Tag: history

Rosicrucian Trilogy: Fama Fraternitatis, 1614; Confessio Fraternitatis, 1615; The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz, 1616 Trans. Joscelyn Godwin, Christopher McIntosh, and Donate Pahnke McIntosh Weiser Books, 2016 184 pages Paperback $22.95 USA, ISBN 978-1-57863-603-7 Hardcover $45 USA, ISBN 978-1-57863-609-9 The Rosicrucian movement began with three mysterious documents published in the early 17th century in Kessel,… Read more »

This post doesn’t represent a completed project, but is rather the beginning of one. While leading a discussion group on the Sefer Yetzirah recently, I was struck by many of the astrological details in that ancient text. This led me to start seeking information on the use of astrology in traditional Kabbalah. This has been… Read more »

There are a few books coming out that I’m really excited about. If you read this blog regularly, you should be excited about them, too. First, Dan Attrell’s translation of the Picatrix is finally available for pre-order. I interviewed him back on episode 29 of My Alchemical Bromance and have been eagerly awaiting his book…. Read more »

This is a list of books on Freemasonry. In case it hasn’t been made abundantly clear by my numerous podcast appearances, public lectures, and short list of published articles, I’m a Freemason. This generates a lot of curiosity in those who aren’t Masons. Occultists and esotericists, the main audience for this website, have lots of… Read more »

What is Alchemy?

Alchemy is an ancient practice that can be considered in part as a precursor to chemistry. However, like Freemasonry, it can be said to have both a speculative and an operative side. While “operative” alchemy deals with the transformation of base metals into gold, “speculative” alchemy uses similar symbolism, allegory, and language to speak of spiritual truths and a path to inner light and wisdom.

Who is Asclepius?

Who is Asclepius? In addition to being a figure from Greek mythology, Asclepius has an entire book of the Hermetica named after him. Let us take a look at this important Hermetic personality and learn more about who he is and why he’s important to Hermetic philosophy.

Monotheism in Hermetism

How is monotheism addressed in ancient Hermetism? The Corpus Hermeticum and other Hermetica talk about God all the time, so let’s take a look at the Hermetic views on God and what monotheism means in that ancient religion. Scholars have been working to categorize the various views of God and divinity in the Hermetica for years. There are two general categories that most use: optimistic monist and pessimistic dualist.