Tariq Al-Thiurjiyeen Al-Asil
طريق الثيورجيين الأصيل

Who are you and what do you believe?

Please check out the “About Us” page for a succinct explanation of our basis and principles.

In what way do Middle Eastern people claim theurgy and this tariqah?

Particular gods reveal themselves in particular lands and environments. Familial daimons guide families across generations. Through providence of the gods and their messengers, their signs, symbols, and tokens are preserved in these environments—including in things like a people’s language, culture, and so on, since they too are part of and products of their environments. These things must be learned in order to rediscover the sumbola imprinted upon these environments. We must become like the peoples whose indigenous religions we aim to practice (principally by learning their languages, both common and liturgical), so that we may benefit from the knowledge of their sumbola as delivered by the gods and their eternal providence.

Why do you deny the oneness of God?

We don't deny the oneness of God; rather, we see the One as the ultimate source of all existence, beyond all forms and attributes. The One is cause of unity, and the gods are those unities, expressed as "particular Ones." Each deity is a complete and unified "view" of God.  They are completely unified and completely unique, simultaneously.

How can multiple gods hold supreme power?

As "particularized Ones," each deity is a complete unity, which "contains" all the others from that deity's "point of view."  The manner in which all the gods are united is the One.

How do you integrate the One with the worship of multiple deities?

Each deity is a complete unity that represents a metaphysical pathway of return to the One. Through their worship, we seek to align ourselves with the divine order, and gain immaterial, spiritual proximity to the One.

Isn't the One just God/Elohim/Allah?

The Ineffable One transcends personal attributes and descriptions. It is the ineffable source of all that is beyond all names and forms—for clarity, it is not devoid of existence, but rather, is supra-existent.  Nothing can be said of it. The gods are intelligible to us and are the essential bridge between intelligibility and ineffability. When we ascribe deity to the One, this is the understanding in which we do so. All the gods are not entirely separate beings, nor are they all one God—all the gods are all the gods.

How can the gods be seen as perfect and good despite their flawed actions in mythology?

The gods are perfect and good unities from the cause of unity, all of which is beyond the realm of human morality. Their actions in mythological stories are symbolic, allegorical, and in their highest comprehension, anagogical, representing eternal principles or experiences that correlate to our embodied existence.  Deities like Sekhmet who express righteous anger or violence in myth are purificatory in this mode—deities like Set who break consensus or "move against" other gods are separatory in this mode, and so on. Mythological actions indicate philosophical principles.

What importance do rituals hold for you?

Rituals are important as they provide a means to connect with the divine, honor the gods, and align ourselves with the cosmic order. They are expressions of devotion, help us identify the gods, and are tools for the transformation of the soul.

What role does scholarly research play in your praxis?

Academic translations of primary texts are always welcome--so is their commentary, with the qualification that they see our indigenous religions on a continuum of our people and civilizations.  Our ancestors, at all stages of history, are completely ours.  The elements of praxis that have continued on in other Near Eastern religions, folkways, and culture, are all essential parts of our religious history.

Isn't idol worship a misguided practice?

In our tradition, "idols" or as we prefer to call them, "icons," are not worshipped as gods themselves but are used as symbolic representations to help us focus our devotion and connect with the divine. They are tools for worship, not objects of worship.

Where do you get your morals from?

Our morals are derived from the pursuit of the Good, which is aligned with the divine order. We strive to cultivate virtues such as Courage, Justice, Temperance, and Wisdom, which are reflections of eternal principles, and essential for the soul's ascent to the One.  The Chaldean Theurgical Virtues of Faith, Truth, and Love are the principles we use in worship.

How does the modern theurgist view ancient practices such as animal sacrifice?

The thiurjiyeen view animal sacrifice as wrong and unnecessary. Temperance dictates that offering the "images" of God through ritual is sufficient for worship, as the material world itself is a world of images. Instead of literal sacrifices, we use effigies or symbolic offerings.

Why shouldn’t I obsess and agonize over the hierarchical orderings of the gods?

The hierarchical orderings of the gods reflect the emanation of the divine and are not meant to be rigid or limiting. Instead, the focus is on the ascent of the theurgist’s soul and the underlying unity of all levels of reality, with the hierarchy serving as a guide rather than an absolute structure.

How do you explain the afterlife and judgement?

We believe in the immortality of the soul and its journey towards reunion with the One. The afterlife is a continuation of this spiritual journey, with the soul's experiences and progress depending on its alignment with the divine order and the cultivation of virtue.  No one knows the exact mechanics and intricacies of the afterlife and it is unlikely we can comprehend these details as such, while experiencing the gross body.

Do you proselytize or feel religion should be compelled?

No and no. The purpose of the tariqah is to help and support the devout who desire henosis of their own volition. If the values of others don’t align with ours, we are not concerned with them.

Are you affiliated with any other groups?

Theurgy is a distinct religion with a set of defined beliefs and practices. We are not related to other pagan groups or any “esoteric” clubs. Other religious groups that have similar beliefs and practices to ours are faiths like Trika Shaivism, Daoism, Advaita Vedanta, and Buddhism.

What do you think about other religions and their "rightness" or "wrongness?"

All gods are real, so every deity attributed historically or by their worshippers is taken as legitimate in good faith.  However, based on what we know about the nature of reality, the gods, and so on, we believe all religious traditions are on a sliding scale of piety.  Some traditions are less virtuous, less pious, and believe in untruths or misconceptions.  However, it is not our duty in an organizational capacity to do anything in regards to other groups.  Others are free to do whatever they want.

What happens to people who do not follow this tariqah? Does everyone achieve henosis?

We don't know. We participate in philosophy, theurgy, and demiurgy because of their salvific efficacy. What happens to souls who neglect the soul’s ascent is beyond our ability to say. We are not interested in postulating on the fate of others.