Hermeticism may be considered as the Mystery or Wisdom Tradition of the West, an esoteric tradition not necessarily limited to any one religion or mystical path, and that embraces both the theoretical and the practical. It is the study and practice of occult philosophy and magic, of a type associated with writings attributed to the god Hermes Trismegistus, "Thrice-Greatest Hermes," a deity who combines aspects of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. Hermeticism is also associated with Astrology and Alchemy. These beliefs were influential in European occult lore, especially from the Renaissance forward, when they were revived by people like Giordano Bruno and Marsilio Ficino. Hermetic magic underwent a 19th century revival in Western Europe, where it was practiced by people and groups such as the Golden Dawn and Eliphas Levi.

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