Brandy Williams  was Theurgicon’s second presenter.  She focused on the second set of texts most associated with this branch of Neoplatonism, the Chaldean Oracles. They were the final part of the Hermetic tradition to develop, during the 2^nd and
3^rd centuries C.E. 

These teachings presented a “road map” of spiritual reality and the material world’s relationship to it.  In important respects it was a hierarchical view, extending from our world  ultimately to the First Principle. 

The First Principle which I believe is also called “the One,” a Non Dual concept, creates the intelligible order.  Within this order the Demiurge gives shape to it and the World Soul mediates between ourselves and these first two intellects.  The Oracles identified the World Soul as Hekate.

At the next level is the realm of Teletarchs, when we encounter them hey appear as friendly guides.  This realm of Teletarchs has three levels.  The first and closest to the Demiurge is the Empyrean World.  It is ruled by love.  A step further away from the source of all is the Ethereal World, which is ruled by truth.  Finally there is the material world, which is ruled by faith.  

If I understand correctly (these concepts are very complex) beings Christians would identify as angels and demons, or many Pagans would identify as powers of the elements and the like, are archons which, unlike teletarchs, are not always friendly.  Ancient Gnostics saw us as imprisoned by the archons in the material world whereas many Neoplatonists, such as Plotinus, had a far more favorable view of materiality and presumably also of archons. 

Williams gave considerably more detail about these realms, but I think the basic point is that we are in a divine hierarchy and can evolve personally the best by seeking connection further up the hierarchy.  Ultimately it ends in the One of NonDual mystical experience, or perhaps some other concept of a One.

The levels of reality are in a chain of being from the One to the most individuated and material.  This view can apparently be interpreted in two ways.  In the first, favored by Christian interpretations of Neoplatonism,  the model is strictly hierarchical.  In the second, which appeared favored by the presenter, and was argued for explicitly by Don Frew, there there was no true separation between these levels.  Or rather, like a rainbow, if the One is light, all is light, but at different frequencies.  

This latter view in particular meant that with proper preparation the soul could make contact at many levels whereas the first would emphasize the gap between transcendence and the material.  This matter of interpretation is important, for if there is a deep gulf between them, we cannot get there from here, all action has to come from above.  On the other hand, if there is constant connection, with proper preparation one can.

Theurgic Techniques

Theurgy, “God-work” was important because, as Iamblichus taught, through it humans had contact with the divine, and so could be transformed.  This process could be accomplished by means of three techniques.  First were animated statues working on the magickal principle of sympathy.  Anyone understanding how to do sympathetic magick has a sense of this.  For example in attracting solar power the use of sunflowers, amber, and gold can be used. Elements in a working connected with its target increase the likelihood of success.

Also involved were “magickal words” and magickal instruments such as the “lynges” a kind of wheel that was apparently spun, producing a particular sound.  Here it was clear that Theurgy was deeply connected to ritual as well as to what today is called philosophy.  This is a natural outgrowth of the view there are no insuperable gulfs between the various levels or dimensions of the Neoplatonic spiritual map.

Another technique Williams termed “binding and loosing” or “calling and receiving.”
  In such cases the deity manifested through a medium (bound) and then departed (loosed).

Finally there was the philosopher’s direct encounter with deities, where I presume unlike mediumship the person remained conscious throughout the process, and so was personally enriched spiritually.

Williams described the role these works and the concepts they taught played in the lives of Neoplatonic philosophers such as Proclus, Iamblichus, and Hypatia.  One interesting point she emphasized was that while the status of women was low in Pagan antiquity, this was not the case among Neoplatonists.  

Her presentation also provided enough recommended citations to keep someone with the time busy for months, if not years.  I wish I had enough to do the matter justice. As there are plans to make this material available on line, Williams’ list will hopefully enrich the reading of all Pagans interested in these matters.

My Reactions

I am constitutionally suspicious of hierarchical understandings of reality.  They have had nasty political consequences, feed a lot of egos that believe they are “more evolved,” and I suspect constitute an attempt to apply models of relationship from agricultural societies that viewed nature and people as something to control to a spiritual realm.  Consequently I am most sympathetic to the less rigid models of dimensions that is a possible interpretation of this reality.  

I believe this less hierarchical interpretation also fits better with my and other peoples reports of mystical encounters in their various forms. I would hope that less hierarchical forms of description will come to predominate.  My own working model is of a multidimensional tapestry where the closer one approaches “the One” the less differentiation exists and the farther one goes the more differentiation can be seen, maximizing the opportunities for love to manifest.  But it is all one tapestry.

The issue of animated statues is one that I need to see to really believe, and there are people working on the concept.  The same concept apparently exists in India today, evidence that in Pagan times there was no sharp distinction between West and East such as exists today.  Catholic pictures of Mary sometimes reportedly shed tears and pictures of Jesus apparently sometimes bleed.

I am told that there are reports by skeptical Pagans as well as Christians of seeing such statues levitate.  Both thought lodestones were involved.  But when I later asked a geologist friend whether lodestones were strong enough to levitate a statue, he said not to his knowledge, and if they were given the shape of the field, the statue would tip over.

The other two forms of theurgy would appear to be very familiar to people experienced with African Diasporic religions, and some Asian traditions where ancestors rather than nonhuman spirits arrive in entranced mediums.  My own teacher in a Brazilian tradition said he taught the third form, where you remained conscious while the entity was present, and so benefitted from the experience far more than a medium would, who would not be aware. In my experience that is true.