I think is a very strange position to take. Maybe you are right about your broader point around Renaissance occultism. But we entered a period of secular materialism largely as a result of religious wars that left a bad taste in Europeans' mouths that we now know as the era of Enlightenment. Were there esoteric undercurrents at work in this period? Of course. But the larger push was towards the Cartesian view, which is the real origin of modern science.
By the time we entered the 20th century, there was a reaction against this materialism among groups of thinkers as well. You get it in all the writings of all prominent Fascist writers for example, and then the New Agers.
The reason why Christianity didn't step up to reclaim its place on the throne was because of how sterile and anti-mystical it was. Blind dogmatic faith had more in common with secular materialism than occult thinking had with the Enlightenment.
We are entering a period of turbulence and collapse, so it only makes sense that now many people are returning to more apocalyptic versions of faith traditions like the strain found in Christianity. However, there is also a growth of interest in mysticism at the same time. Father Seraphim Rose spoke at length about this during his time.
I think the West is strong in WORD (systematic theology), while the East is strong in IMAGE (mystical/symbology). I often wonder if God had both sides do their own thing in a sense to develop specific strengths and one day be joined together (if we all lay down a bit of pride that is, as 1 Cor 11:19 says, there must be factions and I think for that very reason, God not giving any single group all the answers and all the same gifts for purposes of humility).
Many in the West are benefiting from Jonathan Pageau as well with symbology, and many realizing what Lewis/Tolkien were up to (Ryan Reeves series was great, the ones on imagination/chesterton, and lewis/medieval world especially - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRgREWf4NFWYkdjziCtks-Gws5YIdN0Fi)
I just attempted to get ChatGPT to summarise 1 Enoch and that worked. Then I tried to get it to summarise the Hermetica and the message would not go through and the send button went dark and I cannot use chatgpt at all. Strange
Please share more on the topic of OPTICS if you find out more!
The idea of "bending light", magnifying the seen world, etc seems interesting.... Things like eyeglasses we take for granted now (does like ... everyone in East Asia have them?)... Seems like the remaking of the eye, just as digital tech is the remaking of the nervous system... Hmmm
I’m a little confused by your question. The Corpus Hermeticum was found to be falsely dated back to ancient Egypt by Isaac Casaubon by the 17th century when he discovered that there were references to Zoroastrian deities. The Renaissance hermeticists found the religion to be true because of “prisca theologica” meaning the older the religious text the more wisdom it has. Casaboun proved it to be a Hellenistic text and not ancient Egyptian wisdom as its proponents believed. That alone proves it to be untrue since the text itself is fake as it doesn’t even predate Christ. This even put a massive halt to the academic study of Hermetic texts.
“How is it magic?” - read Frances Yates book Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, all these guys were openly practicing magic and each claimed they knew the “good kind” of magic not black magic.
I think is a very strange position to take. Maybe you are right about your broader point around Renaissance occultism. But we entered a period of secular materialism largely as a result of religious wars that left a bad taste in Europeans' mouths that we now know as the era of Enlightenment. Were there esoteric undercurrents at work in this period? Of course. But the larger push was towards the Cartesian view, which is the real origin of modern science.
By the time we entered the 20th century, there was a reaction against this materialism among groups of thinkers as well. You get it in all the writings of all prominent Fascist writers for example, and then the New Agers.
The reason why Christianity didn't step up to reclaim its place on the throne was because of how sterile and anti-mystical it was. Blind dogmatic faith had more in common with secular materialism than occult thinking had with the Enlightenment.
We are entering a period of turbulence and collapse, so it only makes sense that now many people are returning to more apocalyptic versions of faith traditions like the strain found in Christianity. However, there is also a growth of interest in mysticism at the same time. Father Seraphim Rose spoke at length about this during his time.
It is a fascinating topic to discuss.
InspiringPhilosophy is a Protestant who uses the ancient Eastern metaphysics.
Christianity and pan-entheism - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xki03G_TO4 (His video, "The Emergent Universe" on Christian quantum physics is phenomenal as well).
I think the West is strong in WORD (systematic theology), while the East is strong in IMAGE (mystical/symbology). I often wonder if God had both sides do their own thing in a sense to develop specific strengths and one day be joined together (if we all lay down a bit of pride that is, as 1 Cor 11:19 says, there must be factions and I think for that very reason, God not giving any single group all the answers and all the same gifts for purposes of humility).
Many in the West are benefiting from Jonathan Pageau as well with symbology, and many realizing what Lewis/Tolkien were up to (Ryan Reeves series was great, the ones on imagination/chesterton, and lewis/medieval world especially - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRgREWf4NFWYkdjziCtks-Gws5YIdN0Fi)
I just attempted to get ChatGPT to summarise 1 Enoch and that worked. Then I tried to get it to summarise the Hermetica and the message would not go through and the send button went dark and I cannot use chatgpt at all. Strange
Please share more on the topic of OPTICS if you find out more!
The idea of "bending light", magnifying the seen world, etc seems interesting.... Things like eyeglasses we take for granted now (does like ... everyone in East Asia have them?)... Seems like the remaking of the eye, just as digital tech is the remaking of the nervous system... Hmmm
Great article. But if it is based on hermeticism which has turned out to be true so far, how is it magic?
I’m a little confused by your question. The Corpus Hermeticum was found to be falsely dated back to ancient Egypt by Isaac Casaubon by the 17th century when he discovered that there were references to Zoroastrian deities. The Renaissance hermeticists found the religion to be true because of “prisca theologica” meaning the older the religious text the more wisdom it has. Casaboun proved it to be a Hellenistic text and not ancient Egyptian wisdom as its proponents believed. That alone proves it to be untrue since the text itself is fake as it doesn’t even predate Christ. This even put a massive halt to the academic study of Hermetic texts.
“How is it magic?” - read Frances Yates book Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, all these guys were openly practicing magic and each claimed they knew the “good kind” of magic not black magic.
Another excellent piece. I appreciate all your hard work.