by Moe | Apr 15, 2013 | Gnosis
By Miguel Conner – I’ve always liked the definition of Gnosticism that Stevan Davis provided during an interview on my show: It’s the story of how God went crazy and became us, and how we 
can reverse the process once we have gained this knowledge (Gnosis).
But it’s always helpful to proffer other frameworks to defining Gnosticism because of its seemingly protean manifestations and secretive aura—beyond the mainstream one of being an allegorizing and Platonic ancient heresy that advocated self and God knowledge, continuously suppressed by orthodox religions and smuggled by secret societies across history.
Using mythology is one framework, especially since the Gnostic themselves were so passionate about utilizing mythology from any surrounding tradition in order to explain their existentialist views.
Mythology is a chronicle of symbols and archetypes that point to the transcendent, but at the same time anchor the psyche to a clearer perspective of the immediate culture and cosmos. Mythology is more concerned with meaning than facts; and thus deeply expresses the essence of a movement or religion, even as they don different clothing in other times and places.
I think Jung Singer in her book, A Gnostic Book of Hours, put it better when she wrote; “Myths are true expressions of our inner selves, revealed cryptically in image, symbol, and metaphor. They are something like dreams: rationally they may not ring true, but in a psychological sense they express people’s inner processes through the use of ingenious devices that conceal what must be concealed and reveal what must be revealed.”
But as a narrative, myths often begin with questions, sometimes without ringing answers, but certainly pregnant a melody of meaning. Here are the questions and the myths that address the Gnostic ethos:
How did we get here?
The Myth of the Fallen Soul: Because of a cosmic cataclysm or angelic revolution, fragments of the ultimate Godhead (referred to as divine sparks), have fallen into alien domains. These shards of infinity are cast into material vessels—the bodies of humans or even animals—and lie in slumbering forgetfulness far away from their astral home. A modern Gnostic myth would be the movie The Truman Show, where the protagonist is placed in an ersatz environment away from his beloved and the real world.
Who is responsible?
The Myth of the Demiurge: Lesser agencies control the universe, hoarding the divine spark that often feeds their very power, and certainly perpetrating their slumbering forgetfulness through oppression or soothing chimeras (or both). Christian Gnostics often referred to their main adversary as the Demiurge (Greek for “public worker”), associating him with the Old Testament Jehovah. The Demiurge and his assistants, called the Archons, are the main antagonists in all forms of Gnosticism, and they keep the divine spark hidden from the ultimate Godhead. A modern Gnostic myth would be the films The Matrix, Dark City, and They Live.
Is there any hope to make it right?
The Myth of the Divine Feminine: A goddess-figure is the solution (and sometimes also the cause) to the current spiritual state of affairs. Her ethereal song stirs the divine spark into wakefulness. In some Gnostic narratives, she is the actual mother of the Demiurge; yet she is also the missing element of an unbalanced reality, the healing but untamed process of the universe. The Gnostics presented her in the aspect of Sophia, Mary Magdalene or Helen of Troy, just to name a few, switching roles from the damsel in distress to the actual warrior heroine. She is manifest and divine wisdom in all her aspects, calling all of us to arouse. A modern Gnostic myth would be the Arthurian mythos, or again The Matrix with the character of Trinity.
What is our role?
Hermesmage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Myth of the Savior: Once awakened, a Savior arrives to counsel the divine spark on how to return to its astral home. The Savior in Gnosticism took on the form of such luminaries as Jesus Christ, Simon Magus, or Hermes Trismegistus. Often the Savior and the Divine Feminine work together or exchange responsibilities, in their eternal romance to restore Creation. Regardless, arcane rituals and mystic maps are tendered for the regaining of spiritual wholeness, after we have remembered our destiny and discovered a thirst for ultimate freedom. A modern Gnostic myth would be the movie Fight Club, where Tyler Durden and Marla instruct the protagonist in various ways on how to find his true nature; or again, in the Arthurian mythos where Arthur and Guinevere must find resolution before darkness is lifted over the land.
These four myths can overlap, sometimes taking evolving attributes of each other, and are often hidden themselves in other myths or allegory, even in discourse. An example is found in The Hermetica, where Hermes Trismegistus says; “Bright and luminous as you are, O Soul, by your own nature, you went to the world of darkness, and engaged in combat with it; and the world of darkness obscured your light, and encompassed you with darkness, and blinded you, and made you lose sight of all that you had seen, and forget all that you had known; and in the end, you were captured and held prisoner.”
Looking closely, one can see the Demiurge, the fallen Soul, and the continuous struggle of the Divine Feminine and Savior in just that passage. But Hermes eventually reveals the liberation of the divine spark later on in The Hermetica.
Gnosticism certainly contains other characteristics and elements, many still being debated, and the notion of Gnosis is certainly essential (but a complete topic in itself). Yet these four myths are useful cornerstones for detecting the many houses of heresy the Gnostic erected throughout history and secret history. Furthermore, one can begin seeing the Gnostic sensibility beyond facts and enter into the realms of meaning.
The mythic resonance of the Gnostics has certainly terrified mainstream religions for centuries, just as it has captivated artists and member of clandestine organizations. But it can also aid in understanding Gnosticism when it manifests through such lenses as artistic (Philip K. Dick/William Blake/Herman Melville), psychological (Carl Jung/Aldous Huxley), or historical (Paul of Tarsus/Valentinus/Rumi).
If not, the definition of Stevan Davis still remains appropriate. Sophia will continue to sing her song, calling her children home, but those who have ears to hear certainly have different ways to decipher that eternal soundtrack of the counterculture known as Gnosis.
by Moe | Apr 15, 2013 | Alchemy, Gnosis, Meaning of Words
Water is the symbol of life, truth and the Sophia (Σοφíα, Greek for “wisdom”). Let there be light and let it be said that “The 
way to heaven is through water.”
In almost all religions you will find that Water cleanses and is the purifier, in which faiths that incorporate ritual washing (ablution) that is used to baptize, sanctify and bless, include Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Rastafari movement, Shinto, Taoism, and Wicca. In the religion of the Buddhist, water symbolizes purity, clarity and calmness. In the Taoist traditions, water is said to point us to the Way and is considered a symbol or a pointer to the Tao (or Spirit/God). Taoism‘s two major branches, the Fire (yang) and Water (yin) are methods in which an absence of water is dryness, the way of death. These same teachings of the Taoist can also be compared to the Christian version of the absence of water, where St John had called this in Revelation “a fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
As Lao Tzu says:.
The highest good is like that of water
The goodness of water is that it benefits the ten thousand creatures,
Yet itself does not scramble for attention,
But is content with places that men disdain.
It is this that makes water so near to the Way.
To the Ancient Egyptians, the secrets of heaven and water were symbolized by the God Osiris who we can consider a God of water. Plutarch had said, “they held the Nile to be the parent and savior of Egypt, and an emanation from Osiris,” and Eusebius had written that “Osiris was the Nile, which the Egyptians supposed to flow down from heaven.” They had represented Osiris as water or a type of the element of moisture, whose symbol we find in the vase full of water in which it appears they had used in all ceremonies. To the Egyptians, water was regarded as the great genial principle of all nature, calling forth and cherishing the fruits of the earth. (The picture to the right is of Ramesses III during a ritual in which he pours water from the vessel. Ramesses III was often depicted as the god Osiris.)
The Christians had also symbolized water as the way, with such biblical passages as Genesis 1:20 where we are told that the first mention of life comes from water, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life,” and “The earth was formed out of water and by water” (NIV). Many other passages also allude to heaven being through the water and in drinking of the “water of life,” or the “fountains of living water,” and of ” the stream of the water of life proceeding out of the throne of the Eternal.” Then in John 3:5, Jesus tells us the cold hard truth – Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
In the Qur’an it is stated that “Living things are made of water” and it is often used to describe paradise. In many religions such as Islam and Judaism, a ritual bath in pure water is performed for the dead. In Islam, the five daily prayers can be done in most cases after completing washing certain parts of the body using clean water (wudu), unless water is unavailable (see Tayammum).
Many P. Hall had said of the Universal Brotherhood; “Some are the Sons of Water — the keepers of flocks; others are Sons of Fire — the builders of cities. One group is conservative; the other is progressive. One is the king; the other the priest.”
This same principle that Hall speaks of is also found in Taoism, with the water taoists (yin) who are peaceful and reserved in comparison to their fiery cousins (yang), the Fire Taoists. In the original Taoist texts, wu wei is often associated with water and its yielding nature. Although water is soft and weak, it has the capacity to erode even solid rock. Wu wei literally means non-action or non-doing by living wholly in harmony with the Tao in order to behave in a completely natural, uncontrived way.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine Empire icons almost always represent Sophia with wings, and at times with a garment of fish scales which points to Her relationship to water. In European legends and folklore, Sophia is represented by the Melusine (or Melusina) which is representative of a feminine spirit of fresh waters in sacred springs and rivers.
The Tribe of Levi and their Levite priests had used the water vase as our symbol to represent the divine spirit that flows through us. It reminds us, that in order to access this unique place within, we must wash, cleanse and purify our thoughts, actions, habits and life daily as we do washing our hands and feet. In doing so we purify our minds, bodies and souls. 
Moses the high priest was also Levite, and his name literally in Hebrew means “to draw out of the water.” In Exodus 30:18 we find that Moses was to make a laver of brass and put water in it, which was to be situated between the Tabernacle and the altar for the priests to wash their hands and feet, so when they went into the Tabernacle “that they die not”. Hence, they needed to be purified alchemically and this which is done through the water within our DNA.
This is not done by just the act of using water to cleanse or purify, but an actual scientific and internal alchemical process a
person must undergo to reach that place of eternal peace and love, that some of us call heaven, illumination, enlightenment or simple human bliss. A mental state of emotion where we become one with nature, our fellow man and love all God’s creatures. This is witnessed to us by St. John the Evangelist who said, “Little children, love one another.” Through this unconditional love is where we find peace and wisdom in which we then can change our complete alchemical make-up (internal human chemistry) in order to lead us to the water, that some of us call heaven and away from the lake of fire and sulfur, or what some may call hell.
A state of mind and being, where those of you who hate and are angry find alchemical hell in the sulfur within your very chemical make up that makes you, you that then multiplies by the billions like a virus with each evil thought. But those of you who do not partake in the hate and anger, by practicing the most ancient art on earth of love, acceptance and happiness, will find alchemical heaven through the water which resides in their very DNA.
by | Apr 10, 2013 | Gnosis
By Miguel Conner – Most religions offer a grand cosmic drama, a metaphysical narrative of conflict that filters down to the worldly realms—with the human soul often as the ultimate battleground. The Gnostics had their own spiritual epic, and presented perhaps the most intriguing yet menacing villains in all religious annals: The Archons.
The word “archon” sounds poetic, echoing some sci-fi antagonist perhaps, but the word simply comes from the Greek for “ruler” or “prince,” with a mostly secular connotation. Yet the Apostle Paul in his epistles uses “archon” in a transcendental context (Ephesians 2:2 and Colossians 2:15 are two examples). Through a more esoteric reading, Paul indicates that it was demonic agents, not the Jews or Romans, who were actually responsible for the death of Jesus Christ; and that these very same forces control the universe.
The Gnostics, always the radical innovators and deconstructionists, expanded Paul’s concepts into notion of the Archon (as found in such texts as the Secret Book of John, the Hypostasis of the Archons, and the Gospel of Judas). In fact, they took the notion to terrifying new vistas, proposing that the god of the Old Testament and his angels were nothing but Archons—mighty but flawed deities that managed the cosmos and suppressed the forces of good by drowning existence under waves of ignorance and bureaucracy of all sorts. (more…)
by Moe | Mar 26, 2013 | Meaning of Symbols
The sign of the Pentagram represents the macrocosm of the number five, and numerical equation of PHI in the union of the AS ABOVE and SO BELOW. The AS ABOVE consists of the air, stars, heavens and spiritual world, with the SO BELOW which is made of the earth, water and fire, to then form the AS WITHIN, SO WITHOUT in the DNA and mind of man. To put it simply, we humans are fallen stars and to earn our place in the heavens, we must shine brightly and upright while living on earth.
Our fall from grace and the light is represented in Isaiah 14:12 – How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
The upright pentagram (not inverted), such as the one pictured (to the above right and below left), is a symbol of the spiritual man who has dominion over the animal world (SO BELOW) with the five limbs and sensory organs that are represented by the symbolism of the 5 pointed pentagram. This spiritual man would be akin to the allegorical Jesus Christ or Buddha, who are symbolic of highly spiritual people who have complete dominion over the animal world and their animal bodies or passions. They are the fallen stars from the heavens who then become blazing morning stars of the dawn that illuminate the dark waters of the abyss (humanity, earth or society) through their wise teachings. They are living examples of truth, and how we should all live in love, humility and service to others.
The light of these stars can be found in the biblical passage of Peter 1:19 who had said, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
“Let us keep the figure of the Five-pointed Star always upright, with the topmost triangle pointing to heaven, for it is the seat of wisdom, and if the figure is reversed, perversion and evil will be the result.” – Hartmann, Franz (1895) [1886]. Magic, White and Black (5th ed.). (more…)
by Moe | Mar 20, 2013 | Egypt, Gnosis, History of the Brotherhood
Amon Ra (Amun or Amen Ra) is the King of Gods, Father of the Gods, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, Lord of Truth whose shrine is hidden, and 
the Lord of Wisdom. Amon is the Abraxas and Sophia to Gnostics, and Christos (or Gnosis) to Christians. According to Plutarch, Amon is the first being and all things, and Ra is the sun-god.
Amon Ra is the power that lies within the DNA and minds of each one of us. You communicate with Amon Ra when you do not let your passions or appetite rule you, and by conquering your animal self and this world that is ruled by Satan. When we conquer ourselves and this material world in order to live in the light of a more spiritual existence based on love and truth, we begin to know ourselves and to live in truth. To live in love through the heart and truth in our minds, our spirits ascend to the greatest heights like that of Christ or Buddha, to convene, communicate, and receive ideas from the Father God, Amon Ra. (more…)
