Gnostic Pagan Terminology & Formulations

PAGE UPDATED 9/10

The first section of this page lists traditional Gnostic terms & their meaning.

The second section lists terms & concepts found in the 1966 Founding Document of the Gnostic Pagan Tradition. In addition, external links that dove tail or otherwise connect with Tradition ideas (including beliefs directly opposed to them) are also included. We included oppositional material because it reflects critical analysis, a key idea promoted by The GP School.

Please Note: The term “Gnostic Pagan” was first formulated by our Tradition in 1966. Recently that term has apparently been adopted by a host of other organizations, never bothering to at least awknowledge that the Tradition was first to, not only formulate the term, but also created an entire School of Philosophy built around it. That being said, anyone is free to call themselves a “Gnostic Pagan” (obviously), but the only people we awknowledge as Gnostic Pagan are people who at least base their views on our 1966 Founding Document.

Section #1: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on Gnosticism

History of Gnosticism Early Gnosticism Syrian-Egyptic Gnosticism Gnosticism in modern times
Proto-Gnostics Philo Valentinius Cerinthus Basilides
Gnostic texts Gnostic Gospels Nag Hammadi library Codex Tchacos Bruce Codex Gnosticism and the New Testament
Related articles Gnosis Pythagoreanism Neoplatonism and Gnosticism Manichaeism Esoteric Christianity Theosophy This box: view • talk • edit

The following is a list of vocabulary that many books on gnosticism will assume the reader is familiar with

Term	Definition
sarkic	earthly, hidebound, ignorant, uninitiated. The lowest level of human thought the fleshly, instinctive level of thinking.
hylic	lowest order of the three types of human. Unable to be saved since their thinking is entirely material, incapable of understanding the gnosis.
psychic	"soulful," partially initiated. Matter-dwelling spirits
pneumatic	"spiritual," fully initiated. immaterial, souls. Escaping the doom of the material world via gnosis
aeon	one of various levels of reality
archon	one of various powers in the cosmos
pleroma	fulfillment, the higher reality of archetypes (related to Plato's realm of Ideas). The region of light.
kenoma	the visible or manifest cosmos, "lower" than the pleroma
charisma	gift, or energy, bestowed by pneumatics through oral teaching and personal encounters
Sophia	"wisdom," worldly understanding; personified as Lady Wisdom, the syzygy of Christ
logos	The logos is the divine ordering principle of the cosmos; personified as Christ. See also Odic force
hypostasis	Literally "that which stands beneath" the inner reality, emanation (appearance) of God, known to psychics
ousia	essence of God, known to pneumatics. Specific individual things or being
gnosis	"knowledge," direct insight into God attained by pneumatics
syzygy	a divine active-passive, male-female pair of aeons, complementary to one another rather than oppositional
demiurge	an entity (usually seen as evil) responsible for the creation of the physical universe and the physical aspect of humanity. The creator God
theos	The Greek term for god. Used by Christian Gnostics for the monad
Emanation	The Supreme Light or Consciousness descends through a series of stages, gradations, worlds or hypostases, becoming progressively more material and embodied. In time it will turn around to return to the One (epistrophe), retracing its steps through spiritual knowledge and contemplation.

Section #2: From the 1966

Founding Document of The Gnostic Pagan Tradition

PAN-PSYCHIC MATERIALISM: This idea was formulated in 1966 & represented the closest thing to a “doctrine” advocated by The Tradition. It intersects with the contemporary concepts of Unified Field Theory: Theory of Everything (T.O.E.), Daemonic Reality, Chi, PSI, Prana, Parallel Universes, etc. Pan-Psychic Materialism also embraces Historic Materialism—but does not restrict its boundaries as precisely as does Historical/Dialectical Materialism.

We can’t emphasize strongly enough that when the Founding Collective mentioned “Psychic,” it did not refer to things like palm reading, faith healing, astrology, etc. Just as The Great Work means more to us than the transmutation of base metals into gold, the deeper meaning of “psychic” indicates focus on the mental plane, yes—but more importantly, it represents a more integrated level of unified awareness. Professional “Psychics” substitute themselves for the place rightly designated to each individual.

See also,

Pseudo-“Psychics” Clip the Masses!

Psychic energy is not a force to be manipulated or controlled.
Some people call it “magick.”

Pan-Psychic Materialism is an expression of Pantheism (Pan=ALL theism=GOD), the view that all creation on all levels of being is composed & recreated & conceptualized in a unified field of being. In this philosophy God is defined as a Process rather than as a Person or Supreme Being. The form “God” or “Goddess” takes reveals more about the people who imagine it/them, than the externalized or projected reality of any literal Divinity. It was never meant to be a doctrine, just a “little highway shrine” (L. Cohen, Priests) on Route 666.

Since psyche and matter are contained in one and the same world,and moreover are contained in continuous contact with one another and ultimately rest on…transcendental factors,it is not only possible but fairly probable, even, that psyche and matter are two different aspects of oneand the same thing. — Carl Jung“On the Nature of the Psyche”The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche Vol. 8 Collected Works (1981)

See also,

What is PSI? [Excerpt from The Conscious Universe]

Is Astrology Relevant to Consciousness and PSI?

Toward a Physical Foundation for PSI Phenomena

DAIMONIC REALITY Patrick Harpur

FANTASTIC REALITY Jack Conrad

FROM NEW AGE TO NEW GNOSIS Peter Wilberg

THE DEATH OF RELIGION & THE REBIRTH OF SPIRITJC Pearce

A Tantric Primer

WAS CLEOPATRA THE FIRST GNOSTIC PAGAN? NEW! UPDATED 10/09

One of the mutual interests uniting the founding members of the Gnostic Pagan Tradition was an almost obsessive interest in the Egyptian Ptolemaic Dynasty. This era is marked by Alexander the Great’s founding of the port city Alexandria (establishing it as the new capital of Egypt in 332 BCE), his death in 323 BCE at the age of 32 BCE; his subsequent memorialization in Alexandria, and ended with the death of Cleopatra VII in 32 BCE.

The Founding Members strongly believed that the first Gnostic Pagans were Egyptians intimately involved in the Cult of Alexander, and later the Cult of Cleopatra (in her role as the final incarnation of Isis), and were associated with the fabled Library of Alexandria. The locations of the famous mausoleums of both persons are unknown today. However, it is an historic fact that Alexander’s tomb was a site of pilgrimage for many rulers & other influential people.

It is also known that Alexander’s entombment was originally in Alexandria, Egypt. He had named many other cities in lands he conquered Alexandria as well, but it was Egypt that conquered his soul—or his imagination if you prefer that view. It was in Egypt where he sought his destiny—and where he was confirmed in his own divinity—so it was in the new capitol he was eventually enshrined—for a while at any rate.

Just as Alexander had sought the oracle of Amun-Ra (alternately, Ammon), other influencial people and wannabes came to his tomb, hoping some of his charisma would rub off on them. Julius Caesar paid his respects—and was royally wooed by Cleopatra. Cleopatra gave birth to the male child Caesar longed for, and she felt the boy would be a sort of reincarnation of Alexander or at least achieve Alexander’s goal of uniting the known world under one multi-racial, multi-cultural bannner. The reality was that Casaer was assasinated, Cleopatra died either by her own hand or was assasinated, and her son was murdered by order of the conquering Roman Octavian. The Dream of Alexander & Cleopatra was finished.

Following the fall of Egypt to Rome, both Alexander’s & Cleopatra’s tombs vanished from sight. It is believed that devotees in the Cult of Alexander moved his mummified remains at least once in order to protect it alternately from the Romans, Christians & grave robbers. This implies that the cult must have survived for at least 400 years. Since we know that Cleopatra was devoted to the one world, many culture concept, the cult must have flourished during her reign & under her patronage.

Androgynous Azoth in The Great Work

5/2010

The new Documentary TV Channel has launched a series called THE PYRAMID CODE (right, another “code”)! But wait…this one is really interesting & a must-see for all Egyptophiles. It assumes a novel approach to the subject, a stance somewhere between the uptight academic, traditionalist scientists & historians on one side—and the pseudo-scientific, anything-for-a-buck-or-publicity crowd on the other. The series leans definitely to the latter, but presents enough solid evidence to at least be credible & hold an open-minded skeptic’s attention.

We saw the first episode by sheer chance & didn’t take notes, but were more prepared for the 2^nd installment, THE EMPOWERED HUMAN. This episode began by explaining the difference between a matriarchy & patriarchy, and asserting the opinion that the oldest, originating Egyptian culture was, in fact, a matriarchy & represented a Golden Age that, according to the program, the matriarchy eventually degraded into a corrupt patriarchy represented by the greedy priests of Amun. That segued into the Aten Cult at Tel Armana spearheaded by Pharaoh Akhenaten & his wife, the famous beauty Nefertiri. This segment accurately described the gorgeous new art form inspired (and sponsored) by Akhenaten & his monotheist religion. This is true as far as it goes, but rejects the mounting evidence that suggests that the social life at the new capital of Egypt, far from being oasis of religious & political freedom, was more like being trapped in Johnstown.

The program moves on to a segment about the fascinating Hatshepsut, first a Queen, then a Pharaoh in an Egypt sliding backward into patriarchy. Although she is not as familiar to the general public as Cleopatra, she had to have been one of the most incredible persons—male or female—in history. The Doc show was made before the authenticating of Hatsephsut’s mummy and, of course, the remains of Akhenaten have yet to be located—and probably never will. According to the ancient religion, if a person wasn’t mummified & that mummy remains intact, the soul would be lost in nothingness, never to be known or reborn. To the Egyptians this was the worst of fates imaginable. That Hatsephsut’s mummy has been found—and with only a relatively small degree of inflicted damage—really shows to what extent the Amun priests despised Akhenaten. Hatshephsut was considered an upstart woman who didn’t know her proper place, but Akhenaten was a heretic, a pariah to gods & men. His body was probably pulverized.

The episode that dealt with the interpretation & re-interpretation of the recurring artistic motifs & symbols was really fascinating. It’s important to bear in mind that—for the singular exception of the short lived Armana period mentioned above—ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, symbols & spiritual culture emerged almost in full bloom 5,000 years ago & did not change until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BCE.

Here is a list of the main insights offered in the program:

1. The wigs of men and women were distinctly different (almost everyone wore a wig due to lice infestation), but men who achieved high honor wore a woman’s wig!

2. When the arm of woman or goddess is depicting rest on a man’s shoulder, it indicted possessive love & high rank of the man affirmed through the female line.

3. The matriarchy is represented in the woman’s consciousness in the right brain hemisphere, left side physicality; men are left hemisphere, right side physicality. This dichotomy was illustrated in the art forms.

4. The position of the feet was important because it illustrated various metaphysical concepts as well.

5. Women in Egypt (whether in the matriarchal period or not) were the most liberated in the ancient world. This corresponds with the Marxist concept that you can define a country’s general level of advancement by the position & role of women in it.

6. Due to the high level of sexual balance—particularly in the matriarchy, but also present in the later stages—society itself was balanced. For example (and on an obviously superficial level) men & women routinely assisted in applying each other’s cosmetics in the morning. For men this included placing on a wig and the famous Egyptian style of eye makeup (illustrating the Eye of Horus.) Men did not have a problem with their own feminine aspects because they accepted it as a matter of course.) Nearer to our own time, the pre-imperialist Hawaiian & Polynesian cultures had many aspects in common with the ancient Egyptian. They also were organized as a cultural matriarchy. It was customary for a maternal aunt to raise her sister’s child. This close connection with the aunt survived to some degree even after Statehood in 1959. Men performed the hula as well as women & were much more emotionally expressive than European & American counterparts. They were also warriors who could really kick ass if the situation called for it.

7. The Egyptians partook in the use of mind-altering substances. For example, one “mixed drink” was a concoction of Blue Nile lotus, mandrake & poppy.

8. The ancient Egyptian religion was shamanistic with a deep reverence for nature in general, and animals in particular. The significance of theological zoomorphism in their religion remains generally misunderstood by the general public today.

9. The Egyptians were aware of the subconscious & called it the astral plane. The Initiates engaged in practices we would call astral projection, that is, delving into deep levels of the subconscious.

10. They recognized 360 senses in the human being. Moderns have only 5 because that is what they have restricted themselves to. If you don’t use it, you lose it. As humanity moves further from the connection with All/Amun/Brahma, etc, our higher senses whither away. We emphasized this point because it has a bearing in advanced Gnostic theory.

The entire series can be purchased at the Documentary TV site.

More on Parallel Universes, Daemons & Crossing The Abyss:

Contemporary pagans—particularly Gnostic Pagans—view the Gods & Goddesses more as interior realities reinforced by the natural, external environment. Humans can act as doorways to inner dimensions/the daemonic reality referred to above. Before materialists get their bustles bunched, surely this is no stranger than the (totally unproven) hypothesis of parallel universes (that our Founding Document affirmed in 1966). A particular sub-hypothesis suggests that time & space form the backdrop for countless dimensions parallel—and invisible—with our own. We are told that every possibility can exist in those dimensions. In one, for example, Elvis Presley never died & is still singing his heart out. Does this also mean that in one of these parallel dimensions the Nazis won World War II? We doubt if that particular interpretation is suggested in the halls of science, but it is a logical conclusion based on one multiverse hypothesis. We are also informed that a completely different set of physics could apply to each dimension—effectively standing Albert Einstein on his head & in a cunning display of obtuseness, effectively negating the scientific method expected from everybody else.

We don't have any problem with the parallel universe theory—and one reason for that is that we have directly experienced it. Of course only fellow inner-visionary astralnauts crossing over the Abyss will acknowledge that possibility, but it's true—certainly as "possible" as all the imaginative whimsy of various other possibilities suggested by popular astro-physics. Perhaps the Gods & Goddesses exist in one of those alternative dimensions? When Pagans ritualize the progress of seasonal change, it is an expression of a deep-felt love for Nature & the Earth. Deluded they may be, but in their connection with the Earth they seek to protect Her—not pollute Her with poisons or the bodies of innocent children, murdered by the latest high tech gadgetry & State-sponsored terrorism.