Jorge Ben Jor’s A Tábua de Esmeralda and Hermeticism — one of the most fascinating albums I’ve ever rediscovered
I’ve recently been going deeper into Hermeticism, alchemy and the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, and suddenly Jorge Ben Jor’s 1974 album A Tábua de Esmeralda feels completely different to me.
I always knew the album was special, but I hadn’t realized just how deeply its imagery connects to Hermetic and alchemical ideas.
The title itself refers to the Emerald Tablet (Tabula Smaragdina), the famous Hermetic text traditionally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus and associated with the principle usually summarized as “As above, so below.”
Then you start looking at the songs and it gets even more interesting.
There’s “Hermes Trismegisto e Sua Celeste Tábua de Esmeralda,” which directly references Hermes and the Emerald Tablet. There’s “Os Alquimistas Estão Chegando os Alquimistas,” turning the mysterious figure of the alchemist almost into a joyful Brazilian procession. And throughout the album you find references to transformation, nature, matter, spirituality, love and the relationship between the earthly and the divine.
What fascinates me is the contrast.
Hermeticism and alchemy can feel extremely obscure when you encounter them through old manuscripts, occult diagrams and philosophical texts. Jorge Ben Jor takes these ideas and puts them inside samba, acoustic guitar and Brazilian everyday life. Suddenly alchemy sounds warm, playful and alive.
And perhaps that actually fits Hermeticism better than it seems. Give it a listen!