The Hermetic Physician: The Magical Teachings of Giuliano Kremmerz and the Fraternity of Myriam

Description

* Explores Kremmerz's life, his teachings, his work as a hermetic physician, and the metaphysical and hermetic principles that guided his activities * Offers a detailed account of the distance healing practices, diagnostic methods, and rituals of the Fraternity of Myriam * Includes texts written by Kremmerz on the inner workings and magical operations of the fraternity, intended for its practicing members Giuliano Kremmerz (1861-1930), born Ciro Formisano, was one of the most influential Italian occultists, alchemists, and Hermetic masters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though he remains almost unknown to English readers. In 1896, Kremmerz began writing about natural and divine magic, healing, and alchemy through the journal Il Mondo Secreto (The Secret World). At the same time, he founded a school known as the Schola Philosophica Hermetica Classica Italica as well as a magical group, the Therapeutic and Magical Fraternity of Myriam. Within the Myriam, he sought to use Hermetic, magical, and Pythagorean principles to harness the power of the psyche and convey collective energies for therapeutic purposes and distance healing. His initiatic order would become the principal esoteric society in Italy--comparable to its British counterpart, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn--but forced to be a carefully guarded secret as Mussolini's government rose to power. In this unique compilation of essays, David Pantano presents an in-depth study of Kremmerz's life and work by his student and initiate, Italian esotericist Marco Daffi. Without holding back criticism, Daffi provides a detailed account of the history and practices of the Myriam as well as the metaphysical and Hermetic principles that guided their activities. Revealing Kremmerz's rediscovery of the occult healing of ancient mystery schools, Daffi also shows how Kremmerz laid the foundation for passing this initiatory tradition on to the new millennium. He explores the means by which Kremmerz said miracles can be performed and the way Hermetic forces affect both bodily health and mystical eroticism. Throughout this collection, David Pantano provides extensive annotations, offering the English reader essential historical and mystical context for Daffi's work. Connecting to untranslated Italian texts and elucidating Daffi's poetic style, Pantano's commentary reveals the particular tradition of Italian esoterism. Pantano also includes rare and unpublished texts written by Kremmerz and intended for the Myriam's practicing members. Combined, these papers offer a picture of the inner workings and magical operations of this fraternity, available for the first time in English.

Marco Daffi, a pseudonym for Baron Ricciardo Ricciardelli (1900-1969), was an Italian esotericist and the author of several books in Italian on hermeticism and alchemy. David Pantano is an independent researcher, translator, historian, and writer specializing in spirituality, metaphysics, philosophy, and the initiatic practices of West and East. Author of The Magic Door, he lives in Toronto.

"The Hermetic Physician is an eagerly awaited addition to the growing body of works on Italian Hermeticism, of which Giuliano Kremmerz is its modern embodiment. Heir of the Egyptian- Neapolitan current from which Cagliostro and others were born, Kremmerz sought to reveal esoteric teachings to lessen human suffering through the tool of Hermetic 'egregores.' Here, for the first time in the English language, we have the guiding principles and examples of rituals of a healer of miraculous reputation to aid us on our own inner journey and to help us be of service to others on their path as well." * Mark Stavish, author of Egregores and The Path of Freemasonry * "Pantano's excellent translations of, and insightful commentaries on, Daffi's obscure essays gives the reader a rare glimpse into the life and work of the Italian magus Giuliano Kremmerz. From his work in occult therapeutics to order documents pertaining to his Fraternity of Myriam, Kremmerz's work is finally available to the English-reading public." * Jaime Paul Lamb, author of Myth, Magick, and Masonry: Occult Perspectives in Freemasonry * "English-speaking people have been in the dark for too long about European esotericism. This fascinating book gives insight into the Italian movement in the early twentieth century, which parallels many developments in the United States." * Richard Smoley, author of A Theology of Love * "In the English-speaking world, Italian esotericism has long been synonymous with radical Traditionalist Julius Evola. However, shining a light on a fascinating but little-known corner of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Italy, The Hermetic Physician outlines the life and work of Hermeticist, magician, and healer Giuliano Kremmerz and his Fraternity of Myriam (influenced by the Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry, Martinism, Rosicrucianism, and the ancient Egyptian-Greco-Roman tradition). This volume includes texts written by Kremmerz for members of the fraternity (which was targeted and eventually closed down by the fascist regime of Mussolini) as well as a Sagittarius ritual and an Aries ritual published in Kremmerz's journal Il Mondo, never before seen in English. Other subjects discussed in this volume include the initiatic chain, the use of therapeutical genii, planetary intelligences, and the effect of the 'erotic fire' of sex on healing." * Angel Millar, author of The Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician * "Translating Marco Daffi's work, The Hermetic Physician was an obvious labor of love for David Pantano. Thanks to his and Daffi's efforts we can explore Giuliano Kremmerz's concepts of Hermetic healing and the fraternity he built around them. Don't overlook this Hermetic gem!" * Rebecca Elson, publisher of the Magical Buffet website * "Less well known--and unfairly so--outside Italy than his nearcontemporary Julius Evola, Giuliano Kremmerz would find in Marco Daffi (Baron Ricciardo Ricciardelli) a sympathetic chronicler of his Hermetic philosophy, in particular its iatric implications. Now both men have found in David Pantano a translator who does justice to their work, enabling a wider public to discover that union of matter and spirit that for Kremmerz was the sum total of reality." * David Conway, author of Magic: A Life in More Worlds Than One * "Giuliano Kremmerz was one of the most important figures in the Italian Hermetic tradition in the early twentieth century but heretofore has received little attention in the English-speaking world. The translator, David Pantano, is to be congratulated in spreading awareness of Kremmerz to a wider audience and helping to shed light on his intriguing system of Hermetic medicine." * Alex Sumner, author of The Magus Trilogy *