Hermeticism & The Craft

by Brother Taylor Nauta, PM

Alchemy, which is often described as The Art of Transformation, has taken on many forms throughout the centuries. It was practiced by the ancient Chinese, the ancient Egyptians, the medieval Arab nations, and others. But the biggest contributor of alchemical ideas into the Western World was undoubtedly Egypt. In fact, the word “alchemy” is derived from the words “al kemet”; meaning “the Black Land”. Kemet was an ancient name for Egypt. Some suppose that the darkness of the fertile soil throughout the Nile River Delta is the reason why Egypt was anciently referred to as Kemet. Regardless of whether the origin of that word is true or not, however, one thing is certain: Egypt was a crossroads of learning and culture from ancient times all the way up to the Hellenistic Period; and alchemy was a science that the Egyptians had been developing for millennia. Hellenistic Alexandria, in particular, was widely known as a repository of alchemical knowledge.

The most important alchemical texts from Hellenistic Egypt are the “Emerald Tablet” and the “Corpus Hermeticum”; a collection of texts attributed to “Hermes Trismegistus”, who is considered by many to be the Father of Alchemy. Those books have influenced alchemical philosophy in the Western World more than any other works known to man. Hermeticism is a syncretic philosophy that likely emerged in Hellenistic Egypt during the 3rd century AD, being a mixture of various concepts found in the popular religions and philosophies of that same time period; such as early Christianity, Gnosticism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Neoplatonism, Orphism, and Pythagoreanism. Hermes Trismegistus, the key figure of Hermeticism, was a mythological character whom I believe to be an amalgamation of the Greek Hermes, the Roman Mercurius, the Hebrew Enoch, and the Egyptian Thoth. Some have even compared him to Moses, since they are both teachers and liberators who communicated with God and relayed His message to the people, both freeing their respective peoples from a form of bondage.

In the “Poimandres”, which is the first book in the “Corpus Hermeticum”, you’ll find a dialogue between Hermes Trismegistus and a deity referring to itself as the Nous, or Omnipresent Mind. In this dialogue, an interesting Creation Story is told. To briefly summarize the Hermetic Creation Myth, the All-Mind showed Hermes Trismegistus a vision of Creation. In the beginning, there was infinite and limitless Light, from which came forth an intense Darkness that became moist matter; the Primordial Matter. Out of this First Matter sprang forth the four elements of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. At this point, all matter existed in a form of chaos. It was simply moist nature, formless and unorganized. But then the All-Mind, who was the Limitless Light and the Will behind all causes, spoke a Word(Logos) into the chaos. That

Word, which was the Son of the Father God, then organized the chaotic matter into the Cosmos; forming the Earth and the Seven Rulers(alluding to the seven celestial spheres which are visible to the naked eye: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, & Saturn) to encircle it roundabout. It was explained to Hermes that these Seven Rulers govern the destinies of Men.

After matter was formed, the Soul of Man was formed in the image of God. And when the Soul of Man saw his own reflection in the waters of Earth, he fell in love with it and wanted to dwell there in the moist matter where he beheld his image(much like in the classic story of Narcissus). His will then made it so, and he descended down through the Seven Heavens, accumulating attributes from each of the Seven Rulers(the planets) on his way down, and then he landed on Earth where he finally became fully encased in matter; incarnated into human form and subject to all the cycles and vicissitudes of life. There he would endure reincarnation after reincarnation until he achieved Gnosis; a true knowledge of himself and his divine origin. Only then could the human soul be liberated from the corporeal body it had been encased in, freed from the cycle of reincarnation, and reintegrated with God.

According to the legend contained in “The Corpus Hermeticum”, the All-Mind charged Hermes Trismegistus with the duty to teach mankind this doctrine of liberation and reintegration by Gnosis. The whole idea is very similar to the Hindu belief that a person will continue to be reincarnated until he reaches a level of consciousness where he is able to understand the relationship between Brahma and man. The Hindus refer to this elevated state of consciousness as Nirvana. They believe that once a man achieves Nirvana, then he will finally be able to enter into the afterlife. The Hermetic concept of the soul needing to be liberated from the body is much like the Gnostic concept of the soul being imprisoned in matter. And in some ways, the Hermetic Creation Myth is similar to the story of Adam & Eve and their fall from the Garden of Eden. The reason for the Fall is basically the same in both stories. It was because of selfish pride, the first sin. Adam & Eve partaking of the forbidden fruit was equivalent to saying, “I know what’s best for me better than God does.

Therefore, I’ll do what I want rather than what He wants.” Or, “I prefer to do that which is pleasing to my senses more than that which is pleasing to God.” In the Hermetic Creation Story, Man becoming enamored with his own reflection and desiring to live in the material world was equivalent to him saying, “I desire the sensual pleasures and visual appeal of the material world more than I desire to dwell with God”. Such foolish pride and selfishness distances us from God, making us blind to the Light and deaf to the Truth.

Though the cause of the Fall of Man is similar in the Hermetic and Judeo-Christian traditions, they differ in the means by which Man can return from his fallen state to his First Estate. According to the Hermetic philosophy, Man only needs to “know himself ”; realizing his divine origin and reascending through the Seven Heavens by becoming detached from all materialism and worldly desires. Hermetic philosophy, just like Gnosticism, suggests that Man can save himself. In the Jewish tradition, it’s believed that one must keep God’s commandments as they are written in the Torah. But in the Christian tradition, it is believed that Man can only be saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ; trusting in his messianic merits to lift you out of the world of sin & suffering by His strong grip, raising you from a dead level to a living perpendicular.

Another similarity between Hermeticism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity is the notion that God spoke a Word that created order out of chaos. In the Kabbalistic tradition, it is believed that En Sof, the infinite and self-existent Father God, had the Will to create. Before He could do so, however, He first had to make a space within Himself. Being Infinite, there could be no space that wasn’t already filled by Him.

So, in an act which the Lurianic Kabbalists refer to as Tzimtzum, En Sof formed a space for creation by withdrawing Himself from all sides. Then He spoke a Word into that space, and that Word created everything that exists by the Will of En Sof. To the Kabbalists, that word is the Tetragrammaton; YHVH. Now compare that with John 1:1-3. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any

In my opinion the Hermetic creation story, like all creation stories, is not something that’s meant to be taken literally. Rather than being historically factual narrative or a means of obtaining eternal salvation, I believe it to be an allegory alluding to the manner in which we can become free of the superfluities and vices that hold us back from becoming spiritually awakened in this earthly life.

I believe that the Hermetic endeavor to re-ascend through the Seven Heavens is synonymous to the Fellowcraft’s ascent up the Winding Staircase, the Kabbalistic ascent up the Sephirothic Tree of Life, and Jacob’s vision of the Mystic Ladder. It represents an ascent of one’s consciousness; an inward journey in which one travels up into the Middle Chamber of his own psyche, there discovering his true nature and potential. This inward ascent is achieved by subduing your passions with discipline, balancing your emotions with logic and reason, making your thoughts subordinate to your will, and harmonizing your will with the Divine Will of God. While this may not save you from eternal suffering, it can save you from a lot of suffering here and now.

Life is what you make of it. If you are a slave to your physical appetites and passions, allowing your emotions to toss you to and fro like a feather in the wind, allowing your thoughts to drift aimlessly like a ship without a rudder, your life will likely be hell on Earth. But if you can subdue your passions, control your emotions, direct your thoughts productively, and live in harmony with God’s Divine Will, you could enjoy a life of peace and tranquility that would feel very much like Heaven on Earth. This inner-Heaven within ourselves is what I believe Hermeticism, Kabbalah, Freemasonry, and the whole Western Esoteric Tradition can teach us how to find. It brings to mind a certain passage of scripture from the book of Luke. “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

Being neither a religion nor a substitute for religion, Freemasonry doesn’t offer anyone a path to salvation. While it is required that we believe in a Supreme Being, Freemasonry makes no attempt at persuading us to believe or disbelieve in any particular creed. Each individual Mason is encouraged to practice the religion that seems right to him. Indeed, Freemasonry leaves your eternal salvation between you and your God. It is not the purpose of Freemasonry to guarantee you anything in the afterlife. The chief purpose of Freemasonry, Initiation, the Western Mystery Tradition, and the whole study of Esotericism is to make you as wise, mature, responsible, industrious, patient, kind, loving, empathetic, compassionate, knowledgeable, and happy as possible during THIS life!

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4)

The Hermetic endeavor to ascend up through the Seven Heavens allegorically alludes to the pursuit of Self Knowledge. Each of the seven planetary “rulers” represents an aspect of your Psyche(or Soul) that must be rectified. The Kundalini Yoga concept of the seven chakras is another symbolic illustration of the same thing. Through deep introspection and meditation you may learn to know yourself by ascending the different levels of your consciousness, gradually rectifying all that is discordant and noxious along the way. In doing this, it is possible to realize your full potential and even experience a level of consciousness that transcends the five senses; an ineffable experience in which you would intuitively sense that everything exists in a state of Infinite Oneness.

It’s a state of consciousness where time and space are no longer relevant. Even the notion of the Self(or the Ego) becomes irrelevant, leaving you overcome by an indescribable feeling of interconnectedness; a feeling that nothing is wholly independent or entirely emancipated rom the Source, and that human souls are like individual rays of light emanated from the Infinite Source of all Light at the center of existence. This profound sense of interconnectedness and/or Oneness tends to make a person more compassionate and empathetic towards their fellow men. To someone who has experienced this, Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40 will be very meaningful. “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Some would call this a Mystical Experience. The Zen tradition refers to this sudden-awakening experience as Sartori, meaning comprehension or understanding. It is what the Buddhists call Enlightenment, when one achieves Buddhahood; becoming a Bodhicitta or Bodhisattva. The Kabbalists understand it as the hidden Sephira, Da’ath(Knowledge), between Tifereith and Keter on the Tree of Life. The Hindus call it Nirvana, as I mentioned earlier. And the Gnostics and Hermeticists both refer to it as Gnosis.

Regardless of what you would like to call it, you must purify your heart and mind in order to achieve such an elevated state of consciousness. If your mind is polluted with worldly distractions, you can’t enter into higher realms of consciousness where the highest Truths are learned. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) This is my personal understanding of the Christian term “born again”.

We must become dead to sin and impurity, and be born again into a lifestyle of pure intentions that are rooted in Love. Dead to materialism and reborn into a more spiritual life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Any Royal Arch Mason ought to quickly realize that there’s a significant reason why the Word is discovered amidst the ruins of the first temple while making preparations to build the second one.

I believe that nearly every passage of scripture has an exoteric, surface-level meaning and an esoteric, inner meaning. Most of it is allegory and symbol. Think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:13. “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” Sometimes an allegory or myth is more true than a factual account. Myths often contain truth in the truest sense. Like Marcus Borg so eloquently said, “the Bible is true; and some of it actually happened.”

Going back to the Hermetic aphorism “As Above So Below”, I’m of the opinion that the exoteric meaning often pertains to the big picture(or the Macrocosm) and the esoteric meaning pertains to your psyche(the Microcosm). As it is said that Man contains a little universe within himself, every Divine Principle in the Universe also has an application that is mirrored within the Soul or Psyche of each individual person. Thus, I interpret Matthew 5:8(“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God) both literally and allegorically. The exoteric meaning is that the pure in heart will literally see God when they die and meet their maker on Judgement Day, but the esoteric meaning is that they will also see manifestations of Him within themselves and all around them while they yet live in the flesh.

Jesus said, “...the kingdom of God is within you.”(Luke 17:21) “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4) “I will not leave you comfortless:

I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:18-21)

Jesus said that He will manifest himself unto those who keep His commandments. But what are His commandments, exactly? When a certain Lawyer asked Jesus, “What is the Greatest Commandment?”, Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Love is the answer if you wish to know God. In order to have a pure heart that is fit for the indwelling Spirit of God, the intentions of your heart must be rooted in Love. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Is it any wonder, then, that the most important working tool of a Master Mason is the trowel? Whereas the Operative Mason uses his trowel to spread cement that will bind stones together, we Speculative Masons are taught to use our trowels for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of Brotherly Love. After all, Love is the bond of peace and the perfection of every virtue.

As Masons, we use the trowel as a tool to bind individual Ashlars, which are symbolic representations of people, together into one glorious temple erected to God by spreading that cement of Brotherly Love. Christians refer to the same general idea when they talk about the church being one Body of Christ, with Christ being the head of the body and the cornerstone of the temple made without hands.

The most famous Hermetic aphorism is surely “As Above So Below”, which is found in the “Emerald Tablet”; a short book attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. In the Hermetic tradition, this phrase typically alludes to the concept of Correspondence. The basic premise of this concept is that the invisible world has an effect on the material world, and vice versa. That which is planned in Heaven is manifested on Earth, and that which occurs on Earth effects that which occurs in Heaven. All planes of existence correspond with one another. Also, it’s often interpreted to mean that the motions and relative positions of the Sun, moon, planets,

The Kabbalists share a similar idea. They perceive that Man is made in the image of God. Whereas God contains the entire cosmos, Man contains a miniature universe within himself. “That which is above(God & the Cosmos) is like unto that which is below(Man)”, just differing in scale and perfection. The Kabbalists refer to these two corresponding aspects of reality as the Arich Anpin(Great Countenance) and Zeir Anpin(Lesser Countenance). Some books, such as the “Kabbalah Denudata”, refer to them as the Macroprosopos and Microprosopus.

A more recent and more often used expression is that of the Macrocosm and Microcosm. Robert Fludd described Man as the Microcosm, stating that “Man is a whole world of its own, called microcosm for it displays a miniature pattern of all the parts of the universe.” (Quote from Robert Fludd’s “Utriusque Cosmic Historia”, II; quoted by Pierre A. Riffard in Dictionnaire de l’ésotérisme, Paris: Payot, 1983, 34.) Origen of Alexandria, one of the most influential scholars in the early years of Christianity, said something very similar. “Understand that you are another little world, and have within you the sun, the moon, and also the stars.” (Origen, Homiliae in Leviticum, V, 2; in Jung, CW16, p. 197.)

The above illustration, titled “The Great Seal of Solomon”, is a symbolic depiction of the concept of Correspondence found in the book, “Transcendental Magic”, by Eliphas Lévi. Explaining this symbol in his own words, Lévi wrote: “The Double Triangle of Solomon, represented by the two Ancients of the Kabbalah; the Macroprosopus and the Microprosopus; the God of Light and the God of Reflections; mercy and vengeance; the white Jehovah and the black Jehovah.”

The concept of Correspondence and the aphorism “As Above So Below” are often been symbolized by two interlaced triangles; one with the apex pointing upwards, and one oriented downwards. It is sometimes said that the upward triangle represents masculine energy and the downward triangle represents feminine energy. They are the Alchemical shorthand symbols for the classical elements of Fire and Water, respectively. Also, it has been said that the downward

triangle represents God’s outpouring of Love towards man on Earth and the upward triangle represents Man’s aspiration to know and return to God. I like to think of the top triangle as a representation of God, and the bottom triangle as a representation of Man; the two being intermingled in the relationship of Creator and Creation. But I’d also like to offer another interpretation, one that is more practical in its daily application.

Personally, I interpret the “Above” as being an allusion to thought, and “Below” as an allusion to action. In other words, what you think in your mind(Above) will ultimately become manifest in your actions and overall character(Below). Your thoughts give birth to your emotions, your emotions give birth to your actions, and your actions(or lack thereof) determine your character and legacy. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”. (Proverbs 23:7) This practical concept is what I believe to be illustrated by the iconic Masonic emblem comprised of the Square and Compasses. The Square represents the Body and all things Physical, since it is a tool used to measure and “square” physical objects; and also since a square consists of four points, alluding to the four material elements that symbolically compose everything that is tangible. Earth, Water, Air, & Fire. The Compass, however, is a symbol representing the Mind(or the Soul) and all things Spiritual.

Since it is a chief instrument of the Astronomer, used for the purpose of recording and measuring the circular revolutions of heavenly bodies, it symbolizes that which is Heavenly; whereas Square symbolizes that which is Earthly. With both points of the Compasses laying on top of the square, it is a symbol of self mastery; representing the physical passions being subdued by the willful powers of the mind. Mind over matter. Spirituality over materiality. With the added G in the middle, I think it becomes even more meaningful; alluding to the omnipresence of God, the relationship between God & Man, and the part of Man that is inherently divine and immortal. The Soul.

The contents of your heart, which are your thoughts and intentions, will eventually become manifested in your countenance, words, and deeds. Even if you think you’re a master at keeping up an outward facade while concealing your inner feelings and intentions, no secrets can be kept from God. Nothing is hidden from Him whose all-seeing eye perceives

into the deepest recesses of your heart. Do you remember what Jesus said about impure thoughts in the Sermon on the Mount? He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt 5:27-28) Another Bible verse also comes to mind in regards to guarding one’s heart: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)

This verse is phrased somewhat opaquely in the King James Version. In the New International Version, however, the meaning is clear: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” It’s easy to control your outward

behaviors. Such is the responsibility of every responsible adult. But it’s a much greater challenge to make your thoughts subordinate to your will, which is essential for anyone who wishes to achieve any degree of self mastery.

It may seem like your private thoughts are harmless and inconsequential, but the truth is that your thoughts create your reality. The thoughts you think in your mind will inevitably affect your emotions. If left unchecked, unruly thoughts will lead to unruly passions. Thus, in order to successfully subdue your passions, you must be able to guide and direct your thoughts in a manner that is pure, wholesome, and productive. To further elaborate on this from a Biblical perspective, I interpret “As Above So Below” to partially mean the same

thing as what is said in the Lord’s prayer. “Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven”...And I also relate it to what Jesus said while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Not my will, but Thine be done!” It is a challenging thing to make your thoughts subordinate to your will, but it is yet another to align your will with the Will of God. At the end of the day, your will is the only thing you can give God that He doesn’t already have. He owns everything that exists. However, he gave you free agency; the freedom to make your own choices, for better or worse. What you do with that free agency is up to you. This life is yours to live. You’ve been invested with time, which we Masons symbolize with the twenty-four inch gauge: You can spend it on efforts to satisfy your own selfish desires, or you can spend it in the service of God and your fellow man. You can reserve your it for your own designs, or you can surrender it to God. How will you use the 24 inch gauge that you’ve been given?

…”choose you this day whom ye will serve…” (Joshua 24:15)

The Alchemical acronym V.I.T.R.I.O.L., which is commonly found written on the walls of some Chambers of Reflection, stands for the Latin phrase “Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem”. In English, this means “Visit the Inner Earth and, rectifying, you’ll find the Hidden Stone”. It is an allusion to the alchemical quest to find the Philosopher’s Stone; a symbolic metaphor for the Absolute Truth and the Divine Principle concealed within all things. Any Scottish Rite Mason who is familiar with the legend of the 13° Royal Arch of Enoch Degree ought to see some very deliberate parallels here.

VITRIOL is also an Alchemical term for the chemical now known as sulfuric acid, often depicted symbolically as a green lion. Sulfuric acid was used in the process of divesting base metals and alloys from gold, since it will devour all metals with the exception of gold. Given the context of its use in the Chamber of Reflection, the acronym VITRIOL denotes that the candidate is about to undergo a symbolic transformation via initiation and introspection. Just as sulfuric acid divests

gold of alloys and minerals that diminish its purity and value, so does the VITRIOL of introspection and reflection divest your heart and mind of vices and superfluities that weigh you down and hold you back from your higher potential. By descending into the “inner earth” of your very being, which is your psyche or soul, rectifying that which is superfluous or noxious therein, you’ll discover transcendent Truth and emerge reborn. Freemasonry is an interior journey. The Temple is a representation of you, and its various floors and chambers represent different parts of your psyche.

As we travel Eastward towards the Source of Light, it is symbolic of an inward journey towards the Source from whence the Soul and all Truth emanates. Why do you suppose that it is in the Middle Chamber that the Fellow-Craft earns his wages and learns about the letter G? The Middle Chamber represents the very center of your being, the secret vault within you, where you may learn to “Know Yourself ” and become more conscious of your Creator.

I conclude this paper by asserting that Alchemy, Hermeticism, and Freemasonry are inseparably linked. All three traditions are about transformation, liberation, and the pursuit of perfection. The alchemist seeks to transform lead into gold while the Mason seeks to transform the rough ashlar into a perfect ashlar, and the hermeticist ascends the seven heavens to become liberated from materialism while the Mason ascends the seven liberal arts and sciences to become liberated from the bondage of ignorance.

Alchemy and Hermeticism definitely played a role in inspiring the formation and development of Freemasonry. Sir Robert Moray and Elias Ashmole, two of the earliest speculative Masons known to Masonic historians, initiated in 1642 and 1646 respectively, were both very interested in alchemy, Hermeticism, and Rosicrucianism. It’s no coincidence that our Craft shares similarities with these profound systems of esoteric philosophy and inner transformation. It is by design.