The Origin of My Name

TRISMEGISTA:

A "feminized" version of the name Trismegistus, from Hermes Trismegistus, the first Alchemist. The name Trismegistus translates as "three-times wise" or "three times ready to take on the world" in Greek. Hermes Trismegistus is a combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. In Hellenistic Egypt, the god Hermes became the Greek name Thoth.

In Kabbala, Hermes Trismegistus has been described as a contemporary of Moses, communicating with God using an alternate wisdom.

Both Thoth and Hermes were gods of writing and of magic in their respective cultures. Both gods were psychopomps, guiding souls to the afterlife.

Hermes Trismegistus was credited with thousands of writings, including The Hermetica, which is a series of papyri containing spells and induction procedures.

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, The Hermetica was very popular. The "hermetic tradition" refers to alchemy, magic, astrology and related subjects. The texts deal with both the "philosophical" and "technical" aspects of alchemy. One of the most popular "spells" from The Hermetica was how to magically protect objects, which is where we get the term "Hermetically sealed".

And on a funny note, if any of you are familiar with the novel, "The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," then you know that my parents were making a joke about how they remembered what name to baptize the child with. In the novel, Tristram was supposed to be baptized "Trismegistus" after Hermes Trismegistus, but the maid forgot the name on the way to the baptism.