The Kybalion Introduction

BACK TO THE KYBALION, CHAPTER 1
BACK TO THE KYBALION, SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES
ALSO VISIT MERCURY, THE GOD OF THE CROSSROADS
ASTROLOGICAL INFORMATION ABOUT MERCURY

The Greek god Hermes is related to the later Roman god Mercury and has many facets. They are both related to Hermes Trismegistus. For example when Marcilio Fasino translated the book for Cosimo Medici, it was actually called Mercurii Trismegistis liber de potestate et sapientia dei/Marsilium Ficinum traducdturs ad Cosmum Medicem. Let's look at some more of the attributes of the Messenger God Mercury, his more familiar name in astrology.

One of his roles was psychopomp, or Guide to the Underworld. Mercury took souls down to the underworld. A famous myth, for example, is Orpheus and Eurydice. Mercury takes Orpheus down and brings Eurydice up ... but the story ends tragically. Mercury also show Aeneas his father's ghost in The Aeneid.

Thus, Mercury is the god of thresholds and rites of passage. He is the liminal god, of twilight and dawn. He rules places where two things seemed joined and yet not joined, places that aren't clearly one thing or another. When you stand at the Crossroads of Life, Mercury is the god to invoke. [The ancient gods represent forces in the psyche.]

Mercury serves Zeus, the King of the Gods, as his messenger. He takes Zeus' instructions to mortals and often runs interference for mortals and gods.

This figure of Zeus seems to be blended with that of Thor who was often depicted with ravens (two). In his left hand, Zeus holds the famous lightning bolt which he hurled at mortals. In his right hand, he holds a little winged angel. This illustration mixes images again, but demonstrates the cross-cultural consistency of representations of "messages from the gods".

Here Mercury is heading toward the three-headed Hound of Hell, Cerberus. Perhaps you met him once on a blind date.

Here Mercury, in his role as Guide and Messenger, brings Persephone and her mother Demeter into the presence of Zeus. Persephone has been raped and taken to the Underworld by the god Pluto. Demeter is an Earth Goddess who has mourned the loss of her daughter. They are going to petition for Persephone to be allowed to visit her mother above ground for six months of the year.

When a bright idea occurred to the ancients, they thought Zeus had sent Mercury! They put the forces of the psyche outside themselves. Now with depth psychology we have a different orientation but the images of the ancient gods work powerfully as symbols. Winged angels can be symbolic of this as well.

In a purely alchemical representation of Mercury, he rises form the oceanic alembic and carries the world with him. You can see the Sun and the Moon. On Mercury's back is the caduceus. This has become a symbol for medicine. Mercury/Hermes also had a healing aspect.

MERCURY AS DEPICTED IN GREAT ART

Mercury doesn't seem to have inspired much depiction in art except in connection with a few famous stories; for example, Aeneas trip to the Underworld and the the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. He appeared frequently enough in other myths and stories such as the Trojan War and the Odyssey but doesn't seem to have inspired much art, relative to , say, Venus.

And now, to the sublime world of great art, this is a painting of Orpheus, Eurydice and Mercury in their mythological drama. You can click the image to get a bigger version where you can see the detail of Mercury. This painting is by Charles de Sousy Ricketts (English, 1866-1931). Here is an entire page of Orpheus and Eurydice paintings, a favorite theme for early opera as well. Mercury is the figure in the background with the winged helmet and the winged sandals. This art is presented for educational and entertainment value only.

Click to see a bigger image and detail of Mercury

Mercury appears to Aeneas (the hero of the classic Roman epic, The Aeneid) Here you can see Mercury on the rock with winged helmet, sandals and holding his caduceus. He probably has some good ideas for our hero, Aeneas, straight from Zeus the King of the Gods.

Aeneas and Mercury in the Underworld. This is not the way Mercury is usually rendered but here you can see his aspect as Guide to the Underworld very clearly. I'm sorry I couldn't find the name of artist that painted this. It was a Russian painter.