Theurgy in Late Antiquity
Theurgy in Antiquity
(Originally published in the Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition,n. 24 vol. 3. Thank you to Jeffrey S. Kupperman for publishing this and other articles of mine)
Looking back, I feel this paper needs some improvement and various emendations, but I present it here as I originally wrote it.
Theurgy or divine magic is
present in many different religious traditions, but its most famous form was
developed and promulgated in the Mediterranean, Egypt and Near East during the
first centuries A.D., notably by certain Neoplatonic philosophers such as
Iamblichus and Proclus. It is this theurgic stream that is the focus of the
present text.
Origins of classical theurgy
and its historical context
Classical theurgy is commonly
held to have originated in the 2nd century A.D with the famous text
we know as the Chaldæan Oracles, one of the earliest Middle Platonic works. The
account of their origin that has come down to us can be resumed as follows.
Somewhere in Syria or Mesopotamia during the late second century (150-190 A.D.),
there were two philosophers, a certain Julian the Chaldæan and his son Julian
the Theurgist. Reportedly, the father performed certain rituals to invoke the
soul of the philosopher Plato into his son who acted as a medium. Julian the
son is said to have become possessed by Plato’s soul, and then revealed the
Chaldean Oracles. The story does not end there, as the younger Julian became
famous as a powerful theurgist, and is said to have magically called down rain
to save the Roman army during a drought. He purportedly wrote four books on
theurgy.
The term “theurgy”, derived from
the Greek theourgia (“god work”), has its origin in the Chaldean
Oracles, wherein theourgoi (“theurgists”) are mentioned several times.
The Oracles themselves are a mixture of Neoplatonic philosophy with eastern
(Persian) elements, and had tremendous influence on later Neoplatonism. The
text begins by describing the highest aspects of God, how He emanates at the
lower levels, His various manifestations and subordinate entities, and it later
addresses philosophical and theurgical principles. The primary eastern
influence in the Oracles is in the notion of fire as a symbol of God’s
influence and energy; fire was sacred in the Zoroastrian religion, and it is
because of this that the Oracles were later falsely attributed to the prophet Zoroaster.
The logic behind theurgy, and its
direct association with Neoplatonism, is found in the concept of the embodied
soul, and the problem of how it may be reunited with its source while in the
body.[1] Among
the classical Neoplatonists, the fall of the soul into matter is not
necessarily viewed as a negative process. However, the imperfections of matter
require individuals to rectify their fallen state, to awaken the soul to
salvation, and ultimately to reunite with God – this is called henôsis
(‘union’). Theurgy also allows the individual, while in the body, to better
control his or her own destiny; according to the Oracles, “theurgists fall
not so as to be ranked among the herd that are in subjection to Fate”[2],
i.e., theurgists can eventually free themselves of the chains which enslave the
ordinary man and transcend fate or chance.
Historically, not all Neoplatonists
were fond of theurgy, and some even opposed it. The famous philosopher Plotinus
(204-270 A.D.) argued that mental study and contemplation of higher truths was
all that one needed to achieve enlightenment and henosis – he seems to have
been unaware of or ignored the Chaldæan Oracles. His student Porphyry even more
vehemently criticized theurgy. According to both of them, the human soul had
not fully descended into matter, and therefore there was no need for ritual and
practice to reawaken it (Ironically enough, both Plotinus and Porphyry also
recognized that matter was evil.). For them, rational thought was sufficient to
regain awareness of one’s divine origin. However, the grave deficiencies of
this approach soon became apparent, and theurgy began to be seen increasingly
as the right method to take on the path to enlightenment. The great turning
point took place with the Syrian Neoplatonist Iamblichus (245-325 A.D.), who
wrote a complex but brilliant text defending theurgy, called “The
Reply of the Master Abamon
to the Letter of Porphyry to Anebo”
– Iamblichus was for a time a student of Porphyry, and eventually they had
their disagreement over theurgy. Iamblichus’ text was a point by point reply to
Porphyry’s objections. In the Renaissance, it was given its best known title De
Mysteriis or On the Mysteries. Iamblichus successfully argued that
union with the Gods could not be achieved by mere philosophical speculation,
but only through sacred rites and theurgy: “For it is not the concept that
unites the theurgic priests to the gods: else what is there to hinder those who
pursue philosophic speculation contemplatively, from having the theurgic union
to the gods? Now, however, in actual truth, this is not the case. On the other
hand, it is the complete fulfilling of the arcane performances, the carrying of
them through in a manner worthy of the gods and surpassing all conception, and
likewise the power of the voiceless symbols which are perceived by the gods
alone, that establish the Theurgic Union. Hence we do not effect these things
by thinking.” [3]
Iamblichus’ work and approach
revolutionized the world of religion and philosophy, and made a profound
contribution to the Roman Empire’s spiritual golden age in the first centuries
A.D.
Theory and types of theurgy
According to Neoplatonic
theurgists, everything in the universe is bound together by invisible “cosmic
chains”, and peopled with Gods, angels and spirits of various kinds in multiple
hierarchies, many of whom played a part in theurgical practices. The Chaldæan
Oracles provide one such scheme with the universe divided into Empyrean,
Ethereal, and Material parts, and various deities mentioned after God and His
initial triad. I will expound on some of these entities here
a) Iynges (Greek iunges).
These entities, the highest subordinates of the Second Mind, are representative
of the thoughts of God, and are a mediating force between the divine and the
material. They are also a higher reflection of magical names and formulæ, which
the theurgist utters in order to achieve contact with higher beings. Magically,
the Iyinges were connected with the so-called Iynx or Strophalos, a magical
tool used by certain theurgists to generate power, upon which we will comment
more later in the article. The Iynges also play a role in maintaining the
course of the planetary spheres.
b) Synoches (Greek sunokheis,
“Connectors”). These entities are said to be the connecting forces of the
universe, the cosmic chains which bind everything together through universal
sympathy, and preserve the universe. They also help the theurgist’s soul to
reconnect to the higher in the sacred rites. The very rays of the Sun were said
to be “material connectors”, reflecting the divine Fire, helping the soul to
transcend the material.
c) Teletarchs (Greek teletárkhai
“masters of initiation”) were said to preside over the 3 divisions of the
universe, and were associated with the 3 virtues of Faith, Truth, and Love by which
the theurgist can unite with God. It is the Teletarchs that are referred to in
the Oracles as the “3 Supernals” in which all things exist, and by which all
things are governed. They are the forces which purify the soul and guide it on
its way back to its divine source.
Besides these entities, the
Oracles also mention archangels, angels, and daimons (i.e. spirits). The latter
are regarded as evil, and they are said to be the main source of temptation for
human souls, leading them away from the spiritual, “from the Cavities of the
Earth leap forth the terrestrial Dog-faced demons, showing no true sign unto
mortal man”.[4]
Part of the work of the theurgist consists of banishing these daimons,
liberating oneself from their influence.
The Greek Goddess Hekate is also
mentioned in the Oracles, and is equated with Nature and the world Soul.
The hierarchical system of
later Neoplatonism varies considerably. Iamblichus, for instance, posits the
following:
1- The ineffable first
principles
2- The Monad
3- The Dyad, comprising limit
and unlimited
4- One-Being
5-Intelligible Mind
6-Intellectual Mind
7- Hypercosmic Soul
8- Encosmic (Cosmic) soul
9- Souls in participation
10- The realm of Nature,
comprising All perfect souls and Gods, all the way down to humans, animals, and
matter itself.[5]
Having expounded on Neoplatonic
cosmology, we will now briefly address the different forms of theurgy. One of most
basic and common kinds of theurgy consists of communicating with a God or
Goddess through scrying to obtain revelations; countless examples of this
technique may be found in the Magical Papyri, particularly the Demotic texts
which are almost entirely dedicated to this method[6].
Another form is used to obtain more tangible effects and blessings from the
Gods, and utilizes statues of the deities to achieve contact with them by
invoking them into the statue, or specific consecrated magical objects to
achieve magical effects. Still another theurgic technique consists of invoking
the God or Goddess into the practitioners themselves as a sort of divine
possession or channeling, whereby the Deity and the theurgist’s soul is
conjoined for the duration of the rite; similar techniques had been used from
time immemorial, from shamans in various cultures, up to classical times, when
priestesses in Greek temples became possessed by deities and uttered oracles. Higher
forms of theurgy aim to transcend the lower world and transform oneself by
achieving contact with God Himself, or through forms of spiritual elevation and
astral projection through the various levels of the universe up to the Gods, to
achieve immortality for one’s soul. The highest form of theurgy aims at a
complete union with God, henôsis.
Principles of theurgic
practice
Before we deal with specific
practical rituals and techniques, it is necessary to expound on the principles
behind them. Proclus (412-485 A.D.), in his work On the Sacred Art[7],
teaches us about some of the core foundations of theurgy. One of the most
important, and most familiar to western occult students, is the principle of
correspondence or similarity, whereby everything in the Universe is connected:
as above, so below. By this logic, if one wishes to invoke a certain God or
Goddess, he will take certain sunthêmata (a Greek word meaning ‘tokens’
or ‘signatures’) such as herbs, stones, etc, associated to the particular
deity, and use them in the ritual at a specific time. As the Chaldean Oracles
state, For this Paternal Intellect, which comprehendeth the Intelligibles
and adorneth things ineffable, hath sowed symbols through the World [8].
By association, those tangible symbols contain the invisible essence or
signature of the Deity, and can thus be used to invoke it. According to
Proclus, similarity is powerful enough to link separate beings to one another
and ‘There are to be seen on the earth suns and moons in a terrestrial form,
and in the heavens all the plants, stones and animals after a celestial manner,
alive in a spiritual way’.[9]
The theurgist thus combines tangible symbols, hymns and invocations, and
magical names in order to successfully accomplish the work.
According to Iamblichus, the
theurgist, by his rites and prayers, does not coerce the Gods to descend;
rather, it is the Gods themselves who elevate the theurgist to their level by
virtue of the power inherent in the invocations, and the principle of
similarity:
By such a
purpose, therefore, the gods being gracious and propitious, give forth light
abundantly to the Theurgists, both calling their souls upward into themselves,
providing for them union to themselves in the Chorus, and accustoming them,
while they are still in the body, to hold themselves aloof from corporeal
things, and likewise to be led up to their own eternal and noetic First Cause.[10]
Proclus held a similar view,
which he explains in his commentary on Plato’s Timæus:
“And
prayer contributes enormously to this epistrophe by means of the ineffable
symbols of the gods, which the Father of the souls has sown into them. It
attracts the beneficence of the gods towards itself and it unifies those who
pray to those to whom they pray, it links the intellect of the gods to the words
of those who pray, it moves the will of those who contain all goods in a
perfect way to bestow them without envy, it creates the persuasion of the
divine, and it establishes all that we have in the gods.”[11]
Another important pillar of
theurgy is the practitioner’s lifestyle. In Antiquity, theurgists were urged to
lead a virtuous existence, controlling the material passions, for “things
Divine are not attainable by mortals who understand the body alone, but only by
those who stripped of their garments arrive at the summit.”[12]
In his commentary on the Oracles, Proclus advises us to not merely restrain the
material vices and impulses, but to purge them completely:
Now when we say
‘restraining the mind's tendency to the worse,’ or ‘not entirely extinguishing
them,’ we do not mean a mere temporary repression; for passions, when merely
cooped up, heat up their container. So instead of ‘restraining,’ which retains
what is dammed up, let us eject the passions. That is the meaning of the
Oracle: ‘Defile not the spirit through that which is hidden within.’[13]
The myths and legends of the
Gods were also believed to aid in the manifestation of the Gods, by virtue of
the symbols that those myths contain and their relation to the Gods themselves.
This is why invocations to the Gods commonly reference the myths of the
particular deity. The Neoplatonist philosopher Sallustius, in his work On
the Gods and the World, commented on the importance of myths:
“Now the myths represent the
Gods themselves and the goodness of the Gods - subject always to the
distinction of the speakable and the unspeakable, the revealed and the
unrevealed, that which is clear and that which is hidden” [14]
Rituals and techniques
As there are various forms of
theurgy, so too their respective rituals and practices are similarly varied. I
will address each form individually. Some forms of theurgy are fairly well
documented in surviving magical texts, while others are only vaguely alluded
to. The main corpus of texts that contain theurgical material from Antiquity
are the Greek and Demotic magical papyri (PGM, PDM).[15]
One
of the techniques most used in classical theurgy involved the use of a statue
of a God or Goddess to invoke that particular deity. Not much in terms of
specific rites has come down to us concerning it, but the general idea involves
taking the statue, rubbing it with herbs and ingredients related to the Deity
(often the statue had a hole in it wherein one could place the ingredients),
and then reciting a hymn or invocation. A fragment of the Chaldean Oracles
(#224) gives part of the technique, reportedly revealed by the Goddess Hekate:
“But execute my statue, purifying it as I shall
instruct you. Make a form from wild rue and decorate it with small animals,
such as lizards which live about the house. Rub a mixture of myrrh, gum, and
frankincense with these animals, and out in the clear air under the waxing
moon, complete this (statue) yourself offering the following prayer.”[16]
Unfortunately the prayer was not preserved.
Thankfully, many hymns to different Gods have come down to us, and these are
the kind of invocations that were used in these rites. Among the most important
are the seven hymns written by Proclus, which he used in his rites. According
to the philosopher Damascius, Proclus decorated statues and recited hymns to
them. Here is Proclus’ hymn to Aphrodite:
We hymn the many-named series of Aphrogeneia and
the great royal source, from which all immortal winged Erotes have sprung up,
of whom some shoot with noeric arrows at souls, in order that, having taken the
upward-leading goads of desires, these long after seeing the fiery courts of
their mother. Some, because of the evil averting wishes and providential acts
of the Father, wishing to increase the infinite universe with birth, aroused in
the souls a yearning for the earthly existence. Others again always supervise
the multifarious courses of the wedding songs, so as to produce an immortal
race of much-suffering men from mortal stock; and all care for the works of the
love-producing Kythereia But, Goddess, for you have a far-hearing ear
everywhere, whether you envelop the great heaven all around, where, as they
say, you are the divine soul of the everlasting cosmos, or dwell in the aether
above the rims of the seven orbits while pouring unyielding powers forward into
your series, listen, and may you steer the toilsome course of my life,
mistress, with your most righteous arrows, while putting an end to the chilly impulse
of unholy desires.[17]
Other rituals with specific Gods involved a simpler
approach, where the practitioner makes an offering while reciting a hymn or
invocation. These are more akin to the exoteric rites of temples, but the
invocations used are far more powerful and presumably will have more effective
results. Several examples of this technique are found in the Magical Papyri,
e.g., in PGM IV, 2785-2890, which is a long hymn to Selene, the Greek moon
Goddess, followed by these instructions: “For doing good, offer storax, myrrh,
sage, frankincense, a fruit pit. But for doing harm, offer magical material of
a dog and a dappled goat (or in a similar way, of a virgin untimely dead).”
A particular form of prayer or invocation used in
many theurgic rites is the “stele”. This term ordinarily refers to a slab of
stone inscribed with text, but among Gnostics and Greco-Egyptian magicians it
came to refer to a powerful prayer or invocation. The most famous examples of
this are the Sethian Gnostic “Steles of Seth”,[18] as
well as the well known Bornless Ritual, which is referred to as the “Stele of
Jeu the Hieroglyphist”[19]. A
noteworthy example particularly relevant to our discussion is the so called
Hidden Stele (PGM IV, 1115-66), a majestic adoration
to God and the universe, replete with magical names, presumably used as a means
of henosis or union with God, or for spiritual elevation. I present it here in
its entirety:
Hail, entire system of the ærial spirit, PHÔGALÔA. Hail, spirit who extends from heaven to earth, ERDÊNEU, and from earth which is in the middle chamber of
the universe unto the borders of the abyss, MEREMÔGGA. Hail, spirit who enters into me, convulses me, and
leaves me kindly according to the will of God, IÔÊ ZANÔPHIE. Hail, beginning and end of the immovable nature, DÔRUGLAOPHÔN. Hail, revolution of untiring service by heavenly bodies, RÔGUEU ANAMI PELÊGEÔN ADARA EIÔPH. Hail, radiance of the universe subordinate to the
solar ray, IEO UEO IAS AI EOU OEI. Hail, orb of the night-illuminating, unequally
shining moon, AIÔ RÊMA RÔDOUÔPIA. Hail, all spirits of the ærial images RÔMIDOUÊ AGANASOU ÔTHAUA.
Hail to those to whom
the greeting is given with blessing, to brothers and sisters, to holy men and
holy women. O great, greatest, round, incomprehensible figure of the universe,
heavenly ENRÔKHESUÊL; in heaven, PELÊTHEU; of ether, IÔGARAA; in the ether, THÔPULEO DARDU; watery, IÔÊDES; earthy, PERÊPHIA; fiery,
APHTHALUA; windlike, IÔIE ÊÔ AUA; luminous, ALAPIE; dark-looking, IEPSERIA; shining with heavenly tight, ADAMALÔR; moist, fiery, and cold spirit. I glorify you, God of Gods, the one who
brought order to the universe, AREÔ PIEUA; the
one who gathered together the abyss at the invisible foundation of its
position, PERÔ MUSÊL Ô PENTÔNAX;
the one who separated heaven
and earth and covered the heaven with eternal, golden wings, RÔDÊRU OUÔA; the one who fixed the earth on eternal foundations,
ALÊIOÔA; the one who hung up the ether high above the earth,
AIE ÔÊ IOUA; the one who scattered the air with
self-moving breezes, ÔIE
OUÔ; the one who put the
water roundabout, ÔRÊPÊLUA;
the one who raises up
hurricanes, ORISTHAUA; the one who thunders, THEPHIKHUÔNÊL;
the one who hurls lightnings, OURÊNES; the one
who rains, OSIÔRNI PHEUGALGA; the one who
shakes, PERATÔNÊL; the one who produces living creatures, ARÊSIGULÔA;
the God of the Aions; you are great, Lord, God, ruler of the
All, ARKHIZÔ NUON THÊNAR METHÔR PARU PHÊZÔR THAPSAMUDÔ MARÔMI KHÊLÔPSA.[20]
A theurgic technique of which we have dozens of
examples is the oracular ritual, which involves invoking a God or Goddess for
revelation, using a scrying device such as a bowl or even a lamp. This was used
extensively among the Greco-Egyptian magicians. In some rituals, the magician
was assisted by a child who acted as the seer; this method continued to be used
well into the middle ages, most famously in the Sacred Magic of Abramelin.
Here is an example of a typical scrying ritual invoking Aphrodite (PGM IV,
3209-54):
“Having kept oneself
pure for 7 days, take a white
saucer, fill it with water and olive oil, having previously written on its base
with myrrh ink: ÊIOKH KHIPHA ELAMPSÊR ZÊL A E Ê I O U Ô (25 letters); and beneath the base, on the outside: TAKHIÊL KHTHONIÊ DRAXÔ (18 letters). Wax over with
white wax. On the outside of the rim at the top: "IERMI PHILÔ ERIKÔMA
DERKÔ MALÔK GAULÊ APHRIÊL, I ask" (say it 3 times). Let
it rest on the floor and looking intently at it, say “I call upon you, the
mother and mistress of nymphs ILAOUKH OBRIÊ LOUKH TLOR; [come]
in, holy light, and give answer, showing your lovely shape.”
Then look intently at
the bowl. When you see her, welcome her and say, “Hail, very glorious goddess, ILARA
OUKH. And if you give me a response, extend your hand." And
when she extends it, expect answers to your inquiry. But if she does not listen
say: "I call upon the ILAOUKH who has begotten Himeros, the lovely
Horai and you Graces; I also call upon the Zeus-sprung Physis of all things,
two-formed, indivisible, straight, foam-beautiful Aphrodite. Reveal to me your
lovely light and your lovely face, O mistress ILAOUKH. I conjure you, giver of fire, [by] ELGINAL,
and [by the] great names OBRIÊTUKH KERDUNOUKHILÊPSIN NIOU NAUNIN
IOUTHOU THRIGX TATIOUTH GERTIATH GERGERIS GERGERIÊ THEITHI. I also ask
you by the all wonderful names, OISIA EI EI AÔ ÊU AAÔ IÔIAIAIÔ ÔTHOU
BERBROI AKTEROBORE GERIÊ IÊOUA; bring me light and your lovely face and the
true saucer divination, you shining with fire, bearing fire all around,
stirring the land from afar, IÔIÔ PHTHAIÊ THOUTHOI PHAEPHI. Do
it”
Preparation: having
kept yourself pure, as you learned, take a bronze drinking cup, and write with
myrrh ink the previously inscribed stele which calls upon Aphrodite, and use
the untouched olive oil and clean river water. Put the drinking cup on your
knees and speak over it the stele mentioned above, and the goddess will appear
to you and will reveal concerning what things you wish.” [21]
Some theurgic rites
involved a form of self initiation. The bulk of the 8th Book of
Moses (PGM XIII), an impressive
4th century magical papyrus, is devoted to a long ritual whose
objective is to create a link between the magician and an aspect of God. The
magician is first instructed to remain pure for 41 days and to set up a kind of
oratory with an altar in his house. He is then to burn specific kinds of
incense and to sacrifice two white roosters. Then follow some invocations to
God, and instructions for the Initiation, such as: And you will be in clean
linens, crowned with an olive wreath. Prepare the canopy thus: taking a clean
sheet, write on the border the names of the 365 gods, and make it a tent (tabernacle),
under which you go to be initiated. The reader is also told to perform
morning adorations to the sun God for seven days. After more instructions, and
a final invocation, the author writes: When the God comes in, look down and
write the things he says and the Name which he gives you for himself. And do
not go out from under your canopy until He tells you accurately, too, the
things that concern you. The ‘Name’ is not found in the text; presumably it
is a secret formula to be revealed to the Initiate alone.
Finally the author gives 24 spells and rituals in which the mysterious
Name is actively employed. E.g.:
- ‘Resurrection of a dead body: “I invoke Thee, spirit coming in air,
enter, inspire, empower, resurrect by the power of the Eternal God, this body;
and let it walk about in this place, for I am he who acts with the power of
Thoth, the holy God.” Say the Name.’
- ‘If you want to kill a snake: Say, “Stay, for you are Aphyphis.” And
taking a green palm branch and holding its heart (i.e. the center of the
triangular end of the branch), split it longways into two, saying the Name
over it 7 times. At once the snake will be split or will break open.’
- ‘Invisibility: Also thus: “Come to me, Darkness, which appeared in
the beginning, and hide me, NN, by the order of Him who is self-begotten in
Heaven.” Say the Name.
Other techniques involved a form of visionary pathworking and\or astral
projection to higher planes in order to attain knowledge and achieve
self-transformation. Our primary surviving example of this method is a
magnificent ritual from the magical papyri (PGM IV 475-829),[22] commonly referred to as
the Mithras Liturgy. This ritual is too long to fully reproduce here, but it
essentially consists of a visionary ascent for communion with the sun Gods
Helios and Mithras. It is described both as a ritual for revelation, and as a
technique for ‘immortal birth’ – presumably this refers to initiatic rebirth
and immortalization of the soul. The rite begins with an invocation for ascent,
part of which reads: “now if it be your will, METERTA PHÔTH
IEREZATH, give me over to immortal birth and, following that, to my
underlying nature, so that, after the present need which is pressing me
exceedingly, I may gaze upon the immortal beginning with the immortal spirit, ANKHREPHRENESOU-PHIRIGKH,
with the immortal water, ERONOUI PARAKOUNÊTH, with the
most steadfast air, EIOAÊ PSENABÔTH; that I may be born
again in thought, KRAOKHRAX ROIM ENARKHOMAI, and the sacred
spirit may breathe in me…”
Having recited this, we are then told to
“Draw in breath from the rays, drawing up three times as much
as you can, and you will see yourself being lifted up and ascending to the
height, so that you seem to be in mid-air. You will hear nothing either of man
or of any other living thing, nor in that hour will you see anything of mortal
affairs on earth, but rather you will see all immortal things. For
in that day and hour you will see the divine order of the skies: the presiding
Gods rising into heaven, and others setting.”
Soon after, we are instructed to recite an adoration to different
aspects of the sun God, using various magical names, after which we behold the
God Helios, the seven Fates of Heaven, described as 7 serpent-faced virgins
wielding golden wands, and the seven Lords of the heavenly Pole, described as
black bulls. Then follow adorations to be recited to them, and finally the
climax of the ritual, where we encounter a mysterious supreme God, who is probably
an aspect of God Himself, but depicted as Mithras. Although the whole ritual
appears at first to refer to a rising in the planes\astral projection, it seems
from the instructions that the whole vision takes place while we are in the
body – we are told to use certain herbs for the ritual, and to create protective
talismans for it, which must be held and kissed at certain points in the ritual.
As we have seen thus far, a core component of many, if not most,
theurgical rites was the use of magical words, the famous ‘barbarous names’,
which are the secret names of the Gods. Of the formulas that are recognizable, about
half of them are derived from Egyptian Divine names or epithets, many from
Greek, and quite a few from Gnostic, Jewish, Phoenician, and even Babylonian
sources. The remainder, however, are barbarous names of unknown origin. Many
are doubtless Egyptian and Greek words corrupted beyond recognition. The
strange and mysterious nature of many of these formulae, according to
Iamblichus, is itself a powerful element:
“For the names do not exactly
preserve the same meaning when they are translated; rather, there are certain
idioms in every nation that are impossible to express in the language of
another. Moreover, even if one were to translate them, this would not preserve
their same power. For the barbarian names possess weightiness and great
precision, participating in less ambiguity, variability and multiplicity of
expression. For all these reasons, then, they are adapted to the superior
beings”[23].
Alongside the use of magical names, ancient theurgists made extensive
usage of the seven Greek vowels: a e ê i o u ô (Alpha, Epsilon, Êta,
Iota, Omikron, Upsilon, Ômega). These vowels were believed to represent the
harmony of the planetary spheres, and were correlated to the musical notes. One
Gnostic school correlated them to the seven heavens (1st-A, 2nd
– E, etc). They were symbolic of the energy that animates the universe,
the eternal vibration, and in many texts are said to be the secret name of God.
Some texts provide specific techniques for using the 7 vowels. The 8th
Book of Moses gives the following exercise:
“Speaking to the rising sun,
stretching out your hands to the left, say A. To
the North, putting forward you right fist, say E;
then to the West, extending both hands before you, say Ê. To the South, holding both hands on your
stomach, say I. To the Earth, bending over, touching the
ends of your toes, say O.
Looking into the air, having your hand on your heart, say U. Looking into the sky, having both hands on
your head, say Ô.”
The same text also contains a large
invocation to God where He is invoked with different permutations of the
vowels:
“I call on you as by the voice of the male Gods, IÊÔ OUE ÔÊI UE AÔ EI ÔU AOÊ OUÊ EÔA
UÊI ÔEA OÊÔ IEOU AÔ. I call on you, as by the voice of the Goddesses,
IAÊ EÔO IOU EÊI ÔA EÊ IÊ AI UO ÊIAU EÔO OUÊE IAÔ ÔAI EOUÊ UÔÊI IÔA. I
call on you, as the winds call you. I call on you, as the dawn,” (looking
towards the East, say, A EE ÊÊÊ IIII OOOOO UUUUUU ÔÔÔÔÔÔÔ, and then to
the other corners:) “I call you as the South, I OO UUU ÔÔÔÔ AAAAA
EEEEEE ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ. (etc….)”[24]
Certain breathing techniques are also described in the surviving
magical papyri, usually involving breathing in and out deeply (possibly
hyperventilating).
Just as in medieval and modern magic, magical tools were used by some
theurgists. Worth mentioning here is the so-called iynx or strophalos,
a magical wheel reportedly used by Julian the son, and later Proclus as well.
According to surviving descriptions, the iunx consisted of a golden sphere in
which a sapphire was embedded. It had magical sigils engraved on it, and had a
leather strap attached to it. By swinging the sphere by the strap, the
theurgists would magically attract the influence of the Iynges by imitating the
motions of the heavenly spheres. The iunx was also said to be effective to
bring rain; according to his biographer, Proclus ended a drought in Attica by
using iunxes to call down rain. Julian the son was also said to have
accomplished similar feats centuries before, causing a rainstorm during a
drought while he was serving in the Roman army, and thereby saving his army
division.
Conclusion
Classical theurgy changed the world of western esotericism forever. Its
influence and legacy have extended well into modern occultism. The theory of
correspondences, the importance of prayer, the emphasis on purity and virtue
prior to performing magical rites, and many other elements can be traced back
to the great men of late Antiquity who revolutionized the world of religion and
esotericism. It is my hope that this article will foster more interest in this
noble tradition among its readers.
Notes
1 For extensive analysis on this theme, see Gregory Shaw, Theurgy and the
Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus (University Park: Pennsylvania State
University Press, 1995)
2 In Collectanea Hermetica vol. VI, ed. William Wynn Westcott (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser,
1998.), 51
3 Iamblichus, On the Mysteries (London: Chthonios Books, 1989), 62
4 In Westcott, Collectanea Hermetica vol. VI, 53, fragment 197
5 W. P. Funk, P. H. Poirier and John D. Turner, Marsanès:
NH X (Québec: Presses Université Laval), 210, 230.
6 See especially F. Griffith and H. Thompson, The Leyden Papyrus: An Egyptian
Magical Book (New York: Dover Publications, 1974)
7 In Iamblichus On the Mysteries (London: Chthonios Books, 1989), 145-150
8 In Westcott, Collectanea Hermetica vol. VI, 31, fragment 47
9 In Iamblichus On the Mysteries (London:
Chthonios Books, 1989), pg. 148
10 Iamblichus On the Mysteries, 59
11 Rudolphus Maria Berg and R. M. Van Den Berg, Proclus'
Hymns: Essays, Translations, Commentary (Leiden: Brill, 2001), 87
12 In Westcott, Collectanea Hermetica vol. VI, 49, fragment 169
13 Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie, Fragments from Proclus’ Commentary on the Chaldaean
Oracles (New York: The Platonist Press, 1925)
14 In Gilbert Murray, Five Stages of Greek Religion (New
York: Dover Publications, 2003), 191
15 For which, see Hans
Dieter Betz , The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic
Spells (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997)
16 Ruth Dorothy Majercik, The Chaldean Oracles: Text,
Translation, and Commentary (Leiden: Brill, 1989), 137
17 Berg and Berg, Proclus' Hymns, 192
18 For which see James McConkey Robinson, The Nag Hammadi
Library in English, (Leiden: Brill, 1977) 396
19 Betz, Greek Magical
Papyri, 103
20 Betz, Greek Magical
Papyri, 60
21 Betz, Greek Magical
Papyri, 100
22 Betz, Greek Magical
Papyri, 48 ff.
23 Emma C. Clarke, Iamblichus, De Mysteriis, (Atlanta: Society
of Biblical Literature, 2003), 299
24 Betz, Greek Magical
Papyri, 192
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