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 6

Introduction: The Hermetic art transforms the soul’s divine essence into radiant light, uniting it with the eternal source through sacred insight. This section explores the soul’s journey to divine unity, guided by Neoplatonic wisdom and symbolic humility, as it transcends illusion to embrace true Being.

The Divine Essence and Humility

The soul’s essence, born with divine power, is a pure vessel for sacred revelation, as Iamblichus teaches. To unite with this “First Light,” the soul must shed all external illusions, embracing a humble state akin to the ass, a symbol of patience and simplicity. Agrippa praises this “asinine condition” as essential for wisdom, noting its endurance and purity, as seen in myths where the ass carries divine burdens, from Balaam’s clear-sighted beast to Apuleius’ transformation in Isis’ mysteries.

This humility allows the soul to enter the divine temple, leaving behind sensory images to perceive the uncompounded truth. Plotinus explains, “In divine union, the soul merges with the First Light, where understanding and light are one, free from duality.” This sacred union, achieved through faith and love, transforms the soul into a radiant vessel of eternal harmony.

The Path to True Being

The soul’s journey requires dissolving all external forms, as Porphyry advises: “Separate from non-being to become universal, present with your rational essence.” This process, akin to the alchemical dissolution, purifies the soul’s essence, allowing it to ascend to the “intelligible world.” The ass’s simplicity mirrors this state, where the soul, stripped of passion and imagination, becomes a clear mirror for divine light.

The Neoplatonists emphasize that this essence is both one and all, infinite yet formless, known through negation. By surrendering selfhood, the soul unites with the divine source, as the Emerald Tablet suggests: “Separate the subtle from the gross, gently, with sagacity.”

The Harmony of Divine Light

This divine union, where the soul becomes one with true Being, is the pinnacle of the Hermetic art. The soul, purified through humility and inner vision, radiates eternal light, harmonizing all creation. As Plotinus notes, “The light that illuminates is illuminated, a primary source shining within itself.” This alchemical stone, a crystalline vessel of divine wisdom, unites the soul with the eternal, fulfilling the Hermetic quest for unity through love.

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