The Hermetic lessons outlined on this blog are there to provide both a record of my own experiments in “Hermetic Teaching” and to supply interested teachers and parents with plans and suggestions for introducing “Hermetic ideas” to their pupils and children.
Hermeticism takes its name from the legendary Hermes Trimegistus of Egypt, a fabled magician, physician [...]
Archive for August, 2007
What are ‘Hermetic Lessons’?
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The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Introduction
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This essay is written in order to summarise a five year project on the Sefer Yetzirah, and to serve as an account of some of the main experiences resulting from working with the text and commentary on some of the problems. The Sefer Yetzirah is an ancient Hebrew text which contains astrological ideas, sacred geometry, [...]
The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Chapter 1
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“He makes His angels of breaths, His ministers of flaming fire” (Psalms 104:4).
2002 – 2003 Leicester
The study of the Sefer Yetzirah began with a programme of summoning of the Archangels of the Sefirot, generally using the attribution system of Moses Maimonides. The students had no idea what to expect from these evocations, and most of [...]
The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Chapter 2
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“A depth of good and a depth of evil.”
2002 – 2003 Leicester
Before discussing the Letter study itself, I want to mention the study of the Sefirot themselves which accompanied the Angel study. So much can be gained from a study of the theoretical Qabalah as it relates to the Sefirot that it would be foolish [...]
The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Chapter 3
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“He placed them in a circle like a wall with 231 Gates”
Leicester 2003 (Birmingham) – Bath 2004 (Cardiff 2004)
Having established our Foundation and the intent behind the study of the letters, we continued with the Sefer Yetzirah. In this section of the commentary I will outline the instructions of the text and the interpretation [...]
The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Chapter 4
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“And with them, He depicted all that was formed and all that would be formed.”
(Leicester 2003 – Bath 2004)
Using the methods outlined above, the students proceeded to study the letters in turn from Alef to Tav, and like the study of the Sefirot it would be impossible for me to make a comprehensive list of [...]
The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Chapter 5
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“A great, mystical secret covered and sealed with six rings” Sefer Yetzirah, Gra version 3:2(Bath 2004 – Leicester 2005)
Having sufficiently married the ideas of theory and practice of the Sefer Yetzirah in the mind of the reader, we will treat chapters 3 – 5 of the SY, i.e. the concept of Kingship only in practice.
These [...]
The Sefer Yetzirah Study – Chapter 6
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“One on three, three on seven, seven on twelve, And all are bound, one to another.” Sefer Yetzirah, Gra version 6:5
(Leicester 2006 – Prague 2006)
If Chapters 1-5 of the Gra Version of the Sefer Yetzirah were intended to set up the theoretical system of the text then Ch.6 establishes some general rules about how it [...]
