3 Easy hermetic meditations on the Sun as the Demiurge

The sun has been used as an allegory for many things throughout history, from the giver of life and light to a symbol of power and majesty. Hermetic meditation is a powerful practice that has been used by mystics and seekers for centuries. In this article, we explore the practice of Hermetic meditation and give three specific meditations that focus on the sun as the Demiurge.

The Demiurge

The concept of the Demiurge can be found in various spiritual and philosophical traditions, including Gnosticism, Platonism, and Hermeticism. In some traditions, the Demiurge is seen as a lesser or flawed creator deity who is responsible for creating the material world but is not the ultimate source of divine power or wisdom.

The Demiurge is also sometimes seen as separate from the higher or more ultimate reality, which is often referred to as the One or the Good.

Hermes: “Believe that this Sun is a second god, O Asclepius, who rules all things and fills all beings in the cosmos with light, both those with a soul and those without a soul. For if the cosmos is a being which lives for ever; if it was, is and will be, nothing in it is subject to death.“

Asclepius 29

The sun has been used as an allegory for the Demiurge in a number of ways. One common interpretation is that the sun represents the Demiurge’s creation of the physical universe. Just as the sun provides light and warmth to sustain life on Earth, so too does the Demiurge’s creation provide a habitat for living beings. However, just as the sun is not the ultimate source of life and power, so too is the Demiurg’s creation not the ultimate reality.

Another way in which the sun is used as an allegory for the Demiurge is through its association with light and knowledge. In many spiritual and philosophical systems, the sun is seen as a symbol of enlightenment and wisdom, as it brings light to dispel darkness and reveal hidden truths. Similarly, the Demiurge is often seen as a creator who provides knowledge and understanding, but who is not the ultimate source of wisdom and enlightenment.

Hermes: “The father is the cause of his children, both of their generation and their nourishment, having received the desire from the Supreme Good through the sun, for this Good is the creative principle.“

Corpus Hermeticum X.3

The use of the sun as an allegory for the Demiurge can also be seen in the way in which the sun is sometimes associated with the concept of the soul. Just as the sun is seen as the source of life and energy for the physical world, so too is the soul seen as the source of life and vitality for the human body. However, just as the sun is not the ultimate source of life and power, so too is the soul not the ultimate reality.

Overall, the use of the sun as an allegory for the Demiurge reflects the idea that the physical world is a creation that is separate from, but also dependent on, a higher or more ultimate reality.

Asclepius: “Thus the spiritual world depends upon God and the physical world on the spiritual, and through the spiritual and physical world the Sun receives from God a flow of consciousness, that is of creative power [tau agathou). Around the Sun are the eIght spheres, who depend on it; first is the sphere of the fixed stars, then the six of the planets and the one that encIrcles the earth. The spiritual powers depend on the spheres, and men upon the spiritual powers. Thus all things and all men are dependent upon God. Wherefore the Father of all is God, the Creator is the Sun, and the cosmos is the instrument of his creative power.“

Corpus Hermeticum XVI.17-18

The Sun as the Demiurge in the hermetic texts

In the Hermetica the Demiurge is a creative force that is responsible for shaping the universe. In Hermeticism the Demiurge is often associated with the sun, as can be seen from the quotes from the Hermetica we share in this article.

The sun is seen as a source of light and warmth, and it is also associated with the divine. Hermetic meditation that focuses on the sun as the Demiurge can be a powerful way to connect with the divine and tap into the hidden knowledge of the universe.

The Practice of Hermetic Meditation

Hermetic meditation is a practice that involves using the mind to connect with the divine. The goal of this type of meditation is to quiet the mind and open oneself up to the hidden wisdom of the universe. Hermetic meditation often involves the use of symbols, visualizations, and affirmations to help the practitioner connect with the divine.

Below we give three separate meditations that each focus on a specific expression of the Demiurge as the Sun. These meditations can not be found in the authentic hermetic texts but is an effort to expand what is in the texts to make Hermeticism a living spiritual tradition.

These are relatively easy meditations for you to start with. You only need to be able to use your imagination and visualize light.

Read the three meditations a couple of times, pay attention to the subtle but important differences, and then try them out. If you do them please share your experiences in a reply below this article. Other people can learn and be inspired by your experiences.

Asclepius: “Even so the Creator, that is to say the Sun, ever links heaven to earth, sending his substance down from above, and raising up matter from below. He draws everything around himself and into himself, and from himself gives all to all, bestowing his light in abundance. For it is he whose beneficent powers not only pervade the heavens and the air, but reach down to the lowest depth in the earth and abyss of the sea.

If there is a spiritual substance, then it is the body of the Sun, which his light contains. The Sun alone being near to himself in place and nature knows of what his substance is made and whence it flows. We cannot see him, but by systematic efforts we can understand him.
The vision of the Sun, however, does not involve effort, for the brilliance of his countenance shines throughout the entire cosmos, both above and below.“

Corpus Hermeticum XVI.5-7

Meditation #1: The Sun as the Demiurge

This meditation involves visualizing the sun as the creative Demiurge. The goal of this meditation is to strengthen your connection to the Nous, the divine Mind.

• Begin by finding a quiet place to sit or lie down.
• Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Continue when you feel at ease and relaxed.
• Visualize the sun as a ball of golden light.
• Imagine that this light is the Demiurge, the creative force that shapes the universe.
• Visualize this golden light filling your body with warmth and light.
• Imagine that this light is healing and transforming you at a deep level.
• Feel you being created in this and every moment by the divine.

Asclepius: “Every kind of creature is sustained and nourished by the Sun. As the spiritual world embraces the physical and fills it out with every different kind of form, so the Sun also embraces everything in the cosmos, raising up and strengthening all generations. And when they are spent and ebbing away he receives them back.“

Corpus Hermeticum XVI.12

Meditation #2: The Sun as the Source of Life

In this meditation, you will focus on the life-giving properties of the sun. The goal of this meditation is to strengthen your connection to the Logos.

• Find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
• Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Continue when you feel at ease and relaxed.
• Visualize the sun as a ball of white light.
• Imagine that this light is the source of all life on Earth.
• Visualize this white light filling your body with life and vitality.
• Imagine that this light is healing and energizing you at a deep level.
• Feel life and energy flowing through you, connecting you with everything in creation.

Asclepius: “When by way of the Sun that rational part in a man is illumined by a ray of light (and such men are few), the spiritual powers cease to affect them. For no spirit or god has any power against one ray from the supreme God. But all other men are borne and led, both soul and body, by the powers, whose activities they dearly love. It is their thinking which is misled and misleads, not the love.“

Corpus Hermeticum XVI.16

Meditation #3: The Sun as the Source of Knowledge

In this meditation, you will focus on the hidden knowledge that can be found in the sun. The goal of this meditation is to strengthen your connection to Gnosis.

• Find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
• Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Continue when you feel at ease and relaxed.
• Visualize the sun as a ball of bright light.
• Imagine that this light is the source of all knowledge in the universe.
• Visualize this bright light filling your body with wisdom and understanding.
• Imagine that this light is opening up new pathways of knowledge and understanding within you.
• Feel this wisdom. It is not rational knowledge that flows into you, but a holistic knowledge of everything, making you understand creation beyond reason, thoughts, and words.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hermetic meditation is a powerful practice that can help you connect with the divine and tap into the hidden wisdom of the universe.

Focusing on the sun as the Demiurge can be a powerful way to deepen your practice and tap into the life-giving and knowledge-sharing properties of the universe.

Try incorporating these meditations into your practice and see how they can transform your life.

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