TL;DR
- Hermeticism attracted an extraordinary range of figures across 2,000+ years, from legendary Hermes Trismegistus to Carl Jung.
- Key Islamic scholars like Jābir ibn Hayyān and al-Būnī preserved and expanded Hermetic alchemy and astral magic.
- Renaissance giants like Ficino, Pico, and Bruno revived Hermeticism, viewing it as ancient divine wisdom.
- Even scientific revolutionaries like Newton and Paracelsus were deeply influenced by Hermetic principles.
- Modern occultists from Éliphas Lévi to Aleister Crowley rebuilt Western esotericism on Hermetic foundations.
The Legendary Foundation#
Hermes Trismegistus (legendary): A syncretic Greco-Egyptian sage (combining the gods Hermes and Thoth) to whom the Hermetica writings are attributed. Revered as the father of Hermetic wisdom, he was said to have mastered alchemy, astrology, and magic. Renaissance scholars (like Ficino and Pico) believed Hermes Trismegistus was an ancient prophet of divine wisdom, and the very term “Hermeticism” stems from this mythical figure’s name. His famed Emerald Tablet espouses the core Hermetic maxim “as above, so below,” reflecting a worldview of cosmic correspondences between the divine and the earthly realms.
Zosimos of Panopolis (fl. 3rd century CE): An Egyptian Greek alchemist and Gnostic mystic, often considered the earliest known author on alchemy. He wrote extensively on chemical procedures and visionary allegories – calling alchemy “Cheirokmeta” (things made by hand) – and infused his work with spiritual Hermetic themes. Zosimos described alchemy as both a material and inner purification process; he drew on Hermetic imagery such as the krater (mixing bowl of the divine mind) in his visions, interpreting the transmutation of metals as analogous to the soul’s ascent and redemption. His writings heavily influenced later Arabic alchemists and kept alive the Hermetic idea that alchemy was a sacred science of transformation.
Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber) (8th century, attributed): The legendary Persian-Arab alchemist and polymath credited with hundreds of treatises that greatly shaped alchemical theory in the Islamic Golden Age. Though his historical existence is debated, the corpus under his name introduced systematic experimentation and ciphers in alchemy, earning him the title “father of chemistry.” Jābir’s works show the influence of Hermetic and Hellenistic ideas – notably, an Arabic translation of Hermes’s Emerald Tablet is credited to Jabir. He embraced the Hermetic view of the unity between cosmic and terrestrial forces (e.g. the balance of the four elements and qualities), and through Latin translations, “Geber” became a revered authority for medieval European alchemists.
Abu Ma’shar al-Balkhi (Albumasar) (787–886): A Persian astrologer and philosopher whose writings transmitted Hermetic cosmology to the medieval West. His authoritative work Introductorium in Astronomiam (Great Introduction to Astrology) drew on Greek and Harranian Hermetic star-lore and linked celestial movements to earthly events. Abu Ma’shar helped cement the Hermetic notion that the stars and planets are ensouled and influence human fate – an idea that became central in Renaissance astrological magic. His astrological texts were translated into Latin and influenced scholars like Albertus Magnus and Pico della Mirandola, bridging ancient Hermetic astrology with European thought.
Muhammad ibn Umayl (Senior Zadith) (c.900–960): A Muslim alchemist from Egypt who wrote influential allegorical alchemical treatises. Ibn Umayl’s best-known work “The Silvery Water and the Starry Earth” presents symbolic visions and dialogues on the alchemical opus. He advocated an esoteric, contemplative approach to alchemy, comparing the alchemical furnace to Egyptian temples and the work to spiritual refinement. Citing earlier sages like Hermes and Zosimos, Ibn Umayl carried forward the Hermetic idea of alchemy as a spiritual art: liberating the divine spirit from matter. His writings and Latin nickname “Senior” were later known to European alchemists, transmitting Hermetic-alchemical symbolism (e.g. the “Green Lion,” philosophical Mercury, etc.) into Western alchemical lore.
Maslama al-Qurṭubī (Pseudo-Majrīṭī) (d. 964): An Andalusian astrologer-alchemist reputed to be the author of the Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm, better known as the Picatrix. This 400-page handbook of astral magic compiles Hermetic, Sabian, and Neoplatonic ideas circulating in ninth-century Baghdad. It instructs on talismans, planetary rituals, and the invocation of spirits, epitomizing the Hermetic belief in drawing down celestial forces for earthly effects. The Picatrix (attributed to “Maslama of Cordoba”) became highly influential in late medieval and Renaissance magic after its Latin translation. It is steeped in Hermetic philosophy – explicitly citing Hermes Trismegistus – and was considered as indispensable to Renaissance esotericists as the Corpus Hermeticum itself.
Aḥmad al-Būnī (d. 1225): A North African Sufi mystic, mathematician, and occult scholar from Tunisia (or Algeria) famed for authoring Shams al-Ma’ārif al-Kubrā (“The Sun of Gnosis”). This comprehensive grimoire on theurgy and talismanic magic remains one of the foremost texts of Islamic esoteric lore. Al-Būnī’s work systematized the Hermetic correspondences between letters, numbers, and cosmic forces – teaching how to draw down angelic powers via sacred names, magic squares, and astrology. Blending Qur’anic mysticism with Hermetic-Neoplatonic concepts, he embodied the crossover of Hermeticism into the Islamic world. His techniques (e.g. invoking planetary spirits through Arabic letters) influenced later occult orders and show the global reach of Hermetic ideas on talismanic magic and the “science of letters.”
Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499): An Italian Renaissance philosopher, priest, and humanist who was instrumental in reviving Hermeticism in the West. Under the patronage of Cosimo de’ Medici, Ficino translated the Corpus Hermeticum into Latin (published 1471), believing these Greek-Egyptian treatises contained primordial divine wisdom. He led Florence’s Platonic Academy and merged Hermetic philosophy with Neoplatonism and Christian thought. Ficino viewed Hermes Trismegistus as a sage in the lineage of ancient theology and embraced practices like astrological magic and talismanic music, aiming to draw cosmic spirit into the soul. By disseminating Hermetic texts and concepts (e.g. the harmony of the universe, anima mundi), Ficino laid the groundwork for “Renaissance Hermeticism” and deeply influenced contemporary scholars, physicians, and artists.
Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447–1500): An Italian poet, courtier, and Hermetic philosopher of the early Renaissance. A devoted student of Hermeticism, Lazzarelli befriended the itinerant magus Giovanni “Mercurio” da Correggio and regarded him as a living embodiment of Hermetic wisdom. Lazzarelli himself translated portions of the Corpus Hermeticum and wrote the Crater Hermetis, a dialogue extolling spiritual rebirth through Hermetic teachings. In his writings, he synthesized Christian mysticism with Hermetic-Egyptian theology, seeing no conflict between Hermes Trismegistus and Christ. Though not as famous as Ficino, Lazzarelli is notable for fully embracing a Hermetic identity – he considered Hermetic magic and allegory as paths to divine truth and helped transmit that current to the Italian courts of his day.
Giovanni (Mercurio) da Correggio (c.1451 – fl. 1480s): An Italian itinerant preacher and alchemist who dramatically presented himself as a Hermetic magus. Giovanni earned the nickname “Mercurio” after staging a public procession in 1484 where he, dressed as a winged Mercury, proclaimed revelations in the name of Hermes Trismegistus. He claimed to have been mystically “regenerated” by Hermes and preached a message of spiritual renewal through Hermetic and apocalyptic imagery. Though viewed by some contemporaries as a charlatan, da Correggio inspired scholars like Lazzarelli with his living example of a Hermetic adept. His life blurs legend and history, but he illustrates the Renaissance fascination with experiential Hermeticism – alchemy, miracle-working, and prophecy – all rooted in the authority of Hermes Trismegistus.
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494): An Italian Renaissance philosopher famed for his learning and syncretism. Pico championed the notion of a prisca theologia, an ancient prisca (pure) wisdom threading through various traditions. In his seminal 900 Theses (1486) and Oration on the Dignity of Man, Pico drew on Kabbalah, Christian theology, and Hermetic writings alike. He cited Hermes Trismegistus (alongside Plato and Moses) as divinely inspired, believing Hermetic texts corroborated biblical truths in symbolic form. Although the authenticity of the Hermetica was later questioned, Pico’s embrace of Hermeticism helped elevate it within learned circles. By asserting that Hermetic (and Cabalistic) lore could deepen Christian understanding, he became a key figure who legitimized occult and Hermetic studies in the Renaissance, influencing figures from Johannes Reuchlin to Gottfried Leibniz.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535): A German polymath, soldier, and occult writer renowned for his Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533). Agrippa’s encyclopedic work systematized Renaissance magic and drew heavily on Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and Kabbalistic sources. He presented the cosmos as a triplex world (elemental, celestial, intellectual) filled with sympathies – a very Hermetic concept – and taught that the trained magus could harness these correspondences through talismans, invocations, and alchemy. While a devout Christian, Agrippa praised Hermes Trismegistus and the “Egyptian” wisdom as prisms of God’s truth. His writings (though later placed on the Index of forbidden books) spread Hermetic-occult philosophy across Europe, influencing occult enthusiasts and even scientists (his works were owned by John Dee and Giordano Bruno, among others). Agrippa epitomizes the Renaissance man who was at once scholar, magician, and theorist of the Hermetic arts.
Paracelsus (Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim) (1493–1541): A Swiss physician, alchemist, and natural philosopher who pioneered a chemically based medicine influenced by Hermetic principles. Paracelsus rejected classical authorities in favor of knowledge from nature and revelation. He often cited the Emerald Tablet and Hermetic axioms in his writings, asserting that “as above, so below” applies to the harmony between the macrocosm (universe) and microcosm (man). In Paracelsus’s view, diseases had spiritual causes and cures, and he introduced the idea of inner alchemy – using mineral remedies and astral influences to heal the body and spirit. He called his approach “Spagyria” (alchemy applied to medicine) and credited Hermes for insights into the unity of chemical and divine laws. Paracelsus’s maverick blend of empiricism, Christianity, and Hermetic-occult thinking revolutionized medicine and carried Hermetic alchemical ideas well into the scientific age.
John Dee (1527–1608): An English mathematician, astronomer, navigator, and occult philosopher, often considered the quintessential “Renaissance magus.” Dee was Queen Elizabeth I’s scientific advisor, but he also devoted himself to Hermetic and esoteric studies. He amassed one of England’s largest libraries of occult books (including the Hermetica) and sought to communicate with angelic intelligences to glean divine truths. His treatise Monas Hieroglyphica (1564) is a cryptic Hermetic emblem uniting astrology, alchemy, mathematics and Cabala – aiming to express the unity of creation through a single symbol. In line with Hermetic tradition, Dee believed in the interconnection of the cosmos: he wrote of using talismans, scrying crystals, and Enochian “angelic” language to restore Adam’s ancient knowledge. Remembered both for science (he helped develop navigation) and sorcery, Dee personifies the era’s convergence of Hermetic mysticism and early science.
Giordano Bruno (1548–1600): An Italian Dominican friar-turned-philosopher, who is famed for his cosmological theories and Hermetic magic. Bruno embraced Copernican astronomy and went further – envisioning an infinite universe filled with worlds – a bold idea he linked to Hermetic sun-worship and Egyptian mysticism. Deeply influenced by the Hermetic corpus and the ideas of Hermes Trismegistus, Bruno regarded Hermes as a wise pagan prophet who foresaw Christian truths. He promoted prisca theologia (the doctrine of a single ancient theology), proposing that Egyptian Hermetic religion (the veneration of the sun as God’s emblem) was an ideal, pure religion. Bruno also wrote elaborately on the art of memory, employing Hermetic images and astral magic techniques to train the mind. His inflammatory blending of magic, Hermetic pantheism (seeing God in all of nature), and criticism of Catholic dogma led to his execution for heresy. Today Bruno is seen as a martyr for free thought – and as a key figure who carried Renaissance Hermeticism into bold new philosophical (and cosmic) territory.
Jakob Böhme (1575–1624): A German shoemaker and Christian mystic whose visionary writings show a fusion of Hermetic-alchemical ideas with Protestant theology. Böhme experienced an illumination in 1600 that sparked his prolific works on the structure of God and nature (e.g. Aurora and Mysterium Magnum). Although devoutly Christian, he was inspired by alchemical concepts from Paracelsus – such as the three primal principles (salt, sulfur, mercury) – using them to explain the emanation of the Trinity and the struggle of opposites (light and darkness) in creation. Böhme described the cosmos as a series of chemical or spiritual processes, wherein the soul must transmute through suffering to return to God (an inward “philosopher’s stone”). His terminology and symbolic logic are strongly Hermetic: for example, he speaks of Sophia (divine wisdom) and the signatures God inscribed in nature, much like Hermetic correspondences. Böhme’s works, though condemned by orthodox Lutherans, later influenced German Romanticism, theosophy, and even Carl Jung’s depth psychology – carrying forward the Hermetic view that inner spiritual transformation mirrors the secret processes of nature.
Robert Fludd (1574–1637): An English physician, Rosicrucian apologist, and mystical cosmologist. Fludd authored numerous illustrated treatises presenting a comprehensive Hermetic-Kabbalistic worldview. He famously diagrammed the macrocosm–microcosm relationship – showing man as a miniature universe – and espoused the Hermetic idea that all creation emerges from the divine One and interconnects through sympathetic forces. In defending the (then-new) Rosicrucian movement, Fludd argued for an unbroken lineage of occult wisdom from Hermes Trismegistus through the Rosicrucian brethren. He sparred with Kepler in print, championing a more magical, qualitative view of the cosmos against Kepler’s geometric astronomy. Fludd’s works are replete with alchemical symbolism, musical analogies, and mystical engravings of the world-soul – aiming to unify medicine, music, alchemy, astrology, and theology into a Hermetic synthesis. Though at times criticized by Enlightenment peers, Fludd became a touchstone for later occultists, and his lavish engravings remain iconic representations of Renaissance Hermetic cosmology.
“Christian Rosenkreuz” (legendary, purported life 1378–1484): The mythic founder of the Rosicrucian Order, a Hermetic-Christian secret society that came to light in the early 17th century. According to the Rosicrucian manifestos (Fama Fraternitatis 1614, etc.), Christian Rosenkreuz was a German noble who traveled to the Middle East, learning occult wisdom from sages in Arabia and Fez. He is said to have “discovered and learned various forms of esoteric wisdom” on these journeys – including alchemy, Cabala and magic – and upon returning to Europe, founded a brotherhood to preserve this hidden knowledge for the healing of the world. Rosicrucian texts portray him as a humble Christian mystic as well as a Hermetic adept who lived to 106 and was entombed with symbolic treasures (a Hermetic as above, so below vault). Whether or not Rosenkreuz was real (most likely an allegory), his legend synthesized themes of Hermeticism, alchemy, and Christian eschatology, inspiring occult enthusiasts (and literature like Goethe’s Faust) for centuries. The very Rosicrucian movement is an offshoot of Renaissance Hermeticism, claiming Hermes’s ancient wisdom survives in its secret teachings.
Isaac Newton (1643–1727): An English natural philosopher celebrated for founding classical physics – yet Newton was also a dedicated student of alchemy and Hermetic theology in private. He spent more time exploring alchemical texts and biblical prophecy than composing the Principia. Newton eagerly sought the prisca sapientia (ancient wisdom) behind nature’s laws and believed that Hermes Trismegistus and other ancients had glimpses of truth that later became fragmented. He conducted alchemical experiments (in search of the philosopher’s stone) and annotated Hermetic-alchemical works with his own theories of matter. Newton’s notebooks show him working through ciphered alchemical recipes and mystical chronologies of world history. He wrote treatises on Solomon’s Temple and the Apocalypse, convinced that decoding scripture and Hermetic symbols would reveal the divine architecture of the cosmos. In Newton’s synthesis, science, alchemy, and theology were not at odds – all were methods to grasp the single design of God. His engagement with Hermetic ideas demonstrates that even the father of modern science was, in many ways, a Hermetic seeker of hidden truths.
Éliphas Lévi (Alphonse-Louis Constant) (1810–1875): A French occultist and magus who played a pivotal role in the 19th-century occult revival. Lévi reinterpreted the old Western esoteric traditions (magic, Kabbalah, Hermeticism) for a new audience with works like Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (Transcendental Magic, 1854). He taught a blend of Hermetic-Kabbalistic doctrine, coining enduring concepts such as the astral light and the Tarot’s correspondences. Lévi portrayed Hermetic wisdom as the universal secret behind all religions – writing, for example, that beneath the rites of ancient temples, the symbols of alchemy, and the ceremonies of secret societies lies “a doctrine which is everywhere the same and everywhere carefully concealed”. He also popularized the image of Baphomet and the maxim “as above, so below” in magical practice. Lévi’s charismatic writing and synthesis of magic and mysticism profoundly influenced groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and figures such as Helena Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley. In essence, Lévi reasserted the Hermetic tradition in an age of positivism, insisting on the reality of hidden spiritual forces.
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891): A Russian occult philosopher and co-founder of the Theosophical Society, who integrated Hermeticism with Eastern mysticism. In works like Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888), Blavatsky gathered esoteric teachings from around the world into a grand synthesis she called the “Ageless Wisdom.” She explicitly identified this ancient wisdom-religion with Hermetic philosophy, calling it “the only possible key to the Absolute in science and theology”. Blavatsky taught that all religions stem from a common Hermetic truth and frequently referenced Hermetic-alchemical concepts (e.g. the unity of spirit and matter, reincarnation of a world-soul). She also helped popularize Hermetic maxims like “as above, so below” and the idea of Masters (enlightened adepts in the Himalayas akin to Hermetic sages guiding humanity). By Victorian times, Blavatsky’s wide-reaching influence had sparked a new wave of interest in Hermetic and occult subjects among artists, intellectuals, and spiritual seekers. Modern esoteric movements (Theosophy, Anthroposophy, New Age thought) all owe a debt to her revival of Hermetic perennialism – the notion of one esoteric truth behind all exoteric faiths.
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939): An Irish poet and dramatist, Nobel Laureate, who drew significant inspiration from Hermetic and occult traditions. Yeats was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (joining in 1890) and was deeply involved in magical and mystical practices throughout his life. He studied astrology, Cabala, tarot, and alchemy as means to access the imagination and “evoke” hidden truths. Yeats even founded an esoteric order of his own (the Celtic Mystical Order) and experimented with automatic writing and spirit communication (as recounted in A Vision, 1925). Hermetic ideas – such as cyclical history, the transmigration of souls, and symbolic correspondences – permeate Yeats’s poetry in subtle ways. He believed, for example, in a vast cosmic system (cycles of gyres) governing history, akin to Hermetic astrological ages. As he himself admitted, “the mystical life is the center of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write”. Yeats demonstrates that Hermeticism appealed not only to scientists and mystics, but also profoundly influenced art and literature in the modern era. His creative genius was fueled by the “Hermetic imagination,” bridging the worlds of folklore, magic, and poetic symbolism.
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947): An English occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer who styled himself “The Great Beast 666.” Crowley was originally trained in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and later developed his own esoteric philosophy Thelema. He fully absorbed the Hermetic Kabbalah of the Golden Dawn, incorporating its angelic hierarchies, tarot symbolism, and Enochian magic into his practices. In 1904, Crowley claimed to receive The Book of the Law via a spirit named Aiwass – this text became the cornerstone of Thelema, which shares Hermetic principles like “Every man and woman is a star” (the divinity of the individual) and the pursuit of personal True Will (reminiscent of Hermetic theurgy for union with the divine). Crowley’s numerous writings (from 777 to Magick in Theory and Practice) mix astrology, alchemy, Eastern yoga, and Egyptian gods – reflecting a frankly Hermetic eclecticism. He led occult orders (A∴A∴ and O.T.O.) that carried forward Golden Dawn and Rosicrucian teachings. Though scandalous in his lifetime, Crowley’s revival of practical Hermetic magic and his role in shaping modern occult subculture earned him a lasting influence; he has been dubbed “the last of the great Hermetic magi” for his efforts to live and teach the Hermetic arts in the 20th century.
Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961): A Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, whose work showed a deep engagement with Hermetic-alchemical symbolism. Jung’s psychological theories of archetypes, the collective unconscious, and individuation were profoundly informed by his study of Gnostic and Hermetic texts. He read the Corpus Hermeticum and extensively analyzed alchemical manuscripts – seeing in them a symbolic code for processes of psychological transformation. In Psychology and Alchemy (1944), Jung argued that alchemical symbols (the furnace, the king and queen, the philosophers’ stone, etc.) are archetypes of the psyche’s individuation process. He famously interpreted the alchemist’s quest to transmute lead into gold as analogous to the self integrating the shadow and achieving wholeness. Jung even drew parallels between his concept of the Self and the Hermetic notion of Mercurius as a unified spirit underlying opposites. In his later work Mysterium Coniunctionis, he delved into the coniunctio (sacred union) of male and female principles in alchemy, relating it to psychological integration. By bringing alchemical-Hermetic ideas into the realm of modern psychology, Jung gave them new life and respectability – interpreting Hermetic allegories as timeless truths about the human mind and its spiritual growth. He exemplifies how Hermeticism has influenced not only mystics and artists but also the evolution of depth psychology in the modern age.
The Enduring Appeal#
From ancient Alexandria to the 20th century, Hermeticism’s appeal has cut across eras and disciplines, attracting an extraordinary gallery of thinkers – mythical sages, philosophers, theologians, natural scientists, physicians, poets, and magicians. Whether explicitly studying the Hermetic texts or echoing their ideas, these figures were united by a fascination with the esoteric underpinnings of reality: the conviction that there is a hidden divine knowledge (prisca sapientia) that reconciles science, religion, and art.
Hermeticism’s influence can be seen in the mystical philosophies of antiquity, the flowering of Renaissance magic, the scientific revolution’s twilight alchemists, and even the psychology of the unconscious. Each person above, in their own context, carried the torch of Hermetic thought, ensuring that the “ancient wisdom of Hermes” – the unity of cosmos, the divinity of nature, and the potential for human spiritual transformation – remained a driving undercurrent in Western intellectual and spiritual history.
FAQ#
Q 1. Who was the most influential Hermetic figure in history?
A. Marsilio Ficino stands out for translating the Corpus Hermeticum into Latin (1471), making Hermetic texts accessible to Renaissance Europe and sparking centuries of renewed interest in ancient Egyptian wisdom.
Q 2. Were there any famous scientists who believed in Hermeticism?
A. Yes, Isaac Newton spent more time on alchemy and Hermetic theology than physics, believing ancient sages like Hermes Trismegistus possessed fragments of divine truth about nature’s laws.
Q 3. How did Islamic scholars contribute to Hermetic tradition?
A. Figures like Jābir ibn Hayyān preserved and expanded Greek Hermetic texts, while al-Būnī systematized astral magic and Al-Qurṭubī compiled the influential Picatrix handbook of celestial magic.
Q 4. What role did Hermeticism play in the Renaissance?
A. Renaissance thinkers like Pico della Mirandola and Giordano Bruno viewed Hermeticism as prisca theologia – ancient divine wisdom that could enhance Christian understanding and unlock nature’s secrets.
Q 5. Is there a connection between Hermeticism and modern psychology?
A. Carl Jung extensively studied alchemical symbols as archetypes of psychological transformation, interpreting the quest for the philosopher’s stone as the psyche’s journey toward wholeness and individuation.
Sources#
- Yates, Frances A. Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition. University of Chicago Press, 1964.
- Ebeling, Florian. The Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus: Hermeticism from Ancient to Modern Times. Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press, 2007.
- Copenhaver, Brian P. Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation, with Notes and Introduction. Cambridge University Press, 1992.
- Fowden, Garth. The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind. Princeton University Press, 1993.
- Jung, Carl Gustav. Psychology and Alchemy. Translated by R.F.C. Hull. Princeton University Press, 1968.
- Hanegraaff, Wouter J. Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Culture. Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- Forshaw, Peter J. “The Early Alchemical Reception of John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica.” Ambix 52, no. 3 (2005): 247-269.
- Faivre, Antoine. Access to Western Esotericism. SUNY Press, 1994.
- Principe, Lawrence M. The Secrets of Alchemy. University of Chicago Press, 2013.
- Kahn, Didier. Alchimie et Paracelsisme en France à la fin de la Renaissance (1567-1625). Droz, 2007.