Neophyte Course

This course is the official initiation into the spiritual, philosophical, and organizational foundations of the Church of Thessaly. Rooted in Neoplatonic wisdom and the theurgic practice of ancient Greece, it prepares new citizens—Neophytes—for the sacred beliefs, rites, and civic responsibilities of our community. Students trace the Church’s spiritual origins, from founding visions to the structure of the Temenos, the Grades of Initiation, Thessalian civic sacraments, pantheon theology, and central rites such as the Koinonia. Throughout, we stress personal discipline, philosophical study, and integration into a living religious and civic body. Every enrollment includes membership in our Gather.Town community for the duration of the course. In this immersive “virtual temenos,” students meet peers and mentors in real time—joining study tables, office hours, and collaborative whiteboards, and stepping into ritual practice rooms and a lively Agora—cultivating dynamic, authentic learning between sessions. You will receive: concise study of Platonic and Neoplatonic thought (Plato, Iamblichus, Plotinus); instruction in the Enarmonisē and Kyklos rites and personal devotion to one’s Theoi; introduction to the Dodekatheon and allied beings; training in sacred protocols, ethics, and citizenship; and preparation for public assemblies, temple ritual, and the Greater Hermantic Oracle. The course culminates in the Neophyte Initiation Rite and opens the path deeper into the Thessalian Mysteries. Whether advancing to the Zelator grade or choosing the contemplative life of a Philosophus, graduates leave with a firm grounding in Thessalian identity, community life, and sacred purpose.