#Hermetic

[nous-teleios]

Don't let modernity take the magic out of your life. Allow yourself to see the world as a beautiful place, a place you belong in, one that you were made for.

[httpsoftbunni]

The Universal Gesture of the Raised Right Hand

The raised right hand, a gesture seen across various religions, spiritual traditions, and artistic depictions, carries with it profound symbolic meaning. This ubiquitous gesture is often linked to themes of blessing, protection, authority, and enlightenment, and has been shown in the iconography of deities, spiritual leaders, and mystics for millennia. Its recurrence suggests it is more than just a physical movement; it embodies a universal archetype that is deeply ingrained in human consciousness. Through examining the gesture's origins, symbolism, and often suppressed meanings, we can gain profound insights into its role as a bridge between the material and the divine.

Core Symbolism Across Traditions

At its core, the raised right hand symbolizes reassurance and spiritual power. Across different traditions, it conveys a sense of divine protection, authority, and the dispelling of fear. In Hinduism and Buddhism, this gesture is epitomized in the Abhaya Mudra, which translates to “gesture of fearlessness.” The Buddha, often depicted with his right hand raised to shoulder height, palm outward, uses this gesture as a symbol of peace and protection, calming the fears of the devotee. Similarly, Hindu deities like Vishnu and Shiva adopt this mudra to bestow blessings and offer divine assurance.

Christian and Cross-Cultural Depictions

In Christianity, the gesture is closely associated with Jesus Christ, who is frequently depicted raising his right hand in a benediction, signifying the transmission of divine grace and spiritual power. Mary, too, is shown in similar contexts, her hand raised in a gesture of blessing. The raised right hand also carries significance in Sikhism, where Guru Nanak's gesture symbolizes divine truth and guidance. Even in occult traditions, figures such as Baphomet incorporate this gesture to represent the balance between the spiritual and material realms, echoing the principle of "as above, so below." The universality of this gesture underscores its association with spiritual authority across various cultures.

Esoteric Meaning and the Right-Hand Path

Beyond its religious and spiritual meanings, the raised right hand also has esoteric significance. It is often seen as a symbol of the "Right-Hand Path," a concept tied to righteousness, divine order, and enlightenment. This contrasts with the "Left-Hand Path," which is often associated with hidden knowledge or rebellion against established norms. This duality—light versus dark, order versus chaos—encapsulates humanity’s ongoing journey to balance material existence with spiritual transcendence.

Prehistoric and Ancient Origins

The origins of this sacred gesture stretch far back into prehistory. Before the advent of organized religion, prehistoric shamans—spiritual leaders adept at navigating altered states of consciousness—likely used the raised right hand as a nonverbal form of communication with higher realms. Cave paintings dating back over 30,000 years show figures with raised hands, suggesting a deep, intuitive connection between this posture and spiritual invocation. As civilizations emerged, this gesture became more formalized within religious and ceremonial contexts.

In ancient Sumer (around 4000 BCE), gods and rulers were often depicted with raised hands, invoking divine authority. Similarly, in ancient Egypt, deities like Osiris and Isis are frequently shown with their hands raised during sacred rituals. The Indus Valley Civilization (circa 2500 BCE) integrated mudras, symbolic hand gestures, into their early yogic practices. The Vedic texts (circa 1500 BCE) codified these hand gestures within Hindu rituals, associating them with the control of energy and blessings. Buddhism later adopted the Abhaya Mudra, as exemplified by the Buddha, who used it to calm a charging elephant sent by his cousin Devadatta, symbolizing serene power and protection.

An Archetype Across Cultures

Despite regional differences, the raised right hand has consistently symbolized divine connection across cultures. Its prevalence suggests an archetypal truth embedded in the collective human consciousness, one that spans time and geographical boundaries.

Esotericism and the Mystical Hand

In esoteric traditions such as Freemasonry and Hermeticism, the raised right hand goes beyond a simple gesture of blessing. It symbolizes the oath of initiation into higher knowledge, invoking cosmic truths that transcend ordinary understanding. The human hand itself is often viewed as a microcosm of divine creation, with its five fingers corresponding to the pentagram—a symbol of balance—and the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and spirit. Ancient cultures believed that certain hand positions could channel energy flows within the body or invoke universal forces, further amplifying the significance of the raised right hand.

Duality and Balance in Symbolism

The duality inherent in this gesture reflects broader cosmic principles. The right hand is often associated with light, order, and divine authority, while the left hand is linked to chaos, hidden knowledge, or rebellion. This contrast is vividly illustrated in occult symbolism through figures like Baphomet, who is depicted with one hand pointing upward, toward the heavens, and the other pointing downward, toward the earth. Baphomet embodies the balance between opposites, serving as a reminder that spiritual enlightenment requires the reconciliation of dual forces.

Suppression of Esoteric Knowledge

Yet, beneath these surface meanings lies a deeper layer of significance, one that has often been suppressed or reinterpreted throughout history. Many cultures embraced the raised right hand as a sacred symbol, but its more esoteric meanings have often been obscured by religious institutions seeking to control spiritual knowledge. The myths surrounding pre-flood civilizations—such as Atlantis—speak of societies that possessed profound knowledge of sacred geometry, cosmic cycles, and spiritual science. This knowledge was likely lost or deliberately erased after catastrophic events reshaped human history.

Early Christianity, too, contained mystical teachings that were later suppressed by institutionalized religion. Gnostic texts describe Jesus as a teacher of self-mastery, rather than blind submission to external authority. Concepts such as reincarnation, which were central to early Christian thought, were removed from doctrine during Church councils. Similarly, the role of Mary Magdalene as an equal spiritual leader was diminished to reinforce patriarchal structures. These omissions serve to obscure Christianity's esoteric roots, favoring dogma over personal enlightenment.

Sound, Frequency, and Vibrational Truths

In addition to these religious suppressions, the science of sound and frequency also holds a key to understanding the deeper significance of the raised right hand. Ancient civilizations understood that sound shapes reality, a concept encoded in sacred languages like Sanskrit and Hebrew. The standard tuning of modern music (440 Hz) contrasts with ancient systems such as 432 Hz tuning, which is believed to harmonize with natural frequencies. This shift may represent a deliberate attempt to disrupt humanity's connection to higher vibrations, further distancing the masses from their spiritual potential.

The Moon and Frequency Control Theories

Some esoteric traditions even suggest that the Moon, with its perfect size for eclipses, may have been artificially placed in Earth's orbit as part of a control mechanism for human consciousness. Its presence raises questions about its origins and whether it serves as a frequency regulator, locking humanity into specific vibrational states.

Ultimately, the raised right hand represents more than just a symbolic gesture; it embodies humanity's shared spiritual heritage. Its presence across cultures suggests that it encodes universal truths about enlightenment: mastery over physical reality through alignment with cosmic laws, protection from ignorance, and guidance toward higher planes of existence. Yet, much of its deeper meaning remains hidden beneath layers of historical suppression and reinterpretation. By rediscovering these lost meanings—whether through ancient texts or modern esotericism—we can begin unlocking humanity's full potential for spiritual awakening.

The raised right hand, as a timeless and powerful gesture, continues to beckon us toward greater understanding and unity with the divine. It is a symbol that transcends time and culture, offering us an ancient key to uncovering the profound mysteries of the universe. Through it, we are reminded of our intrinsic connection to higher wisdom and the eternal quest for spiritual enlightenment.

[occultesotericart]

1600’s anatomical engraving with alchemical symbolism /// by Gerhard Altzenbach

[clearpills]

the shape of me

[rosieandthemoon]

Sculpture by Ann Harrington

[portalibis]

Zoroaster Clavis Artis, MS. Verginelli-Rota, Biblioteca dell'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma

[samwisethewitch]

Rethinking "masculine" and "feminine" in Western magic

We all see it all the time. This plant has masculine energy. This crystal enhances feminine power. This ritual balances masculine and feminine forces. But what does any of that really mean?

After all, a plant does not have a gender. A crystal does not have a gender. Elements, planets, and celestial bodies do not have genders. So why is everything broken down into gendered categories in modern occult spaces?

The short answer: "Masculine" and "feminine" are shorthand terms that were developed by medieval alchemists, but modern occultists have lost that original context, leading to one-dimensional and reductive use of these terms.

The long answer: This model comes to us from Hermeticism by way of medieval alchemists. In the Hermetic model, the universe (or Prima Materia or Source or whatever) is a single whole divided into polarities -- sets of equal but opposite forces.

Here's a quote from the book Real Alchemy by Robert Allen Bartlett that I think explains this well:

"One of the earliest observations of Nature was that everything has its opposite -- day/night, male/female, hot/cold, wet/dry. The One divides into active and passive modes, with the active energy constituting the energies of life, and the passive one of the energy of matter.”

This idea was ridiculously widespread in the Middle Ages. To give just one example, Western traditional medicine (i.e., before modern medicine) was based on balancing the four humours by balancing opposite forces. So if you have inflammation, which is a hot and wet condition, you would treat it with herbal remedies that are cold and dry.

Early Hermeticists and alchemists classified different natural forces as either active or passive. Heat is active, cold is passive. Light is active, dark is passive. Fire (the force of transformation in alchemy) is active, while water (the universal solvent in alchemy) is passive. You get the idea.

Because of gender stereotypes in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, activeness eventually became associated with masculinity, and passiveness eventually became associated with femininity. You can still see this in old medical texts: Male bodies are hot and wet, but female bodies are cold and dry, so the medieval doctor should choose his treatment accordingly.

This has more to do with medieval European issues around gender than with nature or magic. My point here is that the gender stuff isn't literal: the Hermeticists did not literally believe that the planet Venus is female or that iron is male. Gendered terms were used as a shorthand to name opposites.

And even within medieval alchemical sources, gender is a spectrum! Let's take the elements as an example:

According to Bartlett, fire is the most active (“masculine”) element, while air is active but less active than fire. Water and earth are both considered passive (“feminine”) elements, but water is less passive/feminine than earth.

So, to recap: Hermetics believe in a perfect whole divided into polar opposites. Alchemists, doctors, and ceremonial magicians love this idea and run with it. Masculine/feminine is just one of many ways to describe these opposite forces. You could just as easily use active/passive to mean the same thing. And even in medieval times, each of these pairs of opposites was understood as a spectrum, with most energies falling somewhere between the two extremes.

The problem is that we've been playing a centuries-long game of telephone. Victorian occultists who were referencing Renaissance grimoires and still working in a vaguely Hermetic framework write in their books that, for example, roses have feminine qualities. A Wiccan author writing in the 1980s comes across this during their research and includes it in their book, but now it's one step further removed from that context. Several other authors repeat the claim that rose is feminine, all citing that one book from the '80s. Flash forward to 2025, and this claim is so removed from the original context that some witches genuinely believe rose is A Girl Flower because of some intangible Girlness inherent to the plant.

What does this mean for modern witches? Honestly, I think that kind of depends on the witch.

If you find working with masculine/feminine classifications helpful, I don't necessarily think you need to throw out that model. Just make sure you understand the background of these terms and remember that masculine/feminine in a magical sense is not the same as masculine/feminine in a gender sense. Maybe read up on Hermeticism, alchemy, and the other medieval and Renaissance occult systems that originated this model. Also, think about how using gendered terms in your practice is connected to your relationship with gender. How are you making space for nonbinary and agender energies and identities?

If you want to work with pairs of opposites but get weirded out by all the gender stuff, why not use a different polarity like active/passive or hot/cold to classify things instead? (This is how I classify herbs in my Southern Folk Magic practice.)

And if you don't particularly care about working with opposites in your practice, feel free to ignore this whole thing. There's no rule saying you have to label things this way.

[pauljosephrovelli]

[inkaitations]

I’ve been seeing a few of these around and wanted to make one

I’m a Hermes ✉️🪽devotee…

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I’m a certified passenger princess

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc we’re going on a late night drive every Friday

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I want to learn a bunch of different languages

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I pick up shiny coins I see

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I’m interested in hermeticism and alchemy

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I want to go for night walks the second it starts getting warmer again

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I have a bunch of random trinkets

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I’m the tote bag/back pack friend who’s got snacks for everyone and holds everyone’s belongings

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I’m gonna point out constellations

I’m a Hermes devotee, ofc I want to try any food from any culture

[cosmicportal]

Ancient Egyptian statue of Pa-Maj. The basalt torso is entirely covered in ‘magical’ hieroglyphic texts and images of gods. 350-300 BC.

The engraved texts are incantations to be recited out loud for healing and protection against harmful creatures such as snakes and scorpions. Similar protective spells are written on ‘Horus stelae’.

[astra-ravana]

Why I Spell Magick With A 'K'

I've seen a lot of back and forth over the years regarding the spelling of the word 'magick'. I figured it's about time I explain my reasons for refusing to drop the 'K' despite the occasional backlash. To me, 'magic' and 'magick' are two completely different things. Magic is a stage magician pulling a rabbit out of their hat. Magic is something whimsical and wonderous, like a rainbow unicorn or a vivid sunset.

Magick with a 'K' intends to convey the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with one's own will and intentions. It's been around since the 1600's, it wasn't popularized by Aleister Crowley until the late 20th century. Regardless of how you feel about the man, Crowley was strongly influenced by Qabalah and Gematria, ancient mystical systems known for highlighting the importance of numerology and grammar. 'K' is the 11th letter of the alphabet, 11 represents divine connections and the power to manifest one's will. Adding 'K' to magick changed the spelling from 5 letters to 6, 6 being the number of unconditional love, nature, temperance, creativity, the hexagram, and the planet Venus.

Magick is a word of power, an ancient spell in and of itself. It hasn't ever had any other meaning and its a word made to physically and spiritually represent witches and practioners of the craft. To desregard it is to disregard not only the history, but also the legitimacy and seriousness of the craft.

In summary, do what works for you in the end, but you probably shouldn't reject an entire word because someone you don't agree with used it. That's just putting unnecessary limits on yourself and your potential.

[nous-teleios]

The beauty of divination

[occultesotericart]

[clearpills]

[rosieandthemoon]

cemetery beauty

[renegade-hierophant]

Sphinx of Pharaoh Amenemhat III (Imn-m-ḥꜣt, “Amun is in the front,” 12th dynasty, ruled 1829-1799 BCE), who would become divinized and worshipped in the Fayyum lake region of Egypt well into the Greco-Roman period and known in Greek as Poimandres (Ποιμάνδρης), from Egyptian pr-ꜥꜣ (ni)-mꜣꜥt-rꜥ, “Pharaoh of the Ma’at of Ra,” which was his ruling throne name.

In the Fayyum there are statues of him standing together with the god Thoth (Greek Hermes) next to a larger statue of Sobek (Suchos), the primordial deity.