A journey from modern Iraq back into ancient wisdom and modern science

Last updated on: July 20, 2009 at 7:37 am by Lynn Hayes

A journey from modern Iraq back into ancient wisdom and modern science 2009-07-20T07:37:20-04:00 Lynn Hayes

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Astrologer Dave Mockaitis has a fascinating essay up on his blog connecting the Yezidi, a Kurdish people on the border of Syria and Iraq, back to the Picatrix, a collection of Arabic texts that was widely used by mages during the Renaissance period. He then draws connections back to the Sabians of Harran, adding a layer of interest to my post last week on the Sabian Symbols,

He then goes back to Hermes Trismegistus, a fascinating quasi-mythological figure who appears to combine the Greek Hermes with the Egyptian Thoth, leading many (including myself) to postulate that perhaps those two were actually the same being – perhaps an Atlantean survivor who served as the messenger of ancient wisdom (Hermes and Thoth are both gods of knowledge and magic). The saying “as above, so below” is attributed to Hermes Trismegistus – the Thrice Great.

From Dave’s article:

The dictum “as above, so below” describes the connection between the core level of reality experienced by humans and the movements of the heavenly bodies. In contemporary astrology, it is generally thought that planetary phenomena cause or are reflected in events on Earth. However, the magical tradition takes this concept one step further by harnessing or cocreating with the planetary phenomena. Many hermeticists feel that these acts even comprise a spiritual practice because by working with the planets, they come closer to “the one” (Warnock “Hermetic Gnosis).

This ancient magical practice of working with the energy of the planets in an alchemical process rather than in a relationship where a dependency on one’s fate is created. Dave concludes,

Approaching the planets as forces which can be worked with and embodied, the mage is in a position of active engagement with the solar system, rather than merely reporting on what is likely to transpire. The Yezidi are proof, then, that alternative astrologies are alive if not doing terribly well. As the descendants of a group with a materialist approach to the cosmos, the Yezidi may be the closest living link to the prehistoric Mesopotamian roots of astrology.

I would argue that the Yezidis are not the only culture with links to an astrology that uses this alchemical process; this is the very basis of my own client work as many of you know. The magic in the process of our interaction with our reality each day to create a different experience is no longer relegated to the laboratories of ancient alchemists – modern scientists are each day discovering the magic of the conscious universe!

Previous Post

July 18, 2009

Total eclipse of the Sun, July 21-22 2009

Next Post

July 21, 2009 Solar eclipse pits superstition against transformation

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Age of Aquarius Astrology Astrology in my world Astrology in the news Astronomy Business Celebrities Consciousness Conspiracy Crime Death Ecology Events Fate Favorite posts Featured posts Financial Markets Future Shock Generations Health & Healing Holidays Inspiration Jupiter in Leo Lessons Life Lynn's favorite posts Mercury retrograde Miscellany Money and markets Moon Mysteries People Planetary cycles Planets Podcast Politics Popular Culture Predictions Psychology Relationships Religion Saturn in Scorpio Saturn Return Science Signs Skywatch Sports Sun Sun signs Technology Uncategorized Uranus square Pluto Wonders of the universe

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 August 2000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Old Testament prophet was taken to heaven in a whirlwind?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elisha Isaiah Elijah Jeremiah