Chapter XXI

A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.

The passage explicitly mentions 'lovers of the contemplation of theurgic truth' as a group that acknowledges the necessity of honoring all powers.

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

The text describes Gods descending to the earth and preceding them in a solemn procession, attributing human-like movement to divine beings.

The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.

The passage centrally argues that powers are moved prior to the Gods' appearance and that honoring one power dissonantly harms the entire work of religion.

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The text distinguishes between visible descents and invisible appearances of the Gods in sacrifices, implying a hidden nature beyond ordinary perception.

Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.

The text describes powers being moved prior to the Gods' appearance and preceding them in a solemn procession, indicating divine ordering of events.

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

The passage references 'powers presubjacent to them' that precede the Gods when they descend, implying a hierarchical structure of divine beings.

Augustinian and Plotinian doctrine that evil has no positive being of its own but is a lack, distortion, or absence of the good — denying ontological dualism while preserving moral seriousness.

The text states that omitting one power subverts the whole work of religion and makes it dissonant, framing deficiency as a distortion of the good.

The Zoroastrian triad of right thought, right speech, and right action as the foundation of ethical life; truth-in-living.

The passage emphasizes that omitting even a few things in sacrifice subverts the whole work of religion, aligning with the principle that right action is essential.

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The text states that only theurgists alone know what the perfection is of the sacrificial art through experience in sacred operations.

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

The Gods are depicted as active agents who descend to the earth and move powers prior to their appearance.

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The text mentions 'lovers of the contemplation' as a group that acknowledges the necessity of honoring all powers.

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

The goal is described as remaining secure and irreprehensible with completion in a proper manner to the perfect receptacle of the divine choir.

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

The text references 'one' chord and 'many' powers being excited in sacrifices, using numbers to describe cosmic structure.

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The passage discusses the necessity of distributing appropriate gifts to each power and honoring them in an appropriate manner for proper sanctity.

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 passage is explicitly about 'theurgic truth' and discusses the performance of sacred rites that invoke divine powers through consecrated actions.