THE CENTRE FOR MAGIC AND ESOTERICISM

The Centre for Magic and Esotericism © 2025 University of Exeter -

October 8, 2025: Merlin Cox

Wise Piety and Divine Worship: Marsilio Ficino’s Theory of Magic

Abstract: The theory of magic of the Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433–99), seminal to early modern Platonism and occult thought, is far broader and more ambitious than has been generally understood. It seeks not only, drawing on Plotinus’s theory of cosmic prayer and Arabic astral magic, to attract the influences of the animate heavens, but to raise the soul to the divine and receive higher gifts including prophecy and miracles. This talk places Ficino’s theory of efficacious ritual in the context of its ancient and medieval predecessors, outlines its structure, and introduces its revival of ancient theurgy.

Biography: Merlin Cox’s research focuses on ancient, medieval, and early modern theories of efficacious ritual. He holds a PhD from the Warburg Institute and is working on his book project Godwork: Marsilio Ficino’s Divine Magic.