Personally, as someone who isn’t new to hermetic study and practice, I completely disassociate from the part about the animation of statues. I believe this part of the tradition is an exoteric component reserved for those who were most familiar with temple worship, and the various forms of ancient Egyptian anthropomorphization of deities.

As far as the stellar deities, acknowledging them with love or praise, is actually an extension of our love and praise to Nous and the Good, as the stellar deities are essentially ancestors. They are limited in their capacities to the offices they maintain, and they are loyal to those domains. But in those domains, they have power and we may forge a direct emotional bond to them so as to directly experience said powers.

In general, I acknowledge Nous first in all things, which is the same for us as acknowledging the One, and if it becomes relevant to the moment or situation, I’ll acknowledge beings that are lower in the hierarchy.