Iamblicus on the Mysteries

by Manly P. Hall

Iamblicus was by no means the most brilliant of the Neoplatonists. But we can see that everything he touched he handled with a peculiar, wonderful mystical reverence. He was never satisfied merely to approach things on an intellectual level. He had to go beyond this. Therefore, his name is associated with one step or degree of the Neoplatonic Ladder of development, the Ladder of the Soul, rising from opinion through all the different degrees of intellect culminating at the upper end in Theurgy. The five-part archival audio tape series upon which this pamphlet series is based ("Doctrines of Neoplatonism," transcribed by Clarke E. Johnston), was given by Manly P. Hall in 1983 to students who were interested in learning more about the ancient wisdom. It seemed to have been one of his favorite subjects down through the years, for he spoke and wrote about it frequently during his long career. In fact, the foreword to his book "Lectures on Ancient Philosophy" declared that the basis of it was Neoplatonism. In the last few years of his life, Mr. Hall said that after years of study and reflection, he had come to believe that the doctrines of Neoplatonism had descended to us in a purer form than nearly any other philosophical system. This system seemed more suitable to we active, extroverted Western people. He believed this was true because though it was as deep and thorough as any other approach to enlightenment, its precepts were more easily understood and their relative simplicity tended to impel an interested person to put them into practice by beginning to learn to live a more philosophic life. The material in this series provides an excellent overview of Neoplatonism that we hope those who read it may be inspired to study the subject themselves. As anyone who has spent time in such study and learned its value will tell you, it is worth all the time you can give it, with its maximum value coming from the disciplined application of its precepts to your daily life. Neo

44 pages

Published June 1, 2006

About the author

Canadian born, Manly Palmer Hall is the author of over 150 published works, the best known of which are Initiates of the Flame, The Story of Healing, The Divine Art,Aliens Magick and Sorcery The Secret Teachings of All Ages, and An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy.
He was also the author of a masonic curiosity, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry in 1923, more than thirty years before he joined a lodge. The preface of later editions states "At the time I wrote this slender volume, I had just passed my twenty-first birthday, and my only contact with Freemasonry was through a few books commonly available to the public." Later, in 1944, he wrote The Secret Destiny of America which popularized the myth of a masonic purpose for the founding of the USA. In 1950 he weighed in again on the meaning of Freemasonry with his booklet: Masonic Orders of Fraternity.
***
Initiated: June 28, 1954
Passed: September 20, 1954
Raised November 22, 1954
Jewel Lodge No. 374
Source: Grand Lodge of California records ; William R. Denslow, 10,000 Famous Freemasons, vol. ii. Trenton, MO. : Missouri Lodge of Research / Educational Bureau, Royal Arch Mason Magazine, 1958. p. 165.