Group discussion – Questions

Questions from Bruce MacLennan,  and Richard Reidy (many thanks).
From Richard
1) In your personal practice of theurgy what sort of ritual or ritual structure do you find best for achieving union with the divine?
2) What things/practices do you not find effective or helpful?
3) Do you employ materials such as stones, wood, metals, herbs, incense, oils, water, certain plants or flowers or other such things in your theurgic rites?
4) Does the sun, moon, planets or stars play any part in your theurgic ritual?  Do you find a particular time of day or night conducive to theurgic ascent?
5) What sorts of preliminary actions do you find helpful or necessary such as fasting, making offerings, lighting candles, breathing techniques, chanting or making certtain sounds, movement, or bodily and mental purifications of any type?
6) How can you tell that you are having an experience of union with the divine?
How does your body and mind experience such union?
7) Are there certain mystic symbols that are helpful for theurgic ascent? Is it by focusing on the symbol or simply by having the symbol present?
8) How often do you attempt theurgic ascent? Are there times that you would avoid?
9) Do you enact theurgic ritual alone or with others?
10) Do you in any way involve or invoke certain deities in your theurgic rituals?
Why or why not?
11) How do you end up feeling both during and after such ritual?

From Bruce MacLennan
1) If you could ask Iamblichus (or Proclus etc.) to explain one thing, what would it be?
2) What are the best ways to learn and teach theurgy?
3) Is it important to recover/reconstruct the ancient techniques, or should we prefer modem techniques?
4) What are the pros and cons of solitary theurgy vs. group/lodge practice?
5) How would you explain the value of theurgy to someone who knows nothing about it?

Additional Questions:
1)How long have you been practicing theurgy?
2)Would you describe your practice as Neoplatonic or some other tradition?
3)How did you learn your practice?
Practice:
4) What operations do you use (e.g., sustasis, invocation/evocation, incubation, animation, henosis)?
5) What are your goals in theurgy? Why do you do it?
6)Please describe briefly the techniques you use.
7)Please describe typical or notable experiences resulting from your operations. –
Background information:
1)How long have you been practicing theurgy?
2)Would you describe your practice as Neoplatonic or some other tradition?
3)How did you learn your practice?
Practice:
4) What operations do you use (e.g., sustasis, invocation/evocation, incubation, animation, henosis)?
5) What are your goals in theurgy? Why do you do it?
6)Please describe briefly the techniques you use.
7)Please describe typical or notable experiences resulting from your operations.

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