Editing Hermeticism (section)

===Creation, the human condition, and spiritual ascent===
====Cosmogony and the fall of man====
{{Main|Fall of man}}
A [[Creation myth|creation story]] is told by God to Hermes in the first book of the ''[[Corpus Hermeticum]]''. It begins when God, by an act of will, creates the primary matter that is to constitute the [[cosmos]]. From primary matter God separates the [[Classical element|four elements]] (earth, air, fire, and water). "[[Logos|The Word (Logos)]]" then leaps forth from the materializing four elements, which were unintelligent. Nous then makes the seven heavens spin, and from them spring forth creatures without speech. Earth is then separated from water, and animals (other than man) are brought forth. Then God orders the elements into the [[seven heavens]] (often held to be the spheres of [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]], [[Venus]], [[Mars]], [[Jupiter]], [[Saturn]], the Sun, and the [[Moon]], which travel in circles and govern [[destiny]]). The God then created [[Androgyny|androgynous]] man, in God's own image, and handed over his creation.{{sfn|Segal|1986|pp=16–18}}

Man carefully observed the creation of nous and received from God man's authority over all creation. Man then rose up above the spheres' paths to better view creation. He then showed the form of the All to Nature. Nature fell in love with the All, and man, seeing his reflection in water, fell in love with Nature and wished to dwell in it. Immediately, man became one with Nature and became a slave to its limitations, such as sex and [[sleep]]. In this way, man became speechless (having lost "the Word") and he became "[[Fall of man|double]]", being mortal in body yet immortal in [[Spirit (animating force)|spirit]], and having authority over all creation yet subject to destiny.{{sfn|Westcott|2012}}

The alternative account of the fall of man, as preserved in ''[[Isis the Prophetess to Her Son Horus]]'', describes a process in which God, after creating the universe and various deities, fashioned human souls from a mysterious substance and assigned them to dwell in the astral region. These souls were then tasked with creating life on Earth. However, the souls became prideful and sought equality with the highest gods, which displeased God. As a consequence, God instructed Hermes to create physical bodies to imprison the souls as a form of punishment. The souls were told that their time on Earth would be marked by suffering, but if they lived worthily of their divine origin, they would eventually return to the heavenly realm. If not, they would face repeated reincarnation on Earth.{{sfn|Scott|1924}}

====Good and evil====
Hermes explains in Book 9 of the ''[[Corpus Hermeticum]]'' that nous (reason and knowledge) brings forth either good or evil, depending upon whether one receives one's perceptions from God or from [[demon]]s. God brings forth good, but demons bring forth evil. Among the evils brought forth by demons are: "adultery, murder, violence to one's father, sacrilege, ungodliness, strangling, suicide from a cliff and all such other demonic actions".{{sfn|''The Way of Hermes''|1999|p=42}}

The word "good" is used very strictly. It is restricted to references to God.{{sfn|''The Way of Hermes''|1999|p=28}} It is only God (in the sense of the nous, not in the sense of the All) who is completely free of evil. Men are prevented from being good because man, having a body, is consumed by his physical nature, and is ignorant of the Supreme Good.{{sfn|''The Way of Hermes''|1999|p=47}} ''[[Asclepius (Hermetic treatise)|Asclepius]]'' explains that evil is born from desire which itself is caused by ignorance, the intelligence bestowed by God is what allows some to rid themselves of desire.{{sfn|''Asclepius''|2001|p=31}}

A focus upon the [[Economic materialism|material life]] is said to be the only thing that offends God:
{{Blockquote|As processions passing in the road cannot achieve anything themselves yet still obstruct others, so these men merely process through the universe, led by the pleasures of the body.{{sfn|''The Way of Hermes''|1999|pp=32–3}}
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One must create, one must do something positive in one's life, because God is a generative power. Not creating anything leaves a person "sterile" (i.e., unable to accomplish anything).{{sfn|''The Way of Hermes''|1999|p=29}}

====Reincarnation and rebirth====
{{See also|Reincarnation|Transmigration of the soul}}
[[Reincarnation]] is mentioned in Hermetic texts. Hermes Trismegistus asked:

{{blockquote|O son, how many bodies have we to pass through, how many bands of demons, through how many series of repetitions and cycles of the stars, before we hasten to the One alone?{{sfn|''The Way of Hermes''|1999|p=33}}
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Rebirth appears central to the practice of hermetic philosophy. The process would begin with a candidate separating themselves from the world before they rid themselves of material vices; they are then reborn as someone completely different from who they were before.{{sfn|Bull|2015}}