by Bruce Johnson —
Bruce Johnson has over 30 years of study in the fields of Ancient Wisdom and occultism. He has taught classes on a wide range of topics, from Atlantis to mediums to Zoroaster. He is also a spiritualist minister, with a background in spiritual astrology. He lives in Colorado with his wife and their cat.
Lord Ganesha or Ganesa is the benevolent elephant-headed Hindu deity known as the god of wisdom, universal order, prosperity and magic. He is the defender of humanity and the good, the remover of obstacles, and the lord of new beginnings. Thoth-Hermes is the Egyptian ibis-headed god also known as Thoth, Hermes Trismegistus, and Hermes. Thoth-Hermes is the Egyptian god of learning, the master of the Inner Mysteries, instructor of all arts and sciences, and revealer of the Divine Wisdom. He is credited by the Egyptian priest Mantheo with authoring over thirty six thousand books on diverse topics. Reviewing the lives of these two great gods shows their numerous parallels.
Both Thoth and Ganesha represent the personification of Mind and Higher Wisdom in their separate cultures. Thoth-Hermes and Ganesa are both very highly placed among the gods in the respective hierarchies of Egypt and India. Ganesa and Hermes are well-known patrons and protectors of writing, science, philosophy, medical arts, law, and libraries. Ganesa and Thoth-Hermes can be seen as divine dual solar gods with golden crowns that indicate their spiritual status and illuminated transcendent consciousness. Thoth-Hermes has a spouse named Maat, the goddess of justice, divine order, righteousness and truth. Ganesha is married to two wives named Buddhi or wisdom and Siddhi or achievement.
In addition to being the educators of humanity, Ganesha and Hermes were its loving guardians and spiritual leaders as well. Thoth identifies himself as the man-shepherd who inspires and guides mankind into the light of reality. Hermes and Ganesha are both powerful defenders of souls on the spiritual path. Thoth-Hermes and Ganesa mutually have the magical implements and knowledge to spiritually and physically protect the good. Spiritually, Ganesa patiently steers his charges into fulfilling their dharma, like Thoth in teaching humanity of God and divine truth, leads souls into finding enlightenment.
Thoth-Hermes and Ganesa were adept magicians who used occult knowledge and magical practices for the good of humanity. Ganesha and Thoth are both adepts of the hidden Inner Doctrine and are known esoterically as Serpents of Wisdom. The mystical power of the spoken word, invocation, and chanting was completely known to these two magician-gods. The subjects of creative magic, alchemy, numerology, sacred geometry, sound, color, Natural Laws, and magic-based healing methods held no secrets for them. Ganesha and Thoth can be seen on The Magician tarot card in various decks. Ganesa is The Magician in the Royal Thai tarot deck.
There are multiple correlations in the symbols connected with Thoth-Hermes and Ganesa. The number eight is central to both of these illustrious gods. The primary temple of Thoth was in Upper Egypt at Hermopolis, also called Khemennu. Khemennu was called the “city of the eight gods”. The figure eight symbolizes all dualities, opposite forces with a central point of balance, infinity, and “As Above- So Below”.
At Hermopolis, Hermes oversaw four pairs of gods. Four gods radiated active male powers, and four gods expressed passive female powers. These eight powers correspond to the eight Saktis of Ganesa. Ganesha is customarily known to express five Saktis, but he embodies three additional Saktis that humanity isn’t yet ready to apprehend. The Mudgala Purana mentions eight forms of Ganesa that presided over and were opposed to, the forces of the eight human demons. Eight is also the number of the Gnostic ogdoad.
