A tradição hermética

by Julius Evola, Maria Teresa Simões (Translator)

Nesta obra o filósofo Julius Evola examina a simbologia da alquimia. Compreendendo a alquimia sob a ótica da filosofia tradicionalista, Evola propõe uma leitura guiada pela ideia de unidade histórica entre os autores e textos alquímicos. A alquimia faria parte de um "espírito", uma forma de compreender o mundo, essencialmente pré-industrial, ligado a concepções mágicas e vitalistas.

Genres: Philosophy, Occult, Alchemy, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Esoterica

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1931

About the author

Julius Evola (19 May 1898 – 11 June 1974), born Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esoteric scholar. Born in Rome to a family of the Sicilian landed gentry, Evola was raised a strict Catholic. Despite this, his life was characterised by 'an anti-bourgeois approach' hostile to both 'the dominant tradition of the West—Christianity and Catholicism—and to contemporary civilization—the 'modern world' of democracy and materialism'.

By turns 'engineering student, artillery officer, Dadaist poet and painter, journalist, alpinist, scholar, linguist, Orientalist, and political commentator', he has been described as a 'rare example of universality in an age of specialization'. Yet behind it all lay a singular emphasis on, and pursuit of, a 'direct relationship to the Absolute'. For Evola, 'the center of all things was not man, but rather the Transcendent.' This metaphysical conviction can be seen to have determined both Evola's stance on socio-political issues, and his antipathetic attitude towards 'all professional, sentimental and family routines'.

The author of many books on esoteric, political and religious topics (including The Hermetic Tradition, The Doctrine of Awakening and Eros and the Mysteries of Love), his best-known work remains Revolt Against the Modern World, a trenchant critique of modern civilisation that has been described as 'the gateway to his thought'. Since his death, also in Rome, his writings have influenced right-wing, reactionary and conservative political thought not only in his native Italy, but throughout continental Europe and, increasingly, the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, he should not be considered primarily as a political thinker, but rather as an exponent of the wider Traditionalist School that encompasses the work of such individuals as René Guénon, Titus Burckhardt and Frithjof Schuon.

Reviews

[TR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and comprehensive primer on Hermetecism, perhaps the Western/Aryan 'Zen' (or better perhaps, Zen is a less dynamic, Oriental 'Hermeticism'). Evola, as always, writes with precision and erudition. Recommended for all interested in the esoteric, and especially those who think the east has a monopoly on detached spirituality and enlightenment.

This should probably be read multiple times.

[L Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in this book is very dense... to the point that sometimes I felt like it was it was purposely written to be so. I had to read each chapter at least three times just to get a basic understanding of what is being explained, then after letting the information marinate in my brain for a while, I'd go back and read it again to get a full understanding. It was frustrating in the beginning but after I got used to the writing style and understood the strange way his sentences were structured - emphasizing the concept by pulling small phrases from various alchemical texts with different ways of expressing said concept and presenting them one after the other... in the same sentence 😵‍💫 - I was able to get through the text a little easier.

Not only was the information helpful to someone new to alchemy, but it cited numerous texts and images that are themselves available for viewing or reading either online or through physical publication. I had no idea that there were so many centuries old translated works in this area readily available for anyone interested.

The book is divided into two sections: part one focuses on the symbols and teachings and part two on the art itself. After finishing the first section, I've decided that I'll look for another book to get into the actual practices. I need an author who is able to present the information a little more clearly than Evola does. Who knows, though. I may not find what I thought I needed and end up right back at this book. If that happens, I'll update my review to reflect my thoughts on section 2.

I enjoyed the workout the first section gave my brain. I discovered many works that I'm interested in following up on, and I have a pretty good understanding of the fundamentals of the art. 3.5 stars

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short of it: the first half was quite good, but the second half was either incoherent or just plain wrong. Julius Evola correctly notes that the ancient teaching of alchemy wasn't simply about transmuting metals. It was about developing the soul (or ascending to higher realms). Using alchemical language, he offers a manual for purifying the soul.

In the first half of the book he decodes numerous symbols. These discussions are often exhilarating and always exciting. They reveal a robust metaphysics which has strong affinities with Christianity and Torah/Prophets. For example, "chaos" simply means the realm of undifferentiated potentiality--prime matter. Saturn is heaviness, inertia. "The Tomb," infamous in Plato, notes the body By itself and apart from the animating spirit, it is dead matter, the flux of chaos. The hermeticist does not want to escape the body because it is bad, but to temporarily separate to reestablish a dominating and causal solar principle.

All well and good. And then comes the second half. To be honest, I am not sure what he was getting at. And it's probably best I didn't.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex and fascinating masterpiece from a master of the western tradition. If you're hoping to find a detailed manual for self initiation you will be disappointed, a crystal clear exposition and a philological approach to an immense body of sources sheds no light on the processes of western hermetic tradition, yet it's by far one of the best books about it. To be read at least twice.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a lot of the confusion in the second half of the book stems from Evola's overcomplication of the subject with the use of too many words, for a process that is really intuitive to anyone half-versed in spiritual alchemy. If only he put a little more faith in the readers ability to allow his words to reveal themselves to them, this section would be much more useful and easier to understand. But by overworking his definitions it kind of stiffens and somewhat kills his intent, and inadvertently creates blinds, and makes this section almost useless. Like how someone wants their words to be so perfect they spend so much time going back and editing and refining them until they lose all life they originally had. That being said there is still great material in this section, and I found it easier to digest by not overthinking parts that were less understandable, trying to keep the flow of Evola's thought process in tact, understanding the big picture rather than straining to figure out every little detail.
The first half of the book however is absolutely Five Star material and I will be revisiting that part again in the future.

[Jarl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird shit. Has a few interesting chapters.

[Alyosha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had forgotten I even read this book. 2 stars for effort I guess, but it’s just occult gibberish.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe the best of Evola. Few entirely unfounded historical aberrations, but a wealth of symbols, presented in an interesting, thought-provoking manner based on surprinsingly rich sourcematerial. The "practical" (although quite theoretical) second half is weaker, more rambling. You can see traces of his later "absolute individual" already, so tread carefully (since this is not the goal of alchemy, at least not in the sense he means it), but the exposition throughout the first part is priceless.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A read I enjoyed a lot more than I expected to. Evola attempted to create an introduction to hermeticism, the alchemical processes, and their symbolism. I think it's safe to say that he succeeded! It's a great delve into the symbols that have become very ubiquitous, misused, and misunderstood by the majority of people, and definitely changed my perspective of the topics discussed.

As usual, it does have Evola's very dense style of writing which, when combined with the subject (which is intentionally, from its conception, meant to be complicated and misleading at times) can get you lost in all the terms and concepts provided; however, this works in favour of the book and helps filters out those who are simply not meant to be reading it.

If you're looking at this book, expecting Evola to explain the process to transform lead into gold, then look elsewhere. If you're expecting him to explain the process to transform lead into gold, then this is the perfect book for you.

[Kanaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's decent, but i believe my critique relies on Hermetic symbolism moreso than this book itself. It felt like a lot of the symbolism was pulled from too many places/religion and not properly synergized to make a coherent picture. My standards were set a little high because i thought the picture was painted rather well with the tree chapter.

The rest of it was mostly elemental and cosmological reductions. Just because water molds with everything doesn't mean everything had to be reduced to water/mercury. Regardless this book was decent and did it's job, but felt scattered in certain places. It did a fine job at the "lifecycle" of goign through the elements and stages of life though.

[JA · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's terse, it's dense, perhaps the translation could have been a bit simpler, but wow, what a unique perspective on the Royal Art and Western Esoterica. While most of the material on Alchemy and Hermetism is filtered through the eyes of Anglo-Britain, Evola gives the Southern European. Latinized perspective if I may be so bold. Be aware this is not a book on laboratory praxis, although it can inspire the lab alchemist, Evola instead encompasses the 'bigger picture' for the gentle reader, and indeed all roads lead to the Soul.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really groundbreaking here, but it is Evola so I had to read it.

[Aleksander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of Julius Evola’s legacy, The Hermetic Tradition is arguably the most challenging read. It’s not a book for beginners; this is deep waters for those already well-versed in Hermeticism and Gnosticism. Evola meticulously unpacks the core symbols of Hermetic tradition, examining not just their outer forms but the intricate processes they represent and the philosophy underpinning them. He explores the initiatic path in a way that most modern texts gloss over, making this book a rare gem for serious scholars. Demanding and dense, yes—but endlessly re-readable and incredibly insightful for those seeking to grasp the hidden mechanics of the Hermetic worldview.

[Chrysalides · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that requires multiple readings. Considered to be Evola's most critically acclaimed academic work, this study of Hermetism, or alchemy, is split into two parts. The first, concerning the symbology, is a straight-forward read. The second part, concerning doctrine, is much less accessible and requires background into Evola's back catalogue, namely the Introduction to Magic trilogy.

While Evola does a great job asserting his thesis on the Eastern origins of Hermetism, the doctrinal purpose of the book is rendered obsolete by the relative accessibility of Buddhist and Tantric texts thanks to the internet. It is still a worthwhile read thanks to its erudition on alchemy, misunderstood as a "primitive science" by the moderns, but in reality is largely metaphysical in nature.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, although still obscure and infinitely unpackable look at Hermetico-Alchemical thought as a metaphysical system. The book invites multiple readings as the early crash course in Alchemical symbolism only really begins to do work later, and so a lot of revisiting is required to fully appreciate the explanations given earlier in the book as well as the usage of the symbols later in the work.

[Marzio Fagioli · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had to choose one single book to learn about alchemy this one would be it.
Just like other books of evola this is a beautifully structured and thorough study of alchemy and Hermeticism. As you would expect from a perennial philosopher, you will not only learn alchemy and Hermeticism but also small bits of information about other mystery schools and traditions.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best introduction to alchemy available in English. Don't expect to understand it for a while.

[Anja Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tradition and symbolism, Jung and lot of links with past..Interesting and provoking..

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book to be read but a work to be studied. Very interesting

[Iegfb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julius Evola is quite an interesting figure, a thinker whose works span many different areas of study and yet, his name is almost exclusively associated with the topic of politics. Whether it’s his followers or critics, most people seem to only focus on his works revolving around the right wing politics of the interwar period. And I must admit that I myself am guilty of this; Up to this point, I had only seriously engaged with Evola’s political writings, and while I have tried to dabble in his more serious and esoteric works (ie. Eros and Revolt) it’s been without much success, until now.

Picking up this book, I was expecting a treatise on Hermeticism, a peculiar philosophical tradition I always found interesting and wanted to learn more about, yet always found doing so somewhat intimidating. Moreover, this is a topic I would expect Evola to have an interesting, well informed perspective on and which would certainly be interesting to hear out. And so, I found myself quite surprised when I learned that this is a book which focuses exclusively on the tradition of Alchemy; a discipline I only have vague historical familiarity with and limited knowledge of its deeper inter-relation and position within Hermeticism at large.

One thing that is very interesting about Evola is that, while on the outside his style can seem almost extravagant and bombastic (seriously, Revolt against the Modern World!), his writings are incredibly lucid, punctual and his use of language can be almost autistically precise. To that matter, even though the (sub)title of this work may look somewhat dry and lengthy, after a careful study of the text, one would truly come out with a better understanding of the symbols and teachings of the Royal Art.

The first part of The Hermetic Tradition deals with the symbology of Alchemy. Here, Evola walks the reader through the various myths and doctrines of the different alchemical schools across the ages in order to derive the common elements and their meanings, extrapolating the sigils that can be found in the various texts. And in this part, he goes at great length to simplify and clarify the essence of the symbology, with an almost intimidating list of sources on the back of the book which would take a great deal of time and effort to study. The latter part, admittedly denser, more occult (and of a cult!), deals with the practices of initiation into the Great Work – the transmutation of the elements, or the perfection of the human body, spirit and soul..

At an earlier stage of my life I wouldn’t have hesitated to scoff at the topic – let alone the content – of this book and would have quickly written it off as wacky loo. Now, long past disillusionment with modern secularism I find myself somewhat cautiously drawn to it. Discarding the epistemic pretenses of secularism is not particularly difficult for people with a certain disposition, and yet, in doing so, it is important to keep one’s guard against other doctrines of superficiality and sophistry. Would Hermeticism and alchemy fall under those? Possible, I do not consider myself versed enough in the topic to give a meaningful answer.

At any rate, this was an immensely interesting book which I greatly enjoyed and has served as a superb introduction to yet another rabbit hole I will find myself falling into.

[Nicholas G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating and I am sure I will revisit it again in the future. As someone interested in Buddhism, Taoism, Astrology, and Christianity, who specifically was looking for a book about transmuting lower energetic thoughts into higher forms, I found this to be very educational in a specific and esoteric way. I enjoyed Evola's description of various planetary, dream, abd energy symbols, which provided me an added "lens" of understanding in Astrology charts as well as hidden symbolism in Art and dreams.

The first half of the book sets the foundation of the Hermetic Tradition and explains various archetypal symbols meaning, and how the concept of "Alchemy" was never really about transmuting physical metals, but rather a coded metaphor for transmuting souls into higher forms. The second half was more of an "instruction manual" for doing this yourself. I didn't find the second half of the book as confusing as other readers, I felt that it gave reasonable guidance on spiritual alchemy that built upon the base of the first half of the book. That said, I didn't internalize everything, and I think the book deserves a second read while putting into practice over time.

I am not sure about Evola's other books, as I have read that the author became known for controversial ultra far-right views and was influential in Fascist and Nazi circles. I did not see that present itself in this book and was aware of the possibility before reading. Ultimately, I did not feel that this book was problematic, and I do feel like this was an important and helpful read at the right time of my enlightenment journey.

[no.stache.nietzsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly tricky read. It isn't trying to be, but it the topic is dense and although the short, topical chapters were probably as approachable as possible without becoming quaint, they were still a struggle to read- at least on the first time through. We were pretty much entirely green to this topic upon picking up this text, but next time we will have much more context. The later chapters, and the second section generally, certainly went down easier, but the earlier portions were of course essential to set a vocabulary for dealing with this obstruse topic. This certainly wont be the only time we read this book.. but we're likely going to read all or most of Evola's other works before returning to it again.

[Brian K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book consisting of 2 parts, the first of which is designed to help the student grasp an understanding of the rich symbolism of the hermetic teachings. The second half is to help the student put into action what they've learned. This is a book that will serve as a resource for anyone that wants to continue to walk the path of the Alchemic Philosopher, and one that should reveal more to you each time you read it. Based on the language of the book ( translated text as well as an older way of communicating) combined with the hidden meaning of all that is contained within these pages, it can be a tough read at times but don't let that deter you from ingesting it's nutrients.

[Will Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

A complex read; did not enjoy it as much as other books by Evola. Some parts were interesting; other parts felt like I was reading a horoscope. Most of it flew over my head, and I am not interested enough in alchemy to really study it. Not for casual reading. Surprising to see Nicholas Flamel and the Philosophers Stone mentioned quite a few times, which might be interesting to Harry Potter fans. Lots of footnotes; thoroughly researched.

[Allen Svensson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Evola and I've got to say that he writes beautifully. This work does wonders in the way of semiotics and comparative myth. It also melds together well with the theosophists of his time, particularly Steiner, and his grand cosmogonic themes. The merit of what the hermeticists came to understand is undeniable, and persists as an invitation to those who still thirst for the metaphysical.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evola aborda os principais conceitos da alquimia (que está intimamente ligada com o hermetismo) e explica magistralmente que a real alquimia não se tratava de uma mera vulgaridade material, como transformar metais pobres em ouro, mas sim, se tratava de um processo interior, uma ascese hermética que almejava uma transformação interna do ser. Obra densa e excepcional, direcionada para os nobres de espírito, que possuem a chama ígnea em si.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evola's study of alchemy is definitely geared toward an extremely scholastic audience. Nonetheless, his presentation is fantastic, erudite and incisive, with an eye to almost microscopic detail. I definitely plan on returning to this book again.

[Salvatore Cunsolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellissimo

[Strauss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sure that some people will get more out of this than I did. Not for me.

[sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting work on Alchemy, if you put aside his personal political views at least.