The Wisdom of Hypatia: Ancient Spiritual Practices for a More Meaningful Life (60 page)

the path of trust 285

Dream Interpretation:
In dreams your unconscious mind speaks to you through the language of symbols. Sometimes what it has to say is important, but often not.

Some of these symbols—the archetypal ones—are universal to humans, oth-

ers are cultural, and many are personal. It is helpful to study the universal sym-

bols of humankind and of your culture, but ultimately what matters is what

the symbols mean
to you
. The One is talking to you through your nous. So try to let each figure, object, event, situation, color, etc. in your dream speak to

you. Contemplate it in the context of your dream, and see what moods, ideas,

and images arise. You can make a diagram to show the connections, with lines

from each dream image to the things that it elicits. Don’t assume that the first

meaning that comes to mind is the relevant one; it may be only the most obvi-

ous or superficial meaning. Symbol meanings exist in levels, and when you dig

down to a deeper one, you may find that it has the light of significance for
your
dream. Sometimes you can amplify the meanings of dream symbols by studying archetypal images, but popular dream dictionaries have limited value. You

may have to return to a big dream many times, and you may never discover
all

of its meaning. You can learn a lot about dream interpretation by studying the

analytical psychology literature. Even better would be to work with a depth

psychologist who uses dream interpretation.

Dream Incubation:
This is a simple modern procedure for dream incubation. Pick a bed, couch, or chair on which you can recline comfortably. Have a pen, journal, and night-light available so you can make notes. It is better if you have

by you a consecrated image of the deity you want to contact, but this is not

necessary. You can make offerings and light a candle and incense. Contemplate

and pray before the icon until you have a distinct impression of the deity’s pres-

ence, and ask about whatever you want to know. Then if you have lit a candle,

extinguish it (for safety’s sake), lie back in the dark, and close your eyes. Keep

your mind on the question, but don’t obsessively repeat it to yourself.

286 the path of trust

Dream Incubation (continued):
Let your mind be gentle and drift, but try not to day-dream about mundane matters. You may find it helpful to recite mentally an

arrow prayer. If you drift in and out of sleep, that is good. If you discover

that you have been having a dream that seems important, or if you have seen

visions or heard sounds in a semiconscious state, then write them down as

quickly as possible. Interpret the dream as you have learned. Keep in mind that

your dream might not be an answer to your request; the deity might be telling

you something more important.

Alliance

Having explained incubation with Synesius’ help, Hypatia proceeds to the next

procedure. “The purpose of this operation is to meet and form an alliance with a god, angel, or daimon for the sake of cooperation. By means of such an alliance you can

place yourself under a divinity’s guidance and protection (tutelage, in the ancient

sense), or you may secure the assistance of a deity for furthering divine purposes.”

Translating Hypatia’s words into psychological terms, you are engaging in conscious interaction with the universal archetypes and your personal complexes. These unconscious dynamical forces intervene continually in our lives, and if you are unaware of them, deny their existence, or attempt to repress them, they will nevertheless have their effect on you, but without your conscious participation. Through theurgy you can interact consciously with these unconscious powers, not fighting them, but cooperating with them to live an authentic life of meaning.

The teacher continues. “The archetypal gods exist outside of space and time; they

are virtually identical among people and, in this sense, ‘know’ us only as representatives of humankind. Therefore it is usually easier, more beneficial, and more common to have an alliance with a god’s attendant daimons, for these exist in time and space and are concerned with you as an individual. Since these spirits are intermediate between humans and gods, they are ideal mediators and are especially suited as mes-

sengers (
angeloi
, angels) between the human world and the Noetic Realm of the gods.

the path of trust 287

We may bring our individual problems to these attendant spirits and request their

guidance and aid in our individual lives.”

This talk of daimons may seem less strange from a psychological perspective. The daimons correspond to unconscious complexes, which adapt the activity of the universal archetypes to our individual lives. The complexes nucleate around the archetypes as they are activated in the circumstances of each of our lives. As structures in the psyche they incorporate personal material from our external and internal lives into their being, and can be said to be “concerned” with us as individuals.

“You cannot assume,” Hypatia warns, “that the deity you invoked is the deity who

arrived. You prepare the receptacle, but the Nous fills it as it wills. Sometimes another divinity has a more important message for you than the one you invoked. Therefore,

when you feel the presence of the deity, it is a good idea to ask their name.”

“Must they answer truthfully?” asks Cyrus.

“No, you cannot simply accept that a spirit is who they say they are.”

“How, then, can you trust anything they say?”

“You can’t! Even if you are confident that you are communicating with one of the

high gods, you should not believe uncritically what they say—or what you think they

say—or blindly accept their advice or commands. Certainly, the goal of theurgy, and

of many Platonic practices, for that matter, is to know divine Providence, so that you can submit your conscious ego to The One and live in harmony with it. Nevertheless,

your conscious, rational mind serves a purpose, and you should use it. Do not abandon your critical reason or your moral autonomy. They are essential to our role as humans in the divine order.”

Modern analytical psychologists as well as ancient theurgists emphasize that you should subject all spiritual experiences and revelations to conscious critical evaluation, including consultation with other experienced spiritual practitioners.

Hypatia reminds her students that they all have personal spirits who accompa-

ny them throughout their lives and perhaps beyond; psychologically, these are com-

plexes closely connected to our individual identities. “For example,” she says, “each of you has a Guardian Spirit, who mediates between you and the god who originates

288 the path of trust

your lineage (that is, who is the specific Form of your soul). In particular, your Guardian watches over you and strives to guide you according to your destiny; some say that

this Guardian is your advocate between lives. In any case, your cooperation with your Guardian will be facilitated if you make their acquaintance and form an alliance with them. Thus a liaison with your Guardian is especially worthwhile; life will go much

smoother.”

“Master,” says Cyrus, raising his hand, “I have heard that there are evil daimons, who lead us astray.”

“Daimons are not evil per se, but they have their own desires and agendas, which

are not always in our best interests or even lawful.”

“Surely we should not invoke such beings,” Cyrus presses.

“Always remember,” Hypatia replies:

Invoked or not, daimons are here.

“If you ignore them, you risk possession. It is far better to acknowledge their presence, become acquainted, and communicate with them.”

“How can we protect ourselves in these dealings?” asks Cyrus.

“Your practice of the first two degrees of wisdom is your protection. Indeed, all

daimons have valuable gifts, if you negotiate from this position of strength. Moreover, never forget that you each have your own ‘bad daimon’, which you have created un-wittingly. You should meet it some day!”

As I discussed in Ch. 9, another personal spirit is the Shadow complex, which is born from the rejected potentials and energies of a person’s soul. That is, everything that you, consciously or unconsciously, whether by conscious decision or by cultural and environmental osmosis, take to be
bad
, all those qualities will be the characteristics of your Shadow. Psychologically, it is the complex that has formed around the Idea of Evil.

Such might seem to be the last sort of spirit one might hope to meet (for it’s demonic in the colloquial sense), but that attitude is misguided. For if you ignore the existence of the Shadow, he or she (for its gender is the same as yours) will act outside your awareness,

“possessing” you or, by projection, possessing those with whom you interact. For the Shadow behaves as an autonomous personality that wants to live and act, and will find a way to do so. And, as Jung explained, a repressed archetype or complex will appear in its most primitive and uncivilized form, so repression is not a wise choice.

the path of trust 289

Therefore it is much better to establish an alliance with your Shadow. Become acquainted so that you will recognize him or her: whether seizing you or another person, or simply hovering as a disconnected mood. (Recall the exercise
Seeing Your Shadow
in Ch. 9.) Find out this spirit’s needs, desires, and issues with you, so that you may form an agreement that satisfies the Shadow without sacrificing your personal needs and moral autonomy. By this alliance your Shadow, who was created from rejected parts of your own soul, may be recruited to work for your higher (divine) purpose. The Shadow holds great power, rejected from your psyche, and by a proper alliance you may reclaim this power for divine ends.

By reclaiming the lost parts of your soul, you become more whole.

For many centuries Western culture has rejected and denied the Shadow, both indi-

vidual and collective (for the collective consciousness of a culture, nation, or religion also creates its Shadow); this is the reason these destructive powers are rampaging ungoverned around our world. They cannot be banished; the only solution is a cooperative alliance in conformity with modern society and ethics.

The students scratch on their wax tablets as Hypatia gets to the technique. “To

return to the operation of forming alliances with spirits, the invocation begins with cleansing and purification. Usually you take a ritual bath and dress in ceremonial at-tire, which puts you in the right frame of mind. You can wear symbols of the god to be invoked, and also garlands and other divine symbols as appropriate. You may purify

the ritual area, typically with incense appropriate to the divinity. During the invocation itself you can stand on characters and figures that are symbols of the divinity. In general, as when you animate an icon, the more signs and symbols you can use, the