In a small hinterland town in Northern New South Wales, a name once whispered with curiosity – the Water People – began to circulate. Some heard it with intrigue, others through hearsay and an unfortunate media spin placed on it. The term caught on, easy to repeat, hard to explain. But behind the phrase was never a religious or spiritual ‘cult’, or secretive society. Behind it were people. Real people – visionaries, artists, researchers, spiritual seekers, doctors, lawyers – living and working together to birth something unusual, perhaps even extraordinary: a life and a company devoted to the transformation of human consciousness. Even though Hermes Far Eastern Shining is not officially the ‘community’ branded ‘the water people’, it is true that people who have used our esoteric energies have been branded this way.
How the “Water People” Name Was Born
In the early days of Hermes Far Eastern Shining, some of the company’s esoteric energy demonstrations involved water. Why water? Because water has memory. It carries frequency. It is responsive, sensitive, life-giving, and, for those exploring energy work, a neutral and powerful medium through which intention can be transmitted. But this simple aspect of the Alchymie process was quickly misconstrued.
A few decades ago, media outlets covering our unconventinoal practices didn’t quite know what to make of them. They described what they saw, not what they understood. A group working with energies and water, gathered in a small town. It was easier to call it a “cult” than to investigate the finer points of Alchymie, Hermetic science, or the spiritual roots of our company’s work. And so, a nickname was born: the Water People of Tyalgum.
A Myth Born of Misunderstanding
Let’s be clear: Hermes Far Eastern Shining company is not a cult. It is a registered Australian business with over 25 years of continuous operation. Our focus is the creation and distribution of esoteric energy tools that support real spiritual transformation.
These tools are not symbolic or abstract. They are physical instruments, manifested through a rigorous and unusual process rooted in Hermetic traditions and crafted with deep spiritual intent. The “Water People” label was always an oversimplification. What some outsiders saw as strange or mysterious, we understood as sacred.
Why Tyalgum?
Tyalgum, the town where this myth took root, is more than a backdrop. It is a vortex of sorts, a spiritually potent place near the ancient volcano of Wollumbin (Mount Warning). It was here that a small group of people chose to live in community, to make art, music, raise families, gardens and beautiful things, offer spiritual service, and help steward a body of esoteric work unlike anything else on the planet.
Yes, the community around Hermes is close-knit. Yes, many of them share a spiritual path. But that doesn’t make it a cult. The principles upheld here – freedom, self-responsibility, heart service, and Divine communion – stand in direct contrast to the rigid control structures that define real cults. There is no leader to worship. No doctrine to obey. Only a shared orientation to live in truth and offer what we can to help others.
Moving Beyond the Label
The “Water People” name may still circulate. And yes, “Water People Cult Tyalgum” might still show up on search engines or whispered in forums. But to those who actually take the time to investigate, to visit, to experience the energies, a different story becomes clear.
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You find an ethical, transparent business.
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A creative and service-oriented way of life.
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Individuals committed to transformation – not indoctrination.
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Tools that don’t ask you to believe anything – only to feel, explore, and awaken.
So perhaps the name “Water People” isn’t so wrong after all, if you take it in a deeper light. Water flows where it’s needed. It transforms whatever it touches. It yields but is powerful. It remembers. It purifies. These are also the qualities of Alchymie and the essence of Transformation.
Come See for Yourself
We invite you to explore more:
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Browse Our Online Store for detailed product descriptions
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Read more about our origin story and the path of Alchymie
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Book a live demonstration or energy session – online or in person
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Email us at info@hermesfareasternshining.com with any questions
The myth may linger online. But the truth is alive, tangible, and ready to be discovered.
Hermes is not a cult, neither is the community who use our esoteric energy tools. We are creators, inventors, visionaries – Water People only in the most poetic sense.
