The Testament of Cyprian the Mage

The Testament of Cyprian the Mage, book by Jake Stratton-Kent

Excerpt of the excerpt from the publisher site:

Saints and Syria have rather a history after all. Notably there was Saint Paul, who, under the name Saul was a persecutor of the early Christians. He was famously struck temporarily blind on his way to Damascus, capital of modern Syria, and transformed into the Apostle Paul. The circumstances of this transformation are noteworthy; he exchanged a Jewish name for a Roman when travelling out of Judea into Syria. There is a variety of opinion regarding Paul; some speak disparagingly of Paulianity when describing the politicised Church. On the other hand at least one grimoire bears his name, and many Gnostic sects were favourably disposed to his teachings. Certain ‘de-Hellenising’ elements of modern Protestantism – inimical to Platonising theology – might be described as wishing to transform their names in the other direction, and hurry back from Damascus forthwith.

My invitation to the reader is to travel at first in the opposite direction, to proceed as it were from Damascus to Antioch. Not in order to espouse any early, Middle or neo form of Platonism; only to gaze briefly upon what may be called low Platonism.
This phrase represents the continuum between Orphics, from whom Plato borrowed many images and mythic concepts, and the later magicians of the papyri who were familiar with Platonic concepts, but more practically oriented. That he borrowed from them before they did so from him excuses the fact that magicians are not necessarily philosophers. However, in reviewing the heritage of magic it is often useful to examine the philosophical species and their notions without necessarily converting to their camp. This can be achieved, as outlined in earlier volumes; by bearing in mind that eschatology precedes philosophy and theology as the defining principle of magic and popular religion.

It is only necessarily to gaze briefly upon it, since though its name is unfamiliar, low Platonism is easy to recognise. It has been covertly foisted upon us in disguise for some time. The ingrained habit of going through the motions with generic Qabalah (partly inherited from Renaissance Neoplatonists) has substituted for a reappraisal of Platonic concepts in back of our magical tradition; while retaining much that originates in them.

We have become oblivious to the fact that many of us are low Platonists, in a great variety of ways both practical and theoretical. The point is, as begun in Geosophia, to delve beneath the ‘host traditions’ & reclaim archaic goetia. To not be, so to speak, low Platonic but to get sub-Platonic.