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Orphic Hymns · 131 of 138 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Hymn LXXXII. OCEAN

LXXXII. TO OCEAN. The Fumigation from AROMATICS OCEAN I call, whose nature ever flows, From whom at first both Gods and men arose; Sire incorruptible, whose waves surround, 3 And earth's concluding mighty circle bound: p. 220 Hence every river, hence the spreading sea, 5 And earth's pure bubbling fountains spring from thee: Hear, mighty fire, for boundless bliss is thine, Whose waters purify the pow'rs divine: Earth's friendly limit, fountain of the pole, Whose waves wide spreading and circumfluent roll. Approach benevolent, with placid mind, And be for ever to thy mystics kind. Footnotes 219:3 LXXXII. Ver. 3.] Whose waves surround , &c. Gesner well observes, that this opinion of the ocean surrounding the earth, is exceeding ancient. see his Præl. i. de Navigationibus vet. § I.
Themes
◆Divine Simplicitytheology

The doctrine that God has no parts, divisions, or composite attributes; pure undivided being.

Ocean is described as 'incorruptible', implying an undivided and unchanging nature.

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◆Monadcosmology

The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.

Ocean is presented as a singular, incorruptible source ('Sire') from which multiplicity flows.

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◆Pneumatic Electsoteriology

A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.

The text specifically requests kindness towards 'thy mystics', implying an initiated spiritual group.

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◆Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The hymn explicitly invokes the deity by name ('OCEAN I call') as part of the ritual.

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◆Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

The header specifies 'Fumigation from AROMATICS', indicating ritual practice to engage the divine.

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◆Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

The text states that both Gods and men arose from this single primordial source.

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◇Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] The wind is described with human and animal attributes such as 'lightly leaping feet', 'rapid wings', and 'air's wet bosom'.

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◇Fasting And Prayerpraxis

Ascetic disciplines that prepare the body and mind for spiritual receptivity or purification.

[auto] The passage is structured as a prayer or invocation ('Approach...', 'Bear...') accompanying 'holy rites'.

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◇Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] The South Wind is addressed as a 'benevolent' and 'blessed' power capable of hearing requests and sending rains.

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◇Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

[auto] The entire passage is a liturgical invocation directly addressing Ocean to hear and approach.

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◇Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

[auto] The text explicitly mentions 'FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE', which utilizes fire as the medium for the offering.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 34 (part 3)
“The four regions of Ra are the limits of the earth. I come forth; my tongue (10) is like unto the tongue of Ptah, my throat is even as that of Hathor, and I tell forth the words of my father Tmu with my lips. He it is who constrained (11)…”
Both passages invoke a primordial, divine entity associated with the origins of the world and the boundaries of the earth. The Orphic Hymn addresses Ocean as the source of all things, while the Egyptian text references Tmu (Atum) and Ra, who are similarly associated with creation and the limits of the earth.
◆platonism|Plato: Phaedo|Section 1‡
“And upon the earth are animals and men, some in a middle region, others dwelling about the air as we dwell about the sea; others in islands which the air flows round, near the continent: and in a word, the air is used by them as the water a…”
Both passages describe a primordial, all-encompassing body of water (Ocean and the subterranean streams) that plays a fundamental role in the cosmos and the origin of life. They share a mystical view of the natural world and its divine connections.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialogueb
“And more than that, they are equal to the ocean, not because they do pour, but because these two springing streams can pour such, and so much, that compared with them the Nile would appear a tiny stream divided into seven streamlets.[T] [T]…”
Both passages emphasize the primordial and encompassing nature of water, with Passage A focusing on Ocean as the source of all things and Passage B discussing the origin of the sea and its elements. Both texts explore the mystical and foundational aspects of water in their respective traditions.
◆western_esoteric|Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi)|4. The Conjuration Of The Fourc
“Prayer of the Undines Dread King of the Sea, Who hast the keys of the floodgates of heaven and dost confine the waters of the underworld in the caverns of earth; King of the deluge and the floods of springtime; Thou Who dost unseal the sour…”
Both passages invoke a primordial, all-encompassing water deity (Ocean) who is the source of life and creation. They share the concept of the divine waters surrounding and sustaining the world, reflecting a deep, cross-tradition insight into the sacred nature of water.