The source of Western theurgy can be found in the philosophy of late Neoplatonists, especially Iamblichus. In late Neoplatonism, the universe is regarded as a series of emanations from the Godhead. Matter itself is merely the lowest of these emanations, and therefore not in essence different from the Divine. Although the number and qualities of these emanations differ, most Neoplatonists insisted that God was both singular and good. Although Neoplatonists were technically polytheists, they also embraced a form of monism: reality was varied, with varied gods, but they all ...

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Theurgy, Theurgy - Neoplatonism, Theurgy - Emperor Julian, Theurgy - Kabbalah, Theurgy - Christian theurgy, Theurgy - External link

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Neoplatonism, Neoplatonists This famous school of Platonic theosophy originated in the 2nd century at Alexandria, with Ammonius Saccas (170-243), and was developed by his pupils, of whom Plotinus (204-270) was the outstanding philosopher and under whom Neoplatonism reached its culmination. Other famous representatives were Porphyry (the pupil of Plotinus, 233-305); Iamblichus (d. 330); Hypatia (d. 415); Synesius (378-430); Proclus (412-485); and concluding with Olympiodorus (6th century). Among other pupils of Ammonius Saccas were Longinus and Origen.

"The Neo-Platonists were the same as the Philaletheians and the Analogeticists; they were also called Theurgists, and by various other names. They were the Theosophists of the early centuries. Neo-Platonism is Platonic philosophy plus ecstasy, divine Raja-Yoga" (Key 340).

At the time that the Neoplatonists voiced their teachings, the Mediterranean world was in a condition similar in some respects to that of today: the Roman imperium had brought about a commingling of many cultures, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, so that there was a suitable field for revival of the ancient wisdom-religion as the common source and reconciler of all faiths. Such a system may be called eclectic in a sense; but the expression is unjust if it is meant to imply a mere patchwork of borrowed fragments.

The declared purpose of the Neoplatonists was to demonstrate the reality of a fundamental wisdom, to draw together the elect of every faith, and likewise to sow the seeds for a unification of faiths. The teachings are religious in the sense that they appeal to the religious instincts and inculcate the loftiest and purest morality; but on the other hand no church or creed was founded. The conditions of the times did not call for a scientific presentation of the ancient teachings; the regimentation of external life had turned men's hopes inward. Such a system could not be created by merely putting together borrowings from Plato and Pythagoras, the Jews, and Gnostics, etc. Behind the movement must have been minds initiated in the lore of ancient Egypt and India, and thus supplied with the design which alone could make a unity out of the elements. Through succeeding centuries, revivals of Neoplatonism have appeared, sometimes using the name itself. It deeply influenced the Christian church, not only in early times but later under the influence of the pseudo-Dionysius and still later of Erigena.

The teachings of the Neoplatonists are essentially those of modern theosophy; the later teachers of the schools laid much stress upon theurgy, and its practical aspect, the application of the teachings to self-development. Though these teachers emphasize the distinction between theurgy or divine magic and its evil counterpart, sorcery or necromancy, in so corrupt an age many deleterious cults supervened upon the withdrawal of the genuine schools.

(See also: Neoplatonism, Neoplatonists, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Porphyry (233-305?) Neoplatonist, student of Plotinus. {SD; Isis; BCW}

(See also: Porphyry, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Iamblichus (Greek: Ιάμβλιχος) as a given name can refer to: Iamblichus (novelist) (165–180), Greek novelist Iamblichus (philosopher) (245–324), neoplatonist philosopher Other related archivesIamblichus (novelist), Iamblichus (philosopher), given name

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Theurgy describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action of God (or other personified supernatural power), especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, or perfecting or improving oneself. Theurgy - Neoplatonism. The source of Western theurgy can be found in the philosophy of late Neoplatonists, especially Iamblichus. In late Neoplatonism, the universe is regarded as a series of emanations from the Godhead. Matter itself is me ...

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• Theurgy - Neoplatonism
• Theurgy - Emperor Julian
• Theurgy - Kabbalah
• Theurgy - Christian theurgy
• Theurgy - External link

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Damascius, the last of the Neoplatonists, was born in Damascus about AD 480. In his early youth he went to Alexandria, where he spent twelve years partly as a pupil of Theon, a rhetorician, and partly as a professor of rhetoric. He then turned to philosophy and science, and studied under Hermeias and his sons, Ammonius and Heliodorus. Later on in life he migrated to Athens and continued his studies under Marinus, the mathematician, Zenodotus, and Isidore, the dialectician. He became a close friend of Isidore, succeeded him as h ...

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233 - Events. Roman Emperor Alexander Severus wins a war against the Persians. The Alamanni end Roman rule in Swabia. 233 - Births. Porphyry, Neoplatonist philosopher Cao Fang, emperor of the Kingdom of Wei (approximate date) 233 - Deaths. Category: 233 ...

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• 233 - Events
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305 - Events. May 1 - Diocletian and Maximian, emperors of Rome, retire from office. Constantius Chlorus and Galerius declared Augusti; Flavius Valerius Severus and Maximinus Daia appointed Caesars. The Arch of Galerius is built. 305 - Births. 305 - Deaths. Hierocles, proconsul of Bithynia who instigated the persecution of the Christians under Galerius Porphyry, Neoplatonist philosopher

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• 305 - Events
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412 - Events. The Visigoths move into Gaul, led by Alaric's brother-in-law Ataulf. Cyril of Alexandria becomes Patriarch of Alexandria. Ataulf marries Galla Placidia, sister of the Emperor Honorius. Lazarus, bishop of Aix-en-Provence, and Herod, bishop of Arles, are expelled from their sees on a charge of Manichaeism. 412 - Births. February 8 - Proclus, Neoplatonist philosopher (d. 487) 412 - Deaths. ...

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• 412 - Events
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480 - Events. Odoacer defeats an attempt by Julius Nepos to recapture Italy, and has Julius killed; Odoacer also captured Dalmatia. Narasimhagupta Baladitya succeeds his father Skandagupta as ruler of the Gupta Empire Oenopides discovers the tilt of the Earth to be 24° 480 - Births. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, Christian philosopher Damascius, Neoplatonist philosopher Gelimer, last king of the Vandals< ...

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• 480 - Events
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Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius, Roman grammarian and Neoplatonist philosopher, flourished during the reigns of Honorius and Arcadius (395–423). He himself states that he was not a Roman, but there is no certain evidence whether he was of Greek or perhaps African descent. He may be identical with a Macrobius who is mentioned in the Codex Theodosianus as a praetorian praefect in Spain in 399-400, proconsul of Africa in 410, and lord chamberlain in 422. But the tenure of high office at that date was limited to Christians, and th ...

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Proclus Lycaeus (February 8, 412 – April 17, 485), surnamed "The Successor" or "diadochos" (Greek Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος Próklos ho Diádokhos), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, and considered the last major Greek philosopher, whose influence was felt throughout the Roman provinces, Byzantium, and in translation, by the later Islamic philosophers. Proclus - Biography. Proclis was born 410 or 411 CE (his birth year is deduced from a horoscope cast by a disciple, Marinus, and hen ...

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Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) was a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Though based on the teachings of Plato and the Platonists, it interpreted Plato in many new ways, so that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato had written, though many Neoplatonists would prefer to say that what they advocated had been previously taught by Plato. The prefix "neo" (Greek for "new") was only added by modern scholars to distinguish between the two, but the prac ...

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• Neoplatonism - Teachings
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• Neoplatonism - Islamic Neoplatonism
• Neoplatonism - Renaissance Neoplatonism
• Neoplatonism - Modern Neo-Platonism
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Abraham ben David was a Jewish, French commentator on the Talmud. He was born in Provence, France, about 1125 CE; died at Posquières, 27 November 1198 CE. He was the son-in-law of Abraham ben Isaac Ab-Bet-Din (known as the Rabad II). He was the father of Isaac the Blind, a Neoplatonist and important Jewish mystical thinker. The teachers under whose guidance he acquired most of his Talmudic learning ...

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• Abraham ben David - Persecution
• Abraham ben David - Literary Works
• Abraham ben David - Rashi and RABaD
• Abraham ben David - Attitude as a Critic
• Abraham ben David - Maimonides and RABaD
• Abraham ben David - Judaism a Religion of Deed not of Dogma

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The concept of planes of existence might be seen as deriving from shamanic and traditional mythological ideas of a vertical world-axis — e.g. a cosmic mountain, tree, or pole (such as Yggdrasil or Mount Meru) — or a philosophical conception of a Great Chain of Being, arranged metaphorically from God down to inanimate matter. However the original source of the word "plane" in this context is the late Neoplatonist Proclus, who refers to to platos, "breadth", which was the equivalent of the 19th century theosophical use. An example is the phrase en to psuchiko ...

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Plane cosmology, Plane cosmology - Origins of the concept, Plane cosmology - History

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Osiris and Dionysus had been equated as long ago as the 5th century BC by the historian Herodotus (see interpretatio graeca). By Late Antiquity, some Gnostic and Neoplatonist thinkers had expanded this syncretic equation to include Aion, Adonis, Attis, Mithras and other gods of the mystery religions. The composite term Osiris-Dionysus is found around the start of the first century BC, for example in Aegyptiaca ...

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Osiris-Dionysus, Osiris-Dionysus - Ancient Syncretism, Osiris-Dionysus - Modern Era

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The traditionalist or "perennialist" perspective began to be enunciated in the 1920s by the French philosopher Rene Guenon and, in the 1930s, by the German philosopher Frithjof Schuon. The Harvard orientalist Ananda Coomaraswamy and the Swiss art historian Titus Burckhardt also became prominent advocates of this point of view. Fundamentally, this doctrine is the Sanatana Dharma--the "eternal religion"--of Hindu Vedantists. It was formulated in ancient Greece, in particular, by Plato and later Neoplatonists, and in Christendo ...

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Frithjof Schuon, Frithjof Schuon - Biography, Frithjof Schuon - God is in the center all paths lead to Him, Frithjof Schuon - Published works, Frithjof Schuon - English translations of writings by Frithjof Schuon

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Neoplatonism is a form of idealistic monism. Plotinus taught the existence of an ineffable and transcendent One, from which emanated the rest of the universe as a sequence of lesser beings. Later Neoplatonic philosophers, especially Iamblichus, added hundreds of intermediate gods, angels and demons, and other beings as emanations between the One and humanity. Plotinus' system was much simpler in comparison. Neoplatonists believed human perfection and happiness were attainable in this world, without awaiting an afterlife. Perfection and happiness— seen as synonymous— could be ach ...

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Neoplatonism, Neoplatonism - Teachings, Neoplatonism - Christian Neo-Platonism, Neoplatonism - Islamic Neoplatonism, Neoplatonism - Renaissance Neoplatonism, Neoplatonism - Modern Neo-Platonism, Neoplatonism - Publications

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Eckhart was one of the most influential Christian Neoplatonists, and although technically a faithful Thomist (as a prominent member of the Dominican Order), Eckhart wrote on metaphysics and spiritual psychology, drawing extensively on mythic imagery. Major German philosophers, from Hegel to Heidegger, have been influenced by his work. Novel concepts Eckhart introduced into Christian metaphysics clearly deviate from the common scholastic canon: in Eckhart's vision, God is primarily fertile. Out of overabundance of love the fertile God ...

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Meister Eckhart, Meister Eckhart - Overview, Meister Eckhart - Life, Meister Eckhart - Works and doctrines, Meister Eckhart - View of God, Meister Eckhart - Trinitarian process, Meister Eckhart - God in Creation, Meister Eckhart - Relation of the Soul to God, Meister Eckhart - Sin and redemption, Meister Eckhart - Place of Christ, Meister Eckhart - Ethics, Meister Eckhart - Psychology, Meister Eckhart - Eckhart today, Meister Eckhart - Bibliography, Meister Eckhart - Sources, Meister Eckhart - Translations and commentaries, Meister Eckhart - Supplementary

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Although under Plotinus, Neoplatonism began as a school of philosophy, the teachings of later Neoplatonists such as Iamblichus and Proclus incorporate additional details of the emanation process in terms of the dialectical action of the hypostases and further subdivisions from Plotinus' original three hypostases. Each higher hypostasis constitutes a more sublime deific state of existence. There is also a tendency in later neoplatonic thought towards increasing transcendentalism and dualism. Although Plotinus saw spiritual ascent as leading ultimately to the One (The Absolute), in later Neoplatonism the best one can ho ...

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Esoteric cosmology, Esoteric cosmology - Neoplatonism, Esoteric cosmology - Gnosticism, Esoteric cosmology - Kabbalah, Esoteric cosmology - Max Theon, Esoteric cosmology - Theosophy & Anthroposophy, Esoteric cosmology - Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception

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