This is an interesting conjecture, and I like how you tie in the concept of loss comprehension, etc. There is a lot to think about here.
I'm not sure I entirely agree, however, as it seems the areas where we try to intellectually comprehend the functions of the gods break down the higher "up the chain" we go. For example, if we imagine a spectrum of spiritual beings (The One --> henads (gods) --> angels --> daimons --> ... mortals), my suspicion is that, the closer one gets to The One, the less any sort of axioms hold. This might even hold within the gods themselves: The Zeus we are familiar with from the myths, which fixes certain attributes in our rather simple minds about the god, is not Zeus at the summit of his powers, in his full majesty (cue what happens to Semele when she beholds the unveiled Deity).
That's not a great answer, I know, but that's just my own personal view. Shades into mysticism, I guess.
On the other hand, I think there is real value in these kind of meditations, as they tend to lead to insights.
Side note and somewhat related: I came across a good summary of Iamblichus's views in De Mysteriis, in case you (or anyone else) wants an overview. It's contained in Lynn Thorndike's History of Magic and Experimental Science Volume 1, in Chapter 11, "Neo-Platonism and Its Relations to Astrology and Theurgy" (found online, gratis!)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2021-12-27 01:20 pm (UTC)I'm not sure I entirely agree, however, as it seems the areas where we try to intellectually comprehend the functions of the gods break down the higher "up the chain" we go. For example, if we imagine a spectrum of spiritual beings (The One --> henads (gods) --> angels --> daimons --> ... mortals), my suspicion is that, the closer one gets to The One, the less any sort of axioms hold. This might even hold within the gods themselves: The Zeus we are familiar with from the myths, which fixes certain attributes in our rather simple minds about the god, is not Zeus at the summit of his powers, in his full majesty (cue what happens to Semele when she beholds the unveiled Deity).
That's not a great answer, I know, but that's just my own personal view. Shades into mysticism, I guess.
On the other hand, I think there is real value in these kind of meditations, as they tend to lead to insights.
Side note and somewhat related: I came across a good summary of Iamblichus's views in De Mysteriis, in case you (or anyone else) wants an overview. It's contained in Lynn Thorndike's History of Magic and Experimental Science Volume 1, in Chapter 11, "Neo-Platonism and Its Relations to Astrology and Theurgy" (found online, gratis!)