Daily Gazette

What a wonderful task! Of course, it came with an investment in ritual experience some years ago, after which I decided to hermeticize it; hence I now read mainly academic books from which I derive some grounding for my excursions into ritualism. Let me pick a few that may be useful and commendable:

Uždavinys, Algis. 2008. Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism. Sedbury, Glos.: Prometheus Trust. — Relevant for its attempt to reconstruct the philosophical pathways underlying the foundations of rite and theurgy.

Ritner, Robert Kriech. 1993. The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice. Fourth printing, with minor corrections. Chicago: Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. — Valuable for providing ritual ideas that, with enough virtuosity and experimentation, may be imaginatively adapted within the “temple” of the inner or ethereal spheres.

Stahl, William Harris. 1990. Macrobius: Commentary on the Dream of Scipio.* New York, NY: Columbia University Press. — Relevant because it describes, albeit quasi-legendary, the rapture of a Roman knight to the celestial spheres and stars above.

Iamblichus; Clarke, Emma C. (trans.). 2003. Iamblichus: On the Mysteries. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature. — Important for its clear elucidation of the theology of theurgists.

Apuleius. 2017. Apologia; Florida; De Deo Socratis. Edited by C. P. Jones. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. — “On the God of Socrates,” a treatise on daemonology and theology.

Bittrich, Ursula; Bydén, Börje; Gertz, Sebastian Ramon Philipp; Sheppard, Anne D. R.; Tanaseanu-Döbler, Ilinca; Synesius. 2014. *On Prophecy, Dreams and Human Imagination: Synesius, De Insomniis. Edited by D. A. Russell and Heinz-Günther Nesselrath. — Discusses types of dreams and how to discern them (for example, distinguishing a personal dream from a vision sent from beyond).

Kupperman, Jeffrey S. 2014. Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy. London: Avalonia. — Another modern attempt to engage these mysteries, offering a practical conceptual toolkit.

Kind regards,
Matt.

Dear Alex,

Absolutely. As a cult varies according to its geographical context, I am convinced that local modalities were distinct, especially where they existed alongside other magical or theological frameworks. As a generalist in the study of mysteriosophies, however, I try to remain academically humble and avoid conflating traditions. Like a religious comparativist, I believe each lineage deserves its proper respect, scholarly engagement, and dignity.

When it comes to praxis, my position is simply that “what works, works.” The same applies to theurgy. The experiential aspect is too subjective and personal for me to present as explanatory doctrine. I would rather not frame private gnosis as argument, since it is unverifiable beyond honesty and reasoned commitment between the individual and the expanse of the Divine.

That said, records exist of individuals in antiquity who participated in multiple mystery schools. For this reason, I feel justified in pursuing the Divine wherever it may be encountered—not as a collector, but while granting each mystery school the profundity it commands.

Regarding the combinatorial character of late antiquity, I once found an exceptional study:
Kahlos, Maijastina. 2002. Vettius Agorius Praetextatus: A Senatorial Life in Between. Rome: Institutum Romanum Finlandiae.

For ancient ritual practice more broadly, Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum (ThesCRA) is indispensable, especially the material in Vol. II (“Consecration: Divination, prayer, veneration, hikesia, asylia, oath, malediction, profanation, and magical rituals”), Los Angeles: Getty Museum.

I am fortunate to have access to a copyright library (the National Library of Poland). I understand these sources can be difficult to obtain, so I would be glad to share my impressions or reports on the above works whenever requested.

Best wishes and kind regards,
Matt

The Two Gates: Thank you very much for sharing this Dominique. Traditionally, Selene was associated with the Isle of the Blessed. My personal belief is that the soul, or daimon/hegemon, may be interpreted as an intelligencer of the spheres of the Solar System—for example, Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn. It does not necessarily require a biological birth; “myriads of spirits in other worlds await,” including the stellar ones. My personal belief, or interpretation, is based on communication with spirits of these spheres, some of whom were once human beings. Sometimes the twin blade of death may refer to the death of the soul, or to metempsychosis and rebirth, or to embodiment in an animal or a human being.

Dear Senior Amicus,

While you are, strictly speaking, absolutely correct, it is worth recalling the sheer diversity of afterlife beliefs within the Graeco-Roman milieu. For instance, in Thracian Sabazian traditions, it is said that human souls were first formed from animal souls; furthermore, both metempsychosis and transmigration were entirely acceptable concepts within the classical world.

Let us also remember that the Divine spirit in this duality is understood as a daimon. These daimones belonged to varied classes: Sosipatra was a demi-goddess type of daimon, as were Plotinus, Apollonius of Tyana, the Socratic daimon, and the archangelic daimon of Julian the Theurgist.

Inasmuch as I agree with you in this context, I remain open to the possibility of dividing the soul into further subclasses: the eidola or skia (simulacra) representing the chthonic shadow-soul of the dead; the psyche; the transmigratory or inborn soul; and the daimon—the intellectual, immortal soul, or pneuma. By mastering the lower faculties (emotions, cognitions, impulses, and cravings), we may refine the soul into a daimon or pneuma, as if drawing from the Anima Mundi and condensing it into an immortal particle.

I maintain some reserve as to whether we all possess such a particle. Nevertheless, even the most base creatures possess a soul, and upon their passing, they leave a shadow behind. In this manner, nothing is lost in nature. The metamorphoses described by Ovid and Apuleius serve as my warranty that "nature loves to hide," and many secrets follow.

With the highest respect and warmest salutations,