A Modern Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery

Part II: A More Esoteric Consideration of the Hermetic Art and Its Mysteries

Chapter 1: The True Subject of the Hermetic Art, Part 5

Introduction: The esoteric heart of alchemy unveils wisdom as a divine force within the soul, guiding seekers to universal truth. Ancient sages like Solomon and Plato reveal how self-knowledge, awakened by sacred rites, connects us to the divine.

Wisdom as Divine Essence

Doubters may dismiss wisdom as an abstract fancy, but ancient tradition, echoed by Aristotle, declares it “the most essential of the essential,” an operative force informing and sustaining all. Solomon’s Wisdom of Solomon praises it: “Wisdom moves faster than any motion, passing through all by her pureness. She is God’s breath, a pure influence from His glory, undefiled, the brightness of everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of His power. One, yet all-powerful, she renews all while remaining herself, entering holy souls to make them friends of God and prophets. More beautiful than the sun, she outshines stars, untouched by vice, richer than all earthly treasures.”

This divine promise urges us to seek wisdom’s conditions, not through common sciences but through inner exploration. The outer man, bound by senses, calcines and measures surfaces, finding them wanting. True seekers turn inward, guided by ancient wisdom to uncover the true light of alchemy—not a dream, but a psychical reality, uniform across all life.

The Alchemical Method

Alchemists propose a reduction of nature that preserves its vital vehicle, transforming its form through rational conditions. Geber notes, “Men deem gold’s confection impossible, ignorant of nature’s artificial destruction.” Lacking the method to probe “altitude, latitude, and profundity,” they miss the causal truth. Plotinus explains, “The soul, encased in body, forgets self-contemplation, absorbed in external life. Purified, it recalls what this life obscures.” Plutarch adds, “Souls, bound by senses, glimpse divinity dimly, like a confused dream. Freed into purer realms, God leads them to behold His beauty, filling the universe with good.”

This beauty, pursued by Isis in mythology, is the divine truth alchemists seek through sacred rites. Psellus, commenting on the Chaldaic Oracles, declares, “Only material rites strengthen the soul’s vehicle, initiating it into divinity.” Plato calls Zoroaster’s magic “the service of gods,” perfecting the soul through earthly powers. Synesius and Emperor Julian confirm that divine union requires such arts, as seen in the Eleusinian Mysteries, where wisdom arose from vital experiments.

Archytas advises, “Investigate rightly, and discovery is easy; without knowledge, it’s impossible.” The ancients’ silence on these rites, guarding them from the unworthy, leaves modern seekers ignorant of the method. Yet, their scattered hints suggest a path to rediscover this ancient experiment, testing its merits through inquiry rather than blind faith or skepticism.

The Path to Self-Knowledge

We invite readers to consider this Hermetic mystery—not with pride or indifference, but with belief in our worthiness to explore the soul’s palaces. The ancients’ wisdom was no vain display but a real, attainable good, not spontaneously revealed but earned through disciplined art. As the Platonic successor notes, “Jupiter gave us sacred arts to commune with the divine, ensuring we’re not deprived.” These arts, veiled in mystery, offer a clue to unravel the path, leading toward the soul’s native truth.

Closing: This section unveils wisdom as the soul’s divine force, awakened through sacred rites to reveal universal truth. The journey into the Hermetic art’s method deepens, promising further revelations in our next post.