Hammer and Vajra Presents: The Corpus Hermeticum

The Corpus Hermeticum is a collection of 17 Greek writings by Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes

the Thrice born). Hermes the Thrice born was considered to be both the God Hermes and the

Egyptian God Toth speaking in one voice and transmitting the wisdom of the Gods, the

Cosmology and metaphysical workings of the universe, and the world’s creation story.

Historians have dated it to around 100 – 300 CE but there have been theories that it was a much

older oral text that was only transmitted then. What we do know the writing within the text

parallels many other traditions such as Indo-European Avestan and Rig Veda contexts,

Mesopotamian creation stories, Greek Magical Papayri, Mithraic religious texts, and others. The

text is seen by some as a bridge between Christianity and Paganism to show where the transition

happened. Others have made the links between the Hemreticum and later developments of

Alchemy and Sufi traditions. One can easily say that via the Hermeticum and Hermeticism as

well as Alchemy and Mystical Christianity that a lot of Paganism and folk faith were able to be

absorbed, hide, and secretly thrive making their way into the Occult and or mystical traditions.

Though one can argue that there were corruptions and changes along the way. Some say it is the

foundation of the Western Esoteric tradition as we know it, at least in the post-Christian sense.

Regardless it is an important foundational text that is often overlooked.