The belief that there is a secret, ancient body of wisdom, surviving in written texts, which accurately describes the workings of the natural and supernatural worlds; and that mastery of these texts would provide an enhanced understanding and control of nature. The belief was common in Renaissance times and persisted into the 17th century.
The secret body of wisdom was variously identified with the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, Christian Rosencreutz, the kabbala, the neoplatonists, texts of ritual magic, Egyptian hieroglyphics, or any combination of these. Devotees included Giordano Bruno, John Dee, and Robert Fludd. + prikaži više