The ''Hermetic Journal'' was a quarterly journal dedicated to the Hermetic tradition, edited by
Adam McLean, and published by Megalithic Research Publications of Edinburgh.
The first issue was released in August 1978 and publication continued until 1992.
The ''Hermetic Journal'' explored
alchemy
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim wo ...
and
hermetic
Hermetic or related forms may refer to:
* of or related to the ancient Greek Olympian god Hermes
* of or related to Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary Hellenistic figure based on the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth
** , the ancient and m ...
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...
from various angles and attracted a wide range of contributors. It addressed a readership which had a deep interest in hermeticism and was primarily available only through subscription. Back issues of the ''Hermetic Journal'' are still available bound in paperback editions (about 176 pages), each covering a year.
Influence
The ''Hermetic Journal'' had a small circulation of about three to four hundred readers. It built up a network of people interested in furthering the investigation of alchemy and hermetic philosophy.
It is one of only a few English periodicals which focused on alchemy and the Hermetic tradition in the late twentieth century.
Other periodicals of the time were the academic journals
Ambix, and Cauda Pavonis, and publications by the Philosophers of Nature and the Paracelsus Research Society for members of their organizations. The ''Hermetic Journal'' distinguished itself by publishing over 1000 high quality articles. Often, these contained scholarly material from renowned authorities – such as
Gareth Knight
Sir Gareth (; Old French: ''Guerehet'', ''Guerrehet'') is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother to ...
,
Stephen Skinner,
Ithell Colquhoun
Ithell Colquhoun ( 9 October 1906 – 11 April 1988) was a British painter, occultist, poet and author. Stylistically her artwork was affiliated with surrealism. In the late 1930s, Colquhoun was part of the British Surrealist Group before ...
, Kenneth Rayner Johnson, R.A. Gilbert, Graham Knight, Hans Nintzel, Joseph Ritman, and
Joscelyn Godwin
Joscelyn Godwin (born 16 January 1945 at Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, England) is a composer, musicologist, and translator, known for his work on ancient music, paganism, and music in the occult.
Biography
He was educated as a chorister at Chris ...
.
Uniquely, the ''Hermetic Journal'' was open to articles of a speculative nature but always tried to encourage scholarly research into hermetic philosophy.
References
External links
The Hermetic Journal
{{Alchemy
1978 establishments in the United Kingdom
1992 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Alchemical documents
Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom
Magazines disestablished in 1992
Magazines established in 1978
Mass media in Edinburgh
Philosophy magazines
Western esoteric magazines