Frances Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition.Frances.1964
Reviewed by Karen Epps (Hist 5040 - Spring 2001) 

In its early stages, the S>R> came about through a
systematic change in intellectual outlook, rather than by a
increase in technical equipment. A movement of the "will"
is what originates an intellectual movement. A new area of
interest arises, followed with an excitement, and new
attitudes and discoveries follow. Behind the emerging of
modern science there was a new will towards the world, its
miracles, and mysterious workings and of the determination
to understand and control them. Where did this new
direction, movement originate? One answer to this
quiestion is suggested in this book by Francis
Yates---HERMES TRISMEGISTUS! With this mythological
Egyptian Sun priest in focus, she traces the core of
Hermetic thought and revival through 16th century Europe to
its ascent and influence in the Renaissance world to its
scandalous descent and demise in the 17th ,culminating into
the "will" of the mechanistic,scientific rational movement
that fostered the S.R.,pitting the Magus against the
Scientist. The ultimate Magus, according to Yates, was
Giordano Bruno, the heretic, burned at the stake in Venice,
Italy, in February, 1600. In this book Yates traces his
mystical influence and transformation and uses his course
at the forefront of the European Hermetico-Platonic revival
tapestry. It all began with Hermes Trismegistus....All
of the great forward movements of the Renaissance had as
their impulse, looking backward--returning to the
classical, "golden ages" of civilization--of the pristine
truths and original knowledges even before the revered
Plato. It is within this realm that the Corpus Hermeticum
and the Asclepius were "rediscovered". Most of the
veneration of these documents was founded in their
erroneous dating of antiquity, for the NeoPlatonists
believed, due to the discussions and translations of
Lactantius (3rd century) and Augustine (4th century), that
the ancient Egyptian world and its Priest, Hermes
Trismegistus, described in these Greek texts was real--that
he was a contemporary of Moses--even,perhaps, older--"the
first author of theology", succeeded by Orpheus,
Aglaophemus, Pythagoras, Philolaus, and ,finally, the
"Divine Plato". (In reality, the documents were written
probably in 2nd century Greece AFTER PLATO!) The
Aslepius describes the "ancient" Egyptian magical religion
and pagan civilizaiton where the priest, primarily
Trimegistus, were able to draw the powers of the stars and
celestial bodies into their idols and/or synonymous forms
to learn the secrets and knowledges of the divine and the
cosmos--even manipulate the powers of these spirits to
their will, thus equating Man to the same level with
God--the Divine himself It was a religion involving a
complicated synchronization of the material with the
ethereal in the way of talismans,
music,symbols,animals,plants,etc., to correspond with the
astrological vices and virtues and representations of the
stars and planets as a means to "draw" and contain these
powers. The Light-the Sun is the primaryGod"-the center of
this ancient Egyptian astrological universe. 
Lactantius regarded Trismegistus as an ancient forebearer
of the Gentile seers and prophets. He venerates the
Egyptian priest by stating that Trismegistus predicted the
coming of Christianity, because he spoke of the Son of God
and the "Word". Although he condemns the worshipping of
images, he credits Trismegistus with drawing only the
spiritus of the virtues-the good spirits-not of the demons.
Thus, Lactantius's interpretation paved the way for the
Renaissance Neoplatonist to be a Magus--and a Christian--at
the same time, greatly elevating Trismegistus and the
Egyptian religion's appeal Augustine's views on Hermes,
created a few problems, however. He condemns the magic as
consorting not with good, but demonic spirits. The sources
for the prophet's powers and predictions come from
devils-aare expressions of idolatry. However, Augustine
addresses how Hermes predicts the death of the Egyptian
religion, of the advent of a great Greek philosopher
(Plato),of a great theological/governmental turmoil and
corruption as propogated by the pedants (Aristotle,
Protestantism,war,etc.),and how this "true" religion would
ultimately revive in the world as an universal and unifying
portent. In these latter descriptions and predictions,
Augustine inadvertently validated the appeal of Hermes
Tristmegisus as the "proof" and "cure" to the Neroplatonist
for all the theological and philosophical ills they saw in
16th century Europe. Man must turn inward--mustduplicate
this animanistic universe to gain knowledge and solve its
problems. When Ficino was ordered to translate these
documents by Cosimo in Florence in 1492, which he entitled
the Pimander, he chose to ignore Augustine's
condemnation.,but emphasized his Platonist allusions. He
endorsed Lactantius's "Christian" venerations. He compares
the Egyptian description of the creation to Genesis in the
Bible. He deifies the Magus Man. He describes the
Egyptian's astrological magic in careful,pious forms. He
is cautious to describe this "astral magic" within a
Christian context, for he was afraid to anger the
Church--to wade too close to the Heretic's Shore. He
associates the magic with "natural"-never demonic-forces.He
only endorses the good and useful types of magic--through
the planetary instead of the stars (demons/decans)
influences. He offers Hermes as a verification of
Neoplatonism. Pico Della Mirandola was the next chapter
in the revival of the renaissance Magus. He was a
contemporary of Ficino's and greeted the Pimander and its
author's "natural magic" and reverence of the "ancient"
Trismegistus with enthusiasm, more forcibly and open than
Ficino's. Pico is important in the revival of Renaissance
magic as he added another kind-another element to Ficino's
natural magic (having to do with Nature)--He added
"practical" Caballa-a spiritual magic that attempted to tap
the higher spiritual powers of the
Cosmos--angels,archangels,the 10 Sephiroth, God
himself--not just planetary or astrological entities. 
Pico's addition was more "ambitious" than Ficino's-one
impossible to keep apart from religion as Ficino was so
careful to avoid. However, even with his addition
(Conclusiones Magicae) of signs,Cabbala numerology, the
secret names of God, and Hebrew cryptics, he still is
careful to condemn demonic magic...However, Pico was not
careful enough ad Pope Innocant VIII was boliged to
investigate the "heretical characters" of some of his
theses. His situation was precarious for several years
until yhe was "rescued" by the advent of a new pope,
Alexander VI, who was not averse to astrology or magic-in
fact, he was very interested in thse subjects. Magic was
cautiously beginning to come more out of the shadows . 
Both Pico and Ficino who orchestrated the Rennaisance
Magus, borrowed from St. Dionysius's vision of the 9
angelic hiearchies, although Ficino avoided such heighths. 
Dionysius's structure helped Ficino to collaborate
Neoplatonism with Christianity and hlped Pico to bridge
between Jewish Cabala and Christianity. Both, however,
avoided the appoaches of Cornelius Agrippa. Agrippa was
primarily intersted in the occult sciences, which, of
course, had to include both the good...and the bad
(demonic) dual natures of magic. Agrippa does not fear to
print the images of the 36 decan demons in the celestial
world. He,too, aspires to reach the hiearchies of angels
and God;therefore, he must pass through those spheres of
the decans--the Magus must learn to operate thses forces
also in this accomplishmnet. However, in this goal,
Agrippa's magic is still that of the Christian,although he
has taken Pico's religious magic and developed it into a
more dangerous and powerful magic with the use of demonic
influences. In Agrippa, we almost see the "ideal
Egyptian"--Hermes Trismegistus himself-It is from
Agrippa,that Giordano Bruno takes most of his material . 
It will be Bruno,however, that completes the transformation
of the REAL MAGUS. It was at this time the "discovery" of
Copernicus of the heliotropic cosmos---the Renaissance
neoplatonist and magician eagerly embraced the discovery as
astrological credence to their reverence of the
"Light"--the"Word"-the Sun as the center of the Universe. 
Certainly, the focus of the Sun was shared by none other
than the Sun Priest himself Hermes Trismegistus. This was
further proof of the value and significance of the prophet
and magic and the Egyptian religion as the true and only
One. Copeernicus's discovery was for many of the Magus a
sign that the revival of Trismegistus's magical religion
and unification of the World was soon to be realized. 
Such an opinion was held by Giordano Bruno--and as such the
chronology of the Hermetic Tradition and the "Real Magus"
ascends to its climax and ultimate denouement. GIordano
Bruno, or"the Nolan" as he arrogantly liked to call
himself, was a type of meglomaniacally inspired magician
and Renaissance philosopher. Neapolitan in origin, he
entered the Dominican convent in Naples (1563) only to get
into trouble for his heresy (1576) and fled the convent. 
He was afterward excommunicated by the Church. 
Thereafter,he began his "mission", his wandering throughout
Europe for the remainder o f his life before his
imprsonment and execution. In 1581 he was in Paris for the
first time. Here he gave public lectures (ex. 30 reading
on 30 divine attributes), and attracted the attention of
King Henry III. It is obvious early on that Bruno knows in
complete detail all the "Magus" work--Picco,Agrippa,Ficino,
etc. While in Paris this first time he publishes two books
on the art of memory that clearly revealed him as a
Magus,for his mnemotechs are not of the popular or
classical from (i.e.,memorizing a series of places in a
building, ordering images within the structure to revive
memory, as for an oration,for example)--Bruno's mnemotechs
were of a magical form--he is ascribing in his "building",
the talismans and seals of planets, the 36 decan/demons,
the archetypal images in the heavens--in short, much darker
and dangersous talisman/magic than of the Neoplatonic
Ficion or of the spriritual Pico--Bruno espouses Agrippa in
his audacities!Bruno attempts to "engrave" the
"Egyptian"experience in the self-containg within himself
the "divine powers". Indeed, he endorsed the Egyptian
religion as the only true "One"--as much better than
Christianity--as his religion,although he was not
completely "displeased" with Catholism. He accepted the
complex Corpus Hermetica as doctrine--he planned to emulate
the Asclepius--it was his mission to herald Hermes's
prediction of the "return of the original Egyptian Utopia",
and ,undoubtedly,saw himself as the new "Sun Priest"
Trismegistus Hermes. Therefore, he wrote and lectured
prodigiously from 1563 to his imprisonment in 1592 to creat
his "revolution" and spread his "magic". He places the Sun
as the Center of the Heavens and saw Copernicus as part of
the sign and signals that the Egyptian religion was to
revive as predicted by Hermes. He said that the universe
was finite--and there are other wolrds beside Earth--that
"links" to the devils/angels can impart the universe's
secret-that Man can be divine-that God is in all thing-that
all other governments,philosophies since Hermes were
fraudulent pedants!and usered destruction and chaos into
the world-not love and not the virtuous,haarmonic
attributes of the ancient Egypt-that the Christians
borrowed the Cross symbol from Hermes and the
Egyptians--that he did not believe in the Second person of
the Trinity--the SON- all of this made Bruno a very
dangersous (as well as pretentious and foolhardy)
philosopher and magician. Most of Renaissance Europe were
still suspicious and frightened by magic--any magic--Many
believed all magic as demonic-and they worried about such
individuals within their church and society. Bruno is
received well in France. He goes to England to expound his
new philosphy/religion. Here in 1583 he publishes Thirty
Seals, a mysterious book of 30 disgquisitions,accompanied
by diagrams, where he expands his magic mnemonics to form
the "religious personlaity" of the "good Magus".He changes
the three theological virtues 

from LOVE,FAITH,HOPE to ART,LOVE,MATHESIS,and MAGIC! In
1584,he presents the SPACCIO for publication, his religious
satire against Christian religions especially Protestantism
and where he calls for the return of Hermes and the ancient
religion--and for a complete reform of the heavens. He
goes back to France and discovers that he can no longer
count on any royal support.With Spanish assistance, Guise
has brought Henry to his knees;however, the indefatigable
Bruno's ouput corresponds to that in England. He
publishes,he debates as the Hermetic Magus on a mission. 
Surpisingly, Bruno makes a request here to be received back
into the Catholic Church, but not into his Order. It is
supposed that Bruno now saw the need for his Egyptian
Reformation to be conducted within a Chatholic
framework--he may have been warned of danger or some
"proof"for the Church that he was not a heretic--but most
important ,it appeared that the new King of France -Henry
IV had converted to the Church and Bruno (and much of
Europe) looked to this King as being the impetus of a
European unification. However, his Hermetic brashness and
antiAristotlism was enough to evidently cause him some
trouble so that in 1586, Bruno is back on the road
again--this time to Germany. At Wittenberg, Bruno is a
university professor. Bruno is delighted. He has nothing
but praise for the Lutheran university.It is here that some
say that Bruno founded a new sect under the name of
philosophy--that it would be called" Giordanist"and would
appeal directly to the German Lutherans. Many claim that
this is the Rosecrucian Society in Germany that "announced"
their secret organization a few years after Bruno's
execution. He leaves in regret from this university after
a Calvanist party gains the upperhand over the party that
favored him. FOr the next several years, he travels
around Germnay, publishes, and speaks his Magus message. 
His conviction becomes even stronger that his philosophy
was a religious message. His last book published was in
Zurich (1591) on yet another magical memory
system,incorporating more and more expanded central
"magical power-station", represented by 12 principles. 
Finally, Bruno makes the most serious mistake of all. He
accepts an invitation and returns to Italy. Bruno goes to
Venice where he has been invited to visit and impart
"secrets of memory" to one Zuan Mocenigo. It certainly
appears that Bruno had other reasons, rather than to tutor
thsi Venetian nobleman. Bruno now saw himself as a type of
Messiah for the true religion, truth, and philosophy. 
Bruno desired to return to Italy and work within this guise
and have the opportunity to be ready for this occasion
within the Catholic framework of the new King Henry IV--the
King of Navarre.\

Mocenigo became alarmed at the heretic things he heard
Bruno say and of the mysterious demon magic that he secured
and studied. Through Mocenigo's efforts, Bruno was placed
in the prisons of the Inquisition in Venice. At first,
Bruno denied or renouced the hertical evidence. But in
time h recanted his apologies and sentenced to death by
burning at the stake in 1600. The Renaissance Hermes
Trismeganistus was dead and the Hermeticum began to wane. 
However, the influence of the Magus fire lasted suprisingly
on through much of the 17th century right on up to the
modern science of Bacon, Descartes,Galileo,Kepler. 
Tommaso Campanella, who was himself a prisoner in the same
prison as Bruno,survived long enough to be released,where
he attempts what Bruno only talked about--he established a
revolt to establish the City of the Sun as seen from
Bruno's mission(Calabria), but it was quickly squashed by
the Spanish monarchy. The mysterious Rosencrucian
SOciety announced its existance from Germany in
1614,alluding to their mystical founder who had traveled
the world and amassed great mysteris and knowledges of the
universe (often reported to be the Giordanists alluded to
by Bruno). Robert Fludd
--,Magus,Alchemist,Caballist--enthusiastically endorsed the
new society. As late as 1623, Mersenne whose mission was
to condemn all magic, waged many public and published
debates with this Magus-as did Kepler, who ultimately ended
the debates with the news that the CORPUS HERMETICA had
been dated to the 2nd or 3rd century Greece--Trismegistus
was fiction-that the Egyptian Utopia was a farce (by Issac
Casaubon in 1614). With this discovery, the Magus quickly
gave way to the new "will"--the scientist--the heralds of
the Scientific Revolution--the advent into the mechanistic
from the animistic world. The Mathematician replaced the
Magus,but even these were initially influenced by the
Hermeticum,such as Descartes,Galileo,and Newton. There are
Magus influences even in Bacon's publication of the
"Scientist's Utopia" in NEW ATLANTIS. Thus, Yates
believes that the Scientific Revolution can be viewed as in
2 phases: the first consisted of an animistic universe
operated by magic; the second consisted of a mathematical
universe operated by mechanics. Her lament seems to be
that this bad start of the problem has never been made up. 
Man has learned more and more about the external world.
"About his own mind,why he can reflect nature in it and
deal with nature in it in this amazing way,he has made much
less progress".A very long and often complicated text but
worth it!