History Main / HermeticMagic

See InstantRunes, MagicIsMental, and FantasticScience. Compare RitualMagic.

* Hermeticism is one of the main traditions of magic in ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', which affects how the character has learned magic, his philosophical outlook towards magic, and how he performs rituals and spirit contracts. Hermetic mages are opposed to shamans, with the two having a TechnicianVersusPerformer sort of relationship towards magic (Hermeticism, with its focus on magic as science, research and secular learning, is the technician). Of course, when you're out on the street throwing spells on the fly, the only difference between a hermetic mage and a shaman is one different ability used to [[PowerAtAPrice resist Drain]].

* Magic in ''Literature/LoyalEnemies'' can do almost anything, from fireballs to creating a full-blown castle in an instant, but most of the complex things require hours upon hours of meticulous planning. Veres sums it up once:
-->''Oh, it ''(casting a castle out if thin air)'' took them maybe two minutes... And two years of theoretical calculations.''

* The Franchise/TalesSeries is full of them especially ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''

'''Hermeticism''' is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition,]] ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus,]] claimed to be the [[GodInHumanForm human incarnation]] of both the Egyptian God Thoth and the Greek God Hermes, a Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. One of the oldest, most continuous, and pervasive of Western magical traditions it also [[{{Irony}} widely influenced early scientific thought]] as late as such greats as devoted alchemist [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton Sir Isaac Newton]]. Alchemy in particular can be almost synomous with Hermetic traditions and depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent these as being the same as a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

* Some elements of ''Literature/HarryPotter'''s magic are hermetic. The most notable instance is probably the resurrection of Voldemort in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire Goblet of Fire]]''.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and ''LightNovel/FateZero'', the two Caster-class Servants: ''LightNovel/FateZero'' 's Caster has a magic book that allow him to summon small monsters without the ritual usually necessary (bigger monsters, like ''Chtulhu'' (yes, he summoned it too), still need a ritual), while ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' 's Caster is so good as a mage that she can spam spells that would require long rituals, like her trademark [[FrickingLaserBeams Rain of Light]] (a normal mage would need a magic circle, a ten-count aria and a full minute, or thirty seconds if the mage's very good, to cast a single beam of light, she needs a single word to fire thousands of them).

The origin of the phrase "As above, so below" the tradition makes ''extensive'' use of SympatheticMagic, often in more abstract ways. Thus it is heavily reliant on either visual/material symbolism or even [[MagicalIncantation spoken]] forms. Other important core elements are seeking to understand Astrology, Alchemy as previously mentioned, and [[FunctionalMagic Theurgy]]. For some of the more common imagery check out a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider-Waite_tarot_deck Rider-Waite]] set of Tarot cards. This makes Hermetcism often a long drawn out affair with lots of potentially flashy elements or in other words a very rich source of mystical imagery with at least some grounding in real beliefs.

** Furthered when a zoom out reveals the entire city of Seyruun is built in the shape of a gigantic magic circle--made so in order to weaken any black magic used within the city's walls.

* The 'mindslave' spell Hekate uses in the Literature/WhateleyUniverse story "Christmas Elves". For that matter, humans with the time and inclination can learn and practice this style of magic without necessarily requiring innate superpowers in this universe; Wizard-class mutants just have a natural knack (and may, at higher levels, be able to work more comic-book style spontaneous magic as well).

[[folder:Real Life]]

* [[TruthInTelevision There are a number of groups still practicing Hermeticism]], despite many occultists going over to the less intense/time consuming Chaos Magic and Wicca-influenced stuff. Creator/AleisterCrowley, the Ordo Templi Orientis, and the Rosicrucians fall under this umbrella; two out of the three are still around, and the third was kind of just one guy, so you can excuse him for not living forever.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]

* TruthInTelevision: There are a number of groups still practicing Hermeticism, despite many occultists going over to the less intense/time consuming Chaos Magic and Wicca-influenced stuff. Creator/AleisterCrowley, the Ordo Templi Orientis, and the Rosicrucians fall under this umbrella; two out of the three are still around, and the third was kind of just one guy, so you can excuse him for not living forever.
[[/folder]]

* Alchemy in ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}!,'' though usually in a ''much'' different way than how ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' uses it.

* In ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' the symbols on Alucards glove, the [[http://www.levity.com/alchemy/rscroll.html recurring invocation to Hermes]], and a couple other points indicate is in use. This is never explained in any depth nor is any true user depicted explicitly.

These days, Hermetic magic is perhaps used/more likely found in anime than in Western works. Either to provide a comparatively exotic European flair to contrast with local mysticism... or just because [[FauxSymbolism it looks cool]]. While in the West magic is often whitewashed to just a basic spell and effect with maybe one line of chanting and a circle of candles. This may be because talking about magic in too much detail might incite the MoralGuardians to launch a WitchHunt accusing you of Satanism, or just because Western media is more likely to be live action. It being a pain in the butt to depict those fancy geometric designs when you can't just [[StockFootage recycle animation]] and not end up with ObviousCGI. That said, Hermeticism has been around long enough to influence almost every aspect of Western magic, or at least share it with others such as use of pentagrams.

'''Hermeticism''' is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition,]] ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus,]] claimed to be the [[GodInHumanForm human incarnation]] of both the Egyptian God Thoth and the Greek God Hermes, a Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. One of the oldest, most continuous, and pervasive of Western magical traditions it also [[{{Irony}} widely influenced early scientific thought]] as late as such greats as devoted alchemist [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton Sir Isaac Newton]]. Alchemy in particular can be almost synomous with Hermetic traditions and depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent as so being a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

'''Hermeticism''' is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition]], ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus Hermes Trismegistus]], claimed to be the [[GodInHumanForm human incarnation]] of both the Egyptian God Thoth and the Greek God Hermes, a Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. One of the oldest, most continuous, and pervasive of Western magical traditions it also [[{{Irony}} widely influenced early scientific thought]] as late as such greats as devoted alchemist [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton Sir Isaac Newton]]. Alchemy in particular can be almost synomous with Hermetic traditions and depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent as so being a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

Hermeticism is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition]], ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus "Hermes Trismegistus"]] (who was claimed to be the [[GodInHumanForm human incarnation]] of both the Egyptian God Thoth and the Greek God Hermes), the Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. One of the oldest, most continuous, and pervasive of Western magical traditions it also [[{{Irony}} widely influenced early scientific thought]] as late as such greats as devoted alchemist [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton Sir Isaac Newton]]. Alchemy in particular can be almost synomous with Hermetic traditions and depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent as so being a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

These days, Hermetic magic is perhaps used/more likely found in anime than in Western works. Either to provide a comparatively exotic European flair to contrast with local mysticism.. or just because [[FauxSymbolism it looks cool]]. While in the West magic is often whitewashed to just a basic spell and effect with maybe one line of chanting and a circle of candles. This may be because talking about magic in too much detail might incite the MoralGuardians to launch a WitchHunt accusing you of Satanism, or just because Western media is more likely to be live action. It being a pain in the butt to depict those fancy geometric designs when you can't just [[StockFootage recycle animation]] and not end up with ObviousCGI. That said, Hermeticism has been around long enough to influence almost every aspect of Western magic, or at least share it with others such as use of pentagrams.

* Creator/JohnBellairs's novels often featured Gnostic magic, with direct references to the Keys of Solomon in ''The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring''.

* Creator/MaryGentle's ''Rats and Gargoyles''.

Hermeticism is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition]], ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus "Hermes Trismegistus"]] (who was claimed to the [[GodInHumanForm human incarnation]] of both the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes), the Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. One of the oldest, most continuous, and pervasive of Western magical traditions it also [[{{Irony}} widely influenced early scientific thought]] as late as such greats as devoted alchemist [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton Sir Isaac Newton]]. Alchemy in particular can be almost synomous with Hermetic traditions and depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent as so being a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

These days, Hermetic magic is perhaps used more likely found in anime than in Western works. Either to provide a comparatively exotic European flair to contrast with local mysticism.. or just because [[FauxSymbolism it looks cool]]. While in the West magic is often whitewashed to just a basic spell and effect with maybe one line of chanting and a circle of candles. This may be because talking about magic in too much detail might incite the MoralGuardians to launch a WitchHunt accusing you of Satanism, or just because Western media is more likely to be live action. It being a pain in the butt to depict those fancy geometric designs when you can't just [[StockFootage recycle animation]] and not end up with ObviousCGI. That said, Hermeticism has been around long enough to influence almost every aspect of Western magic, or at least share it with others such as use of pentagrams.

These days, Hermetic magic is perhaps used more likely found in anime than in Western works. Either to provide a comparatively exotic European flair to contrast with local mysticism.. or just because [[FauxSymbolism it looks cool]]. While in the West magic is often whitewashed to just a basic spell and effect with maybe one line of chanting and a circle of candles. This may be because talk about magic in too much detail and the MoralGuardians might launch of WitchHunt accusing you of Satanism, or just because Western media is more likely to be live action. It being a pain in the butt to depict those fancy geometric designs when you can't just [[StockFootage recycle animation]] and not end up with ObviousCGI. That said Hermeticism has been around long enough to influence almost every aspect of Western magic, or at least share it with others such as use of pentagrams.

* And behind much of the weirdness of ''Anime/AbenobashiMahouShoutengai'' is traditional Japanese mysticism, along with Hermetic InstantRunes.

* Symbols of some sort light up on Mikoto's sword Miroku in ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}''.

Hermeticism is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition]], ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus "Hermes Trismegistus"]], the Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. One of the oldest, most continuous, and pervasive of Western magical traditions it also [[{{Irony}} widely influenced early scientific thought]] as late as such greats as devoted alchemist [[UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton Sir Isaac Newton]]. Alchemy in particular can be almost synomous with Hermetic traditions and depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent as so being a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' etc. have a mini-trope of printing magic symbols on the back of the hand on the white gloves the characters wear. This appears to be a visual shorthand for "western magic user".
** In FMA, at least, the symbols ''are'' the magic, in the sense that they're a necessary conduit controlled by the user to manipulate energy and matter. It works with tattoos as well.
** In ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', Alucard's markings don't represent the magic ''he'' uses, but the magic used by his masters to limit his power. When all his restrictions are unlocked, his gloves vanish (and when they're locked again, the gloves reappear).

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' falls somewhere between this and VancianMagic in regards to Kido. Shinigami need to spend a rather significant time learning the incantations for the various types of kido used, and each one has a specific use. Also, the full name - if not the entirety of the incantation - has to be used by lower-ranked shinigami if it's to be effective; a standard "holy crap that guy's strong" reaction follows a Lieutenant, Captain, or BigBad spitting out no more than the ''number'' and it being more powerful than any other use seen to date. That said, if one such being ''is'' doing a full recitation? ''Run.'' [[spoiler:Unless you've just won a game of one-upsmanship with them and now basically transcend everything but the gods themselves, for a few minutes anyway.]]
** Subverted in any Kido spell it depends on how long you spend [[TrainingFromHell training that spell]]. A low-level spell offensive spell can be potentially deadly. Like when Byakuya uses a level four Hado spell for a [[BoringButPractical cheap shot]] at Ichigo that went ''through his shoulder'' [[FrickinLaserBeams like a laser]]. Shown from a distance shot, it went about 50 meters. Where as when Aizen used level 90 offensive spell ''without an incantation'', it just knocked out [[PettingZooPeople Sajin]] from [[StandardBleedingSpots Standard Bleeding Spot]] wounds. The very same spell with full incantation could allegedly warp the fabric of reality as its full "strength" is supposedly comparable to the gravity of a small black hole. If you didn't think Ichigo meant business before, him surviving it was a clear indication.
* [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sealing techinques (Fuuinjutsu)]] can count as this

* Freed's Jutsu Shiki seems to be this in ''Manga/FairyTail''. It may very well be the most broken type of magic in the whole series as Freed can make any kind of rule he wants with it (he traps people within invisible barriers and the rules are such as "no one over the age of 80 can get out" or "all oxygen in this room will be depleted"), but it takes a very long time to set up (it isn't known exactly how he does it), so he has only used it effectively in one arc.

Hermeticism is a real-world [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetism philosophical, religious, and magical tradition]], ascribed to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes_Trismegistus "Hermes Trismegistus"]], the Coptic Egyptian gnostic who founded the theological and philosophical base of western alchemy. Fictional depictions of European, Armenian, and Islamic alchemy will usually represent it as Hermetic being a comparatively easy way to have ShownTheirWork.

The origin of the phrase "As above, so below" the tradition makes *extensive* use of symbolism as a form of SympatheticMagic. Hermetic magic can be quite time consuming, since each and every spell needs to be researched and planned in advance. The actual casting of a spell also takes a lot of time too, since it involves a lot of props, [[GeometricMagic drawing of diagrams]], and suchlike.

These days, Hermetic magic is used more in anime than Western works, partly because it gives a Japanese work a European flair, and partly because Western authors are unwilling to spend pages or screen time on it.