For now I've 'armed myself' with three books.
/ I've read only 'The Hermetica' so far /.
The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs.
The Hermetica is the first easily accessible translation of the forgotten Egyptian classic that inspired some of the world's greatest artists, scientists, and philosophers, including Blake, Newton, Raleigh, Milton, Shelley, Shakespeare, Botticelli, Kepler, da Vinci, and Jung.
Influencing the Egyptians, Greeks, and much of Western thought, this work is credited to Hermes, an ancient Egyptian sage who lived around 3000 B.C. and so revered that he was granted the title 'Trismegistus' meaning: 'Thrice-great.'
Providing a fascinating mystical introduction to the philosophy of ancient Egypt that has influenced and shaped our world for five millennia, The Hermetica is a book for anyone interested in this lasting civilization or in the knowledge of sacred traditions.
Blog author's comment: After reading this book, I can confirm that in this book one can find Ancient Egyptian and Acient Greek influences and foundations of the Philosophy of both Western and Eastern / both Far East and Middle East / cultures ... foundations and influences that affected beliefs / including Christianity /, thoughts, sciences and arts too ... of both West and East / mostly the West /, that shaped the world and it's civilizations. Acient Eastern thoughts are also included in this book, as they were part of the Library of Alexandria. It's a source to which one can 'return', to understand beter why the modern world is as it is now.
See also, if You wish:
> [ Studying the Nature of Time & Understanding the Mind of the God ].
Corpus Hermeticum.
The Corpus Hermeticum is a collection of 17 Greek writings whose authorship is traditionally attributed to the legendary Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth.
The treatises were originally written between c. 100 and c. 300 CE, but the collection as known today was first compiled by medieval Byzantine editors. It was translated into Latin in the 15th century by the Italian humanist scholars Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) and Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447–1500).
The Kybalion.
Many wise authorities say that this book is source of confusion and errors in logic, so caution is advised when reading, and are annoyed by a mere mention of this book's title. Others say that Corpus Hermeticum and the Kybalion are different things, that complement each other.
Bought this 'just in case', perhaps it's a way to escape classic Hermeticism if it turns out to be 'a trap'. ;)
Also:
'The Kybalion serves as an introduction to so-called Hermetic philosophy to many. However, after more study, it is clear that The Kybalion is not a book about Hermetic philosophy at all. It was published in the early 20th century and preaches a philosophy closer to that of the New Thought movement.
What is New Thought?
The New Thought movement originated in 19th century America, and was originally known by many other names, such as Christian Science and Mental Science. It is a popularized form of self-help psychology, relying on principles such as mind-over-matter and the law of attraction. These principles should be very familiar to readers of the Kybalion, where they are presented as 'mental transmutation.' In fact, if you look at the principles espoused by the Kybalion in the context of New Thought philosophy, it is clear that many of its ideas originated there.
Further Reading.
I was advised, by someone who is much into Hermeticism, two more books:
1. Hermetica II: The Excerpts of Stobaeus, Papyrus Fragments, and Ancient Testimonies in an English Translation with Notes and Introduction, translated by M. David Litwa.
2. Asclepius. The Perfect Discourse Of Hermes Trismegistus, translated By Clement Salaman.
/ pl: Asclepius po polsku to Asklepios (czyt. asklepios), w mitologii greckiej bóg sztuki lekarskiej (medycyny) i syn Apollina. Często utożsamiany jest z rzymskim odpowiednikiem, którym jest Eskulap. /
Also, feel free to look: [ The Best Books on Hermeticism ].
