Corpus Hermeticum

1. The Divine Vision of Creation Revealed by Poemander

"I am," quoth he, "Poemander, the mind of the Great Lord, the most Mighty and absolute Emperor: I know what thou wouldest have, and I am always present with thee."

Vision of creation. Hermes recounts a mystical vision where a being of immense stature, Poemander (the Mind of the Great Lord), appears and offers to teach him about the nature of things and God. This divine encounter initiates Hermes into the secrets of the cosmos.

Cosmic unfolding. Poemander reveals the origin of the universe from a primordial light and a dark, moist nature. The Holy Word from the Light joined with Nature, separating fire and air upwards, leaving earth and water below. The Workman Mind, born of God (Life and Light), then fashioned the sensible world and its seven governors (Fate/Destiny).

Man's origin. The Father Mind brought forth Man in his own image, beautiful and loved. Man, seeing the Workman's creation, desired to create himself and descended into the sphere of generation. He partook of the nature of the seven governors and, seeing his reflection in the moist nature, loved it and mingled with it, becoming double: mortal in body, immortal in essence.

2. The Hierarchical Structure of Reality: God, World, Man

First, God; Secondly, the World; Thirdly, Man.

Cosmic order. Reality is structured in a clear hierarchy descending from the ultimate source. God is the origin, followed by the World, and then Man. This order signifies a chain of being and influence, where each level depends on the one above it.

Interconnectedness. The World exists for Man, and Man exists for God. This relationship highlights a purpose within the cosmic structure, suggesting that creation is not random but ordered towards a divine end, with humanity playing a crucial intermediary role.

Divine relationships. God possesses the World, and the World possesses Man. The World is seen as the Son of God, and Man as the offspring of the World. This familial language emphasizes the intimate connection and dependence between these levels of reality.

3. God's Nature: The Unmanifest Yet Most Manifest Good

What is God? The immutable or unalterable Good.

God is the Good. God is defined as the absolute, unchanging Good, the source from which all good flows. This Good is an essence void of motion or generation, yet it is present in all things, giving abundantly without needing anything in return.

Hidden yet visible. God is unmanifest and unapparent in his ultimate essence, as he is not generated or made. However, by making all things appear, he appears in all and by all, especially to those who seek him with the eye of the mind.

Seen through creation. God's presence and nature can be understood by observing the order of the cosmos – the sun, moon, stars, and the intricate design of the human body. These are seen as the workmanship of the unmanifest God, testifying to his existence and power.

4. Man's Dual Composition: Mortal Body and Immortal Mind

For this cause, Man above all things that live upon Earth, is double; Mortal because of his Body, and Immortal because of the substantial Man...

Two natures. Man is a composite being, possessing both a mortal, changeable body and an immortal, unchanging essence or mind. The body is subject to generation, corruption, and the influences of fate, while the mind is divine by nature.

Internal conflict. The soul, residing in the body, is subject to passions and evils. The immortal part of man, the mind, must strive against the body's desires and the influence of the lower elements to lift itself towards the Good and True.

Potential for divinity. Despite his mortal aspect, man has the potential to become divine while still in the body by contemplating the beauty of the Good and allowing the mind to govern the soul, freeing it from bodily senses and passions.

5. The Path to Truth: Piety, Knowledge, and Regeneration

The strife of Piety is to know God, and to injure no Man, and this way it becomes Mind.

Piety and philosophy. The true path to living well and dying blessedly is through piety and religion, which are inseparable from philosophy. To be pious is to know the things that are, how they are ordered, and by whom, leading to thankfulness and admiration for the Creator.

Knowledge is key. Knowledge of God and the truth is the virtue of the soul, leading to goodness and divinity. This knowledge is not gained through the bodily senses alone but through the intellectual operation of the mind, often described as a divine silence or vision.

Regeneration. Salvation is achieved through regeneration, a process of being born anew in the mind, estranged from the material world and its falsehoods. This intellectual generation is perfected by the influx of divine powers that drive away the torments of darkness.

6. The Torments of Ignorance and Passions

One Torment, Son, is Ignorance, a second, Sorrow, a third, Intemperance, a fourth Concupiscence, a fifth, Injustice, a sixth, Covetousness, a seventh, Deceit, an eighth, Envy, a ninth, Fraud or Guile, a tenth, Wrath, an eleventh, Rashness, a twelfth, Maliciousness.

Sources of suffering. Humanity is afflicted by twelve primary torments or evils, stemming from ignorance and the passions of the body. These forces keep the soul bound to the material world and prevent it from ascending to divine knowledge.

Ignorance is fundamental. The greatest torment and the root of all evil is the not knowing God. This ignorance blinds the soul, causing it to serve the body and its desires, leading to suffering and separation from the Good.

Overcoming evil. These torments are driven away by the influx of ten divine powers, such as Knowledge, Joy, Temperance, Continence, Justice, Communion, and Truth. Regeneration involves being purged by these powers, allowing the intellectual generation to be perfected.

7. Mind and Reason: God's Special Gift to Humanity

Consider this also, O Son, That God hath freely bestowed upon man, above all other living things, these two, to wit, Mind and Speech, or Reason, equal to immortality.

Unique human capacity. God granted humanity the distinct gifts of Mind (Nous) and Speech (Logos), setting them apart from irrational creatures. These faculties are equal to immortality and enable humans to know God and converse with him.

Mind's role. The Mind is of the very essence of God and acts as a benefactor to the souls of men. It can govern the soul, resisting the body's passions and leading towards good. In irrational creatures, mind operates merely as nature or instinct.

Speech and Mind. Speech is the image of the Mind, just as the Mind is the image of God. While all living things have voice, only humans possess speech, which allows for the manifestation of understanding and the communication of divine knowledge.

8. God's Omnipresence and All-Encompassing Nature

For he alone is all things.

God is the All. God is not merely the creator but is the totality of existence. He is in all things and through all things, containing and quickening the entire universe. There is nothing that exists that is not God.

Beyond attributes. God transcends conventional descriptions of size, place, quality, figure, or time. He is the cause of being for everything, the source of Mind, Spirit, and Light, yet is none of these things himself in a limited sense.

Act and power. God's nature is pure Act and Power. His operation is insuperable, making all things and being the life and motion of the universe. Nothing can be idle or empty because all things are full of God's active presence.

9. The Greatest Evil is Not Knowing God

For it is the greatest evil, not to know God.

Root of wickedness. Ignorance of God is identified as the supreme evil, surpassing any physical torment or biting beast in its destructive effect on the soul. It leads to impiety, suffering, and a life consumed by the passions of the body.

Consequences of ignorance. The ignorant soul is blinded, serves the body, and is ruled by external forces rather than its own divine potential. It is tormented by its own wickedness and seeks earthly bodies, unable to partake in immortality or the Good.

The path to good. Conversely, the knowledge of God is the virtue of the soul and the path to becoming good, religious, and divine. This knowledge is the only thing truly healthful to man, leading to a return to the divine source.

10. Dissolution is Renewal, Not Destruction

For they do not die, O Son, but as compound Bodies they are dissolved.

Nature of change. What appears as death or corruption in the material world is actually a process of dissolution and renewal. Compound bodies are broken down, but their constituent parts and the operations within them persist.

Immortal operations. Acts or Operations, being unbodily, are immortal and always exist in some form of body. Even when a mortal body dissolves, the operations associated with it, such as dissolution itself, continue to act upon the remaining matter.

Cosmic cycle. The world, as a whole, is unchangeable, but its parts are constantly changing. This change is not destruction but a continuous process of generation and renewal, ensuring that nothing in the universe is ever truly lost or empty of being.

11. The Divine Cup of Mind Offered to Souls

Dip and wash thyself, thou that art able, in this Cup or Bowl; Thou that believeth", that thou shalt return to him that sent this Cup; thou that acknowledgest whereunto thou were made.

The gift of Mind. God, in his pleasure, placed the Mind in the middle of all souls as a reward. He filled a great cup with Mind and sent it down, proclaiming an invitation for souls to partake.

Invitation to knowledge. The proclamation calls upon those who are able and believe in their divine origin and purpose to immerse themselves in this cup. Those who understand and are "baptized" in the Mind gain knowledge and become perfect, immortal men.

Consequences of refusal. Those who miss the proclamation receive speech but not Mind. Their senses remain brutish, addicted to bodily pleasures, ignorant of their true purpose, and believing man exists only for these lower desires.

12. True Worship: Knowing God and Doing Good

And the only service of God, is not to be evil.

Simple service. The most profound and religious service to God is not found in elaborate rituals but in the fundamental act of not being evil. This implies living a life of piety, knowledge, and virtue, in imitation of the divine.

Piety and knowledge. True worship involves knowing God, which leads to being good and religious. This knowledge is gained through the Mind and results in a soul that is never satisfied with singing praise to God and doing good deeds.

Imitation of the Father. A pious soul, guided by the Mind, imitates God by doing good in words and deeds. This way of life is the acceptable sacrifice to God, a reasonable service offered from a pure soul and a heart stretched out to the divine.

Last updated: June 26, 2025