Magie und Theurgie

This study examines the central role of theurgy in late Neoplatonism, particularly in the thought of Iamblichus and Proclus. According to De mysteriis, theurgy surpasses discursive thought as a privileged means of attaining contact with the divine, relying on the universal sympathy (sympatheia) that unites all levels of reality. Material objects, as symbols (symbola) and tokens (synthemata) of divine powers, function as mediators through which the gods manifest themselves in the sensible world. Proclus further integrates theurgical doctrines into Platonic philosophy, linking them to themes such as divine inspiration, eros, and the immutable nature of the gods. In this perspective, theurgy is not a coercion of divine powers but a sacred path that enables participation in higher realities and union with the divine. Ultimately, it aims at the reascent of the divine element within the human soul to its transcendent source.