The Wisdom of Hypatia: Ancient Spiritual Practices for a More Meaningful Life (56 page)

The stages of the ascent are not one-time accomplishments, but practices of continual ascent and descent, since continuing practice at the lower levels allows you to stay at the upper levels longer. They are comparable to the iterative processes of reversion, abiding, and procession in dialectic. When sufficiently practiced, however, the adept may remain ‘beyond’ indefinitely. This is all I have to say now about the Path of Truth.”

The Ascent by Truth is summarized in the following table.

the path of truth 265

ve

y

Ethical

Social

tues

atic

irV

Purifying

Exemplar

Hier

actical

Contemplati

Pr

n-

d-

t

.

ay

ve

ma-

y

Mind

atch-

tuesir Dia-

ysics

e W

gati

W

fulness

ment

Guar

ing the

Hear

lectics

Wa

Ascent

Change

of

Discer

Purific

V

Ph

Affir

tiv

Ne

ection

Perf

Stage of

aken-

ing

tion

Aw

Purifica-

Illumi-

nation

Faculty

belief

union

sensation

reason

contemplation

noetic intelligence

rational

noetic

Structure of the Ascent by Truth

animal

chetypes

Self

ar

body

human

Microcosm

the god within

soul

nous

Det.

Indet.

ld Body

ld Soul

or

or

ld

he One

Macrocosm

T

W

W

orW Nous

Introduction

In this chapter you will learn the third of the three paths of ascent to The One, the Path of Trust, which uses the rituals of
theurgy
, the “high magic” of Neoplatonism.307 I will begin by comparing it to the other paths, and give some further suggestions on which path you might prefer. Next you will learn the use of material and immaterial symbols, which are the principal tools used in theurgy to contact and communicate with gods (or archetypes or angels) and their use in the
invocation
of gods and other spirits. Next I will teach you how to perform four important theurgical practices:
animation
(“ensouling”) of a divine image as a means of communication,
incubation
, as a method of evoking healing and prophetic dreams, the formation of
alliances
with gods and other spirits, and finally
deification
, in which you ascend to union with the gods and are reborn, spiritually enlightened.

Different Ways to The One

As Hypatia’s private students arrive and are admitted to her house, they take their

accustomed places on the chairs that surround the Master’s empty chair. One of these chairs has a ribbon reserving it for Synesius, who is visiting in Alexandria after his successful diplomatic mission in Constantinople. The disciples talk quietly with their neighbors, but there is an uncommonly palpable excitement, for the topic of the day is theurgy, a subject of controversy both within the Platonic community and among the

wider Alexandrian intelligentsia. Her Christian students are especially eager to hear 267

268 the path of trust

what she says, for some of their religious leaders have been very critical of Hypatia and her philosophy on account of theurgy.

The Master and Synesius, in conversation with each other, enter from an adjoining

room and take their chairs; without ado she begins. “As I explained previously (chapter 10), there are three paths of ascent, which look back toward three attributes of The One—its Beauty, Wisdom, and Goodness—and ascend on the corresponding ‘rays’

emanating from The One, called Love, Truth, and Trust. Love fills you with the warmth of The One and Truth illuminates you with its Light, but Trust brings you into direct contact with the divine fire. Today I will describe this last ascent, the Ascent by Trust, more commonly known as the art of
theurgy
or the
hieratic
(priestly)
art
.

“The Ascents by Love and Truth are contemplative; for the most part they are

practiced by sitting quietly and either observing attentively or turning inward. In contrast to this inward orientation toward ideas, the Ascent by Trust is oriented outward through ritual action and the use of material symbols. In many ways theurgy is more

concrete and active than the other paths.

“The deities associated with this path are Hecate, a moon goddess, and Helios (Sol), a sun god. According to tradition, Hecate is a goddess of magic and a patron of witch-es, but she is also the patron of theurgy, for she is the goddess who oversees the Cosmic Soul, where the daimons reside, who are the primary concern of theurgists. The

Sun, as we have seen, is a symbol of The One and the divine, life-giving illumination proceeding from it. Therefore the Sun represents the
procession
of the Good, whereas the Moon, which turns back towards the Sun and reflects its light, represents the
return
to the Good. Thus theurgists look to Hecate to lead them and guide them on the Path of Trust, which is motivated by love of the Good (
phil-agathia
).”

There is scholarly disagreement about whether Hypatia practiced theurgy. Some say that on the whole Alexandrian Neoplatonism tended to follow Porphyry, who criticized theurgy. But there are reports that suggest Hypatia practiced it. For example, John of Nikiu, writing 300 years after her death, accused her of devotion to “magic, astrolabes, and instruments of music,”308 but he can hardly be considered a unbiased witness, for he approved of her murder. More sympathetic is her disciple Synesius of Cyrene, Bishop of Ptolemais, who reminisced about Hypatia in a letter to a fellow student: “We have seen with our eyes, we have heard with our ears the lady who legitimately presides over the mysteries of philosophy.”309 He uses the terminology of the mystery religions, which suggests that they the path of trust 269

were both witnesses of mystical rites. Also, when Synesius was inspired by God, as he said, to write an essay on how dreams reflect the interaction of the divine and mortal worlds, he sent it immediately to Hypatia for her comments. These and other remarks in his letters hint that Hypatia and her advanced students had a private ritual practice.

In ancient times astrology was not differentiated from astronomy, and they both were classified under the mathematical arts, which were frequently supposed to be among the magical arts. This is not only because mathematics uses arcane symbols and diagrams, but also because it could function as a legitimate spiritual practice leading first to the Forms and then to the gods. Music, too, had spiritual and magical connotations, and central to the mystical Orphic religion was the legend that Orpheus, who (nearly) brought his wife back from the dead, had charmed the animals, trees, and even stones with his music. The ancient Pythagoreans practiced music therapy, and a story has been passed down that Hypatia used music to redirect the attentions of her infatuated disciple (although the menstrual napkin was the more likely instrument of his awakening).

We have even better evidence that the interests of Hypatia’s father, Theon, extended beyond mathematics and astronomy. In addition to Pagan religion and ritual, he studied astrology and other forms of divination, and he wrote on the spiritual practices of the Orphics and on the works of Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary founder of Hermetic

philosophy. He also wrote a poem praising Ptolemy, in Orphic terms, as one blessed by the gods, who through long practice and devotion had ascended to divine illumination. It is worth remembering that Ptolemy, on whose works Theon and Hypatia spent much time,

was not just an astronomer, but also the author of one of the oldest surviving astrology texts. Such a range of interests would not be unusual for ancient Alexandrian philosophers.

Therefore, it is not unlikely that Theon’s spiritual practice included theurgy and that Hypatia learned it from him. She might have continued to teach it and to practice it in private with her most advanced students. Since it was more closely tied to her Pagan religion than were other Neoplatonic practices, she would have deemphasized it in her public lectures, which were addressed to non-Pagans as well as Pagans. Also, theurgy might be misunderstood or misrepresented as sorcery, as John of Nikiu demonstrated.

Some people suppose that theurgy would have been incompatible with Theon’s and

Hypatia’s scientific interests, but this is a modern prejudice. As the Ascent by Truth shows, spiritual and empirical approaches to the understanding of reality are complementary, not inconsistent. This was taken for granted in ancient philosophy.

270 the path of trust

Regardless of whether Hypatia practiced theurgy, she certainly understood it. I have included it in this book because its techniques are spiritually valuable and have important similarities to modern techniques for pursuing psychological integration.

Let’s turn our ears again to Hypatia’s lesson. “There are three keys or passwords

that open the way on the paths of ascent:

The Love of Beauty, Wisdom, Truth

—philokalía, philosophía, philagathía—

these are the desires that draw us upward.

“You will see that the Theurgic Path has much in common with the Paths of Love

and Truth, the major difference being the use of rituals involving symbolically meaningful material objects, such as statues, stones, herbs, and incense. Because it makes use of these material aids, some claim that theurgy is easier or more accessible than the more interior paths through Love and Truth.”

“Does that make theurgy inferior,” Petrus asks, “because its orientation is more ma-

terial than spiritual?”

“On the contrary, the divine Iamblichus ranks theurgy higher than the other as-

cents, since it is able to transcend the limits of your nous. This is because the nous can ascend only so far as Being, but as I mentioned earlier, the Good, which is the goal of the Theurgic Ascent, is prior to Being, as is The Inexpressible One. This takes place beyond the reach of words, in the realm of silence. Don’t forget:

A holy silence hides what lies beyond,

Where mind and thought unite in ceaseless bond,

One Fountain and one Root, whence all flow on.310

“These words are from a hymn written by Synesius, who is attending our lesson

again today.” She smiles at him and he nods in acknowledgment.

“Knowledge of The One,” Hypatia continues, “is not obtained by thinking or even

by intuition, but by
contact
and
union
, that is, by direct experience. This must be a kind of non-rational belief, for rational belief is based on knowledge of causes, but The One has no cause, for it is the First Cause. However this knowledge is not unfounded, for it is based on direct experience, like the knowledge we get from our senses (which is the basis for all scientific knowledge). We can trust our experience to be as we experience the path of trust 271

it, and so it doesn’t require some sort of proof. Therefore, theurgy is the Path of Trust, which is capable of transcending the limit of Being to reach The Inexpressible One.”

Cyrus raises his hand and asks, “I am more confused than ever! Which of the three

ascents is best?”

“In my experience,” Hypatia replies, “different ascents work better for different persons, and so they are all valuable. I encourage you to explore them all and to follow the paths that call you. Remember:

We’re descended from different gods,

with different ways to The One.

“If you are in the lineage of Aphrodite, then the Path of Love might suit you best, or the Path of Truth if you have descended from Athena. If your ancestor is Hermes, then a more Hermetic practice might work better for you; if you are descended from Ares

(Mars), then a martial practice might be best. Theurgy is especially suited for those with Hecate or the Moon in their blood.”

In more modern terms, our unconscious behavioral patterns and predispositions are a

function of both nature and nurture, which regulate the development of our individual versions of the universal human archetypes (a function of our individual genotypes) and of the complexes that form around them in the courses of our individual lives. These are the gods from whom we are descended and the daimons who accompany us. As a consequence of differences in these unconscious personality factors, some practices work better for some people, others for others. Give them all a try and see which works best for you.

A few remarks on the etymology of “theurgy” will help you see its purpose. The root

meaning of “theology” is “divine words” (
theioi logoi
), that is, discussions, explanations, or accounts of divine matters. In contrast, “theurgy” means “divine works” (
theia erga
), which refers both to the ritual actions (as opposed to talk) and to the consequent intervention of divinity in human lives. Thus you might say that theurgy brings theology into practice.

Ritual was common in the ancient Pagan religions, and if you are Pagan or Wiccan,

you are probably comfortable with it and appreciate its spiritual value. Although ritual lingers in other religions, and in government, the military, and other institutions where tradition is valued, it is alien to many people nowadays. Therefore you might find theurgy a bit bizarre, but psychology supports ritual as a means of spiritual development. We are 272 the path of trust

embodied beings, and the spiritual is not independent from the physical. Therefore physical actions can contribute to spiritual practice.