Continued from: A Different Da Vinci Code
feminine form of the same speedy delivery florist guy (Mercury/Hermes) we just saw. And remember, there is not the slightest need for transparency or consistency in any of this because it's all a big fat secret, and something of a sneering joke as well… Get it?
Q: Yes, I see where you've been trying to go. It's a case of I know something you don't know. Now clear up this motto business, "As above, so below." What does it mean?
A: Frankly…Professor Nemo doesn't have a clue. The motto is purposely cryptic of course…but I think it means whatever you want it to, and plenty of conventional definitions exist which you can easily find on your own. The Prof. is not a Hermeticist, but just reporting in a …you know…fair and balanced way.
Q: Aw, come on. Don't leave us here. What do you think it means?
A: Well… It certainly sounds like "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" doesn't it? But then again it could mean…everything they have up there we should have down here as well…or perhaps it means with enough "enlightenment" we could make our own Heaven…. Come to think of it, that interpretation sounds a lot like John Lennon's Imagine… it's certainly an anthem for his personal vision of a purely man-made utopia.
Q: It sounds as if there are many Hermeticisms. Do they at least share a similar origin?
A: Hard to tell. Perhaps the various manifestations of the daring benefactor theme had their debut as the deification of some early hero, perhaps the legendary Nimrod, Noah's great grandson. According to plenty of tradition, Nimrod founded human civilization in the area that was to become Babylon . He might have been seen as the one who inspired those who built the tower of Babel , perhaps in the imagination of his day to storm the heavens. Pagan cultures seem to turn all their old heroes into gods, then divide them into more gods and even recombine them into new gods. I think one day someone will discover that the root of Babylonian paganism influenced a truly amazing number of the world's prehistoric religions. That's why the sun god Bel, traceable all the way back to the Sumerian era, was also worshipped by the ancient Irish on May Day at the Beltane (Bel's fire). Similarly, there is no shortage of Hermes clones amongst the ancient mythologies…they pop up in the strangest places. But you can't safely ask most historians how this happened, since they seem to detest blurry edges … By the way, the obelisk, which also points to the sky, is a symbol for Hermes which evolved from far less subtle phallic boundary stones called herms. He'd be pleased to see himself and his estimable prowess honored in so many truly grand locations!
Q: I'm still looking for a way to pull this together. Can you tie it up neatly?
A: As I mentioned before, these gods, who have been called by many names at different times and places, are all associated with fire or light, which typically has a metaphoric association with knowledge or illuminating wisdom, including all areas of science and technology which were magical arts. Like Sophia, the enlightening god of Gnosticism, Hermes is an androgyne…in fact, there is so much overlap between the two movements that we might as well consider them inseparable. Today, Gnosticism gets all the attention, but leaving out Hermeticism is like throwing away half of the puzzle pieces. One Hermes or another appears at various crossroads of ancient history, for example at the dawn of the high Egyptian Civilization. Much like the mysterious brain-boosting Black Slab in Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001 , these figures always herald a new era of awareness and technological advancement. They also seem to have a particular interest in intervening in the fortunes of men… Amongst such, we certainly must include the Angel of Light who morphed into the Serpent of Genesis. Moses is credited with writing Genesis…and as a prince of Egypt , he would have certainly been an adept of the Hermetic mystery schools of his day… The Serpent offered unauthorized knowledge to Eve, and the result may represent a biblical judgment on the Hermetic tradition as a whole… After all, knowledge often comes at a price. Adam and Eve appear to have found that out. Most people today would probably agree that we'd be better off knowing nothing of atomic bombs, or even those hollow snacks we eat out of cellophane wrappers.
Q: Wait a minute. Let's back up. Are you trying to tell me that Leonardo was a Devil worshipper?!
A: I have no reason to believe that he was. Being frustrated at religion's failings is not the same as rejecting God, although we all know people who have had bad experiences with religion and end up blaming God for the failings of man. Devil worshippers, such as some modern Satanists, admire evil. Hermeticists, on the other hand, revere a bringer of knowledge and try to discover hidden wisdom. They seek to prosper and make things generally better while perfecting themselves in the process by overcoming wickedness and ignorance. They often worship God as well, simply mixing in a bit of occultism with it and not seeing any contradiction. Leonardo was clearly spiritual but kept his deepest thoughts to himself. He was also whimsical and could enjoy being mischievous. It's hard to tell when that kind of genius is just having fun!… Hermeticisms today are heirs to many ancient initiatic cults and mysteries, but are often so low-profile or diluted that you might live your whole life associating with one without understanding anything about its origins or secret doctrines… To traditional Christians, they might appear naively deceived as were Adam and Eve. I'm forced to jump in and out of matters of faith here, but it's the patterns behind the whole story that I'm trying to get at in the most familiar terms at hand.
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