Plotinus the Magician? Ritual Practice and Power in Platonism

In this episode of The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast, Earl Fontainelle explores the role of ritual in the thought and life of Plotinus, a Neoplatonist philosopher. The episode addresses the debate around whether Plotinus was a magician, sidestepping definitions of magic and mysticism to focus on ritual. Fontainelle analyzes Porphyry's Life of Plotinus, particularly the accounts of an astral magic attack on Plotinus and a séance where Plotinus' guardian daimon was conjured. He delves into Plotinus' views on prayer, incantations, and magic as detailed in Ennead 4.4, explaining how Plotinus saw these practices as effective at the cosmic level due to astral influences and cosmic sympathy, but ineffective at the noetic level. The episode also discusses Plotinus' stance on traditional religious practices and his belief that, due to his spiritual status, the gods should come to him rather than the other way around, setting the stage for future discussions on theurgy and its critiques of Plotinus' views.