Reprinted from New Age Retailer with permission
The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs
Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
$10.00 (P), ISBN 978-1-58542-692-8
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin
www.penguin.com
First published in London a little over a decade ago, this book is a compilation, and understandable translation, of the wisdom teachings attributed to Thoth/Hermes. It contains selections from the existing Greek, Latin, and Coptic texts, linked together by the authors narrative. (“A book of this size cannot contain all the Hermetic teachings. It can, however, give an inspirational and intriguing taste of their core doctrines.”)
The writings of Hermes contain ideas which will be familiar to many readers, i.e. as above-so below; the fundamental/universal laws bringing order out of chaos; the Word as the Mind of God. The teachings influenced Western thought and religious tradition through people like Leonardo da Vinci, William Blake, Thomas More, Sir Walter Raleigh, Carl Jung, Shakespeare, and the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. Both Islamic and Jewish esoteric philosophy were affected as well.
Under attack by anti-pagan intolerance in the Dark Ages, the Hermetic wisdom was initially preserved in Arabia, and later in Northern Italy. It was finally forced out of Italy by the Roman Catholic Church, but had been dispersed enough by the Renaissance to survive in intellectual circles. It is making a strong comeback with the rise of New Age interests and the discovery of the Nag Hammadi library and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The authors have made a major contribution to both ancient history and esoteric tradition. If you have customers interested in occult philosophy and the esoteric, this should be a staple on your shelves.
Anna Jedrziewski
Spirit Connection New York