RHC Fortnightly Quotemail
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell (@RHCLambengolmo
on X)
Vol. XXIX, No. 19: Early September 2025
Co-Editor: Sophie Fairgate
Editorial Associate: Wendy Applegate
Art Director: Verena Keegan (Designer of the Masthead)
From the pyramids
and pharaohs to the mysteries of the Nile and the powerful gods and goddesses,
ancient Egypt has captivated the world for centuries. This blog feature will
take us on a journey back in time to explore the fascinating world of this
ancient civilization. Join us as we delve into the lives of famous figures like
Hermes Trismegistus, the goddess Nuut, and the powerful Queen Nitocris.
“Egypt”
By Gerald Massey
(1828-1907)
So long, so intimately, that it seems
As if you had borne me; though I could not know
It was so many thousand years ago!
And in my gropings darkly underground
The long-lost memory at last is found
Of motherhood – you mother of us all!
And to my fellowmen I must recall
The memory too; that common motherhood
May help to make the common brotherhood.
Egypt! It lies there in the
far-off past,
Opening with depths profound and growths as vast
As the great valley of Yosemite;
The birthplace out of darkness into day;
The shaping matrix of the human mind;
The cradle and the nursery of our kind.
This was the land created from the flood,
The land of Atum, made of the red mud,
Where Num sat in his Teba throned on high,
And saw the deluge once a year go by,
Each brimming with the blessing that it brought,
And by that waterway, in Egypt’s thought,
The gods descended; but they never hurled
The deluge that should desolate the world.
There the vast hewers of the early time
Built, as if that way they would surely climb
The heavens, and left their labors without name –
Colossal as their carelessness of fame –
Sole likeness of themselves – that heavenward
Forever look with statuesque regard,
As if some vision of the eternal grown
Petrific, was forever fixed in stone!
They watched the moon re-orb, the stars go round,
And drew the circle; thought’s primordial bound.
The heavens looked into them with living eyes
To kindle starry thoughts in other skies,
For us reflected in the image-scroll,
That night by night the stars for aye unroll.
The royal heads of language bow them down
To lay in Egypt’s lap each borrowed crown.
The glory of Greece was but the afterglow
Of her forgotten greatness lying low;
Her hieroglyphics buried dark as night,
Or coal deposits filled with future light,
Are mines of meaning; by their light we see
Through many an overshadowing mystery.
The nursing Nile is living Egypt still,
And as her lowlands with its freshness fill,
And heave with double-breasted bounteousness,
So doth the old hidden source of mind yet bless
The nations; secretly she brought to birth,
And Egypt still enriches all the earth.
“Hermes Trismegistus and
the Perennial Philosophy”
By Rob Chappell, M.A., Editor
The origins of
the Hermetic Tradition lie buried deep beneath the soil of ancient Egypt – both
literally and figuratively. The legendary Egyptian alchemist, astronomer,
philosopher, and physician Hermes Trismegistus (“Mercurius Termaximus” in Latin
= “Thrice-Greatest Hermes or Mercury”) has been revered for millennia as the
founder of the Hermetic Tradition. This world-renowned personage was later
identified by Hellenistic Greek scholars with Thoth, the divine patron of
wisdom and writing in the Egyptian pantheon. Renaissance scholars tried to
place Hermes Trismegistus into a firm historical context, hypothesizing that he
had perhaps been a contemporary of the patriarch Abraham or the prophet Moses,
or (instead of being a single historical person) that he was actually a
succession of Egyptian hierophants who took the name as a title, which was
handed down from father to son or from teacher to disciple. However, in the
opinion of this author, the fountainhead of the Hermetic Tradition, was most
likely Imhotep (fl. 27th century BCE) – the first scientist in
recorded history..
Born a commoner, Imhotep
rose through the ranks of Egyptian society through his profound learning in
many fields of study until he was appointed Grand Vizier (Prime Minister) to
Pharaoh Djoser, the best-known king of Egypt’s Third Dynasty. Djoser
commissioned Imhotep to build a splendid royal tomb, and what resulted was the
first Egyptian pyramid – the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, which became Djoser’s
final resting place. It was the largest building on Earth at that time and
served as a prototype for all subsequent pyramid construction throughout
Egypt’s long history.
Imhotep was not
only a capable administrator and an innovative architect; he also served as
High Priest of Heliopolis, a chief city of the realm. A major aspect of his
priestly occupation was the practice of medicine, which included herbal
remedies as well as highly advanced surgical techniques. Imhotep recorded his
vast knowledge of the surgical arts in a treatise contained on the Edwin Smith
Papyrus, thus preserving his knowledge for future generations.
Imhotep’s
dedication to the healing arts led to a profound reverence for his memory among
the Egyptian populace. Within a few centuries of his death, he became the first
mortal to be added to the Egyptian pantheon as a demigod, and he served as the
prototype for the Greek demigod Asclepius – who, like Imhotep, was regarded as
a divine patron of medical science. As Asclepius, Imhotep also appeared in the
Hermetic literature of late antiquity, which preserved Egyptian esoteric
traditions about the origin of the cosmos and humankind’s place within it. In
these treatises, Imhotep (as Asclepius) is a dialogue partner of Hermes
Trismegistus (the Greek version of the Egyptian deity Thoth), the legendary
alchemist, physician, and astronomer who transmitted his knowledge to his
disciples for the benefit of human beings.
A collection of
philosophical and alchemical treatises began to circulate in Greek and Coptic under
the name of Hermes Trismegistus during the first three centuries CE in
Alexandria, Egypt – produced by a group of scholars and sages known as the
Hermetic School. The Hermetic tractates preserved Egyptian esoteric traditions
about the origin of the cosmos and humankind’s place within it. In these
treatises, Hermes Trismegistus dialogues with his disciples and encourages them
to transmit his knowledge to posterity for the benefit of humankind.
After their translation into Latin by the Italian polymath, Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499), the Hermetic writings exercised a profound influence upon the Renaissance intellectuals who spearheaded the Scientific Revolution – including such luminaries as Paracelsus, Giordano Bruno, and Sir Isaac Newton. Such intellectual advancements were perhaps foreseen by one of the Hermetic philosophers of ancient Egypt:
“[Humankind] will pursue
the inmost secrets of Nature even into the heights and will study the motions
of the sky. Nor is this enough; when
nothing yet remains to be known than the furthest boundary of the Earth, they
will seek even there the last extremities of night.” Ã Virgo Mundi
(Hermetic Tractate, Early 1st Millennium CE)
One of the basic
premises of medieval alchemy was that, by using an arcane substance known as
the “Philosopher’s Stone,” ordinary metals could be transmuted into gold.
Except in fairy tales, alchemists never accomplished this feat, but we now know
that with the proper high-tech equipment, such a marvel can be performed in the
lab by adding or subtracting protons to the nucleus of an atom. The real secret
of transmutation, however, had to do with the regeneration of the soul and the
transformation of its “dross” (vices) into “gold” (virtues), as described in
the Abrahamic Scriptures. One of the most well-known alchemists of the late
Renaissance was the Rev. Dr. Johann Valentin Andreae (1586-1654), a distant
ancestor of the Editor, who was a Lutheran theologian and a prominent member of
the Rosicrucian Order – a confraternity of physicians and alchemists who gave
medical treatment to the poor at no cost. Their utopian vision of a democratic,
peaceful, and pluralistic future for the human race, based on an “alchemical
wedding” of philosophy, religion, and science, remains an ideal to strive for
as the third millennium begins to unfold before us.
In some Egyptians myths and legends, the Egyptian
wisdom goddess Neith (pictured above) was portrayed as the virgin mother of
Thoth. Neith was the Egyptian equivalent of the Greek wisdom goddess Athena,
and Thoth was the original Egyptian name of Hermes Trismegistus, who came to be
identified with the Divine Logos. (Digital image created by the Editor.)
“Apocatastasis: Universal
Restoration – A Sample of Hermetic Teaching”
Part IX of a Treatise
on Initiations for Asclepius
Excerpted from The Virgin
of the World (Translated by Edward Maitland and Anna Kingsford in 1885)
· Hermes Trismegistus: When all these things shall be accomplished, O Asclepius, then the
Lord and Father, the sovereign God who rules the wide world, beholding the evil
ways and actions of men, will arrest these misfortunes by the exercise of his
divine will and goodness. And, in order to put an end to error and to the
general corruption, he will drown the world with a deluge or consume it by
fire, or destroy it by wars and epidemics, and thereafter He will restore to it
its primitive beauty; so that once more it shall appear worthy of admiration
and worship, and again a chorus of praise and of blessing shall celebrate him
who has created and redeemed so beautiful a work. This rebirth of the world,
this restoration of all good things, this holy and sacred rehabilitation of
Nature will take place when the time shall come which is ap-pointed by the
divine and ever-eternal will of God, without beginning and always the same.
·
Asclepius: Indeed, Trismegistus, the nature of God is will reflected; that is,
absolute goodness and wisdom.
·
Hermes: O Asclepius, will is the result of reflection, and to will is itself
an act of willing. For he who is the fullness of all things and who possesses
all that he will, wills nothing by caprice. But everything he wills is good,
and he has all that he wills; all that is good he thinks and wills. Such is
God, and the world is the image of his righteousness.
·
Asclepius: Is the world then good, O Trismegistus?
·
Hermes: Yes, the world is good, Asclepius, as I will inform thee. Even as God
accords to all beings and to all orders in the world benefits of diverse kinds,
such as thought, soul, and life, so likewise the world itself divides and
distributes good things among mortals, changing sea-sons, the fruits of the
earth, birth, increase, maturity, and other similar gifts. And thus God is
above the summit of heaven, yet everywhere present and beholding all things.
For beyond the heavens is a sphere without stars, transcending all corporeal
things.
“Hermes Trismegistus”
By Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow (1807-1882)
Flows the lordly Nile,
From its banks the great stone faces
Gaze with patient smile.
Still the pyramids imperious
Pierce the cloudless skies,
And the Sphinx stares with mysterious,
Solemn, stony eyes.
But where are the old Egyptian
Demi-gods and kings?
Nothing left but an inscription
Graven on stones and rings.
Where are Helios and Hephaestus,
Gods of eldest eld?
Where is Hermes Trismegistus,
Who their secrets held?
Where are now the many hundred
Thousand books he wrote?
By the Thaumaturgists plundered,
Lost in lands remote;
In oblivion sunk forever,
As when o'er the land
Blows a storm-wind, in the river
Sinks the scattered sand.
Something unsubstantial, ghostly,
Seems this Theurgist,
In deep meditation mostly
Wrapped, as in a mist.
Vague, phantasmal, and unreal
To our thought he seems,
Walking in a world ideal,
In a land of dreams.
Was he one, or many, merging
Name and fame in one,
Like a stream, to which, converging
Many streamlets run?
Till, with gathered power proceeding,
Ampler sweep it takes,
Downward the sweet waters leading
From unnumbered lakes.
By the Nile I see him wandering,
Pausing now and then,
On the mystic union pondering
Between gods and men;
Half believing, wholly feeling,
With supreme delight,
How the gods, themselves concealing,
Lift men to their height.
Or in Thebes, the hundred-gated,
In the thoroughfare
Breathing, as if consecrated,
A diviner air;
And amid discordant noises,
In the jostling throng,
Hearing far, celestial voices
Of Olympian song.
Who shall call his dreams fallacious?
Who has searched or sought
All the unexplored and spacious
Universe of thought?
Who, in his own skill confiding,
Shall with rule and line
Mark the border-land dividing
Human and divine?
Trismegistus! three times greatest!
How thy name sublime
Has descended to this latest
Progeny of time!
Happy they whose written pages
Perish with their lives,
If amid the crumbling ages
Still their name survives!
Thine, O priest of Egypt, lately
Found I in the vast,
Weed-encumbered somber, stately,
Grave-yard of the Past;
And a presence moved before me
On that gloomy shore,
As a waft of wind, that o'er me
Breathed, and was no more.
“Queen Nitocris: Egypt’s
Enigmatic Pharaoh”
By Marnie Eriol, Staff Writer
Nitocris is one of
the most mysterious pharaohs in Egyptian history. She is believed to have ruled
Egypt around 2184 BCE, during the Sixth Dynasty. Little is known for certain
about her life and reign, but she is best remembered for her legend as a master
of intrigue and revenge.
Nitocris's reign
is shrouded in mystery. There is no contemporary evidence that confirms that
she actually ruled Egypt, but later authors such as Manetho and Eratosthenes
mention her in their writings. According to Herodotus, Nitocris became Pharaoh
after her brother, Teti, the first Pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty, died
unexpectedly by assassination.
After her brother's
death, Nitocris allegedly ruled Egypt for about 13 years, according to the Egyptian
historian Manetho. During her reign, Nitocris is said to have constructed a
labyrinth of underground passages and chambers beneath the Palace of Memphis.
The legend of
Nitocris's revenge centers around a banquet where she trapped and drowned a
group of conspirators who were responsible for the murder of her brother, the
former Pharaoh of Egypt. Nitocris invited all the nobles of Memphis to a
banquet that was held in one of her underground chambers. Once all the guests
had arrived, Nitocris ordered the doors shut and sealed, trapping them inside.
Then, she opened a trapdoor in the floor, and all the nobles fell through it
and drowned in a pool that she had filled with water.
It should be
remembered that Nitocris was avenging her brother, who had been ruthlessly
assassinated by a group of conspirators in the royal court. Her motive wasn't
malicious revenge; it was to protect the realm from chaos and further
bloodshed.
After the massacre
at the banquet, Nitocris sealed the underground passage and chambers with
blocks of stone, concealing the evidence of what had occurred. However, rumors
of the incident began to spread throughout Egypt, and Nitocris' subjects became
suspicious of her, fearing her wrath.
The legend
suggests that after her death, Nitocris was buried in a concealed chamber
within her underground palace. There's a lot of speculation about the manner of
Queen Nitocris' death, with a common theory being that she took her own life.
In the legend of
Queen Nitocris, we encounter a tragic hero who, driven by necessity, committed
a seemingly horrific act in order to protect her realm from further chaos and
bloodshed. She sacrificed her own well-being, and perhaps even her life, to
ensure stability and security for her people. This story, though tragic and
gruesome, also highlights her bravery and resilience in the face of
unprecedented danger and uncertainty.
Nitocris was Queen Regnant of Egypt in the 22nd
century BCE. (Digital image created by the Editor.)
"The Goddess of the
Milky Way: Exploring the Significance of Nuut in Ancient Egyptian Astronomy”
By Jessica Breckinridge,
Staff Writer
Nuut, known as Nyx
in Greek, was the ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky and the heavens. She was
believed to be the mother of the gods and the wife of the earthly god Geb. Nuut
held a special place in the Egyptian pantheon as the deity responsible for
protecting the solar boat during its nighttime journey through the underworld.
Nuut was depicted
in ancient Egyptian art as a woman adorned with stars and a horned headdress
made of lapis lazuli, a semiprecious blue stone associated with the night sky.
She was often portrayed in the act of giving birth, with her body arched back
and her stomach distended, suggesting her role as the mother of the gods.
Nuut's association
with the Milky Way stems from her role as the goddess of the sky and the
heavens. In ancient Egypt, the Milky Way was seen as a pathway that the solar
boat of the god Ra traversed at night. This cosmic journey was believed to be
perilous, as the boat sailed through the dangers of the underworld and needed
protection against the forces of chaos.
Nuut's
significance in ancient Egyptian astronomy is further affirmed in the Books of
the Underworld, which described her role in safeguarding the solar boat during
its nighttime journey. Nuut was often depicted in the Books of the Underworld
as a powerful and protective goddess, standing atop the solar boat and
shielding the gods against the forces of chaos. She was seen as a guide who led
the solar boat through the perilous night, ensuring its safe passage and
ultimately enabling the rebirth of the sun at dawn.
Nuut's association
with the Milky Way was also apparent in the worship practices of the ancient
Egyptians. In temples dedicated to her cultus, priests performed rituals and
made offerings to honor the goddess and ensure a safe journey for the solar
boat. These practices further reinforced the belief in Nuut's protective role
in the heavenly realm and her importance as the deity responsible for the safe
passage of the sun at night.
Among the various
aspects of Nuut's divine character, she was also associated with the cycle of
nature and the changing seasons. During the flood season, when the Nile River
would flood the surrounding fields, ancient Egyptians saw this natural
phenomenon as a representation of Nuut giving birth to the crops and the land's
fertility. This association emphasized Nuut's role as a provider and nurturer,
extending beyond her protective duties to encompass the life-giving forces of
the natural world.
In addition to her
protective role in guiding the solar boat and her connection to the cycles of
nature, Nuut was also revered for her role in the creation of the cosmos. In
some ancient Egyptian texts, she is described as the mother of the stars and
constellations, and her body is said to stretch across the sky, spanning the
entire celestial sphere. This portrayal reinforces Nuut's central place in the
ancient Egyptian cosmology as a fundamental force in the ordering and
organization of the universe.
The Egyptian goddess Nuut is pictured here with
pyramids and the Milky Way in the background. (Digital image created by the
Editor.)
The Bardic Gorsedd
An Original Poem by Viviana Rivera & Rhiannon
Blythe, Staff Writers
“In the Shadow of the Great Pyramid: The Initiation of
Hypatia”
Underneath the shadow of the Great Pyramid,
In the heart of Egypt's ancient lore,
Hypatia stood alone, her gaze fixed on the stars,
As the mysteries of the Nile whispered secrets of the
gods.
Hypatia, the brilliant polymath of Alexandria,
Seeker of wisdom, thirsting for knowledge,
She yearned to unlock the secrets of the universe,
To unravel the cosmic mystery of the spheres.
One night, beneath the watchful gaze of the moon,
Hypatia's quest led her to the ancient Pyramid,
Where whispers of lost knowledge lingered in the air,
And the ancient Egyptian mysteries beckoned, ready to
be revealed.
Within the Great Pyramid, amidst the sacred stones,
Hypatia closed her eyes and sought the wisdom of the
past,
In her mind, a vision appeared, like a spark of divine
fire,
And in that moment, she felt the call of the ancient
Egyptian initiation.
Unseen lights danced before Hypatia's eyes,
As the ancient Egyptian mysteries unfurled like a
scroll,
She felt the presence of the gods, their voices
echoing in the stillness,
And in her heart, she knew that a great transformation
was upon her.
In the silence of the sacred chamber,
Hypatia found herself in the presence of the gods and
goddesses of the Nile,
Dressed in flowing robes, they led her through the
rituals of initiation,
And in her heart, a great understanding began to grow,
like a lotus unfolding.
Hypatia stood in awe as the gods and goddesses guided
her through the initiation rites,
She felt the weight of the secrets of the universe
upon her shoulders,
As if the mysteries of the stars were woven into her
very soul,
And through the ritual, she felt her destiny shift
like the shifting sands of the Egyptian desert.
Once the initiation was complete,
Hypatia emerged from the Great Pyramid filled with
newfound wisdom,
Her mind ablaze with knowledge, her spirit ignited
with the fire of the gods,
And in her heart, she carried the sacred secrets of
the Egyptian mysteries, forever changed.
From that moment, Hypatia’s' life changed forever,
She became the living vessel of the Egyptian
mysteries,
Her wisdom was sought by kings and philosophers alike,
And all the while, she stood as a beacon of
enlightenment in the twilight of antiquity.
Hypatia emerges from the Great Pyramid on the morning
after her initiation into the ancient Egyptian mysteries. (Digital image
created by the Editor.)
Catena Aurea (The Golden
Chain)
By Tamsin Lambengolmo, Staff Writer
The Greek philosophers, including Plato, were influenced by Egyptian philosophy and wisdom. One quote that comes to mind is from the Greek historian Plutarch, who wrote in his treatise On Isis and Osiris:
"The Greeks, who are the disciples of Egyptian wisdom, and the disciples of the Muses, and the children of Apollo."
As Plutarch notes,
the Greek philosophers, such as Plato, studied in Egypt and were greatly
influenced by the Egyptian religion and philosophy. In fact, many of the ideas
found in Greek philosophy, such as the concept of reincarnation and the belief
in the soul and its immortality, were originally derived from Egyptian thought.
The Greek philosophers themselves acknowledged their debt to Egypt, considering
it the birthplace of wisdom. In fact, many of the greatest sages of ancient
Greece studied in Egypt, including Orpheus, Pythagoras, Thales, Solon, and
Plato himself.
Imhotep, the healer extraordinaire, once said:
“The heart and the physician are the pillars of every house.”
To me, this means that just as a heart keeps a body beating, a
loving attitude and a caring spirit are the pillars that keep the house of
health and wellbeing standing strong. After all, healing isn't always just
about medicine and science — it's also about kindness and understanding.
Sapientia Borealis
(Northern Wisdom)
By Toni
Thorvald, Staff Writer
"Snotra, the wise one, knows all the secrets." Ã The Prose Edda (Gylfaginning)
Snotra, the goddess of wisdom in Old Norse lore, is equivalent to the Egyptian goddess Neith, who was also a goddess of wisdom, among other things. Both Snotra and Neith were said to possess great wisdom and knowledge, and they were revered as fertility goddesses who brought success and prosperity to their followers.
Women played
a very significant role as wisdomkeepers in the Old Norse tradition. In Norse
culture, wisdom was considered a highly valued trait, and women were seen as
being deeply connected to the spiritual and supernatural aspects of the world.
Many of the most highly respected wisdomkeepers were women, such as the völva
(a seeress or prophetess) and the sibyls (female prophetesses who were believed
to have the gift of prophecy).
