Questions and Answers

Hermeticism is a philosophical and religious tradition based on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, composed in Egypt in the first centuries of the common era. It teaches that the cosmos is a living whole proceeding from a divine Mind, that the human being is a small image of that whole, and that through knowledge and discipline the soul can return to its source. See our introduction to Hermeticism.

A legendary figure, not a historical person. The name means Hermes the Thrice Great, and it arose in Egypt when Greek settlers identified their god Hermes with the Egyptian god Thoth. Later ages imagined him as an ancient sage and credited him with a large body of writings, which were in fact composed by many unknown authors. See the history of the tradition.

It has religious content, including prayers, hymns and a doctrine of salvation, and in antiquity it was probably practiced in small devotional groups. Today it has no church, clergy or creed. Most people who study it treat it as a philosophy and a set of disciplines that can be held alongside a religion or without one.

Not as a list. The seven principles were first published in a book called The Kybalion in 1908. Some of them, especially correspondence and mentalism, restate ideas found in the ancient texts, and the others have looser roots. They are best regarded as a modern summary of old themes. See where the principles come from.

Magick with a k is an older English spelling, revived in the early twentieth century to distinguish the spiritual discipline from stage conjuring. On this site magick means the deliberate use of symbol, ritual and trained will to bring about change, beginning with change in the practitioner. See what is magick.

They are branches of one tree. Astrology supplies the tradition's picture of the cosmos and its symbolic language of planets and signs. Alchemy applies the same ideas to the transformation of matter and of the self. The Qabalah, adapted from Jewish mysticism, provides the diagram on which all the correspondences are arranged. Magick is the practical art that uses them together.

No. The exercises can be undertaken as experiments. The tradition asks for regular practice and an honest written record, and expects conclusions to be drawn from results. It is enough to set aside both belief and disbelief for the duration of the work.

Study is not. Practice carries about the same risks as any sustained contemplative discipline. For most people, in moderation, it is beneficial. It can be unsettling for those with a history of serious mental illness or in an acute crisis, who should seek professional advice first. The dangers of popular imagination are much less real than the ordinary ones of self deception and unhealthy groups. See ethics and safety.

That is for you and your tradition to decide. Historically, Hermetic philosophy has been studied by devout Christians, Jews and Muslims as well as by people of no religion, and some religious authorities have opposed the practice of magic. Nothing on this site requires the worship of any deity or the rejection of any faith.

Not to begin. All of the foundational work, including study, meditation, simple ritual and the keeping of a diary, can be done alone. A good teacher or group can help later, and a bad one can do real harm. Our page on ethics and safety lists the signs of each.

No. You need a notebook, a pen, a chair and a quiet place for twenty minutes a day. A candle and a small table are useful. Robes, wands and the rest of the traditional equipment can be added one item at a time if and when the work calls for them.

Most people who practice daily notice a steadier attention and a calmer mind within one to three months. Changes of character take longer and are usually first noticed by other people. The tradition measures progress in years, and warns against judging the work by how any single session feels.

The Great Work, in Latin the magnum opus, was the alchemists' name for the making of the philosophers' stone. In the wider tradition it means the complete development of a human being: the long labor of self knowledge, purification and integration by which a person becomes whole. See the Great Work.

The benefits of meditation and regular reflective practice for attention and wellbeing are supported by a good deal of research. The tradition's claims about effects on the outer world have not been established by controlled testing, and we do not present them as proven. We describe them as claims and encourage readers to keep careful records of their own.

With the page called Start Here, which gives an orientation and a simple first week. After that, follow the twelve month course of study or read whichever section interests you most.

No. Everything on the site is free to read and to use for personal study, including the course of study and the tools. There is nothing to join and no account to create.

No. It is an independent library and course of study written by a small group of editors. It has no members, confers no grades or initiations and holds no secret teachings. See about Occidental Magic.

No. The site offers general information only, and the editors do not give personal instruction, readings or advice on individual circumstances. For matters of health, law or money, consult a qualified professional.