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INTRODUCTION the 13'*-century Edda manuscripts. Anikó Daróczi argues that passages from the letters of the 13'*-century woman mystic Hadewijch invite her readers to an initiatory reading, that is, a manner of reading by which sacred communication is possible: In the unio mystica God’s hidden Word touches the mystic, who is moved to speak to her disciples. Hadewijch repeatedly asks them to read and listen to her words in such a way that they can experience the divine touch which should enlighten them. Another kind of initiation is described by György Szdényi, based on a passionate vision of ascension, the Crater Hermetis (1493), inspired by Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah, authored by the wandering Humanist and Neoplatonist Lodovico Lazzarelli. He was converted by the wandering esoteric prophet Giovanni da Correggio, in whom he recognized the reincarnation of Hermes and by whom he himself, as he says, underwent a mystical transformation, becoming “the son of Hermes”, Enoch. Sz6nyi explores this spiritual reunion. The next paper takes us forward to our own time. Zsuzsanna Kévi, Levente Fogarassy, Zsuzsanna Mirnics, Anna Mersdorf, and Zoltan Vass analyse the psychological influence of the experience of a union with nature in adventure therapy. The authors focus on the spiritual character of this therapy rather than on the experience of initiation, speaking about the sense of identity, inner peace, one-ness, sense of magic in nature, contact with a higher entity, deep experience of insight. Part 2 offers philosophical reflections on the concept of initiation. Gerd Van Riel’s study, titled “Mysticism and Rationality. A Neoplatonic Perspective”, turns to the leading Late Antique Platonists Proclus and Damascius in order to refute the view that they were mystics rather than philosophers. Delving into Damascius’ works, he produces textual proofs to demonstrate that Damascius’ mysticism is in reality the outcome of a thoroughly rational project, which explores the limits of rational discourse. Miklés Vassanyi, in his paper “Transcending Transcendence,” stays the course as he examines how the unidentified Christian philosopher Denys the Areopagite blends Platonic ideas with Biblical theology in part 4 of his On the Divine Names. Denys’ philosophical theological project ultimately arrives at the Neoplatonically inspired conclusion that the true mystery of God consists in His being hyperarréton, more than unspeakable. Neoplatonism and Pseudo-Dionysian mysticism are the focus of Monika Imregh’s “Initiation into Mysteries in Pico’s Works”. Pico agrees with Ficino about the importance of Platonic philosophy for Christian thinking and relies on Ficino’s ideas about the divinity—and dignity—of man’s soul as Pico writes about the mind’s aspiration to gain insight into the divine mysteries. Pico gives a method for this ascent, distilled from Pseudo-Dionysius’ Celestial Hierarchy, and influenced by Hermetism. In his paper on Giordano Bruno, Antonio dall’Igna argues that Bruno’s mysticism is a kind of initiation in the sense that it is the highes intensification of both knowledge and will. Dall’Igna offers a scheme of the characteristics Qe Daréczi-Sepsi-Vassänyi_Initiation_155x240.indb 9 6 2020.06.15. 11:04:09
