On the other hand, sometimes the author will explain one statement through an example, but then give an ‘easier’ example. Some paragraphs feel like the author is trying to fill the word count, with one whole page of the book being dedicated to explaining why they are using the word ‘feminine’ rather than ‘negative’ – when relating to the opposite polarities of life – and this message could have easily been conveyed in two sentences. having to read the same sentence over and over to understand it) or it can be overly patronising.
There really seems to be no intention of non-Hermetics reading this, and so my brain almost responded with ‘ok then I won’t read it, screw you Three Initiates.’ The writing style is interestingly contradicting, as sometimes it can be really boggly (ie. ‘If you are a true student, you will be able to work out and apply these principles- if not, then you must develop yourself into one.’ (p5) However, this book seems to assume that I am already a student of Hermeticism, and that made me feel a bit alienated from the subject matter: And really, that basic knowledge was all I wanted! The middle chapters were useful in that there were a few axioms where I was a bit ‘eh…?’ in how I understood them, and explaining each axiom per chapter gave me a way to settle into each one without it being overwhelming. The book follows a three part structure: firstly, laying out the ‘rules’ in a bitesize format then following this with clearly marked chapters expanding on each rule then a conclusion, which sums up some key axioms and leaves the reader with at least basic knowledge of hermeticism. This is quite refreshing to someone who thinks they are reading an academic text, and really handy for beginners that just want to know what Hermetic philosophy is. It clearly states what the ‘axioms’ (or rules) are in Hermetic philosophy, and even lists them as headers.
Nevertheless, I finished it, contemplated it, and wrote this review. Not that it wasn’t interesting, but it was difficult to bring myself to read something so academic when I had other fiction books to occupy my time. However, it took me forever to get around to reading it, and even longer to get around to finishing it. Actual gif of me sorting out my bookcase, circa 2020
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