Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Scholar M. David Litwa joins the podcast to explore the intersections of Gnosticism, Hermeticism, and ancient astrology.
David is a historian of early Christianity and Greco-Roman religions who recently published a new translation of the Corpus Hermeticum. Together, we trace how these esoteric traditions developed and interacted in the ancient world, particularly in the cultural melting pot of Alexandria.
We discuss the emergence of Hermeticism as a synthesis of Egyptian religion and Greek philosophy, and how early Christian Gnosticism subsequently adapted many of these cosmological frameworks. A major focal point is how ancient astrology, including the ascent and descent of the soul through the planetary spheres, was integrated into these religious movements. We contrast the Gnostic view of the planets as restrictive archons keeping the soul imprisoned with the more sympathetic Hermetic view of the visible cosmos as a second God and part of divine providence.
We also take a close look at the Peratics, a unique Gnostic group that integrated technical Hellenistic astrology directly into their religion in order to map the soul’s escape from the material realm. Finally, we unpack the historical tensions between fate, providence, and free will, examining how early Christians navigated astrological determinism before figures like Augustine firmly pushed back against the practice. This conversation highlights the profound impact that Hellenistic astrology had on the broader philosophical and religious landscape of the ancient world.
This is episode 546 of The Astrology Podcast.
*David's Website and YouTube Channel*
mdavidlitwa.com
youtube.com/@m.davidlitwa
*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Introduction & David's Background
00:04:46 Alexandrian vs. Roman Christianity
00:07:27 Astrology in the New Testament
00:09:55 The Nag Hammadi Library
00:13:35 Debating the Term "Gnosticism"
00:20:57 Alexandria: Birthplace of Hermeticism
00:22:52 Dating the Corpus Hermeticum
00:27:29 Early Astrological Hermetica
00:35:18 The Cosmos as the Second God
00:46:15 Ascent of the Soul
00:54:08 Planets as Malefic Archons
00:59:42 The Gnostic Demiurge
01:06:58 The Paratai & Astrological Salvation
01:16:36 Astrology, Fate, & Free Will
01:21:17 Baptism & Freedom from Fate
01:30:21 Augustine's Anti-Astrology Bias
01:38:09 "De-astrologizing" Hermetic Texts
01:48:46 The Need for Astrological Literacy
01:50:46 Conclusion & Resources
Scholar M. David Litwa joins the podcast to explore the intersections of Gnosticism, Hermeticism, and ancient astrology.
David is a historian of early Christianity and Greco-Roman religions who recently published a new translation of the Corpus Hermeticum. Together, we trace how these esoteric traditions developed and interacted in the ancient world, particularly in the cultural melting pot of Alexandria.
We discuss the emergence of Hermeticism as a synthesis of Egyptian religion and Greek philosophy, and how early Christian Gnosticism subsequently adapted many of these cosmological frameworks. A major focal point is how ancient astrology, including the ascent and descent of the soul through the planetary spheres, was integrated into these religious movements. We contrast the Gnostic view of the planets as restrictive archons keeping the soul imprisoned with the more sympathetic Hermetic view of the visible cosmos as a second God and part of divine providence.
We also take a close look at the Peratics, a unique Gnostic group that integrated technical Hellenistic astrology directly into their religion in order to map the soul’s escape from the material realm. Finally, we unpack the historical tensions between fate, providence, and free will, examining how early Christians navigated astrological determinism before figures like Augustine firmly pushed back against the practice. This conversation highlights the profound impact that Hellenistic astrology had on the broader philosophical and religious landscape of the ancient world.
This is episode 546 of The Astrology Podcast.
*David's Website and YouTube Channel*
mdavidlitwa.com
youtube.com/@m.davidlitwa
*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Introduction & David's Background
00:04:46 Alexandrian vs. Roman Christianity
00:07:27 Astrology in the New Testament
00:09:55 The Nag Hammadi Library
00:13:35 Debating the Term "Gnosticism"
00:20:57 Alexandria: Birthplace of Hermeticism
00:22:52 Dating the Corpus Hermeticum
00:27:29 Early Astrological Hermetica
00:35:18 The Cosmos as the Second God
00:46:15 Ascent of the Soul
00:54:08 Planets as Malefic Archons
00:59:42 The Gnostic Demiurge
01:06:58 The Paratai & Astrological Salvation
01:16:36 Astrology, Fate, & Free Will
01:21:17 Baptism & Freedom from Fate
01:30:21 Augustine's Anti-Astrology Bias
01:38:09 "De-astrologizing" Hermetic Texts
01:48:46 The Need for Astrological Literacy
01:50:46 Conclusion & Resources
