Hermes Mercurius Trismagistus

A brief video introduction to the Thrice Great Hermes

An introductory documentary to the Thrice Great Master Hermes Mercurius Trismagistus

Hermes Trismegistus

("Thrice-Great Hermes")

Hermes Trismegistus is a legendary figure revered as the founder of Hermetic philosophy, a syncretic blend of Egyptian, Greek, and early Christian-Gnostic wisdom. His name combines the Greek god Hermes (messenger, god of knowledge and language) with the Ibis headed Egyptian Moon god Thoth (scribe of the gods, patron of wisdom and magic), symbolizing a fusion of logos and divine intellect.

He is called “Trismegistus” or “Thrice-Great” because he is said to have mastered the three great sciences: Alchemy, Astrology, and Theurgy (or Philosophy).

Key Roles:

• Divine Teacher: A spiritual revealer who instructs disciples (like Asclepius and Tat) on the structure of the cosmos, the nature of the divine, and the means of spiritual ascent.
  

• Philosopher-King: Sometimes depicted as a sage-ruler of ancient Egypt who governed through wisdom and initiated others into the sacred sciences.
  

• Prophetic Voice: Foretells the fall of the sacred traditions and urges initiates to preserve divine knowledge against coming darkness.

  
  

Primary Legacy:

• Corpus Hermeticum and related Hermetic texts present him as a seer and guide of souls, offering mystical visions, cosmological insights, and ethical teachings aimed at gnosis—direct knowledge of the divine.

  
  

• Hermes Trismegistus stands as a symbolic archetype of universal wisdom, bridging East and West, science and spirituality, ancient religion and esoteric practice.

The Wisdom of Hermes;

Below is an extensive list of Ancient and Modern Hermetic Writings attributed to Hermes Mercurius.

IMAGE : A Renaissance Depiction of The Wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus carved into stone from which the Emerald Tablet of Hermes was discovered

Technical Hermetica (Practical / Occult / Scientific)

These works focus on alchemy, astrology, theurgy, magic, and early science. Often attributed to Hermes Trismegistus or his disciples, these are manuals of divine craft and transformation.

🜁 Alchemical Texts

• The Emerald Tablet (Tabula Smaragdina) — Attributed to Hermes; the foundational axiom of alchemical transformation ("As above, so below").
  

• The Secret of Secrets (Secretum Secretorum) — A popular medieval text allegedly addressed from Aristotle to Alexander the Great, incorporating Hermetic, astrological, and alchemical wisdom.
  

• Turba Philosophorum (Assembly of the Philosophers) — A key medieval Latin alchemical text with strong Hermetic undertones.
  

• Rosarium Philosophorum — An alchemical treatise paired with symbolic illustrations.
  

• The Mirror of Alchemy — Traditionally attributed to Roger Bacon; practical and spiritual metallurgy with Hermetic language.
  

• Zosimos of Panopolis – Visions & Alchemical Writings — One of the earliest Hermetic-alchemical authors, merging spiritual initiation with chemical experimentation.
  

🜃 Astrological & Magical Hermetica

• Picatrix (Ghayat al-Hakim) — An Arabic grimoire incorporating Hermetic planetary magic, talismans, and cosmology.
  

• Corpus Hermeticum fragments on astrology (e.g., CH XVI–XVIII) — Explain the influence of the stars and planetary governors.
  

• Asclepius (sections) — Discusses the manipulation of cosmic energies via statues and sympathetic magic.
  

• The Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) — Rituals and spells drawing on Hermetic, Egyptian, and Hellenistic deities; contains invocations to Hermes.
  

• De Radiis by Al-Kindi — While not explicitly Hermetic, it underpins Hermetic optics and magical correspondences.
  

🜂 Theurgical / Ritualistic Texts

• Iamblichus – Theurgia or On the Mysteries — Neoplatonic-Hermetic synthesis focused on divine ritual ascent.
  

• The Chaldean Oracles — Deeply influential in Hermetic and Neoplatonic ritual tradition; outlines cosmological hierarchies and divine ascent.
  

• Liber Hermetis — A Latin astrological text attributed to Hermes, connecting natal charts with spiritual development.
  

• Hermetic fragments in Stobaeus and Pseudo-Democritus — Includes teachings on spiritual purification and divine practices.
  

II. Religeo-Philosophical Hermetica

These focus on cosmology, metaphysics, ethics, and spiritual liberation. They frame the soul’s journey through the planetary spheres toward union with the divine.

🜄 The Corpus Hermeticum (CH)

A foundational collection of 17 treatises (plus one) attributed to Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus.

Key texts include:

• CH I – Poimandres: Vision of the divine Nous, creation of the cosmos, descent and liberation of the soul.
  

• CH II – To Asclepius: Divine mind, nature, and perception.
  

• CH III – The Sacred Sermon: On unity, divine nature, and silence.
  

• CH IV – The Cup or Monad: Initiatory knowledge, rebirth of the soul.
  

• CH XI – Mind to Hermes: Differentiates between mortal and divine man.
  

• CH XIII – The Rebirth: A dialogue on spiritual initiation and purgation.
  

Full corpus available at: Gnosis.org - Hermetica

🜄 Asclepius

• The Perfect Discourse (Asclepius) — Surviving in Latin, this work discusses divine art, the nature of gods, and the soul. Less abstract than the Corpus, it addresses cultural decay and divine images.
  

🜄 Gnostic & Hermetic-Adjacent Texts (Nag Hammadi)

• The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth — An initiatory ascent through the celestial spheres.
  

• The Prayer of Thanksgiving — Often appended to CH; praises God and ends with a Hermetic communal meal.
  

• The Asclepius Fragment (Nag Hammadi version) — Alternative Gnostic version of the Latin Asclepius.
  

• Trimorphic Protennoia — Contains references to archons and cosmic hierarchies like Hermetic governors.
  

• The Hypostasis of the Archons — Explores the rulers (archons) of fate and their enslavement of the soul.
  

🜄 Neoplatonic and Late Antique Interpretations

• Plotinus – The Enneads — Especially useful in understanding Nous, emanation, and the One.
  

• Proclus – Elements of Theology — A systematic metaphysical guide for theurgic Hermetic practice.
  

• Marsilio Ficino – Three Books on Life — Renaissance Hermeticism merging astrology, Platonic philosophy, and Christian mysticism.
  

• Giordano Bruno – Cause, Principle and Unity — Philosophical Hermetism tied to cosmology and inner freedom.
  

🜎 Additional Influential Hermetic Texts (Renaissance to Modern)

• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa – Three Books of Occult Philosophy — Renaissance synthesis of Hermetic, astrological, and magical knowledge.
  

• Franz Bardon – Initiation Into Hermetics — A 20th-century practical guide to spiritual transformation through Hermetic principles.
  

• Manly P. Hall – The Secret Teachings of All Ages — Encyclopedic work bridging Hermeticism, esotericism, and symbolism.
  

• The Kybalion (Three Initiates) — Early 20th-century distillation of Hermetic principles (Mentalism, Correspondence, etc.) into modern esoteric thought.