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Western Esotericism: History and Major Traditions
Western esotericism explained: what the term means, how it differs from occultism and mysticism, its major traditions, and the thinkers who shaped it.
Mystical Traditions
Western Esotericism
Hermeticism, Gnosticism, alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry and the Golden Dawn.
Freemasonry and Esoteric Knowledge: Symbols and Degrees
Is Freemasonry esoteric? How Masonic ritual, symbols and degrees relate to esoteric traditions, what 3-5-7 means, and whether Jesus was a Freemason.
Gnosticism and Esotericism: Secret Knowledge and Mystical Salvation
How Gnosticism relates to esotericism, mysticism and the occult: what Gnostics taught, where the categories overlap, and where they differ.
Hermeticism: Hermes Trismegistus and the Hermetic Tradition
What Hermeticism is, who Hermes Trismegistus was, which texts define the tradition, whether the Kybalion counts, and how it shaped Western esotericism.
Is there sin in Gnosticism?
Gnosticism treats ignorance and entrapment in matter as the core problem, not sin as disobedience. See how Gnostic views of wrongdoing differ from Christianity.
The Alchemical Tradition: From Transmutation to Spiritual Transformation
A history of the alchemical traditions: Greco-Egyptian and Islamic roots, laboratory and spiritual alchemy, Christian links, and the move toward chemistry.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: History, Teachings and Famous Members
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a Victorian magical order founded in 1888. Explore its history, grades, teachings, famous members and legacy.
What are examples of esoteric knowledge?
Examples of esoteric knowledge include Kabbalah, Hermetic correspondences, alchemy, astrology, tarot and initiatory ritual. See what makes each one esoteric.
What Does the Emerald Tablet Say? Text and Meaning of "As Above, So Below"
What the Emerald Tablet says, what "as above, so below" means, where the text really came from, and how alchemists and Hermeticists read it.
What Is Rosicrucianism? The Rosicrucian Manifestos, Legend and Modern Orders
Rosicrucianism began with three early 17th-century manifestos about a secret brotherhood. Learn the legend, the history and the modern Rosicrucian orders.
What is the concept of alchemy?
Alchemy is a premodern practice and philosophy of transformation, best known for seeking the philosopher's stone. Learn its core ideas in plain language.
What Is the Corpus Hermeticum? Contents, Origins and Influence
The Corpus Hermeticum is a collection of Greek texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Learn what it contains, when it was written and why it mattered.
What is the hermetic kabbalah?
Hermetic Qabalah is the Western occult adaptation of Kabbalah, blended with tarot, astrology and ritual magic. Learn its origins and how it differs from Jewish Kabbalah.
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