A Modern Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery

Part III: Concerning the Laws and Vital Conditions of the Hermetic Experiment

Chapter 2: A Further Analysis of the Initial Principle, Part 5

Introduction: The Hermetic art unveils the soul’s divine essence, uniting it with the eternal source through sacred insight. This section explores the journey to true Being, where the soul transcends illusion to embrace divine light, guided by ancient philosophical wisdom.

The Divine Essence of the Soul

Iamblichus teaches that the soul’s essence, born with the divine, is a perfect vessel for sacred revelation. Its infinite power, present in all yet transcending all, illuminates the soul’s path to unity. Plotinus recounts, “Retiring into my essence, I perceive an admirable beauty, confident in my divine nature. Fixed in this sublime repose, I transcend all, uniting with the eternal source.” This Theurgic union, beyond ordinary reason, merges the soul with divine light through faith and inner vision.

Porphyry explains, “To know true Being, dismiss external illusions and align with your rational essence. Adding non-being diminishes you, but uniting with your inner truth makes you universal.” This process frees the soul from sensory limits, revealing its eternal harmony.

The Path to True Being

The soul, trapped in the illusions of natural life, perceives only a shadow of its true self. Through Theurgic rites, it ascends to the “intelligible world,” where reason aligns with divine light. Plotinus notes, “The soul, roused from body, becomes divine, learning the excellence of this state through the experience of evil.” This contrast—darkness versus light—sharpens the soul’s perception, guiding it to eternal truth.

Aristotle describes this essence as a formless matter, neither quality nor quantity, known only through negation. By shedding all external definitions, the soul encounters the infinite, a “crass, obscure vacuity” that births divine light, as Plato’s Timaeus suggests.

The Harmony of Divine Light

The Hermetic art transforms the soul into a radiant vessel, uniting all creation in divine harmony. The soul, purified through inner descent and ascent, becomes one with true Being, as Virgil’s “vast, endless” abyss leads to the “ladder of Celsus” reaching heaven. This union, where love and faith dissolve illusions, mirrors the alchemical stone, a crystalline essence of eternal light.

Closing: This chapter unveils the soul’s divine essence, purified into radiant light through Theurgic art. The journey into its practical revelation deepens in our next post, unveiling further secrets of this sacred practice.