Skip to main content

Theosophy

Theosophy
Christine Pelfrey

Theosophy is synonymous with theology. It is the study of the natural world through a religious lens. A theosophist studies the natural world already accepting that God or angels are at work there. The term has been used as both an insult and a compliment, depending upon a writer’s view of religion. (Coperhaver, Magic in an Age of Science, 2015)

Theosophists included Robert Fludd, Thomas Vaughn, Bruno, Henry More, and Paraclesus. (Coperhaver, Magic in an Age of Science, 2015)

Paraclesus put magic at the center of his scientific approach and believed that God had given man dominion over nature. (Coperhaver, Magic in an Age of Science, 2015)

Robert Fludd describes the Wisdom of God as making known the mysteries of the universe. God’s willing and not-willing are forces to be considered and are evidenced in light, heat, darkness and cold.  (Fludd, 2015)

Johann Kepler used the term negatively to describe Robert Fludd stating that, as a theosophist, Fludd was missing the point of the new science by “looking for scientific truths in religious revelation”, judging nature by spiritual experiences, and by using poetic and expressive language when only scientific language would be appropriate. (Coperhaver, Ancient Wisdom Modernized: The Later Renaissance , 2015) By contrast, Kepler referred to himself as a cosmosophist who was learning, measuring, observing and explaining the natural world using scientific language and methods. (Coperhaver, Ancient Wisdom Modernized: The Later Renaissance , 2015)

Bruno carried his theosophy into monism and vitalism. “’Matter is something divine,’ he insists, ‘just as form is … something divine.’ Even God is matter, and God’s love is the divine force in all things that binds them together with an organic magic.” (Coperhaver, Ancient Wisdom Modernized: The Later Renaissance , 2015)

Henry More’s reputation was damaged by his theosophical writings on the secret wisdom of Kabbalah. Despite criticizing Vaughn for considering himself a messenger of God and insisting that one cannot gather philosophy from scripture, More studied Hebrew wisdom literature convinced that there were some natural truths hidden within the Kabbalistic texts. (Coperhaver, Magic in an Age of Science, 2015)

Thomas Vaughan considered scripture as a source for data to be used for science and alchemy. He describes his theosophy as ‘theomagical’. (Vaughn, 2015)


Key Words/Terms: Cosmosophist, Volunty/Nolunty, Kabbalist, Macrocosm/Microcosm, Harmony/Dissonance, Sympathy/Antipathy


Bibliography

Boyle, R. (2015). Intercourse with Good Spirits: Boyle, Dialogue on the Converse with Angels. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 567-569). Penguin Classics.
Coperhaver, B. (2015). Ancient Wisdom Modernized: The Later Renaissance . In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 391-397). Penguin Classics.
Coperhaver, B. (2015). Magic in an Age of Science. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 509-511). Penguin Classics.
Fludd, R. (2015). A Little World in Action: Fludd, Mosaicall Philosophy . In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 535-541). Penguin Classics.
Hopkins. (2015). Proof Positive: Hopkins, Discovery of Witches. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 543-547). Penguin Classics.
Scot. (2015). Abominable and Devilish Inventions: Scot, Discoverie, 1.7-9. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 442-443). Penguin Classics.
Unknown. (2015). The Witch of Endor 1 Sam: 28. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 23-26). Penguin Classics .
Vaughn, T. (2015). The Ancient Real Theosophy: Vaughn, Anthrophoshia theomagica. In B. Coperhaver, The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment (pp. 548-549). Penguin Classics.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Supernatural

Supernatural A term used when something does not fit into the category of natural or normal. It can also be imagined as something that is caused by a bigger force. Supernatural can be explained as a treatment for epilepsy because Galen of Pergamon the most renowned roman doctor found a “supernatural” cure because it wasn't a pill or medicine it was a simple peony root that was worn like amulet without being eaten. This technique was used as an alternative medicine and since there wasn't any explanation for a herbal medicine they categorized the treatment into a "supernatural" treatment. Agrippa uses magic as the core of his philosophy that unifies theology, physics, and mathematics in one. He went on to explain that the earthly levels of the hierarchy are connected to the natural cosmos but the intellectual level is supernatural inhabited by angels and demons. Supernatural is defined as an illusion because Scot rejects witchcraft and the supernatural ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Superstition

Superstition Superstition is the belief that an event can be caused as a result of a supernatural happening or being. People who are superstitious readily attribute magical qualities to objects and events with the belief that something larger is going on than meets the eye. Augustine, a student of the psychology of superstition, explains that “Anything undertaken by humans to make and worship idols is superstitious, whether it involves giving divine honours to a creature or any part of a creature or enquiries and certain pacts and marks agreed and contracted with demons – like those attempted in the magical arts” (Augustine 2015, 241). This claims that people who are superstitious are in accordance with demons and usually possess a magical worldview. Superstition can run deep in a culture’s beliefs. Copenhaver explains that superstition was extensively woven into society and showed itself through “Ordinary customs and conventions” (Copenhaver 2015, 248), meaning that their norma...
Post a Comment
Read more

Witch

Witch : A witch could be classified in two different ways: the religious kind of witch who is linked with the Devil/demons and then the maleficium type of witch. According to the Bible it is believed that, “demons are the angels who fell from heaven,” and that these demons have the power to do things we cannot (Copenhaver 2015, 341). And so, the people who “lead demons to do such things are called witches ” (Copenhaver 2015, 341). In the Christian religion, you have powerful figures like, God and Jesus, and you have angels who were considered good and connected to heaven and devils who were the scary negative figures associated with hell. Witches were often classified as Christians and individuals who made a deal with the devil. Through the late seventeenth century these witches who were associated with the devil were viewed as individuals who might have had “actual demons living inside of them” (Copenhaver 2015, 339). They would “work with demons to produce actual effect...
Post a Comment
Read more