Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 6:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 6:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“All other things are subject as instrumentalities for the gift of foreknowledge which has been transmitted from the gods. These include both such as relate to our soul and body as are inherent in the nature of everything or in the individual natures of every one.”

The tools used in divination have no divining capabilities in themselves they merely serve as mediums between us and the gods. The symbols inherent in these tools are reflective of the nature of the gods and these natures are the same in everyone. We all speak to and understand the gods through the same symbols and so these tools are linked to our intuitive understanding of these universal symbols.

“If, however, any one is thinking he is saying something erudite, shall refuse to consider the primary causes, *but shall attribute the art and faculty of divining to operations of inferior character, such as the activities of the bodies, or changes of conditions, or to different movements or operations of human life, or to reasons of a psychic or physical nature; or if he shall argue from the correspondences of these things to others as being causes, presuming that he is setting forth what is true, he has gone entirely wrong.”

The art of divination is not an intellectual activity but is concerned with the intuition as guided by the influence of the gods. As mentioned previously, the gods know everything past and future and it is by interpreting this knowledge that divination is performed. Anyone who is raised to and united with the gods are instantly able to access these insights and the tools are there to facilitate this union, such is the nature of Tarot cards when used in divination for example. However, the efficacy of Tarot divination, or any other form of divination has little to do with erudite knowledge of the cards themselves.

“It likewise comprehends beforehand the essence and cause of things about to take place, from which, of necessity, the attaining of foreknowledge comes unceasingly.”

Divination therefore is associated with the intuition which is a greater awareness of reality leading to greater accuracy in our predictions, that necessarily follow the current circumstances of objective reality. The gods being omnipresent and omniscient manifest their omniscient nature to the soul in this way, we merely interpret cause and effect from the vantage point of the gods via the art of divination.

“Since therefore, the mind contemplates the things that have real being, but the soul encompasses in itself the principles of all things that exist in the sphere of generated existence, it follows, of course, that, answering to the cause which comprehends future events, it prognosticates them, as arranged by their antecedent principles.”

Establishing a communication between the mind and the soul thus bringing the unconscious images received by the soul from the gods and interpreted by the mind as they correspond to the enquiry is how the art of divination is affected. The relationship that the question holds to antecedent principles is how we may conclude accurate answers in divinatory practices and dreams. Thus, there must be a connection established throughout the three worlds in order to obtain accurate answers or visions, the knowledge acquired via the theoretical study and the interpretation of the symbolism of the gods is the means by which the mind occupies the divinatory art, a union between the soul and the gods can only be established by practicing the art of Theurgy. The tools used in these practices may give the visions in an instant. However, these visions are of no use, if the previously mentioned connection has not been established. Nor would there be any way of correctly interpreting the visions if the symbols are improperly understood. The same principle is required when analyzing the nature of dreams that are of a divinatory nature, correct interpretation of such dreams would likewise be mostly inaccurate, if one isn’t familiar with the symbolism and has no frame of reference for such dreams as they correspond to circumstances in the material world.

“It also gives forth discoveries of arts, proper regulations for the administration of law, and institutions of customs. Thus, in the temples of Aklepios, not only are diseases brought to an end by dreams of divine origin, but through manifestation by night the medical art is combined with the sacred visions.”

It becomes clear then, that divination in dreams is not a supernatural phenomenon, nor is our connection to the gods supernatural, whose perfection is inherent in each of us the same. It is a heightening of intuition and creativity by establishing communication between the mind and the unconscious in dreams, whereby the revelations perceived may become useful to us as guides for progress in the world of matter.

Porphyry:                                                                                                                                 

“In like manner many also come to a perception of the future through enthusiastic rapture and a divine impulse, when at the same time so thoroughly awake as to have the sense in full activity. Nevertheless, they by no means follow the matter closely as when in their ordinary condition.”

Iamblichus:                                                                                                                                              “Right her I wish to show the tokens in these occurrences of those who are really possessed by the gods. For they have ether placed their whole life at the disposal as a vehicle or organ for the inspiring gods, or they exchange the human for the divine life, or else they carry on their life in reference to the divinity. They are not acting by sense, nor are they watchful as those whose senses are aroused to greater acuteness, nor do they attempt to study of the future, nor are they moved as those who are active from impulse. On the other hand, they do not understand themselves, either as they were formerly or in any other way; nor, in short, do they exercise their own intelligence for themselves, nor do they put forth any superior knowledge of their own.”

There are two distinct types of people who present authentic characteristics associated to the possession of the gods. The first class are those who have devoted their lives as vehicles for divine inspiration, such as the prophetess at Delphi; and the second class are those who have experienced ecstasy and thus having been transformed, carry the influence of the gods into their everyday lives. This rapturous experience transforms these people in such a way that who they are now, has nothing in common with who they were before. It is transformative to such an extent that they commit the rest of their lives to the gods. This is real possession of the gods and not a fleeting occurrence of which the significance is not perceived within a lesser context. Thus, the exhalation of this divine influence is present throughout the remainder of one’s life, who has truly attained to mystical union with the gods.

“For on the one hand the gods by whom we are inspired are different, and communicate a different inspiration; and on the other hand the divine transports being changed, it occasions another form of divine impulse. For either the divinity possesses us, or we our entire selves become the gods own, or we are active in common with him. Sometimes we share the ultimate or the last power of the divinity, at another time the intermediate and sometimes the first. At one time there is a bare participation of these raptures; at another time there is also communion; and sometimes, again, there is complete union. Either the soul alone enjoys, or it has it with the body, or else the whole living individual shares it in communion.”

There, are not only one form of rapture; ecstasy presents as differing levels of intensity, some take over one’s entire being soul and body and are those usually ascribed to cataleptic trances associated with the gods. Whereas others leave us in control of the faculties of the physical body, wherein certain activities denoting to the gods take place. This may be understood that in some instances there is a complete union achieved as possessing body and soul, and at other times we are given inspiration that corresponds to the specific dealing with the gods.

“From this manifestation the sign of the god which is the most genuine, the most potent, and most perfectly ordered, becomes known to a certainty; and it is not only proper to proclaim what is true in respect to certain matters, or to exhibit the power or to complete the right with the adepts. But they who without witnessing these holy spectacles of the Sacred Rights, effect the conjuring of the spirits in some invisible manner, grope their way as in the dark, and know nothing of what they are doing, except some very small signs which are manifest through the body of the person who is divinely inspired and some other things which are plainly to be seen; and they are likewise ignorant of everything of divine inbreathing which is veiled in invisibility.”

The most dominant characteristics of the god whereby the person is possessed will become clearly noticeable as being embodied by the one who is under the possession of the god. For whom it has become an imperative to express the nature of the god, and these characteristics are unmistakable as pertaining to the nature of divinity. However, a person who has found himself under such possession will have no means of finding the correct expression for this possession, if he lacks the knowledge of its significance. Even though the same distinguishable characteristics are present, they may not be brought under the control of the will, whereby they are guided by the noetic faculty into manifestation.

“Suppose, accordingly, that the genuine art of divining was a liberating of the divine from the other soul or a separating of the mind by itself or an extending of its purview, or that it was a vehemence and extending of energy or passion or a sharpening or prompting of understanding or an inspiriting of the mind.”

From the above quote we see that divination is concerned with the soul’s connection with to gods with the mind being the analytical component, the body to a certain degree for certain works of divination may serve to hinder the process of receiving prophetic visions.

“But if the body is to be regarded as the cause of the inspired rapture or trance, on account of certain temperaments, either melancholic or some other, or to speak more particularly, on account of heat and cold and moisture, or some form of these, the mingling or tempering of them or the breath, would be the cause of the aberration, and it would arise from physical disturbances.”

In cases of extreme illness especially when accompanied by high fevers and also near-death experiences, the body serves as the cause for the prophetic visions. The soul being to a large extent disconnected from the physical body under these circumstances is free to experience divine ecstasy as an expression of its inherent nature.

Porphyry:                                                                                                                                                                              ”So also certain others of these ecstasies become entheast or inspired when they hear cymbals, drums, or some choral chant, as for example, those who are engaged in Korybantic Rites, those who are possessed at the Sabazian festival and those who are celebrating the Rites” of the Divine Mother.”

Iamblichus:

“We affirm accordingly, not only that the shoutings and choric songs are sacred to the gods, each and all of them, as being peculiarly their own, but likewise that there is a kindred relationship between them in their proper order, according to their respective ranks and powers, the motions in the universe itself and the harmonious sounds emitted from the motions.”

The ranks of the gods within their specific hierarchy are observed in the order that these rites are presented in the ceremony, serving to lead the participants systematically to higher and higher ecstasies as they are related to the gods.

“By the agency of such a relationship of the choric songs to the gods it is that their presence actually becomes manifest, for there is nothing intervening; and hence whatever has a mere incidental resemblance to them becomes immediately participant of them. There also takes part at once a perfect possession and filling with the divine essence and power. Nor is this because the body and soul are in each other, and effected alike in sympathy with the songs; but, on the contrary, it is because the inspiration of the gods is not separated from the divine harmony, and being allied with it, as being of the same kindred it is shared by it in just measure.”

The music and chants result in complete possession of mind and body by bringing both into perfect harmony with the nature of the gods, the nature of which are invariably constituents of the divine harmony. The music however just serves to express the fact that there is indeed no separation between us and the gods thus enlivening within the participant the type of ecstasy that leads to Bacchic frenzy.

“Thou seemest to think that those who are enrapt by the Mother of the gods are males, for thou callest them accordingly “Metrizontes”; yet that is not true, for the “Metrizontesae” are chiefly women. A very few however are males and such as may be more delicate. This enthusiasm has a power that is both life-engendering and perfective, in which it differs from every other type of frenzy.”

Bacchic rites are therefore an exaltation of the divine feminine, and it is by these rites that the generative potential of the spirit is enacted. The Bacchic frenzy is a celebration of the creative force of existence, and is not only perfective as a result of its attainment, upon recipients, but it, as the creative expression of creation itself is giving form to spirit within the context of the rite, thus enlivening the force of the egregore to which the ceremony is dedicated.

“It is acknowledged by everyone that the oracle at Kolophon gives its response through the medium of water. There is a spring in a house underground and from this the prophet drinks. On certain appointed nights, many sacred ceremonies having taken place before hand, he drinks, and delivers oracles, but he is not seen by the beholders that are present. It is manifest from this, therefore, that that water possesses an oracular quality; but how this is not every man, as the saying is, may know.”

The oracular nature of the spring could only be experienced by the prophet as it was his appointed office to be the prophet of the oracle. He had dedicated his whole life to being a vehicle of this divine inspiration. This was accomplished by the sacred ceremonies before hand to bring him into communion with the oracle and at the divinatory rites themselves he was not in view of the observers, thereby separating himself from any external sensory stimulus that could form a barrier between him and the oracle.

“Indeed before drinking the water he fasts an entire day and night, and as he begins to become entheast he withdraws by himself into certain sacred retreats.”

The prophet invokes the spirit for two days before the rite, to establish perfect union with the god of the spring, he accordingly fasts throughout this time. The fasting awakens the soul to greater awareness of the unconscious revelations of the oracle. Fasting would to a degree cause the body to aid the vision in the same way as mentioned previously in this essay, when a person experiences states of ecstasy due to high fever or near-death experience. However, in the state that the prophet is in, he is invoking the spirit which is specifically associated with the oracle, and he isn’t just overcome by visions, making his, an act of will. So, we can see from the above, that divination is a form of ecstasy, whereby we have established communication between the soul and the gods in such a way that visions originating in the collective unconscious perceived by the soul is understood by the intellect.  

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 5:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 5:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“In short all these races make their receptive orders duly distinguishable, and they show at once the regions which have fallen to them, and the allotments in which they abide. Those that are of the air display aerial fire; the earthly a chthonian and darker light and the celestials a more splendid luminance. All these  races are distributed in these three regions (the earth, air and superior heaven) in the threefold order beginning intermediary and last, those of the gods displaying the highest purest causes pertaining to the threefold order; those of the angels being reckoned from the archangels; those of the demons being manifest as attendant upon these and those of the half -gods in like manner ministrant—not in deed after the same services as demons, but after other and different ways of their own. Those of the archons have the allotment which is set apart to them; to one class the superintendence of the cosmic world and to the other that of the realm of matter. The souls are classed as the last of the superior races.”

The archons concerned with the superintendence of the cosmic world establish the consequence of nativity by linking the body with the soul in such a way to the celestial bodies of the constellations as to make their influence manifest in the world of matter. Likewise, the archons of matter are concerned with the elemental character of souls within the realm of matter, thus these influences are brought to bear in life through the connection that has been established before birth and carried into manifestation in the material world. Demons correspond so closely with the soul that they are virtually indistinguishable from their influence and it is by their agency that the influence of the gods and higher celestial races are made manifest. The influence of these races starting from the superior heaven and manifesting to our perceptions in the material world, likewise carry the light all the way down from the supernal region and as their influence gets closer to manifestation, the light is dissolved through the three worlds and the Forms become more and more clearly expressed to the intellective faculty until it becomes solidified in the realm of matter. The three worlds are earth, air and superior heaven and are also expressed in man’s threefold nature, body, soul and spirit respectively. This three-fold constitution is in every respect joined and brought into union by what we call LVX or the light via which we’re linked to the primordial first cause. The perfect union that manifests as a consequence of the presence of the light is the reason for the soul’s potential to attain union with the higher races and the fact that there is any balance whatsoever, without which there is only the primordial union established in The One, thus this balance is established particularly as a consequence of the soul’s relationship with the higher worlds as an incarnated being.

“Thou sayest: “It is a common thing for the gods and demons alike, and with all the Superior races to speak boastfully, and to project an unreal image into view”.  Such is not the fact as thou supposest. For a god, an angel and a good demon (when they appear at the rites) give instruction freely to human beings, in regard to their own essence, but never in addition, make use in their teachings, of any expression greater than their transcendent power or inherent good qualities.”

The higher races have acquired perfect balance and are in every way perfectly suited to their allotted positions, they merely through having attained perfect union with the soul present the teachings of the gods perfectly from their appointed positions. Whereby their influence is incorruptible and so can never deter the soul via presenting impure influences that are not in complete harmony with that which has been freely given by the gods.    

“When then does the untruthful act of “speaking boastfully” mentioned by thee take place? When there occurs some errancy in the Theurgic technique, and the images which ought to be at the Autopsia are not, but others of a different kind are encountered, then the inferior races assume the guise of the more venerable orders, and pretend to be the very ones that they are counterfeiting; and in such cases they abandon themselves to boastful speeches and pretensions of power which they do not possess.”

Hence the evil spirits are not demons; they manifest in the mind of the observer via the misunderstanding of divine truths and the improper application of its principles. When the symbolism employed in Theurgic operation is incongruous with the nature of the higher races the soul attracts impure spirits wishing to embody the offices of the higher races, this serves to sow discord in the mind and causes disharmony between the soul and the celestial races. These spirits are thus incomplete manifestations of that which one had tried to invoke and their effects may manifest in the psyche as mental illness and delusions. In other words, they through their imperfect nature failing, have misinterpreted the perfection emanating from the gods.

“For although we may know the peculiarities which are incident to each race of the superior beings, me may fail to hit upon the truth in regard to their operations. Yet without this knowledge the mystic union never takes place; nevertheless the union and knowledge are by no means the same thing. So, the divine purity is in no sense by means of the right knowledge, as that of the body is not through health; but on the other hand it is more completely one and more pure than knowledge.”

Thus, the symbols employed do not correspond to the intellective faculty but are understood on a deeper level as being communicated to the soul. And although without understanding the previously mentioned positions that form the divine hierarchy and their offices as they relate to the soul and those things in nature by which their offices are understood, union may not be attained. Knowledge can only take us to understanding of a limited nature, complete union is however attained, only by the employment of correct operation in Theurgic ceremony.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

                                                                                                          

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 4:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 4:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“I say therefore that demons are produced by the generative and creative powers of the gods, in the furthest extreme of manifestation and the last divisions: but that the heroes or half gods have their origin in the forces of life in the gods; and that the superior and highest in rank in the souls are brought to completeness and distinguished from these forces.”

The demons are linked to mind and perception and serve the noetic faculty, they are not evil as they are an emanation of the one. The heroes are of the highest race they are the original souls that have completed the journey to oneness and have become as messengers of the gods, having imbued within them that quality which isn’t fixed and passive.

“Thus that of the demons is effective purpose, bringing to maturity the natures of the world and exercising guardianship individually over those coming into existence. Those of the heroes is life-sustaining, promotive of the reasoning faculty, and directive of souls.”

The function of the heroes therefore is supported by the demons as the inherent qualities of souls are expressed perfectly through the reasoning faculty. These two races then work together to facilitate the progress of souls on the material plane, however that of the heroes is of a higher order as to direct humans towards the purpose being inherent within the nature of the soul.

[…] the Soul is next, and ranks as the end of the series of divine beings. Having received from those two races a specific allotment of powers, it both augments the apportionment by other more abundant additions from itself, and likewise projects from itself at one time various forms and principles of life which are entirely different, and at other times others. Thus making use of different lives and ideals according to each region of the world, it is united with those that it likes, and draws away from those from which it may wish to be separate, becoming assimilated to all, and separated from them by otherness. In this way, choosing principles akin both to things that are sempersistent and to those that come into existence in time, […]

Accordingly, demons and heroes are an indication of the soul’s nature, and the soul brings with it certain qualities that work in conjunction with demons and heroes whereby these qualities are brought to task, so as to function at its highest qualitative level. As the soul is ethereal by nature it attracts to itself also those qualities that are harmonious with its own nature and through its place in the world it draws from experience adding greater potential from its surroundings. Those things that are through this process separated from the soul are not in harmony with its greater nature, thus it moves ever forward evolving in accordance with universal law, until it is again united with the first principle. The ontology of the soul is therefore indicated in its relationship with these races via a human being’s natural expressions and inclinations in everyday life, but not the True Will. Although maintaining the same relationship with these races, the True Will is of a higher order of souls, as it is manifested in those souls who have attained perfect union with the celestial races through the Art of Theurgy.

“In autoptic visions of the gods, the most brilliant spectacles of reality itself are to be beheld. They not only shine steadily but they are plainly visible as if in organic shapes. The images of the archangels present themselves to view genuine and perfect. Those of the angels preserve the form itself, but they come short in the completeness of distinctive tokens. Those of the demons are scarcely perceptible, and those of the half-gods are still inferior. Those of the archons are clear, and the archons of the realm of Matter are indistinct, but both classes seem to be exercising authority.”

As the generative influence of the divine light is first experienced from the realm of the gods and finally manifests in the material world, the influence at the beginning is clearly seen as something unique and inspirational, as blessedly received by the subject from the celestial spheres. However, as this influence gets closer to manifestation it becomes more undefined and at last it becomes inseparable from our perception and its manifestation into material existence. The demons and half-gods being in such close relationship to the mind become virtually indistinguishable from the source of its expression, and the observer beholds only the expression itself. The archons are of a different nature and may be likened to the impulses of the soul in its relationship to the things of the material world. Their influence is directly perceived as exercising authority over the will of the individual with the potential to blind him from his place within the hierarchy of divine races. They are thus charged with dominion over the earth and the elements, through them worldly things are acquired, however not corrupt within themselves their seductive nature may inspire corruption within an individual. Therefore, we are charged by the “Book of the Law” that every act of love be dedicated unto Nuit, whereby we may be guided towards ultimate truth through observing all acts as acts of devotion, thereby turning life into a joyful sacrament dedicated to the exaltation of the gods.

I,51: There are four gates to one palace; the floor of that palace is of silver and gold; lapis lazuli & jasper are there; and all rare scents; jasmine & rose, and the emblems of death. Let him enter in turn or at once the four gates; let him stand on the floor of the palace. Will he not sink? Amn. Ho! warrior, if thy servant sink? But there are means and means. Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fine apparel; eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam! Also, take your will and fill of love as ye will, when, where, and with whom ye will! But always unto me.

I,52: If this be not aright; if ye confound the space-marks, saying: They are one; or saying, They are many; if the ritual be not ever unto me: then expect the direful judgments of Ra Hoor Khuit!

Liber AL vel Legis:

“And, further, this fact is to be kept in view: that everything of the visible likeness that is pure and stable thou shouldst attribute to the Supreme Races.”

Here Iamblichus is referring to the material world: the world of matter is in every way perfect and is where the soul finds expression, thus it is here in the final emanation wherein Spirit is liberated to partake in the joys of incarnated life.

“Souls are infected with extraordinary defilements and alien spirits. With these defilements each of these races exhibit itself at the epiphanies.”

The defilements of the soul are those things that are not in accord with our True Wills. The epiphanies received from the corrupting influence of these alien spirits, are thus in conflict with our true natures and serve to guide us astray and away from the nature of our aspirations, which are in harmony with the Spirit and by which the True Will is made manifest.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Tower:

 

The Tower:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The twenty-seventh path on the Tree of Life is Peh and is represented in the Tarot as The Tower. This path connects Netzach and Hod and their union culminates again in the sphere of Yesod, which symbolizes the unconscious. The union between all the spheres on the tree culminates in what may be called states of realization. These states may also be considered as different levels of creation that finally is brought into material existence at Malkuth. The interplay between these opposites at every step along the tree is passionate and even violent, this may especially be noted between the union of Binah and Chokmah resulting in the creation below the Abyss. Another name for this card is War and the name is indicative of what has here been stated.

The Tower is associated with Mars and presents an issue that is manifesting martially without consent or planning and wholly out of the observer’s control. Inner conflict has given rise to an explosion and has left the subject with no further options. Before this happened there was an inability to make a decision about that which has become corrupted, and the outcome is now that the choice has been made on the enquirer’s behalf and without the luxury of planning. This forces one who has been unwilling to change into the fire and the circumstances forced upon one in this situation are felt as turmoil. However, this is a card indicative of creation and growth and so inherently it is a good card, although the situations presented by it may not feel very beneficent at the time. This card thus symbolizes someone who is in the midst of suffering a great loss, this is due to a lack of internal congruence by the subject and the inability to create from this conflict a sustainable relationship with the world. Such as could be the case with wants and needs for example. Loss is always traumatic, however there is new freedom to be experienced from such a fall from grace. Having no expectations, confronted with a new sense of self in a new world, can indeed be very freeing.

The god associated with this card would be Aries who is associated with blind rage and the chaos of war. Aries was the most hated god in ancient Greece and from my understanding the only person who ever really liked him was Aphrodite, who was his lover and the goddess associated with the sphere of Netzach, which as mentioned joins to Hod through the path which is the topic of this essay. He was the son of Zeus and Hera; his character is bloodshed and war and the antithesis of Athena, the goddess of war associated with Geburah, who represents the art of war as strategy and pioneering. Although the character of Aries is brutal; the opposite side of this, is that at times of great distress we may call upon Aries to bless us with courage when faced with obstacles that seem insurmountable. Therefore, he is also represented as the strength needed to face these obstacles head on and to not shy away from them, thus seeing the current circumstances through to their conclusion.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 3:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 3:

”Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

 

Porphyry:                                                                                                        

“Why then are many ceremonies performed historically in the sacred rites, as though the gods are moved by passion?”

Iamblichus:                                                                                                                                               “Yet it may not be admitted that any part of the Holy Observance is performed to the gods or demons as to being impressionable beings. For the essence which is subjectively everlasting and incorporeal is not of a nature to permit any change from the bodies […] It is supplied from itself, and from the nature (or feminine principle) of the world, and from the abundance which is the genesis (or generative energy); […]”

We are being presumptuous if we believe that these offerings serve to invoke within the gods anything whatsoever, the sacrifices are not meant to bring about any change in the perception of the gods who are wholly impersonal and remain so. They are meant for the participants alone and serve to attune the faculties of the participants to be in closer proximity with the gods. The nature of sacrifice in the Theurgic rites are present in this way, they are either images and symbols representing the archetypal nature of the force invoked, such as images consecrated to that force or they present our relationship to the gods. Thus, those that are of a certain nature bring to the operation that symbol of the generative quality in female form. This is symbolized in fertility images specifically and other offerings of a feminine nature, establishing with them a generative quality necessary for a successful operation.

[…], we remark that the planting of “phallic images” is a special representing of the procreative power by conventional symbols and that we regard the practice as an invocation to the generative energy of the universe. On this account many of these images are consecrated in the spring, when all the world is receiving from the gods the prolific force of the whole creation.”

With these initial offerings the aim of the ceremony is clearly presented in the symbolism, that indicate union between the soul and the gods resulting in ecstasy. The phallus carrying the universal energy that induces within us states of higher consciousness or ecstasy resulting in a greater union between body and soul and leading to greater heights of creative expression, by the initial communion experienced with the gods through ritual. Ourselves symbolized by the generative energy of the earth as mother and fertility, or a womb that generates life. We are thus invoking this procreative force of absolute abundance, which is symbolized in these images and imagery.  

“I think however that the immodest language to which you refer affords an illustration of the absence of moral virtue in the realm of matter, and the unseemly rudeness of the elements that are to be organized. These being utterly destitute of orderly arrangement are passionate eagerly for it, so to speak, to such a degree as they are conscious of the unbecoming condition around themselves. Hence, again perceiving from the speaking of vile utterances, what is vile, they follow to the (divine) source of ideals and moral beauties. They accordingly not only turn aside from evil action, but through the words, it is manifest in its forms and changes the impulse to a contrary direction”   

By the “vile utterances” we are acknowledging in a sense the obstacle to complete union and that would be the bonds of matter, certainly we are of the corporeal world, however without acknowledging the inherent connection between the world of matter and the gods, as both forming aspects of the demiurgic art, we would have no footing. Our initial connection with the divine is therefore an acceptance of those things that may be deemed vile or immoral, which however spring from the same divine source as the gods and therefore inherently perfect. It is a delusion to think that anything in creation is not of the gods and doesn’t share in the One, we are all of the One (First Cause) within which the will of the Demiurge is established and all is encompassed.

“The powers of the human passions that are in us, when they are barred, on every side, become more vehement: but when they are sufficiently delighted and satisfied, and becoming more satisfied are won over and set to rest.”

The greatest sin therefore is restriction, if we restrict our natural impulses to partake in the pleasures of fleshly life, our repression will lead to these impulses realizing themselves in unhealthy or dangerous ways. There is nothing unholy or unnatural about the things that delight the flesh, quite the opposite is true. The expression of these as holy sacraments is indicative of the essential and divine nature of all of us and indeed their repression therefore in its denial and a blasphemy against the gods.

I,12: Come forth, o children, under the stars, & take your fill of love!                                                                                     

I,13: I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy.

I,41: The word of Sin is Restriction. O man! refuse not thy wife, if she will! O lover, if thou wilt, depart! There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse. Accursed! Accursed be it to the aeons! Hell.

Liber AL vel Legis:

“In the Sacred Rights, also, we are, by certain spectacles and relations of ugly things, delivered from the harm that is likely to befall through the events represented by them. Things of this character are brought into use, therefore, for the healing of the soul within us, the moderating of the evils which have become natural to it through the genesis or nativity, and likewise for the sake of its unloosening and deliverance from its bonds.”

The soul spoken of by Iamblichus is ethereal and therefore is bound by the expectations and fears that we have acquired through nativity. These fears are then the general fears and especially the fear of death shared by most people born into material existence. The “unloosening and deliverance” of the soul “from its bonds” then is an acceptance, by the conscious partaker in these rights and the coming to terms with our own mortality, that raises the soul to greater awareness, freeing it from the restrictions that bind it and prevents it from attaining complete union with the gods. This is accomplished by introducing certain “spectacles and relations of ugly things” into Theurgic ceremony which symbolize these fears, thus by overcoming them we are raised from their holds upon us.

Porphyry:                                                                                                                                             “The invocations are made to gods that are impressionable beings; so that it is implied that not the demons only are impressionable, but the gods likewise.”

Iamblichus:                                                                                                                               

“For such invocation does not draw down beings that are impassive and pure, to that which is susceptible and impure. On the contrary, it makes us who had become impressionable through the generated life, pure and steadfast. […] It is by no means, as the term seems to imply, an inclining of the mind of the gods to human beings, but on the contrary, as the truth itself will teach the adapting of the human intelligence to the participation of the gods, […]”

By means of Theurgic invocation we are enlivening ourselves to conscious union with the gods, meaning that we are always in contact with the gods. Our decisions and actions in everyday life all reflect the influence of the gods. Therefore, there should be no need to appease the gods through the practice of ritual sacrifice and within the art of invocation, calling them down from the heavenly realm; these practices merely serve to lift the veil that separates us from perceiving the gods.

[…] “the propitiations of anger” will be plain enough if we learn thoroughly what the anger of the gods really is. It certainly is not, as some imagine an inveterate and persisting rage. On the contrary, so far as the matter relates to the gods, it is turning away from their beneficent guardianship. We ourselves turn away from this just as we bring darkness upon ourselves by shutting away the light at noon-day and so rob ourselves of the priceless gift of the gods.”

I will here reiterate our relationship with the celestial spheres as being subjective and that the effects induced through these practices may not amount in change occurring within the world that we see outside of ourselves. The same is true for the rites performed to accrue favor from the gods, these rites are merely present to further lift the veil between ourselves and the gods by establishing congruency with the gods. We are thus made worthy to partake of the gifts of the gods, by affirming the fact to ourselves via these rites and practices.

“Nevertheless, because evil is present in the regions of the earth the “expiatory sacrifices” act as a remedy and prepare us so that no change or any passive condition may occur with reference to us.”

The gods’ favor is not intervening in worldly affairs by bringing down chariots of fire to smite our enemies. When every faculty we possess has been brought to bear upon achieving the aim, we call it divine providence and these sacrifices serve as either ridding one of that which serves as a hindrance to this communion, or act as reestablishing a prior connection to that which has been lost, or indeed to strengthening one’s existing communion by reaffirming the purpose.

“For that something in us that is divine, mental essence and one—or mental alone, if you choose to call it so—is then vividly aroused in prayers, and when it is awakened it longs vehemently for its counterpart, and becomes united to the absolute perfection.”

This speaks of the anagogic prayers employed in the Art of Theurgy meant to awaken within us that spark that is the centre of knowing and of the same nature as the divine cause, which in Thelema we call Hadit. As mentioned in a previous essay it is this divine essence that is the origin of our spiritual aspiration and once enlivened strive vehemently for union with the beloved. Hadit is not the soul as understood in this essay, in fact Hadit possesses the soul and the body and unites our faculties to work in accord with our aspiration of attaining union with the divine.

“The gods certainly do not receive prayers in themselves through faculties of sense, or through organs, but they encompass in themselves the full purport and energies of the pious utterances, and especially of those which happen through the Sacred Rites to have been established and brought into one with the gods.”

Again, we are not trying to charm the gods with sacrifices and prayers, the archetypal imagery of these Holy Books is consistent with the nature of the gods and this imagery is therefore likewise present in each of us. What we are therefore doing is illuminating the presence of the gods via the noetic faculty and establishing greater rapport. This anagogic nature of prayer and pious contemplation is particularly well presented in the Holy Books of Thelema, which I shall now quote from as an example.

 1. Into my loneliness comes --  

2. The sound of a flute in dim groves that haunt the uttermost hills.  

3. Even from the brave river they reach to the edge of the wilderness.

4. And I behold Pan.

5. The snows are eternal above, above --  

6. And their perfume smokes upward into the nostrils of the stars.  

7. But what have I to do with these?

8. To me only the distant flute, the abiding vision of Pan.

9. On all sides Pan to the eye, to the ear;  

10. The perfume of Pan pervading, the taste of him utterly filling my mouth, so that the tongue breaks forth into a weird and monstrous speech.

11. The embrace of him intense on every centre of pain and pleasure.  

12. The sixth interior sense aflame with the inmost self of Him,

13. Myself flung down the precipice of being

14. Even to the abyss, annihilation.

15. An end to loneliness, as to all.

16. Pan! Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan!    

Prologue of the unborn: Liber VII

“If we are judged by being compared to the gods, the consciousness of our own nothingness causes us to betake ourselves to supplication, and we are led from supplication to the object of supplication, and from the familiar intercourse we acquire a similarity to it, and from imperfection we quietly receive the divine perfection.”

We may therefore say that the soul truly is the most blessed of the divine races. Who through its transient nature may partake of the beauty of the gods and the splendor of the earth at once. For if it wasn’t for the latter, there would be no seeing and thus there would be no relationship with the divine. One’s aspiration is always in search of the beauty which subsists in the gods and we find our most vivid expression of this in the books and poetry that have been inspired and dedicated to them. Prayer therefore could be considered as of the most venerable nature of all observances, for it serves to bring the mind of the observer into immediate relation with the divine by enlivening within it the expression of the gods and raising this expression to conscious awareness, prior to which the aforementioned expression would have gone unnoticed. Through the impact these supplications have on the consciousness of the observer, they serve to bring us to perfection via their daily observance. We inflame ourselves with the imagery of the gods’ and these take root in our souls; and as they grow, they guide us towards Divine Perfection and union with the gods.

“For thou hast proposed this question: “If only the gods are incorporeal, how shall the Sun, the Moon and the other luminaries visible in the sky be accounted as gods?”                                                               

We reply: That they are not encompassed by bodies, but that on the contrary they encompass the bodies with their own divine lives and energies; also that they are not converted to the divine cause; and that the body does not interfere with their spiritual and incorporeal completeness, nor occasion any obstacle to it by intervening.”

The gods are wholly incorporeal, our  individual perceptions of them and their effects on us are not seen or felt in the world of matter, however the planetary bodies are certainly gods. For they have within them a significance and character of godliness, that persists in the mind and the nature of the soul. Although not gods themselves they are symbols of the gods, that have taken form and have become alive in the ether and by being so have indeed been imbued by the character and have acquired the power of the gods. Therefore, observing the laws that are accompanied by their existence such as the times and days and months are equally valid, for these have been written in the soul and the collective unconscious as subsisting with the gods.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

 

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 2:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 2:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Porphyry:                                                                                                                                                   “As the gods dwell in heaven only, I ask therefore, why are invocations at the Theurgic Rites directed to them as being of the Earth and Underworld? How is it although possessing power unlimited, undivided, and unrestricted, some of them are mentioned as being of the water and of the atmosphere, and that others are allotted by definite limitations to different places and to distinct parts of bodies? If they are actually separated by circumscribed limitations of parts, and according to diversities of places and subject-bodies, how will there be any union of them one to another?”

Iamblichus:                                                                                           

“In regard to the superior races (the gods and souls) the former is chief, superior and perfect; the other is inferior and imperfect.” .

The Soul has the capacity for expression whereas the gods have no such luxury. This comes with a certain responsibility in our dealings with the world as we are in danger of manifesting to close a bond with our transient bodies, thereby neglecting to cultivate that which is eternal and that which influences our higher impulses and impressions, guiding us towards communion with the divine.

“The Former generates all things and is guardian over them; but the latter has a natural disposition to turn submissively towards what it creates and has under its guardianship.”

Creativity and the soul’s striving to create issues forth from the influence of the gods upon the soul. The gods have within their realm all and therefore they are an endless wellspring of inspiration. Indeed, all creation manifesting in the corporeal world has its origin there and it at times even seems miraculous to the creators how this may have been understood and how it came to be. This is the risk that the soul faces, that it may become the slave of its own creation and its hubris in that case too will have the potential to lead it astray and away from this communion with the divine.

“Further still, there exists with the former the highest and unlimited, superior to all measurement, and so completely formless as to be circumscribed by no formative principles; but the latter is dominated by impulse, habit and inclination, and is held fast both by longings for that which is inferior and by being familiar with things of a secondary character. At length it is molded in various ways and proportions from them. Hence MIND, the leader and king of the things that actually are, the demiurgic art of the universe, is always present with the gods in the same manner, completely and abundantly, being established in itself unalloyed according to one sole energy. But the soul partakes of divisible and multiform mind, adapting itself to the supreme authority over all. It also takes care of un-souled beings, having been itself born into various forms at different times. From the same causes, order itself and beauty itself are coexistent with the Superior races; or if it is desired so to express it, the First cause is coexistent with these. But with the soul the allotment of intellective order and divine beauty is always associated”   

The MIND is the Logos and from this, issues forth the phenomenal universe as a work of demiurgic art. Therefore, everything is exactly as it should be, all is in the correct place. The gods are the expression of the Logos, they have been created in the image of this word and keep evolving in accordance with it. Therefore, the nature of the gods is perfect as they are harmonized in accordance with this universal law. The souls however are as mentioned imperfect from the result of being bound by their material forms. These material bodies are swayed by that which are received through the senses. Souls are subject to emotions and other sense impressions, creating conflict which is out of accord with celestial nature. The Demiurge is wholly impersonal and detached from that which the body’s physical organs may latch on to in a misguided attempt to find clarity about the soul’s true nature. Even empathy is most often imperfect and akin to the lower nature of the soul whereas detachment is more akin to the higher. Hereby the souls striving for divine beauty is guided by the intellective faculty, and with the gods the intellective faculty is not present, they are perfect expressions of the Demiurge. What good is a pauper to the people? We can be of no good to anyone unless we have gained control over our lives and the same is true in the case of Theurgy with respect to mind and body and the aim of transcendence. We must raise our souls in wealth, and this can only be done by complying with the laws present, until we have established an insoluble union with the gods. Wherefrom we may direct our faculties in correct proportion to our capacities.

“With the gods, the measure of all things, or rather the cause of it, is perpetually co-ordinate; but the soul is confined to the divine limit and only participates of this in a limited degree. With good reason there may be described to the gods dominion over all beings, by the power of supreme authority of the First Cause; but the soul has defined limits over which it can have command.”  

The influence of the gods is felt by everyone, everywhere but the soul’s understanding and potential to receive this influence is limited by its capacity. Included in this limitation is the fact that we are bound to our corporeal forms which brings with it its own collection of limitations, added to this, are our particular circumstances and intellectual and emotional capacities, all of these play a role to what extent an individual may attain communion with the gods. As the superior races are the inspiration for all types of creative expression, they are equally influential in the development of every person. Our souls are subject to the impressions from the divine realm; some to a greater and others to a lesser extent, and at the same time we are subject to the sensory impressions we receive from the material world, thus being shaped by both of these in like manner. The nature of the soul then according to Neo-Platonism is of this two-fold nature and we may call these the (corporeal) lower soul and the (incorporeal) higher soul. The lower soul is that which receives influence from the material world and the higher soul receives impressions from the celestial. We may only serve the gods if we have elevated our souls to where they are guided by intellection and become like the gods themselves, inspired and guided by the impressions they receive from both. Theosophy and Theurgy are the two means employed to enlarge our capacity for this reception, it is through these two practices that the soul increases in understanding until it becomes a conduit for divine inspiration. Thus, there is a need for enlivening the soul to its purpose and this enlivening of the soul is called initiation. It is only through occult initiation that this sense of self is unveiled and from where the soul may become an active participant in one’s life; without which we remain as passive observers and subject to the tides of creation. This is not the case with the inferior celestial races, for they are limited in their capacity and are capable to receive only that which they are fitted for, this is the reason that the soul was so highly regarded by the Neo-Platonists, as it is capable of experience outside of its immediate surroundings which it perceives through the faculties of the physical body. Along with being intransient the lower races of celestial beings are incapable of influencing the higher spheres, this however is not the case with souls, the zeitgeist being an example of our influence.

“ Hence the secondary races being always towards the primary, and the superiors leading the inferiors as exemplars, essence and ideal come to the lower races from those which are superior, and those which are ignoble are produced primarily in the more excellent. Hence accordingly order and proportion come from the latter to the inferior races, and these are what they are through the former. But there is no transmitting of peculiarities from the inferior races to those which proceed them.” 

The peculiarities that the lower races receive from the superior races depends on the soul’s understanding of its role in the cosmic play that is life. The greater the soul’s insight into the nature of its own being the more concentrated these peculiarities become in suitedness to each individual soul, this in the Thelemic context, is the True Will. Only by realizing our True Wills are we able to govern our realities according to our inherent natures, a course of action we aren’t the least bit aware of before the True Will has been realized. Thus, the inferior races are influenced by the higher each in turn until finally this influence is experienced by the soul. Once a person has raised himself to sufficient union with all the races inferior to the gods, he unites with the gods and these inferior races support him to do his will. Whereby the soul stands in union with all these races and becomes a manifestation of the Logos. By the work of Theurgy the soul is not seeking to control any part of the celestial hierarchy, but is seeking to find its proper place within it.

“On the contrary, the superior races are characterized in this way: that they are encompassed by nothing and that they encompass all things in themselves. But those that belong to the earth have their being in the perfections (pleromas) of the gods, and when they become fit for the divine communion they at once, prior to their own essence, posses the gods that preexisted in it.”

The superior races have no limitations, for the simple fact that they are dependent on the psychic influence from the lowest world. They serve as a storehouse for this influence and there is thus no limit to the vastness of their expansion. Within them exists not only the beginning but eternity as may be conceptualized by one who has expanded his perception to accommodate them. We are essentially gods awaiting our return and as gods, as soon as this communion is achieved, we receive that which exists and has existed with the gods in its entirety at once.

“Whether the allotment be to certain parts of the universe, as to heaven or earth, whether to holy cities or regions, whether to certain temple-precincts or sacred images, the divine irradiation shines upon them all from the outside, just as the sun illuminates every object from within with its rays. Hence as the light encompasses the objects that it illuminates, so also the power of the gods comprehends those that participate of it.”

The gods are omnipresent however, it is when we draw our focus to the gods for any specific Theurgic operation that the force invoked becomes concentrated and manifests in a certain place for a specific purpose. Again, this manifestation depends on the will and participation of the soul or souls conducting the operation, without which the gods would go unnoticed. However still active in shaping our lives, their influence will be unconsciously perceived, going unnoticed and beyond the control of the individual. Hereby, the unconscious influences from the superior races in the lives of individuals are dependent on the psychic constitutions of any individual and those energies his soul has a greater affinity with will thus be naturally attracted to him, unless the art of Theurgy is employed. This unawareness creates imbalance and so the first step in Theurgy is to create equilibrium, such is the work done on the material level, and is the means by which we establish a firm foundation first, wherefrom the soul may be raised to power.

“…,the whole universe, being susceptible of division, is distinguished with the one and indivisible light of the gods. In short, this light is one and the same every-where, and is not only present, undivided, with all things that are capable of participating of it, but it, likewise, by an absolute power and by an infinite superiority fills all things, as a cause, joins them together in itself, unites them everywhere in itself, and combines the ends with the beginnings.”

This light is referred to by Thelemites as LVX and is sometimes called the astral light, it is the All-Soul that has been made referenced to in this essay and is mankind’s connection to the gods. As it states in the quote this light “fills all things” it is known as the "Khabs" in the "Book of the Law". It is from this light that prophecy is received and this light is relied on for success in divinatory operations of any kind. It makes sense then that such strange archetypes and symbols are presented on Tarot cards and the archetypal nature for the poetry of the I-Ching, as these techniques are used to establish a link with this light and the material world, from which the All-Soul is accessed, or in modern terms the collective unconscious.

I,8: The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in the Khabs.

I,9: Worship then the Khabs, and behold my light shed over you!

Liber Al vel Legis (The Book of the Law)

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 1:

 Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 1:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

With these essays I attempt to bring some clarity and draw certain parallels between the philosophy of Neo-Platonism and in particular the Theurgy of Iamblichus, with that of the philosophical system of Thelema and modern occult philosophy and qabalah in general. The quotes in the following essays were taken from Iamblichus On the Mysteries or On the Egyptian Mysteries as translated by Alexander Wilder. The book is written as a correspondence between Iamblichus and Porphyry in response to questions posed by the latter regarding the practice of Iamblichus’ Theurgy and his unique interpretation of Neo-Platonic philosophy.

Porphyry:

“It is to be taken for granted that there are gods. I ask then what are the peculiarities of the different races, by which they are differentiated from each other?”

Iamblichus:

“Speaking in this way is not right. For the inborn knowledge in respect to the gods is coexistent with our very being, and is superior to all judging and deciding beforehand. Indeed, it is preexistent both to argument and demonstration and is united interiorly from the beginning to its own divine cause and is coexistent with the inherent impulse and longing of the soul to the Good.”

The essential nature of the soul is ethereal but also eternal, for when we die our ethereal bodies or souls again form part of the All-Soul also termed in psychology the collective unconscious. This is the place where the archetypes that aid our development reside. In death our souls break up and are dissolved into the ether. It is within this expanse where the gods also are, where the creative projections of mankind are still very much alive. Our souls are therefore united with the gods even before our births and bring this knowledge of the gods into life.

“Therefore, even as they have their being always after the same manner, so also the human soul is conjoined to them by Knowledge according to the same principles; never by any conjecture, opinion or reasoning which have their beginning in Time pursuing the essence which is beyond all these, but by pure and faultless intuitions which it received out of eternity from the gods being conjoined with them in these principles.”

Our natures have been decided for us in a sense since before we were born. We are all unique in our experience of the world, our sense of being is experienced through our intuition, making the moral expectations of organized religion forced down on their followers an absurdity that could impossibly be adhered to. It is a form of self-treachery and inexcusable, how this would play out is any one’s guess but the above seems to indicate that the effects would be eternally felt, if our true natures in life are to such a degree repressed. This is the crime of organized religion and especially Christianity, that mankind’s soul has been enslaved by their deceit of self-denial.  

“…and is united interiorly from the beginning to its own divine cause and is coexistent with the inherent impulse and longing of the soul to the Good.”

The divine cause we will here refer to as spirit which manifests in us as Hadit, the centre of knowing in each individual.

“Prior to this knowledge, however, which is as one individual having knowledge of another, the intimate union as in a single concept is self-originating and indistinguishable.”

Before incarnating and becoming self-aware, Hadit and Nuit are united and it is to be born into the phenomenal world and breaking away from this union that creates in us the intuitive longing for spiritual fulfilment, it is our longing for wholeness and the reunion of these opposites that inspires us to know the gods, who as stated, are but aspects of ourselves. The way to union therefore is attained by our worship of the gods as they are united with the divine cause as their nature is incorporeal and not separated from it, as we are separated from it by our physical bodies. 

“I say things to thee, therefore, in regard to the first principles in us, at which it is necessary for those to begin would both speak and hear anything whatever concerning the superior races or about ourselves”

I am drawn to the gods by virtue of spirit, the gods are not drawn to me, they are a part of me. They light up and become, as soon as I become a participant. The gods and the soul have been united eternally and will continue in this union, we are one in a sense, but knowledge and worship of the gods and superior races are still imperatives along the path, as they serve to bring us closer to understanding our true essences.

“But with souls that are ruling over bodies, that are occupied with the care of them, and that are placed in order apart by themselves in the eternal regions, before the transition to generated existence, there is not present either the essence of the Good or the Cause (First Principle) of the Good which is prior to essence; but there comes from it a certain participation and habit of good, as we perceive that a sharing of beauty and virtue is very different from what we observe with human beings. For this is equivocal and becomes manifest in complex natures as sole thing acquired.”

This quote speaks of the nature of evolution and the distinction between Hadit and our ethereal forms, that are here called souls. We are not born equal, not physically, intellectually or ethereally, one may say that fate has decided what our place in the hierarchy would be on our behalf. However, the one unchanging principle in each of us is Hadit, we can see this in the fact that all people are unique and do have different talents, this is how Iamblichus says we may distinguish between the nature of different souls. By the fact “that a sharing of beauty and virtue” is unique to every individual and these we have inherited before birth. However it is within, as he puts it "complex natures" that "beauty and virtue" is accentuated and these are of individuals who have acquired these traits from the nature of their souls, and such is the nature of inherited genius.      

“1: That of heroes or half-gods, which not only ranks higher than the order of souls in power and virtue, moral beauty and greatness, and excels in every good quality which is incident in souls, but is also closely joined to them by the kindred relationship of a similar form of life. 2: The other, the race of demons, which is closely allied to the gods, yet is in a certain sense inferior to them, following that it was not first in rank but accompanying in subservience to the good pleasure of the gods. This race causes the otherwise invisible goodness of the gods to become visible in operation, becoming itself both assimilated to it, and accomplishing perfect works that are like it. For what was before unutterable in it is made capable of being uttered, what was without form is caused to shine forth in visible figures, whatever of it was beyond all reasoning is brought forth into plain words, and having already received the participation of beautiful gifts it bestows the same ungrudgingly, and transfers them to the races that rank after itself.”

Blavatsky called these heroes and half gods the hidden Mahatmas and in Thelema we refer to them as the Secret Chiefs. They are considered ascended masters and at times serve to inspire certain people to create works of influence, that carry with them inspiration from the divine realm. One such demi-god or hero is Aiwass, who appeared to Aleister Crowley, and from whom he received the ‘Book of the Law’. Therefore, the quote states, that works of divine inspiration are received from these intermediaries, through our connection with the gods, that are facilitated by our relationship with demons or in fact demons serve to “render the connection with them indissoluble”. Therefore, an adept is tasked to strengthen his connection with the divine realm in the same way, as is done in the Abramelin working, where one must evoke all the infernal spirits once Knowledge and Conversation has been attained thus completing the ritual. It is also interesting to note that Abramelin who taught the sacred magick and after whom the ritual is named, is said to have been an Egyptian. The soul’s union with the race of demons is what raises us to understanding the language of the gods, that is translated into anagogic works of Beauty, for the benefit of mankind. The heroes are then through their kinship to humanity the messengers of the gods, therefore it becomes the work of the Theurgist to establish a relationship with these heroes or Secret Chiefs.

“Hence there may be perceived the complete joining together into one of the first and last races (all gods and souls) through the intermediates (the demons and half gods), and the entire sameness of nature, alike equally in substance and alike equally in energy.”

The whole hierarchy is connected in spirit and it is this spirit or LVX that keeps everything balanced and in their proper places, once union with these worlds or hierarchies have been achieved, we unite with the Demiurge and are capable of reflecting this light to the world. Everything is in its proper place and bound by its unique dealing with the Demiurge. The soul is the only one of these races that may by virtue of its nature raise itself to power and understanding and it is through this raising the soul to power, that we may come to understand the function of the soul’s dealings with the celestial races. As stated earlier in this essay, the gods and our relationship with all the races is found in the essence of our beings and the collective unconscious, we are then to raise our souls and unite with the gods so that conscious communion with the All-Soul is achieved.

“…, I describe the race of heroes and demi-gods as being placed over more common distribution and multitude, and likewise over action and commingling, and matters akin to these.”

Commingling here refers to our relationship with these heroes that result in creative expression of a divine nature. Therefore, they are akin to the messengers of the gods being able to travel between the incorporeal worlds and plant their seeds of creativity in the material world through the soul’s union with the gods. In the beginning of the chapter Iamblichus states: “Hermes, the patron of literature, was rightly considered of old to be a god common to all the priests and the one residing over the general learning relating to the gods, one and the same among all. Hence our predecessors were wont to ascribe to him their discoveries in wisdom and to name all their respective works Books of Hermes.”  Iamblichus was not Greek, he was from Syria and was said to be a descendant of the Priest Kings of ancient Egypt, in this quote he is referring to the anagogic nature of the writing of the priests and the aim of Theosophy and Theurgy. In ancient Egypt, Hermes was worshipped under the name Thoth and was revered in the same context, as having had great affinity for humanity, and relaying to us the knowledge of the gods.  Iamblichus goes on to say: “Accordingly, I myself engage thus in the present discussion. Thou, if thou dost so choose, art at liberty to consider the person who is now writing to thee as the individual to whom thou hast sent the letter. If, however it shall seem to thee more proper, then regard the individual who is discoursing with thee in writing to be one or some other prophet of the Egyptians, for this is not a matter worth differing about.”

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Esoteric Christianity Part 2:

 The Rosy Cross and The Holy Guardian Angel:

“Do what thou will shall be the whole of the Law.”

Although the Rosy Cross is certainly not a Christian symbol it has often been misinterpreted as such, there also are no bona fide Rosicrucian orders who call themselves the Rosicrucians. In fact, anyone can be a Rosicrucian if such a person has attained to a sufficient level of spiritual awakening and anyone who claims to be one is lying or simply doesn’t understand what the word means. However, the term Rosicrucian implies that one adheres to a specific philosophical perspective and that is the perspective of the White School of Magick, wherein The Great Work is the aim and ultimate goal of the aspirant.

Most who follow the path of Rosicrucianism, do it within a student teacher framework, this was the case with famous Rosicrucians, such as Rudolph Steiner and Pascal Beverly Randolph, both of whom to my knowledge never divulged the names of their Masters as they called them or the methods and teachings they received and both of whom were also members of the OTO, which Crowley also was a member of, and both of whom achieved the Great Work proving their success. They were indeed what we may consider bona fide Rosicrucians, even though neither were ever members of AMORC… Then there is Aleister Crowley, a man with very particular philosophic insights that these two men more than likely didn’t share and both in stark contrast to Crowley, masked the true meaning of their teachings within the framework of Christian Esotericism. There is no need for that sort of nonsense today, as the slave gods have been overthrown and so has the interpretation of the Rosy Cross and the means to its attainment. Aleister Crowley too was a bona fide Rosicrucian and also the wickedest man alive, as per a popular newspaper article written about him. As such, we may infer, that the attainment does not hinge on Christian precepts of moral dogma, but that anyone may attain, if given the right instructions.

The symbol of the Rosy Cross is a 22 petaled rose placed in the middle of a cross, this is a symbol of raising our consciousness in a vertical line to become one with our Holy Guardian Angels. Basically the 22 petaled rose is the Heart and Soul of the Adept, that through an act of Love under Will has achieved union with the divine and has become one with the universal mind that pervades the cosmos, thereby the attainment is concerned with Universal Love or Agape. Aleister Crowley said and I’m paraphrasing, that once conversation with one’s angel is attained, it is felt as a tremor throughout the universe. In Esoteric Christianity this is called awakening Christ Consciousness and is paralleled by the Sankharas of Love, Compassion and Detachment in Buddhism, as per the nature of the attainment. It is said these acts of selfless devotion then take on a life of their own, after the attainment they become alive in the heart of the aspirant awakening him to a new sense of wholeness, as the magician’s heart is ripped open to accommodate this influx of Divine Light. Once a magician attains Knowledge and Conversation with his Holy Guardian Angel his true being is exposed and he realizes his True Will, that which he was born to do and who he truly is, his whole being is laid bare. The 22 petals, therefore, represent the 22 paths on the Tree of Life making the Rosy Cross a qabalistic symbol of uniting the Microcosm with the Macrocosm, as the points of the cross have the markings of the elements giving it the name of the Cross of the Elements. This union is also reflected at Tiphareth on the Tree of Life, or the sphere of the sun, also known as the sphere of Beauty. This Sephirah can be seen as separating the top part of the tree from the lower part and is thus reflective of the attainment.

So, the triune constitution of man is a Rosicrucian doctrine that may be found in the writings and theories of all who adhere to this school of thought. This constitution being Matter, Soul and Spirit. The Soul which is created through occult work is that which binds the world of matter and spirit together and it is this vehicle that becomes a receptacle for Divine inspiration and in Christian parlance wherein the Christ is awakened (Christ Consciousness is achieved or Knowledge and Conversation with one’s Holy Guardian Angel is attained). This awakening is presented on the Tree of Life as the grades within the Ethical Triad or the grades of Adepthood, Aleister Crowley called these Grades the Order of the Rosy Cross. This attainment is only possible, if an aspirant has sufficiently built up his psychospiritual faculties to withstand the pressure of being that high up on the Tree of Life. Making it the aim of occult orders to serve as schools that may guide all sincere seekers towards this attainment. It must certainly be heeded that occult knowledge throughout the centuries have been kept out of the hands of the profane for good reason, however today we are living in strange times where one may learn how to do back flips in a day by watching a YouTube video. But by doing a backflip incorrectly, I may only break my neck…

Sadly, we may never know who the Rosicrucians are or were. The only yardstick that we have to judge them by is the work that they have done for the benefit of humanity. Most of these great men were not recognized for their greatness in their own life times, although some were, and such are the likes of people like Aleister Crowley and Rudolph Steiner, the former having had mixed reviews. This then is the aim of the Western Esoteric Tradition; to be immortalized through that work which an Adept produces for the benefit of mankind and the preservation of the Western Mystery Tradition and this is what is known as the Great Work.

“Love is the law, love under will.”