Meditations on the Tarot (book) and the difference between Hermeticism and Christian Hermeticism

[Belenus]

Also my geography colors deeply my experience.

That was I was going to ask your opinion about. Because I'm wondering if "North American Catholicism" has a different taint or colourings than for instance, Italian or French Catholicism. My "knowledge" of Catholicism comes from mostly my contacts with French people, or people who were originally immigrants from "rural Europe" as you mentioned in your first post. And it seems there's a lot more superstition or old beliefs amongst these people.

Not wanting people to read the bible reminds me of that great film The Name of the Rose.

Yes Diana. I think geography, as well as history and culture make a HUGE difference. I spent 6 months in Europe going to school and traveling. Granted that is not a huge amount of time - but I was impressed by the great differences I saw between "U.S. Catholicism" and "European Catholicism." Whereas in Europe the Catholic church predominated especially prior to the 1800s, in more ways than just religion being deeply embedded in its culture, politics, and society - here in the U.S. Catholicism was not only a minority religion - there was enormous prejudice against it. I remember even the huge controversy and outcry when Kennedy (1960s) was running for President simply because he was a Catholic. Electing a Catholic as president, much less governor, or mayor was verboten. Further throughout U.S. history Catholicism was associated with poor, undesirables - especially immigrants (Irish, Italian, etc.). Thus as a severely oppressed minority, and a religion that had to prove itself against the implacable tide of Protestantism - Catholicism developed into a vastly different strain here, than it did in Europe.

respectfully,
Belenus

[devin]

Yeah, perennialists and capital T traditionalists, who claim all religions as having an underlying unity, or, more specifically, as having a single philosophy underpinning them, are often criticized for being nothing more than a bunch of Occultists foisting their views onto every religion they come across. Maybe there's truth in this. That perennialism is a Hermetic doctrine probably adds fuel to the fire. Personally, I'm very sympathetic to a loose kind of perennialism.

What is a "loose" kind of perennialism ? Isn't there either perennialism or there isn't ?

If there is a single spiritual reality with which all humans at all times have sought to comprehend and interact, then, yes, it stands to reason that all traditions will overlap and intersect. But those traditions arose in different times, in different places, under different circumstances, so, to me, it also stands to reason that they will differ somewhat in their conclusions, emphasis, strengths and weaknesses. Maybe I should have said 'soft' or 'qualified' perennialism. You dig? Then again, it is at least possible, I suppose, that all traditions have diffused from some unknown, perhaps pre-flood, source.