About the Book
• Explores the many theurgic themes and events in the Odyssey and the Iliad
• Analyzes the writings of Neoplatonists Porphyry and Proclus, showing how both describe the technical ritual praxis of theurgy in Homeric terms
• Examines the methods of telestikē, a form of theurgic statue animation and technique to divinize the soul, and how theurgy is akin to shamanic soul flight
First defined by the second century Chaldean Oracles, theurgy is an ancient magic practice whereby practitioners divinized the soul and achieved mystical union with a deity, the Demiurge, or the One.
In this detailed study, P. D. Newman pushes the roots of theurgy all the way back before the time of Homer. He shows how the Chaldean Oracles were not only written in Homeric Greek but also in dactylic hexameter, the same meter as the epics of Homer. Linking the Greek shamanic practices of the late Archaic period with the theurgic rites of late antiquity, the author explains how both anabasis, soul ascent, and katabasis, soul descent, can be considered varieties of shamanic soul flight and how these practices existed in ancient Greek culture prior to the influx of shamanic influence from Thrace and the Hyperborean North.
The author explores the many theurgic themes and symbolic events in the Odyssey and the Iliad, including the famous journey of Odysseus to Hades and the incident of the funeral pyre of Patroclus. He presents a close analysis of On the Cave of the Nymphs, Porphyry’s commentary on Homer’s Odyssey, as well as a detailed look at Proclus’s symbolic reading of Homer’s Iliad, showing how both of these Neoplatonists describe the philosophical theory and the technical ritual praxis of theurgy. Using the Chaldean Oracles as a case study, Newman examines in detail the methods of telestikē, a form of theurgic statue animation, linking this practice to ancient Egyptian and Greek traditions as well as theurgic techniques to divinize the soul.
Revealing how the theurgic arts are far older than the second century, Newman’s study not only examines the philosophical theory of theurgy but also the actual ritual practices of the theurgists, as described in their own words.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by Ioannis Marathakis
Introduction
PART I
Porphyry and Proclus’s Para-Homeric Sources
1. Katabasis and the Presocratics
A Survey of Underworld Descents in Philosophy Prior to Plato
2. Platonic Allegories and Myths
A Discussion on Plato’s Reorientation of Soul Flight with Reference to His Influence on the Development of Theurgy
3. The Chaldæan Oracles and Theurgy
A Discussion on the Official Emergence of Theurgy from Platonic Metaphysics
4. Plotinus and the Platonizing S ethian Gnostics
A Look at the Father of Neoplatonism and His Precarious Relationship with the Sethian School of Gnosticism
5. Hermetica and Theurgy
A Discussion on the Emergence of Hermetism with Reference to Its Close Parallels with the Art of Theurgy
PART II
The Odyssey and the Iliad
6. Porphyry’s On the Cave of the Nymphs
An Exploration of Theurgic Theory with Reference to Porphyry’s Reading of the Odyssey
7. Proclus’s Commentary on Plato’s Republic
A Breakdown of Theurgic Praxis with Reference to Proclus’s Reading of the Iliad
PART III
Theurgic Telestikē
8. Animated Agalmata
A Discussion on the Process of Statue Animation and Its Vital Role in Practical Theurgy
Conclusion
Appendix
Homeromanteion
A Method of Bibliomancy from the Greek Magical Papyri Involving the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Astragaloi or Kuboi
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
P. D. Newman has been immersed in the study and practice of alchemy, hermetism, and theurgy for more than two decades. A member of both the Masonic Fraternity and the Society of Rosicrucians, he lectures internationally and has published articles in many esoteric journals, including The Scottish Rite Journal, Knights Templar Magazine, and Ad Lucem. He is the author of Angels in Vermilion: The Philosophers’ Stone from Dee to DMT and Alchemically Stoned: The Psychedelic Secret of Freemasonry. He lives in Tupelo, Mississippi, with his son, Bacchus, and his wife, Rebecca.
Review :
“P.D. Newman’s new book Theurgy: Theory and Practice, is one of the best and most important books I have read in a long time. He does for theurgy what Jake Stratton-Kent did for goetia, taking it back to its archaic roots, showing the development, providing excellent scholarship, and workable material. This is a great book.”
“P. D. Newman’s Theurgy: Theory and Practice is a wonderfully informed book on practical theurgy, with special emphasis on its relation to what is generally referred to as ‘shamanism.’ The text is well-referenced, making it useful for scholars, as well as very readable, making it of value to the lay reader and practitioner. Theurgy is a wonderful addition to anyone’s library, as there is ample material here for literally everyone.”
“Theurgy is commonly thought of as a spiritual practice that began with Julian the Chaldæan in the second century CE and blended Eastern practices with rational Greek thought, primarily Neoplatonism. However, Neoplatonists such as Porphyry and Proclus pointed to theurgic elements in the archaic Homeric epics. While Eastern influences are not disputed, the author convincingly argues that they are a mere sprinkling and that the roots of theurgy are predominantly Greek, having begun at the time of Homer and practiced continuously thereafter. Readers thirsty for more knowledge about the path of theurgy will not be disappointed.”
“P. D. Newman tells a compelling story of the origins and development of theurgy, a fundamental spiritual practice in ancient Mediterranean religion. His argument is supported by the best contemporary scholarship on theurgy and on classical religion and philosophy. Newman has also assembled and organized a wealth of source material (in translation), which would otherwise be difficult to collect. Read this book for a fascinating exploration of theurgy over more than a millennium, from Homer to Proclus.”
“A must for those interested in ancient Greek thought about souls and soul flight. According to Newman, theurgy can be traced as early as Porphyry’s and Proclus’s para-Homeric sources that describe iatromanteia, which translates to ‘healer-seer’ who took soul flights. Tying these types of experiences to early shamanic themes reflected in works such as the Odyssey, the author weaves a compelling narrative of the early history and practical importance of theurgy. Newman’s analyses are thought-provoking and demand attention as he outlines a good case for how souls and the shamanic craft have shifted in antiquity from the early writings of authors such as Parmenides and Empedocles to the later Neoplatonists. The ideas contained in this book are sure to form a new starting point for many future analyses on how shamanic themes developed among the Greeks.”
“P. D. Newman’s impressive book on theurgy and Homer covers the interpretation of myth and ritual theurgy by the Neoplatonists. With references to the Pre-Socratics, Pythagoras, Plato, and even Egyptian and Mesopotamian texts, Newman correctly understands theurgy to be distinguished from other forms of magic as initiatory and anagogic. He presents detailed and critical accounts of ancient astrological and cosmological phenomena and follows the best scholarship in developing his rather original conclusion: that Proclus and company were indeed justified in seeing in Homer the esoteric meanings they teased out of his texts. The work reveals a new angle and a new dimension of the still emerging landscape of late antique thought. It will be of interest to scholars in the field and to the general reader interested in philosophical, religious and mystical ideas.”
“For anyone interested in the roots of Western Magic, this book is a great introduction to one of the main and undeniable components. Whatever practice you’re involved in today, the book serves as an inspiring journey into a vibrant history, still very much alive and kicking.”
“While not a formal manual on how to perform theurgic ritual, it does provide a solid background based on academia, religious and occult studies, and the reader will find the material within its pages inspiring them to craft their own theurgic rituals, should they wish to do so. I chose this book because of my avid interest in theurgy and invocation of the divine, and Theurgy: Theory & Practice did not disappoint! I have no critiques and will recommend this text to anyone looking to learn more about, or start practicing, theurgy in its many forms. I give Theurgy: Theory & Practice a 5/5 pentagram rating.”
