Hekate Soteira: A Study of Hekate's Roles in the Chaldean Oracles and Related Literature

The Chaldean Oracles seem fashionable this year, especially in California. Two or three books have been published or are in preparation dealing with them and with Theurgy. The present book is a good and interesting one. The theme is that Hekate, more than any other goddess, was suited by her previous history to symbolize the Middle Platonic Cosmic Soul, which played an important intermediary role in cosmology and anthropology, and was an appropriate figure, by her previous connections in cult and magic, to play a central part in the theurgic rites developed by the authors of the oracles, who were of course influenced by the Middle Platonic koine. The author has collected and presents very well a good variety of well documented material in support of her thesis, and provides much curious information on theurgy. There are good chapters (e.g.) on 'Hekate's Top and the lynx-Wheel* (VII) and 'Chaldean Daemon-Dogs' (IX): the use of Apotropaic Egyptian Cats in dealing with the latter is not suggested. Altogether a good and illuminating book on the curious borderland between magic, religion and philosophy occupied by the authors of the oracles and the theurgists. There is an adequate bibliography and indices.