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Theurgy (/ˈθiːɜːrdʒi/;Ancient Greek:θεουργία,theourgía), also known asdivine magic, is one of two major branches of themagical arts,[1] the other being practical magic orthaumaturgy.[2][3] Theurgy describes theritual practices associated with theinvocation orevocation of thepresence of one or moredeities, especially with the goal of achievinghenosis (uniting with the divine) and perfecting oneself.[4]
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Theurgy means "divine working". The first recorded use of the term is found in the mid-second-century neoplatonist work theChaldean Oracles (Fragment 153 des Places (Paris, 1971): 'For the theourgoí do not fall under the fate-governed herd').[7] The source ofWestern theurgy can be found in the philosophy of lateneoplatonists, especiallyIamblichus. Although the neoplatonists are often consideredpaganpolytheists, they embraced a form ofmonism.
In late neoplatonism, the spiritualuniverse is regarded as a series ofemanations from theOne. From the One emanated the Divine Mind (Nous) and in turn from the Divine Mind emanated theWorld Soul (Psyche). Neoplatonists insisted that the One is absolutely transcendent and in the emanations nothing of the higher was lost or transmitted to the lower, which remained unchanged by the lower emanations.
ForPlotinus andPorphyry the emanations are as follows:
Plotinus urgedcontemplations for those who wished to perform theurgy, the goal of which was to reunite with the Divine (calledhenosis). Therefore, his school resembles a school ofmeditation orcontemplation.
Iamblichus, a student ofAnatolius and associate ofPorphyry (who had studied underPlotinus), developed a more elaborate and ritual-centered form of theurgy. His system emphasizedinvocation, ritual action, and the use of symbolic materials to engage the divine.[8] In his major work,On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Assyrians, Iamblichus described theurgy as a kind of ritualizedcosmogony—a reenactment of the divine creative process—through which theembodied soul participates in the maintenance and restoration of cosmic order.[9]
Iamblichus' analysis was that the transcendent cannot be grasped with mental contemplation because the transcendent is supra-rational. Theurgy is a series of rituals and operations aimed at recovering the transcendent essence by retracing the divine 'signatures' through the layers of being.[10] Education is important for comprehending the scheme of things as presented by Aristotle, Plato, and Pythagoras. The theurgist works 'like with like': at the material level, with physical symbols; at the higher level, with mental and purely spiritual practices. Starting with correspondences of the divine in matter, the theurgist eventually reaches the level where the soul's inner divinity unites with the One.[9]
The EmperorJulian (332-363) embraced neoplatonic philosophy and worked to replaceChristianity with a version of neoplatonicpaganism. Because of his untimely death and the hold mainstream Christianity had over the empire at the time, this was ultimately unsuccessful, but he did produce several works ofphilosophy andtheology, including a popularhymn to the sun. In his theology,Helios, the sun, was the ideal example of the perfection of the gods and light, a symbol of divine emanation. He also held themother goddessCybele in high esteem.[citation needed]
Julian favored ritual theurgy, with an emphasis onsacrifice andprayer. He was heavily influenced byIamblichus' ideas.[citation needed]
Esoteric Christianity accepts theurgy as a tradition that could greatly benefit a person. The main feat of Esoteric Christianity is to learn the mysteries ofGod (seeRaziel) and to rise to higher consciousness in the understanding of God's relationship to individual consciousness. Theurgy, in the esoteric tradition, uses this knowledge to heighten one's own spiritual nature.[11] Some branches of Esoteric Christianity hold that if an Esoteric Christian,Rosicrucian, or Theosopher practices it they could potentially rise to the degree ofMagus orAdept after a certain level of spiritual attainment. In a traditional and magical sense, theurgy is seen as the opposite ofGoetia, even though many argue that they overlap.[12]
John Milbank, founder ofradical orthodoxy, asserts thattheology "encourages a theurgy which aims at a liberation of nature from terror and distress and at a fully harmonious and beautiful interaction betweenhumans and the natural world". He continues by stating thattheology equally "encourages a theurgy which is a social work of maximising democratic participation andsocialist sharing".[13]
Some organizations, such as theHermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, teach a type of theurgy that would help one ascend spiritually as well as understand the true nature of the self and its relation to the Divine and the Universe.[14] This tradition holds that theurgists are usually solitary practitioners who seek the divine light alone. Theurgy in thishermetic sense stresses the need for the individual to separate and analyze the individual components that constitute everyday consciousness and reunite them in a way that changes one's personal awareness into a state that understands and partakes in spiritual grace.[15]
