'Do not change the nomina barbara;'that is, the names handed down by the gods to each people have ineffable power in the initiation rites.Chaldean Oracles, Fragment 150, trans. Majercik, where it appears in context from Psellus Nisha Ramayya’s States of the Body Produced By Love is the best experimental poetry book I have read in a … Continue reading The Ineffable Power of Syllable and Sound
Tag: polytheistic philosophy
Some Quotations from Olympiodorus’ Commentary on Plato’s PHAEDO
In January, I read eight books, among them Olympiodorus' Commentary on Plato's Phaedo. It comes from notes taken during his lectures, so as with any lecture notes, mileage may vary based on the likely-Christian student's (or students') accuracy and attentiveness. Here are a few notes. (As a reminder, I have a commonplace book tag with … Continue reading Some Quotations from Olympiodorus’ Commentary on Plato’s PHAEDO
Some Passages from Damascius’ Commentary on the PHAEDO
I just finished reading Damascius' discussion of the Phaedo, and I have a few quotations that I would like to share with you all. It's sometimes an unwieldy challenge to pull quotations that are striking from a commentary because the passages are very contextual. Here, the discussion of the Phaedo focuses on the various arguments … Continue reading Some Passages from Damascius’ Commentary on the PHAEDO
Two Books
If you have been wondering what A CASTING OF LIGHT and THE SONG OF PROCLUS, compiled by Guy Wyndham-Jones and published by the Prometheus Trust, contains, this post provides some helpful information about the format, arrangement of quotations, and other elements, with a few photos for clarity.
From Plato, There Is No Escape
Socrates did, in fact, cancel Homer first. Except not. It's complicated.
A Quotation from Proclus’ Commentary on Plato’s TIMAEUS, Book 4
I came across this passage this morning in the fifth the volume of the translation of Proclus' Commentary on Plato's Timaeus, Book 4: Proclus on Time and the Stars. I really liked this passage because it's yet another one that backs up the ideas about receptivity within theurgy and worship, or the concept that highly … Continue reading A Quotation from Proclus’ Commentary on Plato’s TIMAEUS, Book 4
Learning Plans and a Few Recommended Readings
I have been a self-directed learner for a long time. The way I pushed myself through school was via convincing myself that everything would eventually be relevant to my creative writing. In 2019, after listening to the grades episode of The Happiness Lab podcast, I processed a lot of feelings (anger, regret, sorrow) about my … Continue reading Learning Plans and a Few Recommended Readings
A Miscellany of Quotations — More from Proclus’ v.1 commentary on the Timaeus
In June, I finished reading Volume 1 of Proclus’ commentary on Plato’s Timaeus. My copy (the translation by Tarrant) is now filled with marginal notes and heavily underlined, some of the notes in all caps, others paragraphs that spilled over the seams of the margin to end in the whitespace at the bottom or top … Continue reading A Miscellany of Quotations — More from Proclus’ v.1 commentary on the Timaeus
Four Drops of Bay Oil
four drops of bay oil three together, the fourth alonecircling as they twistedsmaller circle inspirallinguntil they pressed together in contactlike prayer hummingwithin the mindlight descending victorious When I prayed this morning, the drops of bay oil I gave to Apollon caught the light, three grouped together, the fourth alone. I watched the smaller bit inspiral … Continue reading Four Drops of Bay Oil
