Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity Algis Uždavinys INDICE ▹.140707130246 About the book ▹.140707130528 About the Author ▹.140707130610 Prospetto dei contenuti ▹.140707130743 Foreword. Philosophy, Theurgy and the Gods. ▹.140707130913 Introduction ▹.140707131006 1. The Origins and Meaning of Philosophy ▹.140707131039 Eidothea and Proteus: the veiled images of philosophy ▹.140707131453 The distinction between philosophical life and philosophical discourse ▹.140707131714 Standing face to face with immortality ▹.140707131823 Philosophy and the hieratics rites of ascent ▹.140707131854 The task of "Egyptian Philosophy": to connect the end to the beginning ▹.140707132004 The kronian life of spectator: "to follow one's heart in the tomb" ▹.140707132343 Thauma idesthai: "A wonder to behold" ▹.140707132437 The invincible warriors as modele of philosophical life ▹.140707132541 The inward journey to the place of truth ▹.140707133106 To be like Osiris ▹.140707133133 The death which detaches from the inferior ▹.140707133223 Entering the solar barque of Atum-Ra ▹.140707133301 Philosophical initiations in the netherworld ▹.140707133332 Self-knowledge and return to one's innermost self ▹.140707133425 The recovered unity of Dyonisus in ourselves ▹.140707133504 Philosophical mummification inside the cosmic tomb ▹.140707133539 Platonic dialectic: the science of purification and restoration of unity ▹.140707133618 Philosophy as a rite of becoming like god ▹.140707133648 The ancient logos and its sacramental function ▹.140707133722 Riddles of the cosmic myth ▹.140707133750 Philosophy, magic, and laughter ▹.140707133830 2. Voices of the fire: ancient theurgy and its tools ▹.140707133918 Definitions of theurgy in antiquity ▹.140707133918 Descending lights and animated cult images ▹.140707135807 Figures, names and tokens of the divine speech ▹.140707135838 The prophet Bytis and the overwhelming name of God ▹.140707135929 The descending and ascending paths of Heka ▹.140707140022 The silence before the gods and its creative magic ▹.140707140046 Hekate's golden ball as a rotating "vocal image" of the father ▹.140707140118 The sounding breaths of the all-working fire ▹.140707140148 The elevating rays of the resounding light ▹.140707140217 The rites of hieratic invocation and ascent ▹.140707140241 The tantric alchemy and the osirian mummification ▹.140707140302 Golden seeds of the noetic fire ▹.140707140319 Theurgic speech of the birds and solar knowledge ▹.140707140341 Tongues of the gods and their songs ▹.140707140359 Back to the life-giving wombs and the ineffable silence ▹.140707140424 Chanting out the universe by the name of everything ▹.140707140446 When Orontes flowed into Tiber: the revived tradition ▹.140707140512 3. Sacred images and animated statues in antiquity ▹.140707140537 Mith and symbol: what makes the impossible happen? ▹.140707140600 The metaphysics of creation and its images in pharaonic Egypt ▹.140707140628 Theogonic appearances and animated stones ▹.140707140649 The theology of images and its esoteric dimension. ▹.140707140802 Privileged habitations for the immortal gods ▹.140707140832 Beholding the ineffable beauties ▹.140707140927 Divine bodies and representations in indian tantrism ▹.140707140955 Sense perception and intellection in Neoplatonism ▹.140707141015 Divine light and luminous vehicle of the soul ▹.140707141043 Divine presence in images ▹.140707141105 Living images of the egyptian gods ▹.140707141125 To be made into a spirit of light ▹.140707141143 Rites of alchemical transformation ▹.140707141203 The opening of the statue's mouth ▹.140707141222 Mystical union with the noetic sun ▹.140707141245 Revelation of the divine face ▹.140707141300 Divine statues and their sacred gifts ▹.140707141320 Salvation as return to the divine ▹.140707141513 4. Metaphysical symbols & their function in theurgy ▹.140707141550 Symbols as ontological traces of the divine ▹.140707141610 The analogic power of secret names and tokens ▹.140707141636 Animated theurgic hieroglyphs of the hidden Amun ▹.140707141706 Neoplatonic rites of metaphysical reversion ▹.140707141728 The ineffable statues of transcendent light ▹.140707141752 5. Divine rites and philosophy in Neoplatonism ▹.140707141813 Ritual and cosmic order ▹.140707141828 The aim of philosophy ▹.140707142112 Different aspects of divine acts ▹.140707142133 Theurgy and spiritual hermeneutics ▹.140707142155 Hierarchic rites of ascent ▹.140707142309 The common metaphysical background ▹.140707142331 Philosophers as sacred statues ▹.140707142348 To be reborn into the solar world ▹.140707142414 The cosmic theatre of sacrifical fires ▹.140707142429 The golden cords of Apollo ▹.140707142446 Shining forth like a god ▹.140707142539 Appendix: The limits of speculation in Neoplatonism ▹.140707142607 The hermeneutical program of reading neoplatonism ▹.140707142625 Non-discursive divine presence and relational transcendence ▹.140707142701 Masks and tongues of the ineffable ▹.140707142723 The distinction between looking up at the sun and looking down at reflections ▹.140707142744 Models of intellection and union ▹.140707142802 To live means to read ▹.140707143037 Bibliography of works on philosophy and theurgy ▹.140707142947 Glossary of terms ▹.140707143130 Biographical note ▹.140707143154 Endnotes ▹.140707143239 Foreword ▹.140707143254 Chapter 1: The origins and meaning of Philosophy ▹.140707143332 Chapter 2: Voices of the Fire: Ancient Theurgy and Its Tools ▹.140707143405 Chapter 3: Sacred Images and Animated Statues in Antiquity ▹.140707143434 Chapter 4: Metaphysical Symbols & Their Function In Theurgy ▹.140707143507 Chapter 5: Divine Rites and Philosophy in Neoplatonism ▹.140707143533 Appendix ▹ .140707130246 About the book The ancient philosophy, in its original Orphico-Pythagorean and Platonic form, is not simply a way of life in accordance with the divine or human intellect (nous), but also the way of alchemical transformation and mystical illumination achieved through initiatic ‘death’ and subsequent restoration at the level of divine light. To use another mythical image, philosophy restores the soul’s wings and leads the purified lover of wisdom to Heaven. As a means of spiritual reintegration and unification, ancient philosophy is inseparable from the hieratic rites. Therefore those scholars who themselves follow the anagogic path of Platonic tradition are more or less firmly convinced that their philosophy ultimately derives from the Egyptian and Mesopotamian temple liturgies and rituals, reinterpreted and revived by the Neoplatonists under the name of ‘theurgy’ in late antiquity. The theurgic ‘animation’ of statues appears to be among the main keys for understanding how various royal and priestly practices, related to the daily ritual service and encounter with the divine presence in the temples, developed into the Neoplatonic mysticism of late antiquity. The traditional theory of symbolism still stands on the Neoplatonic foundation established by Iamblichus, Proclus, and Damascius. “This book clearly establishes three things: that traditional myth (as the Neoplatonists maintained) is the symbolic expression of metaphysics, as metaphysics is the exegesis of myth; that Greek philosophy was not an isolated ‘miracle’ but a reinterpretation of perennial themes common to the ancient Near Eastern, Mesopotamian, Indian, and especially Egyptian religions; and that Platonic philosophical discourse was but one-half of a whole which included an invocatory/contemplative practice known as ‘theurgy’. It was not merely the ancestor of western speculative philosophy, but an askesis, a yoga—a way of realization (though no longer a living tradition) worthy to be included among the great spiritual methods of all places and times.” CHARLES UPTON, author of Knowings “In this most stimulating and wide-ranging work, Algis Uzdavinys, drawing on the resources of his enormous learning, leads Neoplatonic theurgy back to its roots in Ancient Egypt, thereby setting Platonic philosophy in a new and wider context. Students of Neoplatonism will find themselves much indebted to him for this, and all readers will find their outlook on life significantly changed. PROF. JOHN M. DILLON Trinity College, Dublin, author of Middle Platonists ▹ .140707130528 About the Author Algis Uzdavinys is Head of the Department of Humanities at Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, Kaunas Faculty, in his native Lithuania. His research includes work on Hellenic philosophy, especially Platonism and Neoplatonism, as well as traditional mythology and metaphysics, Sufism, and traditional art. In 2005 he was awarded the Andrew Mellon fellowship to the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan. ▹ .140707130610 Prospetto dei contenuti Foreword Introduction 1: THE ORIGINS AND MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY Eidothea and Proteus: the veiled images of philosophy The distinction between philosophical life and philosophical discourse Standing face to face with immortality Philosophy and the hieratic rites of ascent The task of ‘Egyptian philosophy’: to connect the end to the beginning The Kronian life of spectator: ‘to follow one’s heart in the tomb’ Thauma idesthai: ‘a wonder to behold’ The invincible warriors as models of philosophical lifestyle The inward journey to the place of truth To be like Osiris The death which detaches from the inferior Entering the solar barque of Atum-Ra Philosophical initiations in the Netherworld Self-knowledge and return to one’s innermost self Recovered unity of Dionysus in ourselves Philosophical mummification inside the