About two thousand years ago an evidently enlightened person wrote a document we now know as Poimandres (or Divine Pymander) as part of a series of works known as the Corpus Hermetica or Hermetic Writings. There are nowadays classified as Gnostic although there is no evidence as to the author’s name or whether he might have been a Christian, Jew or Pagan. Poimandres relates teachings on the origin of the world and humanity as supposedly revealed by a primal power, the Mind of God. At the end is a prayer and invocation of a few short verses. These are easily memorised and can be seen to contain much of the perennial wisdom in very concentrated form. As such these provide an excellent subject for meditation or non-denominational prayer. Various translations have appeared over the centuries but unless we can translate the original ourselves we must accept that translators may not have understood what they have attempted to translate. Even so, such documents, in common with all ancient myths can be understood in many different ways. Probably the best is that by G. R. S. Mead who certainly would have had a deep understanding of the material, but his version is not very amenable to modern tastes being Victorian in style and containing the apparent gender bias prevalent in religious writings of the past (more about that in a later post). Mead’s translation can be found either free or for a very low price on Apple Books. As the language is somewhat quaint I have been so bold as to make some improvements myself rather than repeat a more modern version that I have available as I am just a little suspicious of it. Here is the invocation and prayer in my words along with the short preamble in Mead’s original text. I have retained the appellation Father for God on the understanding that this it is understood that the supreme divinity is beyond all attributes and has no gender in any sense of the word.
All this befell me from my Mind, that is Man-Shepherd. Word (Logos) of all masterhood, by whom having being God-inspired I came unto the Plain of Truth. Wherefore with all my soul and strength thanksgiving give I unto Father-God.
Holy art Thou, O God, Father of the All. Whose will is manifested through your emanated powers and who wills to be known by all your own children.
Holy art Thou, who through your Word which is Your creative power, the Holy Mother, has brought into being everything that exists.
Holy art Thou, of Whom all of nature is a reflection in matter of Your Divine Thought known as the Father.
Holy art Thou, who was never made by Nature and as the source of all Powers and Forces is stronger than all, more perfect than all perfection and beyond all praise.
Accept my offering from a pure heart and soul, forever turned to you, though you be unspeakable and unutterable, yet I may approach you in silent meditation.
Hear my prayer that I don’t fail in the Knowledge of my True Self, which is one with All.
Fill me with your Power through your Grace that I may be able to enlighten those in ignorance of their true nature, my brothers and sisters, Your sons and daughters.
Through my faith, I go to Life and Light, the Mother Goddess and Father God, your first emanations. I would be perfect as You are perfect, even as You have made it my inescapable destiny.