Masaru~

As you can see Gnosticism is a syncretic thing..and is far from unique...

If you have further questions, please ask

In the Name of the Great Life! My good messenger of Light who travelleth to the house of its friends, come, direct my speech and open my mouth in praise that I may wholeheartedly praise the Living Gods.

In the Name of the Great Life! I worship Life and I praise my Lord Yeshu d-Hiya and that great Presence of Glory which emanated from itself.

The Gnostic Prayerbook

Gnosticism can be summed up in two quick verses:

I became water
and saw myself
a mirage
became an ocean
saw myself a speck
of foam
gained Awareness
saw that all is but
forgetfulness
woke up
and found myself
asleep.

– Binavi Badakhshani

It is I who am you, and it is you who are me. And wherever you are, I am there.
And I am sown in all; and you collect me from wherever you wish.
And when you collect me, it is your own self that you collect.

--The Gospel of Eve

Archons « Prayers and Reflections

Aeons « Prayers and Reflections

Pleroma « Prayers and Reflections

The demiurge « Prayers and Reflections

What is Gnosticism? 1. Ineffable « Prayers and Reflections

Reflection for March 6, 2009: The Chosen « Prayers and Reflections


Gender in Gnosticism « Prayers and Reflections

What is Gnosticism? Transcendence a Gnostic Perspective « Prayers and Reflections

Sophia « Prayers and Reflections

Oh geez how long is a piece of string.... What is Gnosticism? Wel Gnosticism is a logical conclusion of paganism, a logical development. Starting in several places, arguably with the likes of Ancient Egypt and Zoroastrians. There are of course several strands. Gnosticism in modern times generally realtes to the writers of the Nag Hammadi texts... The Gospel of Thomas etc.

There are some universals between all the various strands however:

Gnostics value Gnosis (experiental knowledge of the divine) over book knowledge (inntellectual, episteme)
Gnostics see God as ineffable, unanamable, beyond conception
Gnostics know their cosmology (ie Jesus is an emanation, Sophia is a creator etc)is not to be taken seriously, it is the map not the territory
Generally the cosmology involves a being called the demi urge, who is essentially God's ego

and more....

I'll post more if you like