Hermetic teachings for the Seeker: Chapter 9: Prayer, Silence, and Contemplation
The courtyard was silent under afternoon sunlight. A gentle breeze rustled leaves. The mystic gestured for the seeker to sit on a stone bench.
“To commune with the Mind,” the mystic said, “silence and attention are required. Hermes writes: ‘The soul that is silent and attentive perceives the workings of the Mind’ (CH XII, Mind unto Hermes, XII.7–9).”
Seeker: “I try, but my mind never stops. Thoughts crowd in constantly.”
“Exactly,” said the mystic, smiling. “Silence is not the absence of thought; it is the presence of awareness. Watch thoughts arise and pass, without chasing or resisting them. Prayer is not asking; it is opening. Contemplation is not seeking; it is listening.”
The mystic gestured to a tree swaying gently. “See how the branches respond to the wind yet do not resist? Observe your inner movements in the same way. Let awareness flow around thoughts, observing their shape, rhythm, and origin. Each breath, each pause, is a conversation with the divine Mind.”
Seeker: “So I am listening, not asking?”
“Yes,” replied the mystic. “True communion is subtle, interior, experiential. Hermes teaches through observation, not instruction. Attention itself is the prayer that awakens the spark.”
Silence and contemplation are the instruments of Hermetic illumination. They do not grant external power but open the heart to inner gnosis. Awareness becomes practice; observation becomes communion. Through mindful attention, the seeker witnesses the spark in motion.
Exercise for the seeker
- Sit in stillness for ten minutes, observing thoughts.
- Note mental patterns and recurring impulses.
- Reflect on how these observations deepen awareness of the spark within.
The Witch's and Druids Den 