The legend grows even more fantastic. About two years later, Vaughan supposedly traveled to New England, where on a clear summer night, he encountered Venus-Astarte, a succubus goddess sleeping on a mystical bed. From their unholy union came a child, whose descendants would eventually produce the Palladian virgin, Diana Vaughan.¹

¹ Arthur Edward Waite, Devil-Worship In France or The Question of Lucifer (George Redway, 1896), 170–73.

² David Stevenson, The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland’s Century 1590-1710 (Cambridge University Press, 1988), 101–2.

³ Epistle to the Reader in Christian Rosencreutz, The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity of R.C., Commonly, of the Rosie Cross : with a Praeface Annexed Thereto, and a Short Declaration of Their Physicall Work, trans. Thomas Vaughan (London : Printed by J.M. for Giles Calvert, 1652).

⁴ Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (Barnes & Noble (1996), Hardcover, 269 pages, 1996), 208–12.

⁵ Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, ed. and trans. Donald Tyson, ed. Donald Tyson, trans. James Freake, Llewellyn’s Sourcebook (Llewellyn Publications, 1994) xlvii-xlviii.

After some thought, I narrowed down the delays to two problems. First, crafting a highly produced podcast all on your own is too much work. Second, Arnemancy is just a one-human shop, which means that there is no external party to hold me accountable for stuff like that.

Getting Updates

I want you to feel like you are staying updated on my progress! One good way is to subscribe to the Arnemancy YouTube channel (I guess that is pretty obvious), but you should also subscribe to the Arnemancy Podcast. Heck, if you just want to be swamped with all the best Arnemancy juice, you may as well sign up for the newsletter, too!

First offered at Dark Star Magick earlier this year, my class exploring historical techniques for sigil creation is now being offered online! From magic squares to magical alphabets to magical math, let the methods of pre-modern magicians come alive for you!

Learn how to create sigils using techniques from Renaissance magic. From magic squares to magical alphabets to magical math, the innovative approaches of Johannes Trithemius, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, and other Renaissance wizards can teach us much about creating our very own sigils. These methods predate Chaos Magic by centuries, and can be used to add an interesting and artistic touch to any modern magical practice.

As part of this class, we will walk through the entire method of creating unique sigils from an
astrological election, using both the Daimon Name Generator and Daimon Sigil Generator!

Note: This class is currently available on demand!

Enrollment

This class explores Henry Cornelius Agrippa’s theory of divine light as illustrated in Three Books of Occult Philosophy. We will examine divine light’s role in both interior and exterior perception, an essential foundation for understanding the practice of image magic. Agrippa’s theory builds upon the earlier theory of rays of celestial influence that connected the macrocosm to the microcosm, and echoes of this approach have made their way into even modern magical practice.

More Information

If you want to get some more background for this class, check out this episode from my series on Three Books of Occult Philosophy. You may also want to pick up your own copy of the best English translation of the book.

Enjoy your math and enjoy your magic!

We have been all over Occult Philosophy, and explored everything from its historical context to its complex cosmology and fascinating theories on divine light. We will look at the influences that Occult Philosophy has had in the nearly 500 years since its original publication.

In all of the previous episodes, I have suggested chapters in Occult Philosophy that could be read to accompany your listening experience. But not this time! My guests and I will be mentioning quite a few books that have resulted from Agrippa’s influence, however, and I will make sure to list them in the show notes. They will make excellent additions to your winter reading list!

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy

If you would like to do some reading before listening to this episode, I think you can get a pretty good overview of Agrippa’s take on this topic by reading book 3, chapters 10 through 25. However, note that references to Cabala, the Hebrew language and alphabet, and Jewish mysticism crop up throughout book 3.

You can’t really deny that Kabbalah is one of the cornerstones of Western occultism. It crops up everywhere from Solomonic magic to Tarot to the Golden Dawn. If you’ve looked into it at all, you’ve probably come across the concept that Kabbalah is usually split into three main branches, differentiated in the way they are transliterated into English.

• Christian Cabala, spelled with a C, is our main topic in this episode.
• Hermetic Qabalah, spelled with a Q, is the variety used by modern ceremonial magicians.
• Jewish Kabbalah, spelled with a K, is the original strain of Jewish mysticism that the others pull from.

And always remember, if you want to catch up with the rest of the Agrippa series, you can visit the home page for the series.

This episode will cover a lot of material from across book 2 of Occult Philosophy. If you are looking for sections to read before listening to this episode, I would suggest starting with book 2, chapter 29, and reading through chapter 50. You’ll also want to read chapters 58 and 59, as I reference them specifically. However, after this episode, I believe you will want to spend some serious time studying all of book 2, especially going back over the parts about planets and spirits from earlier on.

As we will discover, both planetary and astrological magic cover a wide range of practices that occultists of all varieties are likely familiar with. You will find sigils, prayers, petitions, spirits, and hymns. In fact, this type of magic also leans heavily on occult correspondences, which can include metals, stones, crystals, herbs, foods, and animals.

And always remember, if you want to catch up with the rest of the Agrippa series, you can visit the home page for the series.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

At this point in our exploration, we have developed a strong idea of Agrippa’s world and some of the basic premises of Occult Philosophy. We have looked at history, the nature of light and the cosmos, and the mathematical underpinnings of Renaissance magic. Now it is time to finally explore one of the strangest and most exciting elements in Occult Philosophy: spirits!

Discussion of spirits occurs throughout this enormous work, but if you want some reading to get into before listening to this episode, first re-read book 2, chapter 22, and then read book 2, chapters 55 through 57.

Daemons, daimones, angels, demons, and intelligences—these are all words that describe spirits. Sometimes they are various categories of spirits, other times they are words for “spirit” in another language. From time to time, even the gods are referred to as spirits. In this episode, we explore why that is, and maybe we even look at some ideas surrounding how you can communicate with them. I warned you that we hadn’t gotten to the strangest stuff yet!

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

Why are courage and curiosity so important for this episode? Because we’re going to be talking about math. Math and magic. I have been looking forward to this episode for a long time, but I know that for a lot of people, the idea of reading about and learning about math is pretty miserable. When occultists discover how much Agrippa loved math, and how central math is to Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy, they sometimes seem pretty disappointed.

Much of book two of Occult Philosophy deals with numbers and mathematics. If you would like to really get an amazing head start on this episode, read books 2, chapters 1 through 23. However, if that is too much, I think you can be pretty well prepared for this episode by just reading book 2, chapters 1, 2, 21, 22, and 23.

Some of the math topics we will be talking about in this episode are the philosophical concept of number, the relationship between math and occult correspondences, magic squares, and sacred geometry. There is a lot of great material, and I hope you give it a listen even though math might seem like it’s a bummer!

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

In this episode, we will be taking a look at some pretty big topics: divine light and the senses. These form a pretty important core for the vision of magic outlined in this book, and I did as best I could trying to cover these topics and make sense of them. However, they are tricky, so I encourage feedback and questions if you feel like the topic hasn’t been covered in enough depth.

To understand how Agrippa believed that the senses work, we have to begin by examining his ideas on light. For this, we take a trip through the Ptolemaic worldview, explore the imagination, and look at some really bizarre and outdated scientific concepts. But all is not lost! Come with me on a strange trip—no need to bring your own flashlight!

If you want to get a jump start on these topics, I would advise reading book one, chapters 49, 60, and 61.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

In this episode, we will explore Agrippa’s definition of magic, both through his words and by examining it through a modern lens. Beginning with this episode, I will make a point to let you know precise chapters we will be discussing. This should give you the opportunity to read specific chapters in Occult Philosophy so you can be more informed of the topics we discuss in this episode.

Agrippa’s definition of magic can be found in book 1, chapter 2. In the 2021 Inner Traditions edition of Occult Philosophy, translated by Eric Purdue, this chapter begins on page 18. I would like to point out that we will almost never spend an entire episode discussing just one chapter, but since magic is at the core of our exploration of this book, we need to spend some time understanding exactly what we are talking about!

This series of episodes about Occult Philosophy will most likely last until Summer. My Patreon supporters will be receiving each episode a week before the rest of the world, along with bonus materials such as full interviews, a glimpse at works in progress, and the opportunity to suggest further topics for this Agrippa deep dive.

If you enjoy these episodes and want to help support their development, you can help out by sharing this podcast with a friend! Let your weird wizard buddies and witch pals know that we have embarked on this journey. And if you want to contribute monetarily, you can go to the Support page on this website and find a number of options.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

Thanks to Eric Purdue’s long work on his translation of this book, we have a pretty good answer: plagiarism! Agrippa used material from over 200 sources to compile and assemble Occult Philosophy. In many cases, he simply lifted complete passages from some of these sources. However, in spite of the rampant plagiarism in the text, Agrippa was able to assemble quotes and passages from these sources—some of them quite mundane—to put forth an argument for his own definition of an occult philosophy that proved to be both remarkable and influential.

We will look at three of Agrippa’s sources:

1. Johannes Trithemius
2. Pliny the Elder
3. Johann Reuchlin

This series of episodes about Occult Philosophy will most likely last until Summer. My Patreon supporters will be receiving each episode a week before the rest of the world, along with bonus materials such as full interviews, a glimpse at works in progress, and the opportunity to suggest further topics for this Agrippa deep dive.

If you enjoy these episodes and want to help support their development, you can help out by sharing this podcast with a friend! Let your weird wizard buddies and witch pals know that we have embarked on this journey. And if you want to contribute monetarily, you can go to the Support page on this website and find a number of options.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

If we want to understand Occult Philosophy, we first need to take a look at the world in which Agrippa lived. This episode will begin by looking at the Holy Roman Empire, where Agrippa was born and spent most of his life, and then examine a few key historical topics that are relevant to Agrippa and Occult Philosophy, including:

• The Renaissance
• The Reformation
• Science and Philosophy

Finally, this episode will give a general overview of Three Books of Occult Philosophy and outline a general plan for this series of podcast episodes.

This series of episodes about Occult Philosophy will most likely last until Summer. My Patreon supporters will be receiving each episode a week before the rest of the world, along with bonus materials such as full interviews, a glimpse at works in progress, and the opportunity to suggest further topics for this Agrippa deep dive.

If you enjoy these episodes and want to help support their development, you can help out by sharing this podcast with a friend! Let your weird wizard buddies and witch pals know that we have embarked on this journey. And if you want to contribute monetarily, you can go to the Support page on this website and find a number of options.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

Then, suddenly, over the last two years, two new English translations have been published. In 2020, a translation by Paul Summers Young was published by Black Letter Press. Close on its heels, Eric Purdue’s translation was published by Inner Traditions in 2021. The modern occult world is now awash in fresh new translations of Agrippa’s seminal work.

Both of these lovely new editions cost around $200. This price tag means that most people won’t be very eager to purchase both, and since you are reading this, I assume you are trying to figure out which is the edition for you. Well, thanks to all of the lovely Arnemancy supporters out there, I was able to procure both of these new translations. This is my double Agrippa review.

Popular Post

Boost Meditation with Binaural Beats and Isochronic Tones

This review will also refer to Donald Tyson’s annotated edition of J.F.’s translation, first published by Llewellyn Publications in 1993. In addition to reviewing both new translations, over the course of 2022, I will be exploring some of the central themes of Agrippa on the Arnemancy podcast.

Paul Summers Young (Black Letter Press, 2020)

This gorgeous edition is printed in three volumes, plus a bonus fourth volume containing extracts of the 1565 Liber Quartus de Occulta Philosophia and additional writings by Agrippa. Printed in sextodecimo (16mo) size with a lovely cloth-bound hardcover with gilded embossed printing on the front and spine, it is easy to see that this is a high-quality binding. It is printed on 115g wood-free cream paper, and it smells amazing.¹

Paul Summers Young is no slouch when it comes to translating occult books. Many of his translations have previously been printed by Black Letter press, including Le Petit Albert, The Red Dragon, and The Black Pullet. He is certainly a well-known translator. After watching an interview with Mr. Young regarding his translation, I realized that he had a pretty good handle on the topic, so I felt confident about this purchase.

This edition feels delightful. It is a perfect size for reading, and the binding is nice and easy. You can hold it open with one hand, it is small enough to read anywhere, and the cover is sturdy enough that you can feel okay about carrying it in a bag—with special care. Given the ease of reading this edition, I devoured it when it arrived. Yes, this is the Agrippa that I read cover-to-cover.

Book III Chapter XXX highlights the layout of the Young translation.

However, there are a few problems with this translation that really need to be addressed. First, there are no footnotes. This baffling omission means that no matter what, the Young translation cannot be your only translation if you intend to use this as a working manual of the occult. In comparing the two translations, I randomly opened to Book I Chapter XX, where Eric Purdue translates the Latin hyæna as “hyena” while Young translates it as “civet cat”. This is fishy—it’s the same translation used in J.F., but one would think that a modern translator would at least make note of it. There is no footnote in Young, but there is in Purdue. This makes me lose confidence in the translation, and means that you will need to consult the Latin yourself if you ever have any questions. To work with this edition, you will need to also own either Tyson or Purdue. Unfortunately, Black Letter Press did not produce an edition that can be used without supplemental materials.

The second disappointment with this edition is that it omits all of the epistles in the front matter. The original Latin has beautiful letters between Agrippa and Johannes Trithemius, as well as dedicatory letters from Agrippa to his patrons. I was saddened to see that a translation of those letters was not included.

Circled in red, there is a layout error and maybe omitted text.

Finally, these books suffer from a poor editing job and a lack of proofreading, particularly as you get into the third book. While still readable, there are errors in Hebrew and some strange mistakes in text block layout in the third book. It is particularly saddening to see that these errors persisted into the second edition. It is almost as if Black Letter Press didn’t expect anybody to read that far.

This Hebrew error should have been easy to catch for any Hebrew proofreader. Note that it uses a final letter in the middle of a word.

These three problems were really a head scratcher for me. This translation is such a monumental effort, and the price tag on the books is so high, that it is baffling that these issues would be overlooked. However, the books do have excellent indices and they have an excellent form factor for reading anywhere.

Young’s Book IV bears special mention, as it includes material that was never part of De occulta philosophia. This volume’s real gem is a fresh translation of excerpts from De incertitudine et vanitate scientiarum atque artium declamatio invectiva, or The Vanity of Arts and Sciences. Fortunately, it is possible to buy Young’s Book IV individually.

The planetary tables and sigils in Book II are clear though the text is a little small.

Eric Purdue (Inner Traditions, 2021)

Before I pen this review, I must include a disclaimer. I know Eric Purdue. We met in 2019 at the Texts & Traditions Symposium in Seattle, and since then we have kept in touch via the Internet.

Purdue’s translation is printed as a three-volume octavo (8vo) with a nice slipcase. Each volume is cloth bound with a dust jacket. These are sturdy, well-made books, but in contrast to the Black Letter Press edition, they are much less a piece of bookbinding art than a pragmatic way to publish such an important work. The binding is high quality and the books open nicely and stay open. They feel good to handle. While the size of the books makes them more difficult to read casually, it also gives the numerous charts, tables, and illustrations a lot more room to unfold and be legible.

The Eric Purdue translation looks pretty good without its dust jacket.

As Foolish Fish noted in his video review, this edition’s dust jackets are pretty easily marked. But that’s to be expected: they are black paper! While I understand that many people buy these expensive occult books as collector’s items, I primarily buy them because I use them. I expect my books to get a lot of use. I also write notes and marginalia in my books,² which brings me to something that I absolutely love about the text block of Purdue’s translation: huge, wide, glorious margins! Throughout the book, there are already helpful topic glosses³ in the margins, but there is also plenty of space for taking notes.

Book III Chapter XXX is an excellent example of this edition’s layout.

It is obvious that Eric Purdue cared a great deal about his translation work. This edition is filled with footnotes that detail translation notes, Agrippa’s sources, clarification of difficult passages, and comparisons with J.F. This helps the reader have much more confidence in the quality of the translation. This is particularly important in Book II, The Celestial World, where Agrippa discusses rules for electional astrology. Purdue’s expertise and experience in this topic shines through in his footnotes, where he clarifies some muddy instructions from Agrippa, explains the reasoning behind his translations, and helps elucidate a very difficult topic. For the astrological magician, this edition is worth it for Book II alone.

Purdue’s efforts in tracking down Agrippa’s original sources is also commendable. Many have remarked in the past that Agrippa took much of his material from Pliny the Elder, the Picatrix, and other sources. However, until you see the effort that Purdue took in tracking down those sources, it is difficult to understand how much of De occulta philosophia was lifted from other authors. It is not only enlightening, but provides a great amount of additional reading material. Purdue includes an expansive bibliography and comprehensive index in Book III.

Finally, another mark in Purdue’s favor is the inclusion of new translation of the introductory epistles in all three volumes.

The planetary tables and sigils in Book II are nicely laid out and very legible.

Join your host, Reverend Erik—that’s me!—on an exploration of your favorite topics, including Tarot, magic, the occult, and the history of Western Esotericism. This season, we welcome a bunch of new guests alongside some of your favorite returning visitors. We will be exploring modern applications of technology in magic. We will also take a close look at the works of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.

You can find the Arnemancy Podcast at arnemancy.com, as well as wherever you find the rest of your podcasts: iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts—and now also on YouTube! Subscribe today at arnemancy.com/subscribe so you’ll be ready when season three’s episodes are released!

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

Did wizards just make all of this up? Alexander and I talk about the modern renaissance of grimoire magic and what he’s learned from all of the amazing magicians, researchers, scholars, and translators he has talked to. Is there technology to trace? How much of it is innovation? I have been waiting for so long to have this conversation, and Alexander’s insights are fascinating.

In exploring this subject, we will discuss many of your favorite grimoires, well-known magicians both modern and historical, and a number of popular techniques. We discuss ritual implements, the history of such implements, and along the way we reveal that Alexander’s mind is a vast and impressive encyclopedia of magical goodies.

We also talk a lot about the nature of spirits. What are they? Why can we talk to them? How can we do it better? Why does it work in so many different ways? We ask these questions and then we absolutely try to answer them!

As a bonus at the end of the episode, Alexander and I share our pro tips on organizing podcast playlists. How can you spare your brain? Well, listen to the end and find out.

Anyhow, you can tell from the description, I suppose, that the episode had to be a long one. It also had to be a long one because this is an interview with Alexander Eth!! Enjoy!

If his name seems familiar, it may be because he is the author of the well-known 2013 paper, “The Kybalion’s New Clothes: An Early 20th Century Text’s Dubious Association with Hermeticism,” which served as important source material for both Sam Block and me when writing our articles about the Kybalion. However, like the rest of us, Nicholas Chapel is not here to discuss the Kybalion; we are here to talk about real occultism.

In this episode, we discuss the parallels between hacking and magic in several contexts. First, we look at the nature of hacking, malware, and information security from a magical context. Then, we dive into information in the occult, and how Trithemius, Agrippa, and other early modern magicians used cryptography and steganography in their work.

Since 2014, Joshua Proto has created over 100 astrological talismans according to traditional sources like the Picatrix, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, and the oral teachings of select Tibetan and Newar Buddhist Tantras. Josh frequently helps clients find talismanic and ritual solutions to a variety of astrological and magical problems through his website and offers training and workshops around practicing astrological magic.

Links

• Stellar Talismans website
• Follow Josh on Twitter!
• Follow Josh on Instagram!
• Send Josh an email!

Josh also says, “Send me an email with the subject ‘Planetary magic’ and you’ll get a special gift once what I’m planning at planetarymagic.com goes live!”

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

T. Susan Chang bought her first tarot deck at a Barnes & Noble in New York, where she moonlighted as a reader while working in academic publishing. After leaving the city, she took her practice underground for many years, re-surfacing in 2015 and taking up the systematic study of esoteric correspondences in tarot.

• Along with deck creator Mel Meleen, Susie hosts the Fortune’s Wheelhouse esoteric tarot podcast, which explores imagery and symbolism in the Rider-Waite-Smith and Thoth decks.
• She is the creator of the Arcana Case® for tarot decks, which can be found on her Etsy page, along with her line of esoteric perfumes.
• She reads tarot in person at the Inspirit Crystal shop in Northampton, Massachusetts
• Her online Tarot course, “The Living Tarot,” course can be found on her website.

When not engaged in tarot-adjacent activity, she teaches writing at Smith College, and writes occasionally about food and cookbooks. She lives in western New England with her husband, two children, and a variable number of chickens.

Also make sure to check out all the other times Susie has appeared on the podcast!

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Listen on Podcrypt

Barrett led a life filled with interesting characters and dangerous adventures. He was an alchemist who experimented with hydrogen ballooning. He studied under Ebenezer Sibly, the 18th century astrologer famous for casting the natal chart for the United States of America. Barrett also attempted a translation of George von Welling’s massive tome, Opus Mago-cabbalisticum et Theosophicum.

Barrett’s legacy is also impressive. He influenced Eliphas Levi and Edward Bulwer-Lytton, thus becoming a major contributor to the 19th century occult revival. In addition, a talisman drawn directly from The Magus was carried by none other than Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-Day Saints (you know, the Mormons).

I have a feeling that you will love this episode of the podcast. Mr. Priddle’s enthusiasm in exploring Francis Barrett’s life, work, and influence is infectuous. Barrett is an historical character worth examining, and I think you will agree that his work is worth a closer look.

Links

• “More Cunning than Folk: An analysis of Francis Barrett’s The Magus as indicative of a transitional period of English magic,” by R.A. Priddle
• R.A. Priddle on Udemy – make sure to check out his course, “Foundations in the Study of Magic”!
• The Magus, or Celestial Intelligencer by Francis Barrett
• “The Art of Drawing Spirits into Crystals” by Pseudo-Trithemius (also be sure to check out Sam Block’s excellent ebook on this text.)
• Ebenezer Sibly and the Natal Chart of the United States
• Georg von Welling
• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
• Pietro d’Abano

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy

Listen on Podcrypt

Links

• What Magic Is This? Podcast
• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa writings on Esoteric Archives
• Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy
• Opération des Sept Esprits des Planètes (a merging of the Arbatel and Heptameron workings)
• A Small Collection of Specialized Spreads (the new Tarot book I’m in!)

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Please rate this podcast!
Listen on Podcrypt

Douglas did an incredible job on the show notes for this, so make sure to check out the episode page on his website. From his notes:

Occultist. Theologian. Mercenary. Soldier. Physician. Spy. Scholar. Legal Expert. Peripatetic Polymath. Prisoner. Heretic. Certainly someone who lived a full life, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa looms large over the Occult, and is an obvious addition to the Fools Gallery. He is certainly one of the Titans of Magic, anyone seriously interested in the Occult must give Agrippa his due. In one book (or three) De Occulta Philosophia, it was Agrippa’s contention that there could be a synthetic vision of magic whereby the natural world combined with the Celestial and the Divine.

We dive into everything, from Agrippa to the Picatrix decans to planetary Tarot associations to Kabbalah to working magic with Tarot. We talk about psychology, divination, sortilege, and symbolism. When I invited Susan on the show, I promised that we could go full Tarot nerd, and we did. Full Tarot nerd.

Susan also answered listener questions, including a great explanation of The Devil card. We also get into sewing, and discuss my creation of a magical robe.

Buy Susan’s book and listen to her podcast. If you like Tarot, you will love her work.

Links

• Susan Chang’s website
• Susan’s Etsy shop, filled with amazing Tarot bags and planetary perfumes and other great stuff
• Fortune’s Wheelhouse, the best Tarot podcast in the Universe
• Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers, Susan’s book on Tarot

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy
Please rate this podcast!
Listen on Podcrypt

That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing.¹

What does this enigmatic statement mean? It is an expression of an idea which is found across religions and spiritual traditions. It metaphorically explains the way that the microcosm, or the physical and spiritual world which we inhabit, mirrors the macrocosm, or the larger scope of the Cosmos and even God.

The microcosm encompasses you as an individual and the observable world around you. It can also encompass the comprehensible world, which would include everything that can be directly or indirectly observed through any method available to you. In this sense, the microcosm encompasses not only your immediate world, but everything in the Universe that we can look at, predict, or attempt to explain through scientific observation.

This doesn’t seem to leave much room for the macrocosm. In some sense, the macrocosm can be viewed as a collective of all elements of the microcosm. But it can also represent a sort of divine blueprint, the plan by which creation occurs and the Cosmos continues to happen. The Hermetic axiom reflects a belief that everything in the microcosm reflects an element of the divine plan, but it also means that changes in the microcosm also cause or reflect changes in the divine plan.

Repeating Patterns in Nature

The Emerald Tablet was written long ago, when our concept of the Universe was limited in scope. Centuries after it was written, we began to realize that the actual physical Universe wasn’t limited to a finite set of nested spheres. It is much, much greater than that. Mystics and philosophers like Nicholas of Cusa and Giordano Bruno began to teach that the Cosmos was infinite, and that each star in the sky was another Sun like our own.

The concept of an infinite Cosmos continues to be challenging to the imagination. It fascinated many. Benjamin Franklin wrote about it over a century after Bruno’s death.

Also, when I stretch my Imagination thro’ and beyond our System of Planets, beyond the visible fix’d Stars themselves, into that Space that is every Way infinite, and conceive it fill’d with Suns like ours, each with a Chorus of Worlds for ever moving round him, then this little Ball on which we move, seems, even in my narrow Imagination, to be almost Nothing, and my self less than nothing, and of no sort of Consequence.²

In the infinite Cosmos, we see patterns repeating over and over, providing a boggling continuity of correspondence, from microcosm to macrocosm repeatedly. As modern science continues to show us both the smallest and largest of things, the patterns become amazing and overwhelming. This is a second interpretation of the Hermetic axiom: “That which is below is like that which is above.”

Learning More

The concept of microcosm and macrocosm is complicated, and it’s worth studying further. It is related to the Platonic concept of ideas and forms, and is reflected in early Christian Gnostic writings, as well. In my earlier article on the Emerald Tablet, I shared a quote from the Gospel of Philip which seems to echo the Hermetic axiom. However, also consider the line from the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”³ The concept of reflection between the upper world and our own is pervasive throughout religion and philosophy, and is a fascinating target for further contemplation and meditation.

I will close this article with a quote from Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, one of the greatest Renaissance philosophers, who wrote:

Divinity is annexed to the mind, the mind to the intellect, the intellect to the intention, the intention to the imagination, the imagination to the senses, the senses at last to things.

For this is the band, and continuity of nature, that all superior virtue doth flow through every inferior with a long, and continued series, dispersing its rays even to the very last things; and inferiors through their superiors, come to the very Supreme of all. For so inferiors are successively joined to their superiors, that there proceeds an influence from their head, the first cause, as a certain string stretched out, to the lowermost things of all, of which string if one end be touched, the whole doth presently shake, and such a touch doth sound to the other end, and at the motion of the inferior, the superior also is moved, to which the other doth answer, as strings in a Lute well tuned.⁴

1. From Isaac Newton’s translation of the Emerald Tablet, c. 1680. ↩

2. Franklin, Benjamin. “Articles of Beliefs and Acts of Religion.” The History Carper. Accessed March 11, 2016. http://www.historycarper.com/1728/11/20/articles-of-beliefs-and-acts-of-religion/. Originally written November 20, 1728. ↩

3. Matthew 6:10, King James Version. ↩

4. Cornelius, Agrippa Von Nettesheim Heinrich. Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Edited by Donald Tyson. Translated by James Freake. St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.: Llewellyn, 1993. book I, chapter XXXVII. 110-1. ↩