Antwerp was a crossroads of Hermetic and alchemical knowledge, especially during the Renaissance, a period when the city was a major intellectual and commercial center in Europe. Many scholars and printers spread occult works there, contributing to the transmission of esoteric traditions.

Among influential thinkers, Cornelius Agrippa, although not originally from Antwerp, saw several of his works circulate there, notably his writings on magic and Kabbalah. The publisher Christophe Plantin, a famous 16th-century printer, also published esoteric works, contributing to the spread of occult knowledge throughout Europe.

The Plantin-Moretus Museum, the former printing house of Christophe Plantin, preserves rare works related to alchemy and magic. The Saint-Charles-Borromée Church, with its hidden ornaments and symbols, is sometimes mentioned in studies on esoteric iconography. The city, with its rich history of trade and knowledge, has seen many philosophical and hermetic circles meet discreetly.

Antwerp has hosted several influential Masonic lodges since the 18th century, some connected to the major currents of European Freemasonry. The city remains today an active center of these initiatory traditions, with lodges that continue symbolic and esoteric teachings.