The following text was published in: The Ogdoadic Journal.

So what is the Ogdoadic Tradition? Essentially it is Hermetic, embracing the archetypeof and literature attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. The Hermetica is the root source of inspiration and magic in the Ogdoadic Tradition. It is distinct from its Rosicrucian and Thelemic counterparts because of its unique symbolism, its initiatory structure, the emphasis on the number eight, and the principle of Regeneration.

To understand the Ogdoadic Tradition it is important to understand the various elements that contributed to its makeup, for it draws upon many traditions and historical influences including Egyptian magic, Greek philosophy, the Mystery religions, Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism, Alchemy, the Qabalah, and Hermetic literature. The principal, archetypal symbols of the Ogdoadic Tradition appear in cultures throughout the world.

One of the Tradition’s main symbols is the House of Sacrifice. You need look no further than the Holy of Holies at Edfu (perhaps the oldest intact remnant of the House of Sacrifice) or the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome to see the ancient and unmistakable design of this House. You can also see the design in certain Mithraic artifacts: these clearly show three steps leading up to the House, wherein dwells a Mithraic youth holding the orb of sovereignty, the Sun. The triangular superstructure above contains symbols of power and initiation evidencing divine presence within the holy dwelling.

The Star of Regeneration, also a central symbol of our Tradition, has held a high place in art as disparate as Islam, the Greek Mediterranean, and Christian iconography.

Likewise the Tessera, used in both the Astrum Sophia and the Aurum Solis as a symbol of the Great Work, graces numerous sites of antiquity, including the Orpheus pavement at Gloucestershire, England.