P. D. Ouspensky
"The other philosophy followed another direction, always more or less occult, in the sense that it was always cloaked in mystery and passed on its teachings only under the cover of enigmas, allegories, and symbols. Through Plato and Pythagoras, this philosophy claimed to have come down from the Egyptian Hierophants and from the very founder of their science, Hermes Trismegistus, whence it was called "Hermetic."
The disciple of Hermes was silent; he never disputed nor did he try to convince anyone about anything. Enclosed within himself, he was absorbed in deep meditation and finally, by this means, penetrated into the secrets of Nature. He earned the confidence of Isis and entered into relations with the true initiates. Gnosis opened to him the principles of the holy ancient sciences, from which Astrology, Magic, and the Kabbala were gradually formed.
These sciences, officially called "dead," all refer to the same subject: the discovery of hidden laws which govern the universe. And they differ from the official science of physics by their more mysterious and transcendental character. These sciences constitute the Hermetic philosophy.
This philosophy is further distinguished by the fact that it was never content to be purely speculative (theoretical). As a matter of fact, it always followed a practical aim, seeking actual results; its problem was always concerned with what is called the Realisation of the Great Work.
In the book already mentioned ("L'imposition des mains," pp. 140-1), Oswald Wirth writes on the same subject:
A special reason explains why theories which were so famous in the Middle Ages and down to the 18th century have lost credit in our eyes. We have lost the key to the language in which these theories were expressed. We have quite a different way of speaking. In past times, people did not pretend to assume that they used strictly exact terms about everything. They considered that approximations were quite sufficient because the pure truth was fatally inexpressible. The ideal truth will not allow itself to be confined to any formula.
It follows from this that, in a certain sense, every word is a lie. The inner side of thought, its fundamental spirit, eludes us. This is the Deity, which continually reveals itself and which nevertheless allows itself to be seen only in its reflections. For this reason, Moses could not see the face of Jehovah.
It follows from this that when it is necessary to express transcendental ideas, one is forced to have recourse to figurative language. It is impossible to do without allegories and symbols. This is not at all a matter of choice; very often, there is no other way of making oneself understood.
Pure thought cannot be transmitted; it is necessary to clothe it with something. But this clothing is always transparent for him who knows how to see. Therefore, Hermetism addresses itself to those thinkers who are compelled by an inner voice to go into the depths of all things and remains incomprehensible to those who stop at the external meaning of words.
S. Guaita says in his book, Au Seuil du Mystère:
"To enclose all truth in spoken language, to express the highest occult mysteries in an abstract style, this would not only be useless, dangerous, and sacrilegious, but also impossible. There are truths of a subtle, synthetic, and divine order, to express which in all their inviolate completeness, human language is incapable. Only music can sometimes make the soul feel them, only ecstasy can show them in absolute vision, and only esoteric symbolism can reveal them to the spirit in a concrete way." [A New Model of the Universe, by P. D. Ouspensky]

See Also

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Hermes Trismagistus
Hermes Trismegistus
hermetic seal
Hermeticism
Hermetism
The Hermetic Tetractys