“According to the doctrine of the inexorable astral influence upon human destiny which flourished in Late Antiquity, the seven heavenly spheres were initially associated with Fate and corporeal passions, since, before entering the body, the soul acquired qualities linked to each planet. These qualities would later be experienced in a distorted manner because of the corporeal condition of the human being. This process of the planets conveying and imposing Fate upon mortals is described in several Hermetic texts. In the Poimandres, divinization is preceded by the ascent through the heavenly spheres, which entails the removal of vices corresponding to each of the seven planets.
[…] in Late Antiquity, the seven heavenly spheres represented the first seven rungs of the celestial ladder by which the souls descend and ascend, along with their vehicles, before and after generation. The Hermetic teachings stress that the vehicles emanating from the descent through the heavenly spheres are inclined to receive the planetary energies in a distorted manner because of their intermingling with the four elements; therefore, the vehicles would have to be purified by the grace of Nous before any attempt of ascent.”
— Akindynos Kaniamos; “Hermetic Rebirth through the Heavenly Spheres in CH XIII” (2023)
