Tag Archives: hermeticism

The Occult Philosophy in Elizabethan England

Posted on August 28, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

Dame Frances Yates’ work is a study of Christian cabalism as it was understood in Elizabethan England.  She argues that “occult” philosophy was the dominant philosophy and sees Cabala as “supposed esoteric tradition passed down from Moses through the ages. … Continue reading →

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The Hermetic Tradition: Review and Principles

Posted on April 15, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

Evola, Julius. The Hermetic Tradition. Short of it: the first half was quite good, but the second half was either incoherent or just plain wrong. Julius Evola correctly notes that the ancient teaching of alchemy wasn’t simply about transmuting metals. It … Continue reading →

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The Art of Memory

Posted on April 7, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

Yates, Frances. The Art of Memory. Dame France Yates’ treatise starts off innocently enough: “Orderly arrangement is essential for good memory” (Yates 17). So the ancients thought. The ars memoria by itself is neutral. Yates advances the thesis that Renaissance thinkers … Continue reading →

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