2.2. The Hermetic Synaxis⁑
Given an awareness of Hermeticism and what its form of mysticism and spirituality entails, what then is the Hermetic Synaxis, and what does it do for or with the Way of Hermēs? Although there is no surviving lineage of Hermetic masters that preserve this form of Greco-Egyptian spirituality in an unbroken tradition from ancient times unto today, there is still more than enough information available to us through the Hermetic texts as well as the studies of Greco-Egyptian and other related forms of magical and mystical spirituality that can allow one to develop their own approach to the Way of Hermēs as an implementation of its mysticism lived out in one’s day-to-day life. There are many such approaches that have been developed, some more or less influenced by various other forms of religion, mysticism, or philosophy blended with Hermeticism whether syncretically or eclectically.
The texts you are currently reading, collectively referred to as the Stoiba (from the Greek word meaning “pile”) form the foundation of the Hermetic Synaxis, which is as much a manual to one such implementation of Hermetic spirituality for individuals as well as to forming groups of practitioners to support each other in the same. The Greek word synaksis refers to a kind of gathering or assembly, from the word synagō “I gather” or “I lead together” (itself the origin of the related word “synagogue”). It is in this light that one engages in the work of the Hermetic Synaxis to achieve a common goal as one with the support and help of others. Thus, on the one hand, “the Hermetic Synaxis” may refer to the curriculum of spiritual work encompassing prayers, rituals, offerings, and the like; on the other, “the Hermetic Synaxis” may also refer to the broader community of practitioners who engage with such work, not only on their own but especially in a group setting for their mutual support and guidance.
The Hermetic Synaxis is not any sort of priesthood or monastic order; there is no requirement for anyone in the Hermetic Synaxis to take oaths of chastity, silence, or the foregoing of worldly life, nor is there any demand for one engaging in the Hermetic Synaxis specifically or Hermeticism generally as one’s only or sole spiritual work, nor is there any rank or grade that obliges obeisance and loyalty to a leader. Likewise, although those engaging in the work of the Hermetic Synaxis are encouraged to join or form their own working groups with their own memberships and rules according to a prescribed approach given in these texts, such groups are likewise not some sort of secret society or para-Masonic lodge. If anything, the Hermetic Synaxis may be considered a mix between a study group, a support group, and a working group based on a shared esoteric curriculum of practice for a group of peers and fellow-travelers. By this, the Hermetic Synaxis provides a vehicle for one’s progress along the Way of Hermēs, whether one rides in such a vehicle alone or with the companionship of others, without denying that there are other such means of traversing the same Way or other ways.
In addition to the ongoing study of the Hermetic texts, the development of virtue in one’s manner of living, and the striving for one’s own spiritual empowerment and elevation according to the teachings of Hermēs Trismegistos, the specific work of the Hermetic Synaxis consists of prayer to align oneself with divinity, offerings to align oneself with the powers of the cosmos, rituals to further oneself along the Way, and meetings with other practitioners of the Hermetic Synaxis to support and guide each other, all performed on a routine basis according to a regular format. In addition to these, other rituals and works are prescribed to further one’s own spiritual development for a fuller approach to the Way of Hermēs as a theurgic practice. Although most of the work may be done on one’s own, it is best for those engaging in the Hermetic Synaxis to engage in the work in a group with others whenever possible.
2.2.1. A Focus on Practice, Accessibility, and Modernity⁑
A common complaint in modern times is that many people interested in the Way of Hermēs struggle with finding a way to actually walk such a way; they have access to the texts attributed to Hermēs Trismegistos, but find that it is difficult to actually implement them in a lived practice due to a lack of practical structure or guidance in such texts. This, combined with a dearth of information about the daily routines or lived experiences of the original authors and audiences of the Hermetic texts or those who participated in the classical Greco-Egyptian milieu that gave rise to them, can often leave many people at a loss as to how to expand on Hermeticism as something more than just a set of mystical and philosophical ideas, views, and exhortations. It is understood now that the Way of Hermēs is more than simple so-called “reading mysteries” where the act of reading a text confers a mystical experience; there was—there is—a ritual aspect to this form of spirituality beyond mere thinking, but it is not always apparent how to actually engage with it.
As both a curriculum of spiritual work and blueprint for group organization, the Hermetic Synaxis aims to rectify this by providing a concrete and specific approach to “doing Hermeticism”. Designed for those interested in Hermeticism but in a way available to everybody where they are, the Hermetic Synaxis offers an implementation of Hermetic spirituality that implements and actualizes the teachings of Hermēs Trismegistos in not only moral and ethical development but also through ceremonial routines. Even though there is precious little in the Hermetic texts that give rise to specific rituals, the influence of such texts can be readily seen throughout the prayers, rituals, offerings, and other works of the Hermetic Synaxis.
Because of this focus, the Hermetic Synaxis might be described better as being concerned more about “orthopraxy” rather than “orthodoxy”, proper practice and performance rather than proper doctrinal belief. It is true that there is no ultimate separation between practice and doctrine and that any given practice or technical framework embeds some measure of philosophical or theoretical teaching within it; however, the Hermetic Synaxis does this only insofar as it might be necessary, and otherwise leaves the specifics of Hermetic teachings up to one’s own development and the customs of one’s group. There are often cases where there are multiple valid interpretations of the Hermetic texts, but so long as one avoids falling into incorrect or invalid views, one should still be able to readily participate with the practices of the Hermetic Synaxis.
It should be understood, however, that the work of the Hermetic Synaxis is not intended to be a priesthood, monastic order, or lodge system. No special license or privilege is conferred by engaging in the Hermetic Synaxis, nor is it required to seclude, sequester, or isolate oneself from society, nor is this intended to resemble hierarchical or para-Masonic organizations with grades or ranks. While the ceremonial aspects of the Hermetic Synaxis do involve ritual that veers into what many might call “magic”, the Hermetic Synaxis is not only such a system of magic; rather, rituals and offerings should be done with regularity as a means to support spiritual development rather than being the goal of it, couched in a broader system of belief and study.
Importantly, the Hermetic Synaxis is not exclusionary, in that it is not intended to be the only spiritual practice one engages in. Although one can certainly do so due to its comprehensive nature, the Hermetic Synaxis is rather intended to accommodate, work with, and play off one’s other spiritual practices. The degree to which one might integrate the Hermetic Synaxis with other spiritual traditions is ultimately a matter for those other traditions as well as one’s own sense for syncretism and eclecticism, but so long as one engages in the practices of the Hermetic Synaxis as its own system, it can work for many people who wish to pursue Hermetic spirituality for their own sake.
Although it can often help to have other spiritual practices for the experiences and knowledge they confer, the work of the Hermetic Synaxis is intended for householders, in the sense of people managing homes, families, and jobs, who are as much engaged in spiritual work as they are social clubs or playing with pets and spending time commuting. The Way of Hermēs is open to all who are interested and willing to walk it, which also includes anyone regardless of what sort of life they lead so long as they are willing to lead it in a way oriented by the teachings of Hermēs Trismegistos. To that end, the practices of the Hermetic Synaxis are designed to be robust enough to be straightforward to implement, portable for various living or travel situations, and light on tools and supplies that focus on things that are easily accessible. In some cases, certain matters can be left up to one’s custom to play off one’s other religious, cultural, or social practices; in other cases, one can take liberties or leniences to fit their work or schedules according to their own availabilities. So long as one is willing to do the work of the Hermetic Synaxis, the work itself is designed to be accessible and accommodating to one’s life.
Due to the development of the Hermetic Synaxis, it should also be noted that this is not a reconstructionist endeavor, in the sense that the Hermetic Synaxis cannot claim to be a faithful reproduction of what mystically-minded priests were doing in Roman-era Egypt to pursue the Way of Hermēs. Although there is some notion of what such priests and their students were doing in such a context, that same context is as foreign as it is inaccessible to modern people outside such a time period, location, and culture, with much more being unknown in concrete terms about their practices and customs. Although there is much inspiration from classical texts, both that which is specifically Hermetic as well that which is more broadly Greco-Egyptian, there is no claim to make that the Hermetic Synaxis is a continuation or revitalization of “authentically” classical Hermeticism, only that it is an implementation to engage with classical Hermetic spirituality.
2.2.2. An Embodied Approach to Spiritual Practice⁑
Although it is true that the Way of Hermēs has us seek a way out of incarnation by means of “the way up” as a form of salvation, it does not have us utterly forsake incarnation, either. From a Hermetic perspective, it is only a problem for people to be unwillingly incarnated, to be so attached or addicted to incarnation that they cannot but be embodied and chain themselves to the suffering of the body as part of the experience of their own soul; that is what Hermetic practice seeks to free us of. Incarnation, in and of itself, is not a bad thing, and indeed allow us to fully experience all of creation. The Hermetic Synaxis likewise sees the body as something beautiful, something to be cherished and cultivated, and something to use for spiritual ends just as we would for any other end in the world. After all, our very lives “down here” are incarnate, and thus we need to start where we are to begin the Way of Hermēs.
A number of esoteric traditions make use of “astral temples”, ethereal constructions of the mind or spirit wherein one performs spiritual practices apart and away from the body, whether as imagined exercises or as out-of-body experiences, but in either case not relying on the body. The degree to which such approaches are made use of differs from context to context, but in the Hermetic Synaxis, such an approach is not generally prescribed. Rather, when a ritual, offering, or other kind of ceremonial work is performed, it is intended to be performed corporeally, using the gestures and motions of the body with material substances and physical tools to perform such work. Although there are times when one might engage in purely ethereal experiences, such as in communion with a particular deity, such occasions are grounded in and framed by corporeal rites and processes. To this end, all the scripts for ceremonial works of the Hermetic Synaxis should always be done “in the body” rather than as a purely out-of-body process.
Some ceremonial works, like the Orkhēsis or the Koinōnia, make use of the imagination, augmenting physical and external actions and gestures with mental, emotional, or otherwise subtle experiences produced internally. Imagination, in this sense, is the ability to produce and experience an internal reality; dreams and memory are forms of imagination, but in general, imagination should be considered as a skill to be cultivated whereby one may better, more easily, more quickly, or more thoroughly construct an internal reality. Although the word “image” generally connotes a visual experience, in terms of imagination, an image can be any sort of internal reality: the feel of an orange peel, the pressure of being at the bottom of a pool, the smell of frankincense are all images in the imagination as opposed to being things that one merely looks at. When using the imagination is called for in the works of the Hermetic Synaxis, they are generally grounded in and guided by physical acts; these physical acts must always be done, while the use of imagination may vary over time or from person to person. Using the imagination to augment and supplement ceremonial works is always encouraged, but is secondary to actually performing such works corporeally and should not be thought of as a sole replacement for them. Only in cases where one is utterly unable to perform such works in the body should the imagination be used to replace them, but such situations should be passing rare, indeed.
In the case of physical injury, disability, or other impediments to motion or strength, ceremonies that involve particular gestures may be altered within reason to accommodate such situations. Such gestures and motions should still be done and not simply imagined, but they may be done in a diminished manner. For instance, if one is unable to hold a bowl of water up above an altar for the duration of a particular prayer, then one may simply wrap their hands around it while reciting it; if one cannot bend over fully to touch the feet, then they may bend forward as far as they can and point the hands at the feet; if one cannot ritually strike the sternum due to pain, a token tap may be made on the sternum instead. Although physical action through gesture and motion is important for the performance of ceremonies that require them, they do not need to be made arduous or a cause of suffering for the mere sake of doing them.
2.2.3. What It Looks Like⁑
Although the practices of the Hermetic Synaxis are many and varied, consisting of different types of rituals to be done over the course of a month or a year on an ongoing basis, it can help to consider the Hermetic Synaxis to be like a house that one builds. One first lays out a foundation, then sets up the supports and walls, then the roof; finally, within the space inside, the person who lives in the house fills it with all sorts of things. For the Hermetic Synaxis, the foundation is a routine prayer to be done every day, the supports are a cycle of four events to be done across a lunar month, and the roof is a yearly ritual that acts as the capstone of Hermetic Synaxis practice; beyond that, there are many rituals of offering, communion, and other expressions of devotion, reverence, study, and mysticism to facilitate spiritual development and fill one’s spiritual edifice with all sorts of beauty and divinity. Depending on one’s preferences and approach to the practice, there might be more or fewer such ceremonies, so long as the essential practices that the Hermetic Synaxis itself is constructed from are maintained. In the end, all these practices are meant to support, structure, and guide a Hermetic lifestyle, a way of life that walks the Way of Hermēs.
So long as one is willing to set aside the time and put forth the effort, anyone can engage with the work of the Hermetic Synaxis, at least on their own as an independent practitioner. In more concrete terms, this means that someone must be willing to:
Learn from the Hermetic texts
Participate in the monist philosophy and polytheistic theology of classical Hermeticism in a ceremonial context
Grow and develop oneself spiritually, not just in a technical sense but also in a moral and ethical one
Elevate oneself to experience and engage in the works of and beyond the cosmos to as to fulfill both their fate and divine providence
These are less requirements and more aspirational qualities for someone who wants to engage with the work of the Hermetic Synaxis. However, to be a practitioner as part of a group, there are specific requirements that can render someone eligible or ineligible to join a group. Besides other requirements a group might have within reason, a group member must be:
Willing to walk on the Way of Hermēs to develop themselves and support their fellow siblings of humanity
Applying to join of their own free will and awareness
Not automatically or permanently expelled from any other group of the Hermetic Synaxis
Not currently a member of another group of the Hermetic Synaxis
In good legal standing with the broader community where they live
Many of the ceremonial procedures throughout the Stoiba contain optional parts or demonstrate different levels of rigor or involvement to allow practitioners, whether on their own or as a group, to decide how deeply to engage with them. Despite the number of ceremonies and ritual practices given in the Stoiba, only a few such practices are essential or required to participate in the Hermetic Synaxis, but they are all worth doing at least once and especially regularly due to how they help us all develop spiritually and mystically.
In order to participate in the Hermetic Synaxis, the essential practices for all practitioners, whether independent or in a group, are:
Leitūrgia, the daily prayer routine, done at least once a day
Katharsis, the monthly ritual of purgation, done once a lunar month around the conjunction of the Moon and Sun
Iasis, the monthly ritual of remediation, done once a lunar month around the opposition of the Moon and Sun
Hypsōsis, the yearly ritual of exaltation, done once a year when Mercury is in Virgo
For a group practitioner, the essential practices are those along with the Synodos, the group support meeting, done twice a lunar month around the quarter Moons.
While a single performance of the Leitūrgia might take no more than 15 minutes at minimum (or 30 minutes total if done twice a day), one should feel free to take their time or to include other prayers as appropriate and as desired, spending more time in prayer as one feels appropriate. The Katharsis, Iasis, and Hypsōsis each take an hour or less to do, and the Synodos can take an hour on its own plus any time spent afterwards in camaraderie and leisure with one’s fellow group members. While this time taken is certainly nontrivial and adds up, the whole approach of the Hermetic Synaxis is to focus on what might reasonably and realistically be implemented by householders with jobs, commutes, families, pets, social lives, and other activities or obligations, as well as other religious or spiritual practices or traditions they might have. Those who have the willingness, time, energy, and resources to do more should certainly try to involve the various other offerings and rituals the Hermetic Synaxis provides, but even just doing the minimum is sufficient for helping oneself develop spiritually along the Way of Hermēs.
2.2.4. Examples of Practitioners’ Practices⁑
To give examples of what the day-to-day lives of Hermetic Synaxis practitioners can be like, consider Kayla, an independent practitioner. After finding the Stoiba online out of curiosity one day, reading through it all, and deciding to put it the basics of it into practice, she begins her day in the morning with washing her face and brushing her teeth, and after tending to her cats, she settles down at her altar for her morning spiritual routine. Approaching the altar respectfully, she kneels, meditates for fifteen or so minutes, then recites the usual prayers for daily practice, about another fifteen minutes. She then rises and does some breathing exercises to fully get herself ready for the rest of her day: she gets herself dressed, gets a lunch packed with her usual stuff, and heads out to work. Later that evening, she comes home, but on her way sees the first sliver of the crescent of the Moon; she had forgotten that it was the start of a new lunar month, so upon getting home and getting settled in, she freshens up, approaches her altar once more, lights a candle and some incense with a cup of water, and makes an offering with some prayer to mark the new month. After that, she enjoys the rest of her evening, and goes to bed. So goes another day in her life: wake up, morning spiritual routine, work and play, perhaps something spiritual in the evening (but not generally), relax or go out, go to bed.
About a dozen days later, Kayla begins her day as normal, but packs a vegetarian lunch for work that day; it’s getting close to the Full Moon, and she has no other plans that night, so she plans to take advantage of her free time that evening to do the Iasis, one of the big routine events that she does every month as part of practice, and which requires a bit more mindfulness and preparation. After getting home, she takes a shower and puts on a nice white dress she keeps ready for nicer events, and gets set up for the ritual, taking about an hour total from start to finish. The smell of warm bay leaves scenting her apartment from it, she closes her ritual and takes care of quiet things around her house, getting a (still vegetarian) bite to eat; she’ll save her egg-and-sausage burrito for tomorrow morning, but now that it’s late, she quaffs the ritual drink she had prepared earlier, then gets herself ready for bed. In about two weeks’ time, she does something similar for the Katharsis ritual around the New Moon. Besides the Katharsis and Iasis and her daily prayers, which she does only once a day rather than twice (she finds it easier to focus in the morning than in the evening), Kayla hasn’t done too many of the other rituals in the Stoiba, which suits her fine. She marks the start of the lunar months with a simple offering as a holdover from her older days dabbling in witchcraft, but she’s giving herself time to build up her practice from month to month or season to season.
Kayla’s online friend, Nicholas, on the other hand, has been more involved in Hermetic Synaxis stuff. Like Kayla, he has a full-time job and goes out with his friends, and besides that pursues his own practice with the Hermetic Synaxis; unfortunately, they live too far from each other and don’t know enough people in person to form their own groups, but they still keep in touch and help each other with their own insights and check-ins for their practices. Nicholas, coming from a more religious pagan background, takes on more offerings than Kayla does, not only to mark the New Moon but also other phases, the Sun entering into signs of the Zodiac, and to other deities besides as part of his own Hermetic practice. Each offering on its own doesn’t take too long (unless he wants it to be or has more to ask for), sometimes folding them into his own prayer routine (which he does both in the morning once he wakes up and at night just before he goes to bed), but otherwise does the same prayers and the same Katharsis and Iasis rituals that Kayla does at about the same time. Something Nicholas has been getting more involved in on his own is beginning his work of Koinōnia, a set of more intimate offerings made to celestial and cosmic entities to better induct himself into their powers; this is a more mystical and theurgic work than other offerings he’s made, and plans to set aside an hour or two a month to do such a month by month, each month focusing on a different such entity.
Somewhere else some morning, Blake wakes up and, much like Kayla and Nicholas, washes their face and brushes their teeth and gets themselves dressed and does their daily prayers and energy work before moving onto the rest of their day. It’s been about a week since they did the Katharsis and another week yet until they do the Iasis, which means it’s about the waxing quarter Moon—which means it’s time for them to meet up for the Synodos. Unlike Kayla and Nicholas, Blake is a member of a group of the Hermetic Synaxis; they and a few of their friends, some time back, found the Stoiba and, coming from their own occult backgrounds, decided to form a group of their own to do the work together. For the most part, Blake’s practice looks much like an independent practitioners, right down to doing offerings or the Katharsis or Iasis on their own, with the only added addition of showing up to the Synodos every other week or so at the quarter Moons. Blake considers this a good means to keep up with the rest of their group, especially since their own housing situation and work schedule keeps them from holding or doing other groupwork particularly often; for Blake, the only group activity they do is the Synodos, plus meeting online when the group needs to handle some decision or plan something. Setting aside the rest of the time that Kayla or Nicholas might as well as an extra hour or two every other week (sometimes the Synodos after-meeting meal runs pleasantly long), Blake keeps up with the rest of their life as much as anyone else might.
On the other hand, Imani is also part of the same group as Blake, but since she tends to be more free with her time as a freelancer, she’s able to participate in more events with the group. Besides just the Synodos, she often opens up her apartment to the rest of her group for them all to hold Katharsis and Iasis rituals together, along with other offerings or events as schedules might allow. She only does prayers once a day in the evening (unlike Kayla, Imani likes focusing more as she winds down to go to bed) and doesn’t do a lot of lunar or solar observations (unless the rest of the group wants to), but she keeps up with the more major events as she can for the sake of the group, and spends a good part of her private time doing the Koinōnia rituals to facilitate her own spiritual development and to play off her other astrological practices outside the Hermetic Synaxis. Having served in the group in its official roles several times now, she has a good sense for arranging things and what the needs of the group are and who tends to be good at what, so while she’s not the only one to run events for the group or arrange for group management, she’s certainly among the more involved ones that way.
Kayla, Nicholas, Blake, and Imani are all examples of what a lived practice in the Hermetic Synaxis can look like: some might take things step-by-step at the bare minimum, while others engage with the practices more deeply, or focus on certain aspects for their own development more than others.
2.2.5. Variations in Practice⁑
The texts of the Stoiba establish the practices of the Hermetic Synaxis for all to engage with them in a uniform, structured way. Every part of these practices were designed intentionally to fulfill a particular spiritual need in a particular manner, whether for one’s own spiritual development, for the sake of a group’s well-being, or for one’s integration and harmony with the cosmos as a whole. Because of this, within one’s means and ability to do so, these ceremonies are intended to be done precisely as written. There are many opportunities given in the Stoiba for customizing or adapting one’s specific approach to the Hermetic Synaxis, especially in terms of how or whether certain prayers are said routinely, whether one wants to take a more or less formal approach to some ceremonies, or what choices to make for determining the dates and times of performing certain rituals; however, outside of these, the ceremonial procedures of the Hermetic Synaxis should be done as close as possible to how they are written.
Despite this, it is inevitable to the point of being expected that not everyone will perform these ceremonies exactly as written for one reason or another. In some cases, one might be lacking for time or energy to perform a full ceremonial procedure and might need to pare it down; in other cases, one might use Hermetic Synaxis ritual procedures for their own needs without following the whole of the Hermetic Synaxis approach; in yet other cases, one finds a particular procedure unable to “click” with them and requires some sort of further alteration to integrate it into their own spiritual practices more generally. For these and other reasons, when working on one’s own, some people will likely change these procedures to suit their needs.
Likewise, for members of a group of the Hermetic Synaxis, it is expected that everyone should follow the same ritual procedures, at least when operating as a group if not also when operating on their own. It is more important for groups to follow the procedures of the Hermetic Synaxis as written than for individuals, since performing ceremonies as a group requires more coordination and synchronization among all those involved. Even then, groups may decide to vary or alter their approach to particular ceremonies beyond what is already indicated in the Stoiba for the same reasons individuals might.
Because neither independent practitioners as well as groups require oversight from any other practitioner or group, nobody can tell them that they are wrong for adapting the practices of the Hermetic Synaxis to suit their own needs. However, in introducing their own personal variations to these practices beyond what was intended, they also simultaneously assume responsibility for such approaches in their own rituals and the risks of performing them in an unintended way. The more one adapts and changes these rituals, especially in fundamental ways that alter the overall aim of engaging with them or the means by which we reach such aims, the less one can be said to perform the work of the Hermetic Synaxis. To that end, when variation and adaptation is required beyond what the texts already indicate as being acceptable, it should be done in a way that respects and maintains the goals and methods of the Hermetic Synaxis, and even then, only varied or adapted as necessary and as far as necessary to do so.
In all cases, however, whether or not one performs the ceremonies of the Stoiba exactly as written or with one’s own variations, such ceremonial procedures are always intended to be passed down, exactly as written, whether merely by text or when being taught by one to another, so that everyone who engages with the Hermetic Synaxis can learn exactly how to do things as they were intended to be done. The Stoiba may change over time, but there is a specific process for doing so involving universal group review and accountability to ensure the sensibility and compatibility of such changes. Outside of this and outside of those variations permitted by the Stoiba, none of these procedures should be passed down with personal variations as the Stoiba itself so as to not introduce spurious, surreptitious, or unintended changes in the Hermetic Synaxis.
2.2.6. Respecting Directionality at One’s Location⁑
Many spiritual traditions ascribe importance of one kind or another to the directions, especially the four cardinal directions as well as the realms of above and below. However, many factors both cultural and geographic determine the specific associations such directions have, and moving from one place to another can sometimes introduce problems with maintaining such symbolism and associations. Some traditions get around this by using symbolism independent of geography, relying instead on cosmic associations rather than earthly ones or which envision their ceremonies to overlap in location with an ideal or spiritual realm where certain directional associations are absolute independent of any mundane considerations.
In the context of the Hermetic Synaxis, the only significant distinction made regarding direction is whether one is in the northern hemisphere above the Earth’s equator or in the southern hemisphere below it. Because the two hemispheres of the Earth experience the seasons, the daily travel of the Sun, and the rotation of the stars around the two poles differently, certain ceremonies and practices accommodate this by performing certain actions at different times of the year, rotating in different directions for particular gestures, and placing certain spiritual entities at different directions. When relevant, these distinctions are noted explicitly in the Stoiba; where not relevant, one may use whatever directional associations one may choose.
In the case where one normally lives and works in one hemisphere but travels or moves to the other, even if only for a short time, any ceremonies or spiritual practices that they would do should match the hemisphere that they find themselves in when they do it, rather than matching the hemisphere they started such a practice in or which they are otherwise accustomed to.
2.2.7. Avoidance of Prescribing Correspondences⁑
The Hermetic Synaxis is intended to be implemented as a system of spiritual work by anyone as well as to operate alongside other traditions, whether integrated with them or only alongside them while still being separate. Because of this, although all practitioners of the Hermetic Synaxis should be able to readily recognize their shared work between them as they are all fundamentally engaging in the same practices, particular specifics between them may differ based on their own customs, traditions, and cultures. This may be especially noted regarding correspondences of particular plants, minerals, scents, colors, and other factors as they might relate to the planets, signs of the Zodiac, deities, or other spiritual entities or forces. Many spiritual traditions, grimoires, and other resources often prescribe one set of correspondences or another for their work, sometimes overlapping and sometimes not, all the while being effective regardless.
Because of this, the Stoiba of the Hermetic Synaxis does not prescribe its own set of correspondences for most purposes, but both permits and encourages practitioners of the Hermetic Synaxis to use their own sets of correspondences based on their own spiritual background and prior education or experiences. There are points at which some specific materials are called for in the ceremonies of the Hermetic Synaxis or which some specific associations are indicated according to classical texts, but in general the Stoiba leaves these choices open to the custom and preference of oneself or one’s group so long as such choices are consistent across ceremonies.
2.2.8. Avoidance of Gender-Specific Approaches⁑
Many spiritual traditions often make use—and sometimes heavy use—of sex-based or gender-based symbolism. While can often be good reason to do so and while there is some measure of this found in the classical Hermetic texts, all too often such use of symbolism is extrapolated into both philosophical and practical matters that end up hindering or constraining matters in ways that only end up perpetuating cultural biases about sex and gender. The causes for this are as many as spiritual traditions themselves and such problems are not limited to any one particular tradition, culture, or worldview. This is, however, sometimes especially common in Western esoteric contexts, and has played out in many approaches to magic, spirituality, and theurgy in ways that often leave people of one sex or gender feeling excluded, belittled, or otherwise made to feel “other”.
To that end, the Hermetic Synaxis takes a different approach that completely does away with sex-based or gender-based concerns for the purposes of its philosophical and practical models. Although some limited use of sex-based or gender-based symbolism is present to a limited degree in classical Hermetic texts or discussions where it is meaningfully relevant, in general, the Hermetic Synaxis avoids such things where possible. This is most prevalent in prayers directed towards the Godhead; although classical texts, due to the gendered nature of various language, usually use masculine forms of address and reference to the Godhead, the texts and prayers used in the Hermetic Synaxis are rewritten to avoid any such use in English. When terms like “lord” or “king” are used, however, these should be understood in an etymologically gender-neutral sense and not in a culturally-accrued gendered one. Specific deities, however, tend to maintain their gendered terms of address and reference given their long-standing cultural and mythic views. If one feels that these changes do not go far enough, they are free to vary such invocations, prayers, and references as needed in accordance with the above guidance about varying one’s practice.
For the purposes of the Hermetic Synaxis, all of humanity is equally entitled and encouraged to the Way of Hermēs. As such, there is no restriction on sex, gender, sexuality, or other such concerns as to who may engage in the work of the Hermetic Synaxis, whether as an independent practitioner or as a member of a group, whether as a participant in ceremonies or as a leader of them. Although individual groups may impose certain restrictions on group membership that apply to that specific group, groups are not permitted to restrict membership on a wide assortment of qualities or qualifications; for more on this, see the section about qualifications for membership under the chapter Group Procedures.
2.2.9. Against Profiteering⁑
To better cultivate an attitude of integrity and honesty among practitioners of the Hermetic Synaxis while leading them away from greed and dishonest wealth, consideration towards the involvement of money and profiting in one’s spiritual practice must be given by those involved in the Hermetic Synaxis, whether as independent practitioners or as members of groups. It is unfortunately an all-too-common pitfall for many people engaged in spiritual matters to allow reasonable concerns over finances and wealth to become a dominating influence that subjugates spirituality to mundane concerns, and so there are specific exhortations that must be remembered to safeguard oneself in a Hermetic way of spirituality and to develop the virtues of generosity and charity without putting one at too much of a disadvantage for one’s work.
When performing any kind of prayer, offering, ritual, or other ceremony of the Hermetic Synaxis for others, no such undertaking may have any sort of fee associated with it, whether done as an individual or by a group. Should any prayer, offering, ritual, or other ceremony of the Hermetic Synaxis be performed for or on the behalf of someone else, whether they are a practitioner of the Hermetic Synaxis or outside the Hermetic Synaxis entirely, such a recipient may contribute any material supplies required for it (e.g. incense, oil, flowers, etc.) as a donation, but such donations should not be expected or required, nor may money be accepted for it even as a donation.
When teaching or guiding people in the Way of Hermēs generally, money or other supplies may be accepted as a donation or a modest fee may be charged, but not both. Any fees that might be charged should not be required of someone in financial hardship if it would prevent them from learning about or participating in the Way of Hermēs generally.
When teaching or guiding people in the Hermetic Synaxis specifically, money or other supplies may be accepted as a donation, but no fee may be charged beyond only that which is necessary to cover any costs of hosting such an educational undertaking. Whenever possible, any such fees should not be required of anyone in financial hardship if it would prevent them from learning or participating in the Hermetic Synaxis specifically. Any excess money received from charging fees should be donated to a local charity without delay.
Within a group context, further restrictions on donations and monetary resources apply to maintain the integrity of group members individually as well as the group as a whole; for more information, see the sections about receiving donations and handling money under the chapter Group Procedures. Likewise, there are also restrictions on monetary and commercial concerns regarding sharing the Stoiba itself; for that, see the terms regarding noncommerciality in the Adeia.