Trithemius and Renaissance Magic: Steganographia and Celestial Cycles

genre, making it become an important and well-known cultural center in Germany. When Abbot Trithemius was still alive, he was called "Pansophiae splendor magnus" precisely for his multifaceted and eclectic culture. An example of how much he valued study can be represented by his maxim on magic:

Study leads to knowledge, but knowledge gives light to love, love to joy, joy to community, community to strength, strength to valor, valor to power, and power works miracles. This is the only path to the realization of the magical objective, both divine and natural.

He finds ancient rituals and begins with the evocation of Spirits - Cabalistic Astrology in the Steganographia.

Tironean Notes and Ancient Manuscripts

Among the various volumes collected in the library of Sponheim, there was one dedicated to the study of Tironean notes, a series of tachygraphic signs signifying words and sometimes entire phrases that were catalogued by Tiro to stenograph Cicero's speeches rapidly. The study of these graphic signs allowed Trithemius to bring to light the original text of a series of ancient manuscripts and rituals whose key had been lost.

During this period, he communicated to his friend Bostius the completion of his book, the Steganographia, destined to become famous and containing so many marvelous things as to surprise the world. In the letter that - paradoxically - was intercepted and published due to the death of the recipient, Abbot Trithemius declared the completion of the work in four volumes of at least 100 chapters each.

In the first book of this work, more than one hundred types of secret writings would be present. In the second, a way to communicate thoughts through the use of fire at a distance of hundreds of miles without need for words, writings, or signs would be highlighted. The third book would teach a method whereby an uneducated person could learn Latin, Greek, and every other language so perfectly as to be understood by scholars, and finally:

The fourth book contains many wonderful things, although purely natural: that is, I can express my thought to someone else while eating or sitting or walking, without any word, sign, and many other things that cannot be discussed in public.

The unexpected publication of the letter created quite a stir and attracted the accusation that Trithemius practiced an illicit form of magic, so the abbot renounced the publication of his original 1499 Steganographia, dismembering it into various treatises, some of which he published in 1508, as in the case of the Polygraphia and the De Septem Secundeis, while the fundamental core of the book remained private until the first publication of 1606.

Doctrine of Cosmic Cycles and Secondary Causes

This treatise by Abbot Trithemius will have considerable relevance in the future. In this treatise, Abbot Trithemius expresses a special doctrine of planetary cycles whereby celestial intelligences corresponding to the planets operate a cyclical influence on the world and historical periods. Abbot Trithemius's doctrine is conceptually inspired by the doctrine of shemittot from Jewish mysticism, whereby each era or shemittah is governed by a particular constructive sefirah.

Since each sefirah corresponded in various Renaissance reworkings to a particular angelic intelligence ruled by an Archangel, Abbot Trithemius makes these periodic cycles correspond to the government of one of the seven fundamental Archangels. Each of these Archangels thus makes itself felt for a period of 354 years and 4 months, that is, a number of years equal to the gematric value of the Hebrew word shemittah.

Most wise Caesar, the inferior world, created and organized by a First Intelligence, which is God, is governed by Secondary Intelligences. This according to the science of the Magi which says that at the origin of heaven and earth seven spirits were placed over the Seven Planets. Each of the Spirits rules the universe in turn and in rotation for a period of 354 years and four months.

Terrestrial Astronomy

Another aspect of Abbot Trithemius that had considerable influence on future speculation was his thrust in highlighting the relationships between Alchemy and Astrology. The idea of Alchemy as terrestrial astrology was a fairly widespread idea in alchemical circles, but acquired powerful development through the translation and commentary that Abbot Trithemius made of the Hermetic Emerald Tablet.

That which is above is similar to that which is below and that which is below is similar to that which is above, so that many miracles can be obtained from one thing alone.

These reflections were grasped and deepened by another famous disciple of Abbot Trithemius, passionate about Alchemy and Spagyria, destined to become one of the most famous physicians and alchemists in history: Theophrastus Paracelsus.

The Correspondences of Paracelsus

The terrestrial astrology of Abbot Trithemius was one of the fundamental strengths of one of the greatest physicians and alchemists of antiquity, Theophrastus Paracelsus.