Hermetics: The Secret Language of the Soul
LEVEL ONE CLASS: HERMETICS – THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL
LESSON #2- 161 pages
For as long as humans have been alive, mankind has used the language of symbols. In early cultures, tribes chose symbols to express their perceptions of the seen and unseen world, developing a complex set of images that evolved into the rudiments of language. In today’s world, we are familiar with symbols, and our culture has created thousands of iconographic images that convey both simple and complex directions about the world around us. We see these symbols all around us telling us to stop the car, yield in traffic, not to smoke, or that there is a restaurant ahead on the highway. In recent years, we have seen the development of a rich vocabulary of symbols within the cyber-world of computers and i pods. Yet each of these examples refer to a body of symbols that are exoteric icons – that is, external symbols that direct us to some outer related activity or type of information in the secular world.
Hermetics is an esoteric language, meaning that the very nature of the symbols themselves, take us into ourselves. One could say that it is the symbol language of the soul; the kind of symbols that guide us into a deeper understanding of the universe in which we live, the spiritual principles that exists behind the visible world of matter that we see around us, and give us insight into humanity’s essential place in the great Cosmos of spiritual beings. Hermetics directs us to an Inner World that leads us to the deepest secrets of the Cosmos. This language was created by the Masters of the past who had traveled far into the recesses of the Inner Planes. Just as the Master Jesus tells us that “the kingdom of Heaven can be found within us,” so too, does this ancient language reveal to us profound realizations about the very nature of our souls.
HERMETICS: THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Philosophical Tenants of Hermetics
- The Power of Symbols and Hermetics
- Historical Overview
- The Power of Esoteric Language
- Symbols as the Key to Creation
- Symbols of the Goddess
- Footprints of the Mother
- Symbols of the Goddess
- Exercise #1, 2 & 3
- Hermetics: The World of Form and the World Beyond Form
- The Beginning and Ending of Things
- The Power of the Circle
- The Shape of Reality
- The Cosmic Seed
- The Circular Nature of the Universe
- Khepri: The Creator Source
- The Brain: It’s Bilateral Symmetries -An Owner’s Manual
- Two Kinds of Intelligences
- The Serpentine Flow of Energy in the Body
- The Ancient Symbol of Wisdom
- The Labyrinth
- The Seven Fold Circuitry of the Brain
- Exercises
- Hermetics and the Five Elements
- The Five Elements
- The Wheel of the Five Elements
- The Four Faery Hallows
- The Practice of Magic
- The Power of Manifestation
- Exercises
Excerpt
THE PHILOSOPHIC TENANTS OF HERMETICS
“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding.” — The Kybalion
Hermeticism is a pantheistic belief system that teaches that there is One God, or one Prime Cause within everything – animal, plant, mineral or human; that Spirit dwells both inside and outside the world of matter, and that we are all a part of it. It subscribes to the belief that the One God behind everything has divided Itself into a multiplicity of other beings, and each of these beings has the Divine Spark within it. Each of these beings is composed of Light, and that includes angels, demons, ascended masters, humans, beings who live on other planets, and elemental intelligences. Some of these beings are more aware of their inner Light than others, and live at the dimensions of the Threshold, or intermediate realms, to assist those beings who are less aware. Through the power of Hermetics, sound, light, and intention, we can make contact with these beings.
Hermetics encodes this wisdom into a profound set of symbols, each intended to open doors of consciousness in our minds and give us access into a deeper understanding of our place in the Universe. These symbols are esoteric in nature, meaning that they take us inside ourselves for answers. Today we are very used to using symbols for things like stopping the car, finding a restaurant, saving a computer file, etc. But these are exoteric symbols – meaning that they direct us to an outer activity, rather than an inner Truth. Hermetic symbols open up our awareness into higher states of consciousness. They allow us to open keys of understanding about the nature of the spiritual laws that created everything, as well as our own place in the Universal scheme of things. In short, they give us access to God and God’s Divine Intelligence.
Today there is no outer church of Hermetics, however the great Spiritual Mystery Schools of the past teach these symbols and the spiritual principles behind them. Today we can find aspects of these same tenants of wisdom in many of the great religions of the world if we are willing to study the esoteric meanings of their symbolism. We can find symbols with these deeper meanings in Buddhism, Jainism, Shintoism, Gnosticism, Hinduism, Sufism, the Kabbalah, Taoism, esoteric Christianity, Transcendentalism, Wicca and other forms of ancient thought. It should also be stressed that because of this, Hermeticists in different spiritual systems may differ somewhat in their interpretation of these hermetic symbols because of the history and guidance of the various religions.
Manly P. Hall, 33rd degree Mason and Hermetic scholar, and author of the Secret Teachings of All Ages, claims that Hermeticism was born out of the wisdom of ancient Egypt and the Far Eastern Masters. In modern day times it has inspired four spiritual movements: The Order of Freemasons, The Rosicrucians, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the original Illuminati, which is now largely fallen into ruin and corruption by the dark forces. Whenever paths of great Light are born, the dark will attempt to eclipse them. This is because these paths hold the keys to our spiritual liberation from this world, and the powers that control this world – powers of greed, corruption, and exploitation – are not interested in having us be freed.
Outside of these three orders, Hermeticism is a deeply personal path which believes in open mindedness, logical deduction and inner experience. Ideally, a Hermeticist would think for herself, have her own direct experiences, and bring spiritual truths into physical manifestation in her own unique way. It is also stressed that good teachings, from any teacher, should be weeded out from false ones.
GOD AND REALITY
In the Hermetic view, everything exists in the Mind of God. Everybody and everything in the universe is part of this Supreme Being. In the Kybalion Thoth writes: “We have given you the Hermetic Teaching regarding the Mental Nature of the Universe – the truth that ‘the Universe is held in the Mind of THE ALL.” In other words the Divine is everywhere, and what we say, what we think, and how we feel directly affects what we magnetize to ourselves in our lives.
Since everything is mental, it is also a vibration. This is a similar concept to the quantum mechanics principles of wave-particle duality and non-locality. Since everything is a wave and exists everywhere, it can best be described as a vibration. All vibrations emanate from the Divine Source, vibrating through the elemental and creational worlds of thought into the worlds of form. They move through the densest physical particles of matter to us, then through mental states and emotional states, back to the highest spiritual vibrations. In Hermeticism, the only difference between differing states of physical matter, mentality, and spirituality is the frequency of their vibration. The higher the vibration, the further they are from base matter. Part of our job while in the worlds of form is to begin to illuminate matter and to bring more of this Light Energy into the Lower Worlds.
Hermetics also recognizes that everything in the Lower Worlds was created in balance – otherwise it could not be sustained. Therefore everything has its polarity: male to female, hot to cold, strong to weak. Everything has its purpose in existing, and thus unlike the thinking we see around us today, there is no final heaven and hell, or one religion that must kill the infidels. They knew that the Ego, like the Soul, is a part of our nature in the Worlds of Form, and that when we have achieved a high enough frequency, either through suffering or illumination, the Ego would be laid down on the altar of divine service.
THE POWER OF SYMBOLS AND HERMETICS
Webster’s Dictionary defines a symbol as “something that stands for or represents something else, especially an object representing an abstraction.”
Certainly, throughout time symbols have been used to convey information in a type of short-hand way. The word symbol, derived from its Greek meaning, signifies a sign of recognition or a password. It is synonymous with the representation of a concept by a conventional sign that has within it a synthesis of concepts. Schwaller de Lubicz, the famous German Egyptologist and symbologist writes, “When an image, a collection of letters, a word, a phrase, a picture, a single sound, or a melody has a significance through evocation, we are dealing with a symbol.”
The word “evocation” can be defined as “the recreation of something that is not really present.” In modern society, any letter or image that replaces an idea can be called a symbol. Yet most of us do not realize that there are two distinct types of symbols, and that the earliest known symbols began in ancient Egypt as part of a sacred language that describes the operation of the Cosmos.
For example the BEE symbol and the Crown represent the lineage of the gods, the ancient pharaohs, and the Masters of the Mysteries. Why? Because in the ancient world there were only two preservatives: salt and honey. Thus the Masters are the preservers of the Wisdom of the Ages to be passed down to future generations. Later this symbol was used by the Magi wisdom keepers, the descendants of Jesus the priest-king, and the Merovingian bloodlines of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. There were 300 of these golden bees found inside of the tombs of the Merovingian kings when they were unearthed, marking this lineage as the Keepers of Wisdom.
EXOTERIC SYMBOLOGY
These two kinds of symbolism take us on completely different voyages: One is Exoteric Symbology and by its very nature invokes thoughts of objects, places, and physical conventions, rules or actions to be interacted with in the outside world. Examples of this are signs that tell us: “no smoking,” “don’t cross the street,” “stop or yield your car,” “restaurants or gas stations at this exit.” Even the symbols on your computer program that tell you to “save,” “open files,” and “check your spelling,” are part of this language.
Can you think of other examples of exoteric symbolism? Let’s name them.
ESOTERIC SYMBOLOGY
The second type of Symbology is the one we are most interested in today. It is called Esoteric Symbology because the use of it takes us into ourselves and deeper understanding of the Cosmos. It is essentially of a magical nature, and thus it creates linkages to abstract concepts; either theological, emotional, spiritual or cosmological in nature. Esoteric symbolism is concerned with universal principles that evoke an entire conversation. They are less concerned with Logical Intelligence, and more concerned with Innate or Spiritual Intelligence. By their very nature they are linked to a deeper level of the human psyche, and the contemplation of these symbols can create immense activations and awakenings.
The second type of Symbology is the one we are most interested in today. It is called Esoteric Symbology because the use of it takes us into ourselves and deeper understanding of the Cosmos. It is essentially of a magical nature, and thus it creates linkages to abstract concepts; either theological, emotional, spiritual or cosmological in nature. Esoteric symbolism is concerned with universal principles that evoke an entire conversation. They are less concerned with Logical Intelligence, and more concerned with Innate or Spiritual Intelligence. By their very nature they are linked to a deeper level of the human psyche, and the contemplation of these symbols can create immense activations and awakenings.
Let us name some examples of Esoteric Symbols now: a broken heart, Cupid’s Arrow, the Egyptian Ankh, a Chalice, a Sword, the Statue of Liberty, the Eye of Horus, the Cross, the Dove, the Owl, the Eagle, the Lion, Eucharist Wafers and Wine, and rice or dates thrown at weddings that represent fertility. Can you think of any other examples? They are all around us!
In Esoteric Symbology there are even deeper levels, where colors and embellishments also resonate with a deeper meaning. And in order to understand these symbols, you must learn to read the code of the language. Much of what we will be doing in this course is about learning the language of these symbols. Examples of this in ancient Egyptian art are:
- When a sign is sculpted or hollowed out, it signifies entering into matter; i.e. being born, coming into the Earth.
- When the symbol is in relief it signifies leaving, i.e. dying, or spiritual resurrection.
- The left hand receives, while the right gives and acts. The left hand bears the marks of predestination, while the right hand is your consciously lived destiny. This explains the use of two right or left hands in Egyptian sculpture, a figure joining its right hand to another’s left. Even the position of fingers or gestures can have a specific meaning, often lost to us today.
- In Egypt the Neteru were known as the abstract principles of natural powers or higher plane beings. They were usually represented by human Zoomorphic figures, meaning that they often had the heads of animals, chosen because of certain characteristics that they exhibited. Even though these beings were identified with specific Anunnaki gods that expressed them (the Neters), they also represented a deeper Cosmic Principle being invoked or enacted. The presence or the absence of the navel often reveals whether the glyph, symbol, or drawing is referring to the person or Neter, or the Cosmic principle or Neteru that they represent.
- The order of the drawings on the walls of the covered temples sometimes had as many as five levels or registers. The highest row reveals information about the future, and also relates to processes occurring at the archetypal level. The middle rows are more connected with the time in which they were written, and they also relate to events of an astronomical, astral or stellar nature. And the lower rows are either relevant to the past or specific to the terrestrial, typical day to day world. (88)
$99 if Ordered Separately,
or $75 if three or more are ordered at the same time.
