Theurgic Practice
Overview
This note was generated from the Greek studies corpus.
Key Passages
Passage 1
mblichus said about Egyptian theology, that they certainly do not just speculate about these things. They recommend rising up through priestly theurgy toward the higher and more universal levels above fate, to the god and craftsman, and without material attachment or any other help at all except observing the proper time. Hermes also gave instruction in this way, which Bitus the prophet translated for King Ammon after finding it carved in hieroglyphic letters in shrines of Sais in Egypt. Although Iamblichus seems to exclude any “material attachment” from Hermetic theurgy, the same cannot be said of the Asclepius, which in its “art of making gods” permitted “a conformable power arising from the nature of matter” and even mentioned “a mixture of plants, stones and spices” in describing the nature of the gods called down to animate their statues. PGM IV.475–829, formerly known as the “Mithras Liturgy,” begins by calling for…
Passage 2
valued among the spices, and pour a libation of wine and honey and milk and rainwater, [and make] 7 flat cakes and 7 round cakes. These you arc going to make 290 completely [near] the lamp, robed and refraining from all I unclean things and from all eating of fish” and from all sexual intercourse, so that you may bring the god into the grcatcst desire toward you.‘” Now these are the names, [which] you are going to write on the linen cloth and which you will put as a wick into the lamp which has not been colored red: “ABER- 295 AMENTHi)OULERTHEXANAXETHRENLYOOTHNEMAIUIBA154 / AEMINNAEBARO- THERRETH
BABEANIMEA.”~~ When you have completed all the instmctons set out above, call the god with this chant: j6 50. This lamp divination is named after rhc god ApoUo. I>espitr its syncrcrisdc character, there arc an musual numhn of parallels with the mlt of Apollo. Scc…
Passage 3
estions, lord. 0 master Leave Mount Pamassos and the Delphic Pytho Whcnc’er my priestly lips voice secret words, 1 First angel of [the god], great Zeus. IAd And you, MICHAEL, \vho tule hcavcn’s realm, I call, and you, archangel GABKIEL. Down from Olympos, ABKASAX, delighting In dawns, come gracious who view sunset from The dawn, I A D ~ N A I . Father of thc world, All nature quakes in fear of you, PAKERHBTH. I adjure God’s head,“%.hich is Olympos; I adjurc God’s signet, which is vision; I adjure the right hand you held o’er the world; I adjure God’s bowl containing wealth; I adjure eternal god, AION of aU; I I adjure self-growing Nature, mighty AD~NAIOS; I adjure setting and rising ELdAIOS: I adjure these holy and divine names that They send me the divine spirit and that it Fulfill what I havc in my heart and soul…
Connections
Sources
- The_Greek_Magical_Papyri_in_Translation.pdf
- Hermetica_The_Greek_Corpus_Hermeticum_and_the_Lati