I only get this because I've been listening to a lot of Esoterica at work. Hermes Trismegistus, Thrice-Great Hermes, is a sort of character invented by medieval occultists and treated as an author and founder of Hermetic mysticism. He's also both Greek Hermes and Egyptian Thoth.

Merkavah mysticism is something different but possibly related if you go way back.

[–] QuietCupcake@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ah ok, thanks for the context. I take it he was also a figure to whom the medieval occultists directed their confessions and sought absolution from? I'm still not clear on what Maeve was implying with that comment, but that's ok.

When I see "merkava" I tend to think of Judaism and now of course the infamous Israeli tank, but that's probably not relevant to the reference.

[–] Florn@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

Merkavah is specifically a kind of Jewish mysticism.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 3 points 1 day ago

It's just a blend of kabbalah lore (Hermetic and Jewish) https://lemmygrad.ml/post/12538409/8594703 and lore that's arisen from Dylan's All Along the Watchtower lyrics, as a result.

It gets pretty deep and intricate, I've been interested and studying it for several years, as time and interest waxes and wanes, but if you're inclined, here's a crash course that almost scratches the surface:

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ__PGORcBKxbM4y3wcYSObaUsr4guYAn