I'm working my way through G. Shaw's Theurgy and the Soul (2nd ed.) While at the laundromat yesterday, I read the chapters "Ritual and the Human Hierarchy" and "Ritual as Cosmogony." The chapters rely on De Mysteriis, with injections of De Anima and some other texts. Essentially, human souls are divided into three groups, with different types of … Continue reading Returning to the Lojong Slogans (with Iamblichus This Time)
Category: polytheism
Throwing Out Old Journals
When I was perusing my old journals to look for content — and when I ultimately decided to release them back into the Earth — on Thursday night, I noticed a few things that surprised me about myself when I was younger: In my mid-teens, I wouldn't eat until I showered and prayed, and I … Continue reading Throwing Out Old Journals
A Cosmology Analogy for Something in Iamblichus
It occurred to me while reading an article in Scientific American about misconceptions people have about cosmology that there are similar challenges when trying to visualize the systems in philosophers like Iamblichus and Proclus. I'm blogging briefly about it because (a) I get to talk about astronomy and (b) maybe it's useful to others. (Now that … Continue reading A Cosmology Analogy for Something in Iamblichus
Poetry Project Updates
A while ago, I mentioned that I would be working on a poetry chapbook because I want a nice, bound version of some poems I've written over the years so I can more easily access them on the fly. This is legit happening, so while I usually spend time here offering practical advice about shrine … Continue reading Poetry Project Updates
Some Highlights From Things I’ve Read
I’ve made some notes and highlights public on Goodreads related to polytheistic things I’ve read over the years. You can look at them even if you don’t have a Goodreads account. While I don’t read books on Kindle anymore because I have a Kobo and am trying to avoid Amazon, there’s no real reason for … Continue reading Some Highlights From Things I’ve Read
Two Poems for Apollôn’s Circle
Kyklos Apollôn's listserv is not very active anymore (although I've heard the group is somewhat active on Facebook now). A decade ago, I wrote two short poems for use during the ritual, which was/is timed to occur when the sun rose at Delphi each Sunday morning. It was usually in the middle of the night … Continue reading Two Poems for Apollôn’s Circle
In Which Some Comments Are Made About the Word Theurgy
In my blog post about reading Iamblichus’ On the Mysteries, I said that theurgy is “basically a fancy word for traditional cultus.” The post has gotten a lot of reach, with most referrals from Facebook (where I can’t see anything), but it was also posted to a Reddit board called r/Occult by someone. A Reddit … Continue reading In Which Some Comments Are Made About the Word Theurgy
Eris Disrupting the Feast
For months now, I've been thinking about Eris and the way she drives things apart when discord is not honored on the way to consensus or mutual respect.¹ It's part of why I wrote a devotional poem to her, wanting to push back against that — to find a space that honors her properly, that pivots … Continue reading Eris Disrupting the Feast
Plato-Related Thoughts After Reading a Few Lojong Slogans
Recently, my girlfriend and I have been attending a Buddhist LGBTQ sangha, which holds a meditation once a week, in the Shambhala tradition. It's 90 minutes long, with a combination of sitting and walking meditation followed by scriptural discussions. While I am not a Buddhist, I can appreciate a lot of Buddhism — the discipline … Continue reading Plato-Related Thoughts After Reading a Few Lojong Slogans
KALLISTI 