovery and transformation: gnosis.

So, What Is Hermeticism Anyway?
What is Hermeticism, and why has it endured as a philosophy that remains relevant to us today?

Erich always thought that the story about Hermeticism going back to ancient Egypt was a myth. (It seems that everyone wants their tradition to go back to Egypt.) But, this origin story turns out to be very true! The Greeks did go to Egypt to learn ideas at the forefront of an exciting, developing culture: medicine, history, engineering, and more. A Greek person would have been very proud to have studied in the land of Khem because of the strength of its scholasticism and the surging richness of ideas. Of course, the Greeks were also going to Egypt to study a new movement in magic and mysticism. In the combination of Greek Rationalism and Egyptian Mysticism, a new way of looking at the world emerged: Hermeticism.

One of the reasons for its popularity over time is because of its adaptability and flexibility. In ancient times, pagans often studied Hermeticism along with their own traditions. Later, Christians and Muslims also studied Hermeticism along with their faiths. The study of Hermeticism has broad applications and can elegantly augment and enlighten our practices without supplanting them.

Let's look at some ideas from Hermetics and then you will see why, over time, it has resonated with people. At the core of Hermeticism is the idea of the Non-Dual Pleroma as an absolute Unity of Being. While other traditions view our human condition as a duality, subject to distinctions and separation, Hermeticism sees it as an unbreakable unity, interdependent. From this Pleroma, six other ideas naturally flow.

Sympatheia: This is the idea is that all things are in sympathy with each other and are connected via subtle vibrations. Through these connected vibrations, there is a similarity in the way we perceive them. For example, mugwort is considered to be in sympatheia with the energies of the moon and when mugwort is used in ritual, the energies of the moon are activated. When we build altars in our sacred space we take advantage of this principle when we choose items that are in sympathy with our goals in creating the altar. Often in magic, we find long charts documenting these transferrences of energy from one thing to another, and we can refer to them to build magical energy.

Living Nature: All of nature and physical reality is considered to be alive. Not only are the animals and plants having an adventure of life, but all energies and matter are alive and participating in the grand adventure of being. This concept must have been radical at the time! The idea is that everything is living and conscious, and as such can be interacted with. The elements of fire, water, air, earth, and spirit are alive and we can be in relationship with these energies (and many other types of energies, as well).

Transformation: You and all of nature are growing and changing. You are not the same person who went to bed last night, and tomorrow you will be someone else again. This is the same for all of creation; the process of transformation is continuous, natural, and to be expected. Why not take control of this natural process and direct and streamline your spiritual growth?

Imagination as an Organ of Perception: Our imagination is capable of more than we can ever understand. When we use our Imagination, we pull from the universal well of the subconcscious and unconscious Universal Mind. It is much like a waking dream and can take the form of anything we want.

The energies of our mental subtext, our inner narrative, can also be harnessed and embellished to add to this energy. Thus, when we visualize, feel, or direct our emotions towards a goal, it builds layers of potential creation. This is because our minds are part of the Pleroma. The Nous, often translated as Mind, is really our connection to the All, and the ability to perceive what is real.

Concordance: Because of the Unity of All and the living sympathy of consciousness, all things are connected intellectually, especially Hermetic concepts. We can find similarities and agreement among the otherwise distinctive features of magic and mystical workings. Experience and learning in one area can translate into insights in another. Hermeticism offers a system that blends well with other ideas, pantheons, and methods. Esoteric practitioners are familiar with lists of concordances that connect sacred elements of knowledge. For example, knowledge of astrology can give insights into tarot, and vice versa.

Transmission: There is a tradition of initiation and transmitting the experience of a tradition from one generation to the next. Each generation takes what has come before, learns it diligently, and then updates the tradition using the most advanced spiritual technology available. Then these new, expanded ideas are progressed forward to the next generation. The process of initiation can advance a practitioner by years if done correctly by a qualified source. However, even working magic with more experienced people and groups can bring enormous progress. Being in sympathy and sharing vibration with someone more advanced can have a powerful initiatory effect. This is why we like to share the ritual work we are doing.

Contained within these principals is the process of magic, the ability to affect change in our collective experience of reality. There is an unbreakable unity that creates cohesion among its many parts.

As above, so below; as within, so without; and the all is in the one, and the one is in the all.

These six Hermetic ideas (Sympathea, Living Nature, Transformation, Concordance, Imagination as an Organ of Perception, and Transmission) describe a model of an underlying reality and its mechanisms of operation. These are patterns that provide a basic template for the universe and physical reality that we can use to add magic to our lives. When we align to core underlying energetics, of reality, some very special things happen as a result: purification and empowerment!

Additionally, we are adding other powerful skills to our practice of Hermeticism. We incorporate the principles of Mindfulness and Somatic Perception, techniques from Eastern Esotericism and Psychotherapeutic traditions. Try applying these to your experience of ritual, rather than your knowing of how to do your workings. See if you notice the addition of a more tangible substance or the ability to manifest your creations more quickly. We believe that the principles of Hermeticism lend themself naturally to these concepts. Here, we find two simple ways to tune in, activate, and align with the above Hermetic principles and give things a super powerful boost!

Mindfulness: This is the idea that when we move into a mindful, aware, and present state of consciousness, we are able to access the Pleroma and release the creative potential that lies within. We may activate this simply by having our items of symaptheia arranged on an altar (such as candles, incense, gems, or tarot cards). Those support the present awareness within the magician to create an internal resonant field that matches and is shared with the stone or herb placed with intent on our sacred altar. The consciousness connects, first through perception, and then relates the Pleroma energy through the web of interconnections.

Another way to use mindfulness is to be present with subtle changes and effects as they occur in ritual and, by extension, every moment of waking life. Mindful awareness allows us to connect more strongly with the Pleroma and stretch our consciousness to include these subtle expressions of the greater whole that may otherwise be lost.

Somatic Perception: This is focusing our awareness specifically on internal effects, as felt through the body. Using the same proprioceptive abilities we use to detect the temperature, the direction of the wind, or a stomachache, we can enhance our ability to connect to the Universal Pleroma that is within an experience.

Somatic perception helps us embody our connection to the Pleroma. It anchors us in our physiology and thus our most basic human experience. If you take note of your body sensations during ritual, then you may find it easier to come back to that feeling during your day and perpetuate the working.

It can be difficult to be in the body for various reasons (an entire subject that can be expanded on later). But, we have found that we work with the difficulty, we are rewarded with a powerful, deeply authentic, transformative process.

In summary, here are the core Hermetic Principles that we use in Modern Hermeticism: The Pleroma, Sympatheia, Living Nature, Transformation, Imagination as an Organ of Perception, Concordance, Transmission, Mindfulness, and Somatic Perception. We invite you to experiment with them. Notice where you are already practicing Hermeticism and using these principles. We love the versatility that Hermeticism offers to our magical workings, its connections to ancient traditions, and its power to create authentic transformations. We hope them you enjoy them, too.