hermétiques

Hermeticism, also known as hermetism, is an esoteric spiritual and philosophical tradition based on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure in the Greco-Egyptian world. The tradition encompasses metaphysical philosophy, alchemy, astrology, ritual magic, and theurgy, as well as practices aimed at personal and spiritual transformation.

The core sources are the Corpus Hermeticum, a collection of Greek texts probably composed in the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE, and related Hermetic writings in Coptic. Hermes Trismegistus is conceived as a synthesis of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth, a teacher of wisdom and occult knowledge.

Hermetic thought often emphasizes correspondence between the macrocosm and microcosm, as expressed in the maxim as above, so below. It presents reality as emanating from a single principle or divine mind (nous) and teaches that humans can attain gnosis, purification, and return to a divine unity through intellect and spiritual practice. Alchemy is understood both as a material and a symbolic process of transformation.

Historically, Hermeticism emerged in late antiquity, declined in medieval Europe, and was rediscovered in the Renaissance with translations of the Hermetica by Marsilio Ficino and others. The revival influenced Neoplatonism, Christian mysticism, and later Western occultism, including alchemy, Rosicrucianism, and some strands of Freemasonry.

In modern scholarship, Hermeticism is viewed as a broad constellation of texts and movements rather than a single, continuous school. It is studied as a significant source for the history of ideas, esotericism, and the intercultural exchanges between Greek, Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian intellectual traditions.