Editing Hermeticism (section)

===Cosmology and theology===
====God as 'the All'====
In the [[Hermetica#Religio-philosophical Hermetica|religio-philosophical ''Hermetica'']], the ultimate reality is called by many names, such as God, Lord, Father, Mind (''[[Nous]]''), the Creator, the All, the One, etc.<ref>{{harvnb|Festugière|1944–1954|loc=vol. II, pp. 68–71}}; {{harvnb|Bull|2018|p=303}}.</ref> In the Hermetic view, God is both the all ([[Ancient Greek|Greek]]: ''to pan'') and the creator of the all: all created things pre-exist in God<ref name="Copenhaver 1992 216">{{harvnb|Copenhaver|1992|p=216}}.</ref> and God is the nature of the cosmos (being both the substance from which it proceeds and the governing principle which orders it),<ref>{{harvnb|Festugière|1944–1954|loc=vol. II, p. 68}}.</ref> yet the things themselves and the cosmos were all created by God. Thus, God ('the All') creates itself,<ref>{{harvnb|Bull|2018|p=303}}</ref> and is both [[Transcendence (religion)|transcendent]] (as the creator of the cosmos) and [[Immanence|immanent]] (as the created cosmos).<ref name="Copenhaver 1992 216"/> These ideas are closely related to the [[Stoic physics|cosmo-theological views of the Stoics]].<ref>{{harvnb|Festugière|1944–1954|loc=vol. II, p. 70}}.</ref>

====''Prima materia''====
{{main|Prima materia}}
[[File:Lotto Capoferri Magnum Chaos.jpg|thumb|''Magnum Chaos'', wood-inlay by [[Giovan Francesco Capoferri]] at the [[Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo|Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore]] in [[Bergamo]], based on a design by [[Lorenzo Lotto]].]]

In Hermeticism, ''prima materia'' is a key concept in the alchemical tradition, representing the raw, undifferentiated substance from which all things originate. It is often associated with [[Chaos (cosmogony)|chaos]], the formless and potential-filled state that precedes creation. The idea of ''prima materia'' has roots in [[Magic in the Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman traditions]], particularly in [[Orphism (religion)|Orphic]] cosmogony, where it is linked to the [[cosmic egg]], and in the biblical concept of ''[[Tehom]]'' from Genesis, reflecting a synthesis of classical and Christian thought during the Renaissance.{{sfnm|1a1=Fowden|1y=1986|2a1=Copenhaver|2y=1992}}

In alchemy, ''prima materia'' is the substance that undergoes transformation through processes such as ''[[nigredo]]'', the blackening stage associated with chaos, which ultimately leads to the creation of the [[philosopher's stone]]. This transformation symbolizes the ''[[magnum opus (alchemy)|magnum opus]]'' ('Great Work') of the alchemist, seeking to purify and elevate the material to its perfected state. Renaissance figures like [[Paracelsus]] expanded on this concept,{{efn|{{harvnb|Khunrath|1708|p=68}}: "[t]he light of the soul, by the will of the Triune God, made all earthly things appear from the primal Chaos."}} connecting it to the elements and the broader Hermetic belief in the unity of matter and spirit.{{sfnm|1a1=Ebeling|1y=2007|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=2012}}

The significance of ''prima materia'' in Hermeticism lies in its representation of the potential for both material and spiritual transformation, embodying the Hermetic principle of "[[as above, so below]]", where the [[macrocosm and microcosm]] reflect each other in the alchemical process.{{sfnm|1a1=Copenhaver|1y=1992|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=2012}}