THE MYSTERIES OF EGYPT

In third-century Syria, the Neoplatonic philosopher Iamblichus wrote a book that was both a tribute to and a final defense of dying pagan polytheism. In honor of Hermes Trismegistus, he titled it On the Mysteries of the Egyptians. The purpose of the work was to dismantle arguments against the practice of theurgy, or "divine magic." He asserted that nothing is impossible for man if he understands the art of making contact with the gods.

On the Mysteries of the Egyptians became the "sacred text" for the last pagan thinkers. For more than a thousand years, it disappeared, erased by the triumph of Christianity. It was rediscovered by Marsilio Ficino in the Florence of Lorenzo the Magnificent and, from that moment on, became a cornerstone of Western "magical thought," influencing figures from Giordano Bruno to the present day.