A book review today is Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy by Marlene Seven Bremner—The Emerald Tablet, the Corpus Hermeticum, and the Journey Through the Seven Spheres. This has been an absolute favorite. It’s not a simplistic or watered-down read in any way. In fact, it’s so well structured and deeply detailed from Hermetic, Jungian, alchemical, and artistic perspectives.
“Masonry is the art of building not just temples of stone, but the living temple of the soul.”
Marlene herself, being a gifted artist, explores numerous ancient alchemical images while offering her own original artwork as meditative guides. Her work reflects her personal alchemical transmutations—her wrestlings with the inner forces to unlock and heal various aspects of selfhood and evolution.
The book is divided into thoughtful parts. Part one begins with the Hermetic texts, delving into the ancient Egyptian roots of Hermeticism and then mapping its evolution through the Muslim, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. It offers a nuanced breakdown of the three branches of Hermeticism.
Part two—where things really get juicy—dives into Hermetic cosmology and alchemy: heaven and earth, the tetrad and trinity, and the harmony of fate. It outlines twelve torments ordered through the creative sphere, initiating us into a deeper understanding of the multidimensional architecture of the soul.
What follows is a profound journey through the wandering archetypes, with deep detail on each of the seven planetary forces. Each archetype is explored with approximately 20 pages of dense, meditative information that blends esoteric psychology, alchemical dynamics, and symbolic art. From Saturn’s descent into darkness to Jupiter’s expansion, from Mars’ transformational fires to the luminous essence of the Sun—this is the work of true gnosis.
Bremner also explores Venus as the joy of creation, Mercury as the etheric voice of divine mind, and the Moon as reflection of the unconscious. The final chapter offers Remunerations on the Old Path, providing a sacred pause for integration.
Originally, this book was intended as a prelude to her next volume The Alchemical Marriage, due for release in mid-2023. She explains this in our upcoming interview, sharing how the content overflowed and expanded organically into a two-volume journey.
One of the standout features is her treatment of Hermes—not just as a myth or historical figure, but also as archetype. She seamlessly weaves classical depictions and myths with her own visionary encounters and insights, providing a deeply immersive experience into Hermetic mysticism.
Her artwork alone is worth the purchase. You’ll find it saturated with symbolic layers—visions drawn from dreams and inner encounters, infused with esoteric codes and alchemical light. Through these paintings, Bremner offers more than art—she offers transmission.
This book is not only informative, it is initiatory. I now recommend it as required reading for my Demonteship students when studying planetary archetypes and Hermetic metaphysics. If you’re looking for a comprehensive, beautifully articulated guide to the inner world of Hermeticism—this is the one.
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Before proceeding, please acknowledge and accept our formal position. We do not accept the models proposed by various occult groups that portray angels or demons as abstract beings with agency or will of their own. Rather, we view them purely as representations of the practitioner’s individual psyche. We also regard the reasons for their changes over time and the similarities between cultures as evidence of a shared human unconscious, referred to by Jung as the collective unconscious.
This means it is not “the devil” that makes people do harmful things; people alone are responsible for their actions. When someone has an unhealthy relationship with these parts of the psyche, their experience can become distorted. They may require professional therapy and the guidance of a mental health professional; otherwise, they risk taking these powers of the unconscious to a dark place because those parts have been corrupted by misinformation, trauma, or both.
Our position is that each person is the ruler of their own kingdom/reality, and that spirit has no interest in human affairs and is not subject to an ego.
Accordingly, our interpretation of occult systems—from the Tree of Life and Tree of Death to the Goetia and Shem—is purely symbolic. We treat them through the IFS (Internal Family Systems) model as representational frameworks that illustrate splits within the human psyche, and we work with them in a manner similar to “duality therapy.”
Therefore, any person claiming that a spirit instructed them to do X or Y is expressing a cry for help and should be treated as such.
This is why this movement is clearly marked by the identifier “God Is Not Therapy.” We are not here to provide therapy, but to present a model of these forces and practices for the purpose of understanding, navigating, and working with one’s own unconscious. By proceeding, you acknowledge your responsibility to seek professional assistance if you are experiencing any of these issues before continuing with this work.
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Before proceeding, please acknowledge and accept our formal position. We do not accept the models proposed by various occult groups that portray angels or demons as abstract beings with agency or will of their own. Rather, we view them purely as representations of the practitioner’s individual psyche. We also regard the reasons for their changes over time and the similarities between cultures as evidence of a shared human unconscious, referred to by Jung as the collective unconscious.
This means it is not “the devil” that makes people do harmful things; people alone are responsible for their actions. When someone has an unhealthy relationship with these parts of the psyche, their experience can become distorted. They may require professional therapy and the guidance of a mental health professional; otherwise, they risk taking these powers of the unconscious to a dark place because those parts have been corrupted by misinformation, trauma, or both.
Our position is that each person is the ruler of their own kingdom/reality, and that spirit has no interest in human affairs and is not subject to an ego.
Accordingly, our interpretation of occult systems—from the Tree of Life and Tree of Death to the Goetia and Shem—is purely symbolic. We treat them through the IFS (Internal Family Systems) model as representational frameworks that illustrate splits within the human psyche, and we work with them in a manner similar to “duality therapy.”
Therefore, any person claiming that a spirit instructed them to do X or Y is expressing a cry for help and should be treated as such.
This is why this movement is clearly marked by the identifier “God Is Not Therapy.” We are not here to provide therapy, but to present a model of these forces and practices for the purpose of understanding, navigating, and working with one’s own unconscious. By proceeding, you acknowledge your responsibility to seek professional assistance if you are experiencing any of these issues before continuing with this work.
This content on this website is reservered for registered members only. Please log in to view it.