thegnosticdread

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NOTICE

Thank you for all of your support for The Gnostic Dread.

I am writing this memo to inform my Tumblr readers that effective tomorrow - June 1st, 2024 - this Tumblr WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATED.

After using this platform for the past ten years to promote my content I have decided to consolidate all of my written works and videos onto my own website where I have full control of all of my material. If you have enjoyed my content and wish to continue to see more, then I strongly urge you to subscribe directly to my website with the following link:

If you are also on X (formerly called Twitter), I invite you to follow my page on there as well as I will be posting regular updates about new content on there.

I will continue to keep this Tumblr live for the foreseeable future with no plans to deactivate it for archival purposes, but again there will be no new updates posted here.

Thank you for supporting me here on Tumblr the past decade. This blog grew to an unexpected level over the years which in turn grew The Gnostic Dread brand large enough that makes fully moving over to my own website justifiable; and it's all thanks to my audience. Sincerely again, THANK YOU!

I hope to see many of you on the other side.

-Anthony "The Gnostic Dread"

[thegnosticdread]

A Practical Understanding of the Left Hand Path Part 1: Morality

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Introduction to Vāmācāra (Left Hand Path)

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/introduction-to-vamacara-left-hand-path/

Vāmācāra aka the Left Hand Path is indeed said to be the faster path towards self realization/liberation, but it is not the easier path. To properly gain benefit from following the LHP requires a lot of self discipline. Essentially, a key difference between the LHP and RHP is while the Right Hand Path is about dissolving the individual Self, the Left Hand Path is about expanding the individual Self. Another key difference is the RHP bases their morality on following a set of rules, while on the LHP there are no rules other than your own. This is where it gets risky.

Since the LHP is about expanding the individual Self, it should be understood that this means EVERYTHING about the individual expands. This includes an individual’s vices, desires, and influence. If there’s an underlying issue that you are choosing to ignore or not face while at the same time you’re continuing to expand yourself, that issue is only going to expand into more of an issue as well. It doesn’t go away.

Many who decide to walk the LHP can also end up becoming addicts or abusers. If one acts on his or her desires without practicing some form of moderation, they will quickly create a toxic environment for themselves and everyone around them. Where the RHP follower usually has fear of punishment or the hope of reward that keeps them practicing modesty, the LHP follower only has his or her Self to answer to at the end of the day. For this reason, those who walk the LHP should be people of exemplary character who can hold themselves accountable for their words and their deeds.

Peace, Love, & Balance

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The Witch & Their Tools

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/the-witch-their-tools/

"Witch". A word that to many is frightening, to others is offensive, and yet still to a few, empowering. What is a witch? In the most broadest sense, a witch is a practitioner of magick or witchcraft, though what actually constitutes being "witchcraft" can vary depending on context and cultural/societal views. Some other names that can be used are Alchemy and Alchemist, Shamanism and Shaman, Healers, and High Priest/Priestess. In all, these titles describe a person who practices "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will" as Crowley so eloquently defines magick. Looking at witchcraft and magick from this perspective gives a more positive and realistic point of view of the Craft rather than the stereotypical stories and images that are often seen in society and pop culture.

Being a witch is a lifestyle, not a trend. I want to avoid sounding dogmatic, but in the same way doing yoga and being vegan doesn't make you spiritual, burning a sage stick while holding a crystal in your hand doesn't make you a witch. There's a true mentality to living this lifestyle. The witch sees themselves as being the sole Master and Controller of their reality. Because of this, you'll rarely see them being self-victims or having a victim mentality, blaming scenarios in their life on some external factor or stroke of chance. The witch doesn't believe in coincidences. Divination whether it is in the form of astrology, tarot, ifa, or some other system makes up a large part of the witch's daily life and doesn't allow for coincidences. The Sixth Hermetic Principle of Cause & Effect says "Chance is but a name for Law not recognized."

The witch may help and heal others with their spellwork, though this is not their obligation to do so. The witch may indeed hex and curse others as well, though myself and none of the witches I know would go out of their way to inflict harm on undeserving people. Not every witch holds the same morals and ethics. Many witches are solitary practitioners while at the same time there are many who choose to join covens. There are also many different magical traditions and religions as well. Wicca is a modern magical religion, but not everyone who claims to be a witch practices Wicca. Thelema is another magical religion created by Aleister Crowley. It is from Thelema the saying "Do what thou wilt" originates, and it's philosophy in part inspired Wicca and the many different modern Paganism and New Age religions that exist today.

Vodun in it's original West African form as well as in the Haitian and New Orleans branches is a magical religion, yet its practitioners are rarely if ever referred to as witches, the appropriate names being Houngans (Male Vodou Priest) and Mambos (Female Vodou Priest). In Louisiana specifically, practitioners were historically referred to as Voodoo Queens and Kings. Hoodoo is often confused with Voodoo, but it is also its own magical tradition though without the religious aspects of the former. Other names for Hoodoo are Rootworking, Conjure, and Juju. Santería, also known as Regla de Ocha is a religion that venerates the Orisha in ritual. Though the worship of the Orisha has its origins stemming back to the Yoruba of West Africa, Santería is heavily practiced in Cuba and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Other similar religions include Candomblé, Kélé, and Obeah. Brujería is the Spanish word for witchcraft, its practitioners being referred to as brujas or brujos respectively, and they may take practices and rituals from multiple traditions and religions to incorporate into their Craft. Other popular magick traditions that aren't necessarily religions are Chaos Magic, Candle Magic, Goetia, Tantra, and Sex Magic.

The workings and the rituals the witch chooses to incorporate into their Craft will be based on the individual's chosen school of thought, religion, and personal taste, but there are tools the witch uses that are near universal in all magical traditions.

The Mind & Body

The most important tool the witch has at their disposal is their own Mind. Every other tool is but an extension. Spellwork requires intense meditation, concentration, libido, and Willpower. Therefore the witch should have a healthy and sharp mentality which can be maintained through study, introspection, mental exercises, and most importantly being aware of the things that they allow to influence their thoughts, consciously and subconsciously. The Body itself is the ultimate talisman and altar. It must be remembered that magick doesn't originate from any object or some external source, rather magick flows from within the practitioner. It is very possible to do magick and see results using the Mind and Body alone if the witch's Mind is well developed. Even still the witch may desire and choose to use other tools as extensions for any particular working.

The Wand

The Wand has been one of the witch's main tools since prehistoric times. The priesthood of the ancient Zoroastrian religion used what is called a barsom. This is a bundle of slender twigs which they believed established a link between the material world and the spiritual realm and acted as the conduit through which the archetypal principles and powers manifest their presence and receive the offerings. The Wand is also seen to have been used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans and is described as being used in many of the grimoires of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Wand is a Masculine tool in function representing the Phallus and is used for directing the practitioner's Will, desire, and energy during ritual. Of the elements, it represents Fire (though in Wicca it represents Air). The Wand is traditionally made from either laurel or hazel (mine above is hazel), however wands can be made from all types of different wood and even formed out of crystals, all having their own specific traits and different uses.

The Athame

The Athame is the witch's ritual blade. Attested to within the grimoire The Key of Solomon, the Athame is also a Masculine tool that usually has a black handle and is used in banishing rituals. Those who practice Wicca use the Athame in place of the Wand as their main tool for directing Will and energy and to them it represents the element Fire. Wiccans usually use a double edged Athame with the edges dulled as their use of it is purely symbolic. Any cutting of herbs or cords are done with a different ritual knife referred to as a boline.

Outside of Wicca, the Athame represents the element Air and it is encouraged that it be used for cutting or carving. This is because the more it is used, the more powerful the tool becomes. For me personally it was important to find a single edged, sharpened Athame to use so that I can cut herbs, carve names or sigils into candles, and for bloodletting. When I couldn't find one that was satisfactory, I decided to find someone to forge me an Athame out of a used railroad spike. In Hoodoo, railroad spikes are used for securing one's home and property. Being that my personal use of the Athame is also for banishing rituals, slicing through hexes, and severing unwanted energetic ties, having my Athame forged from a railroad spike served a personal symbolic significance. Note also that while the witch may primarily use the Wand when divining, working with the elementals, or directing energy, they may choose to use the Athame when working with spirits and demons. Where the Wand is seen as more welcoming, the Athame is seen as more commanding.

The Chalice

The Chalice is the witch's cup that holds the water, wine, or a different liquor that is used in ritual. The Chalice is a Feminine tool in function representing the Womb and the element of Water. When used in combination with the Wand in ritual by dipping the tip of the Wand into the Chalice, a symbolic act of sexual intercourse is performed, merging the Divine Masculine with the Divine Feminine to bring about Divine Creative Energy to manifest. This act is known as "hieros gamos" or the "holy marriage" and can be performed symbolically with the Wand and Chalice or literally between a man and a woman in a sex rite. Within Wicca, this is known as the Great Rite and the Athame is used in place of the Wand. At the end of certain rituals, the liquid inside the Chalice is drank by the practitioner so that they will embody the energy that was evoked during the ritual, and if it's a group ritual the Chalice will be passed around so that everyone gets a sip. The most famous Chalice in history is none other than the Holy Grail, which is said to be the Chalice Christ used during the Last Supper and which according to legend, was used by Joseph of Arimathea to collect and store the blood of Christ at the Crucifixion.

The Pentacle

The Pentacle is the witch's personal talisman which in function is also Feminine and represents the element Earth. Though a popular modern Pentacle design is the pentagram within a circle, traditionally a Pentacle can be a magical talisman inscribed with any symbol or character, the hexagram historically being used more often than the pentagram whenever the symbol used in the Pentacle was star shaped. When worn around the neck, the Pentacle is serving the witch as a form of protection. It is recommended that a Pentacle be worn during all spellwork and ritual as a spiritual shield. In ritual, Pentacles are used to summon and command different energies and spirits. Many of the Pentacles used are made out of silver or a different type of metal but Pentacles can also be made out of parchment and clay as well.

Some Honorable Mentions

Though not as universally used as much as the main tools I've already presented here, there are still a few more tools many witches use regularly. Crystals are one such tool. Crystal Quartz is the most popular and readily available crystal and you'll see that most witches at least have one of these as they can be used in the place of any other crystal due to its universal energy. I'll have a separate, in-depth post about crystals and my collection shortly. As I mentioned earlier, divination is a large part of the witch's daily life and their divination tools will vary. Tarot and oracle cards are among the most popular divination tools a witch will have. Runes are another popular divination tool. A Book of Shadows is a common tool the witch will have which is their personal grimoire and record of spellwork, rituals, recipes, and information relevant to their Craft. Candles, cauldrons, incense burners, bells, and many other different altar items are useful tools for the witch, but these will all vary greatly as some magical traditions don't use these items at all.

Conclusion

The witch is one who has come into realization of the Divine spark that lays within them, and uses their power along with their tools to manifest their Will. Keep in mind that though I feel this is an accurate treatise on what a witch is and the tools they use, this is only MY PERSPECTIVE that I feel many will agree with me on, but some may disagree as well. That's fine as every witch is different and there are so many different schools of thought and magical traditions. I consider myself a Left-Hand Path following Gnostic Witch/Mage with Hermeticism being my preferred tradition, but I truly borrow from all different traditions. With this you can see that while there are key things all witches will have in common, witches are not a monolith. A final note - though I personally find it empowering, not all magick practitioners like to be called a witch, so be mindful before putting that title on someone. Also don't call male witches warlocks. Warlock doesn't mean male witch, rather it means "oathbreaker" and usually refers to one who has betrayed their coven.

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

Building An Ancestor Altar & A Deity Altar

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A Simple Money Spell

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My Two Fundamental Tenets – The Teachings of Tehuti & The Concept of Ma’at

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/my-two-fundamental-tenets-the-teachings-of-tehuti-the-concept-of-maat/

Everyone should stand for something so they don’t fall for anything. Speaking for myself, there are two fundamental tenets I stand on that give structure to my line of thinking.

The first fundamental tenet is actually a collection of principles known as the Seven Hermetic Principles that were taught by the Master Teacher Tehuti. These would be Mentalism, Correspondence, Vibration, Polarity, Rhythm, Cause & Effect, and Gender.

When you understand and apply these principles in your life, you won’t be spun by neither the government lies or any outrageous New Age pseudoscience and conspiracy theory. You’ll be able to spot out and understand things in their simple nature without necessarily having to know the complexity and scientific/psychological details of the matter.

When you see all this blurring of the lines with gender, you’ll understand that it’s nonsense, for the male and female form exist throughout the Cosmos (Gender). You’ll understand the Earth cannot be a stationary flat plane for nothing is stationary in the Cosmos (Vibration) and the spherical form can be seen throughout the fractals in the Cosmos (Correspondence). The second fundamental tenet I stand on is the concept of Ma’at. This is how my personal morals and ethics are decided. In short, the concept of Ma’at deals with balance and reciprocity. I’m not into dogma or a rule list of thou shall nots. Keeping the balance, and returning on what is given is what’s important. Moderation is key to everything as even too much water becomes poison. Ma’at can be seen manifested within all seven of the Hermetic Principles and rightfully so; Ma’at is Tehuti’s wife.

This works for me and I encourage anyone who’s looking for a different way of thinking to look into these tenets yourself.

[thegnosticdread]

Satanism vs. Luciferianism

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/satanism-vs-luciferianism/

The fallen angel, the rebellious jinni, the accuser, the liar, the serpent, the dragon, the Devil, Satan, Lucifer. These are all names and titles that society attributes to the same being, idea, or concept. In today's society, there are two schools of thought that revere this "Satan" or "Lucifer", Satanism and Luciferianism. But are they one and the same and do both schools of thought follow the same ideas? With this post, I'll give my personal synopsis of the two similar but very different ways of thinking.

Satanism

Satanism divides into two smaller schools of thought, theistic and atheistic. Theistic Satanist believe in an actual entity "Satan". They worship and develop a personal relationship with him. They also work with various demons, who may also be a variety of different "dark" pagan gods i.e. Set of the Ancient km.t (Egyptian) pantheon. Ritual and magick are very common amongst these individuals, and many see Satan and Lucifer as one and the same.

The thoughts of Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan for the most part dominates Atheistic Satanism. It's adherents focus on materialism and the carnal nature of humanity. Satan to them is only but a symbol, and any "magic" that they practice is but a psychodrama. While this may be an appealing path to some, this isn't a path for someone seeking a form of spirituality. Most Satanists of this type see spirituality as imaginary and useless.

While it is a commonly thought that Satanists are people who wish to do evil acts of murder and other horrendous crimes against people in the name of Satan, most Satanists (both Theistic and Atheistic) see these self proclaiming "Satanic" individuals as being simply psychotic and not truly representing what their school of thought is about.

Luciferianism

Luciferians observe their reverence to Lucifer in an entirely different Light than Satanists, literally. While a sect of Theistic Luciferians who believe Lucifer is an actual being exists, majority see Lucifer as an archetype. An archetype who as his name describes is a "bearer of light", a bearer of knowledge. Compare Lucifer to the Greek archetype and concept of Prometheus.

Luciferianism can be seen as more of a philosophy rather than a religion, belief system, or practice. Luciferians primarily focus on humanitarian goals of enlightenment, independence, liberty, and progress. There are some Luciferians who see Lucifer and Satan as being two different beings entirely. Those who do see them as being one in the same see Satan as being the lower nature which they should rise above, and Lucifer as the higher self that they should strive towards being.

Conclusion

One major characteristic that both Satanists and Luciferians share is that both schools of thought are Left-hand Path philosophies. This means that both see themselves as being Gods, not being subservient to any forms of authority or higher power. The atheistic branches go without saying this is true for them. Theistic branches see Satan or Lucifer as a teacher or partner rather than someone they worship because they are his servant or slave.

As I mentioned earlier, most do not wish harm or hostility towards the general innocent populace. Since the nature of Luciferianism, Satanism, and the Left-hand Path is individualistic as a whole, individuals who do illegal or immoral acts in the name of Satan or Lucifer can not be seen as representing the majority in these schools of thought, as there is no true central authority or dogma. While Satanists and Luciferians may be hostile towards the religion of Christianity, many are not hostile towards Christians. They see Christians as being victims to their own religion.

Peace, Love, & Balance

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Adam, Lilith, & Eve

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/adam-lilith-eve/

The story of Adam & Eve is probably one of the most well known stories in history thanks to the widespread influence of Judeo-Christian culture. It’s a tale of the first man and woman whom all of humanity descends from according to the Biblical myth. In this post, I will use the Biblical and Gnostic traditions as well as sources beyond scripture to explain the symbolic significance of each of these characters as well as a character that is less known but has gained more popularity in recent times, Lilith.

Adam

Adam represents the Divine Masculine and Primordial Man, as well as the entirety of the human race depending on the context. For example, in Genesis 1:26-27 –

“Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth. God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.”

The Hebrew word that is translated to “humankind” above is אָדָם “adam”, showing that Adam in this sense refers to the human race as a whole, both male and female being created together from the beginning. The verse also says that the human race, both men and women, were created in the image of the Divine. Therefore, the Divine must contain both masculine and feminine energies. Perfectly balanced. As all things should be. This verse also confirms that the human race has dominion over all the Earth. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that humanity, both men and women, are indeed God (Goddess) manifested into the physical. This is supported by many traditions including the Qur’an:

“Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” – al-Qur’an 2:30 “We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated…”

– al-Qur’an 2:34

Many use Genesis 1:26-27 as proof that Adam (the first man) indeed had a wife that was created at the same time as him, namely, Lilith in contrast to Eve who was created later from Adam’s rib. However, this is either a misunderstanding or a misrepresentation of the source material. I will explain Lilith’s origin later in her section. For now, we will turn to the Gnostic tradition concerning the origin of Adam.

In the Gnostic scriptures, Adam is a personified principle that existed first within the Pleroma as pure mind distinct from matter and emanating from the Monad. This pure mind represented the human Reason conceived as the World-Soul (Anima mundi). This is similar to the concept of Adam Kadmon in Kabbalah. To summarize the Gnostic myths, they go on to tell about how Yaldabaoth (Yahweh or “God” from the Old Testament) and his Archons desired to create a being in the image of themselves and in the image of the original Adam within the Pleroma. When the formation of the body was complete, it was lifeless, for Yaldabaoth nor the Archons had the power to give the body life on their own. Yaldabaoth then took power he had stolen from his mother Sophia (the principle of Divine Wisdom and the principle of the Divine Feminine) and breathed it into the lifeless shell that they called “Adam”. When they had done this, Adam sprang to life. This caused Yaldabaoth and his Archons to become jealous, for them being born of ignorance, they had not realized that they had surrendered their stolen power to Adam, who was now luminous and more intelligent than them. This caused the Archons to throw Adam into the darkest depths of matter. It would later take Eve to raise Adam up out of darkness.

Lilith

The Hebrew word

לִּילִית

“lilith” appears only once in the Bible, in the Book of Isaiah 34:14 –

“Wild animals and wild dogs will congregate there; wild goats will bleat to one another. Yes, nocturnal animals will rest there and make for themselves a nest.”

The translators of the New English Translation translate “Lilith” to mean “nocturnal animals” and had this to say in their notes –

“The precise meaning of לִּילִית (lilit) is unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type of wild animal or bird. The word appears to be related to לַיְלָה (laylah, “night”). Some interpret it as the name of a female night demon, on the basis of an apparent Akkadian cognate used as the name of a demon. Later Jewish legends also identified Lilith as a demon.”

It’s true indeed that the Akkadian language did have a similar word to Lilith – “Lilu” – and it is debated if the two words are cognates or related. However, it should be noted that Lilu in the Akkadian language is a masculine word, not feminine, and seems to be a general term for “demon”. In the Sumerian king list, the father of Gilgamesh is said to be a lilu. Referring back to the verse in Isaiah, it would make sense that it is referring to some type of wild animal or bird based on the fact the verses immediately before and following verse 14 are referring to animals –

“Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns; thickets and weeds will grow in her fortified cities. Jackals will settle there; ostriches will live there.” – Isaiah 34:13 “Owls will make nests and lay eggs there; they will hatch them and protect them. Yes, hawks will gather there, each with its mate. Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! Not one of these creatures will be missing, none will lack a mate. For the Lord has issued the decree, and his own spirit gathers them. He assigns them their allotment; he measures out their assigned place. They will live there permanently; they will settle in it through successive generations.”

– Isaiah 34:15-17

The evidence doesn’t support the idea that Lilith was taken or censored out of the Bible to hide the fact that she was Adam’s first wife, as she does not appear in any Biblical apocrypha works, does not appear in any pseudepigrapha works from the Biblical period, is not mentioned in any of the gospels, and she does not appear in any of the Gnostic text from the Nag Hammadi Library, all text dating from a range of the 7th Century BCE to the 2nd Century CE. In Jewish tradition dating from the 6th century CE, Lilith is mentioned in three places within the Babylonian Talmud. Though she is not mentioned as being the wife of Adam, the text does seem to suggest she was a demon. However, it’s likely this view may have been established centuries later than when any of the previous biblical and deuterocanonical text were written and be based on the idea of the Akkadian word Lilu meaning demon.The earliest text referring to Lilith as the first wife of Adam comes from the medieval text titled The Alphabet of ben Sirach which scholars date as being written anywhere between 700 and 1000 CE. This work however was never understood as or treated as revealed or inspired scripture, rather the work was written and treated as a satire. It is from within this text alone that we are told the story of Lilith being Adam’s first wife who refused to submit to her husband.

“While God created Adam, who was alone, He said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone’ (Genesis 2:18). He also created a woman, from the earth, as He had created Adam himself, and called her Lilith. Adam and Lilith immediately began to fight. She said, ‘I will not lie below,’ and he said, ‘I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.’ Lilith responded, ‘We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the earth.’ But they would not listen to one another. When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air.”

– The Alphabet of ben Sirach, fifth response to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Because of Lilith refusing to submit to Adam based on the idea that she was his equal, Lilith is sometimes exalted as a women’s empowerment or feminist icon. However, it should be noted and considered that the rest of the text goes on to describe Lilith as a demoness who terrorizes pregnant women, fornicates with demons, and murders infants. The work certainly does not paint a picture of Lilith being an ally to women. As the text is indeed a work of satire, it should also be considered that the text should not be taken too seriously in it’s treatment of Adam and Lilith. To the Gnostics, Adam and his wife Eve were seen as equals, and Eve especially was given high honor as she was responsible for Adam’s awakening.

Eve

Eve represents the Divine Feminine and is the archetype Mother of all Life. She is also responsible for Adam’s (humanity’s) awakening to their true Divine Self. As the daughter of or even a manifestation of Sophia, it was Eve who brought forth the life giving Light from the upper realms of the Pleroma into the darkness of matter so that Adam (humanity) can see. Upon seeing Adam cast in darkness by the Archons, Sophia sent her daughter Eve (also called Zoe which means “life”) to be a help and instructor to Adam and to reveal to him his true Divine nature and how to ascend back into the Pleroma from where his Spirit (the breath of life that was breathed into him) came. Eve then became hidden within Adam so that Yaldabaoth and his Archons would not be aware of her. While Adam laid dormant in the darkness he was thrown in, Eve spoke to him from within and said “Adam! Come alive! Arise upon the Earth!” Adam then sprang to life once again, and upon seeing the form of Eve said “You shall be called ‘Mother of the Living’. For it is you who have given me life.”While the Biblical text says that Eve was created from the rib of Adam, the Gnostic text demonstrates that this was a lie told in order to suppress the Divine Feminine principle and it’s role.

“Then the authorities were informed that their modeled form was alive and had arisen, and they were greatly troubled. They sent seven archangels to see what had happened. They came to Adam. When they saw Eve talking to him, they said to one another, “What sort of thing is this luminous woman? For she resembles that likeness which appeared to us in the light. Now come, let us lay hold of her and cast her seed into her, so that when she becomes soiled she may not be able to ascend into her light. Rather, those whom she bears will be under our charge. But let us not tell Adam, for he is not one of us. Rather let us bring a deep sleep over him. And let us instruct him in his sleep to the effect that she came from his rib, in order that his wife may obey, and he may be lord over her.”

Then Eve, being a force, laughed at their decision. She put mist into their eyes and secretly left her likeness with Adam.”

– On the Origin of the World

Having slipped away to be alone in the Garden of Eden, Eve was approached by the Serpent, though the exchange in the Gnostic texts is slightly different than the biblical version.

“And when he saw the likeness of their mother Eve he said to her, “What did God say to you? Was it ‘Do not eat from the tree of knowledge’?” She said, “He said not only, ‘Do not eat from it’, but, ‘Do not touch it, lest you die.'” He said to her, “Do not be afraid. In death you shall not die. For he knows that when you eat from it, your intellect will become sober and you will come to be like gods, recognizing the difference that obtains between evil men and good ones. Indeed, it was in jealousy that he said this to you, so that you would not eat from it.” Now Eve had confidence in the words of the instructor. She gazed at the tree and saw that it was beautiful and appetizing, and liked it; she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she gave some also to her husband, and he too ate it. Then their intellect became open. For when they had eaten, the light of knowledge had shone upon them.”

– On the Origin of the World

As you can see, Eve was Adam’s (and therefore, humanity’s) first Teacher, raising Adam up from the darkness of ignorance into the Light of Knowledge. She is also humanity’s first Mother, and therefore embodies the archetype of the Great Matriarch. Eve should never be thought of as being naive, submissive, or the blame for the Fall of Man in the way the Judeo-Christian religions have treated her with their Bible. It’s actually quite the opposite, and she should be honored as the Raising Up of Man. The Gnostics have always felt that we are greatly indebted to the Original Woman, who embodies the archetype of Sophia (Wisdom).To read the Gnostic text for yourself, check out

On the Origin of the World

& The Apocryphon of John

An excerpt of The Alphabet of ben Sirach concerning Lilith is on Wikipedia.

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

Orisha Rulers of the Zodiac

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/orisha-rulers-of-the-zodiac/

An Orisha is a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of God. There are four hundred and one of them in total, each playing a role within the Yoruba pantheon. Twelve of them however can be equated to the twelve signs of the Zodiac along with their respective houses. The following is a brief summary of each Zodiac House along with the Orisha that is associated with it.

Ogun - Aries - Mars

The first house of the Zodiac is the home of the Ascendant. It symbolizes the acting self and how your personality appears to others. The ruling planet of this house is Mars, which is also the Roman God of war. This makes Ogun the warrior god of the Orisha an equivalent. Like Aries, Ogun possesses assertive and aggressive characteristics. He is the patron deity of soldiers, police officers, surgeons, and body builders. He's also the patron of railroad workers, welders, or anyone employed to work with iron and steel. Like the blacksmith molding his creations to perfection, the first house deals with molding the inner and outward Self, realizing your highest potential.

Oshun - Taurus - Venus

Taurus is the ruling sign of the second house, which is the house of possessions. This should not only be understood as material possessions but also as traits and characteristics that we value about ourselves. The ruling planet Venus is also the Roman goddess of love, whose Orisha equivalent is Oshun. Oshun is the goddess of fresh water (opposite to the salty, ocean waters of Yemoja), sensuality, prosperity, love, and fertility. Oshun's presented as an attractive young woman widely loved for providing protection and relief for the poor and the sick.

Ibeji - Gemini - Mercury

The third house is ruled by the cosmic twins Ibeji, the Orisha equivalent of Gemini. This house deals with communication and the way you think and operate mentally. An emphasis is put on siblings within this house, properly represented by the twins along with short journeys and writings. Ibeji also represents duality and balance; the yin and the yang found within all life. Though presented as twins, Ibeji is actually one Orisha. The Yoruba people consider twins to be sacred. They believe them to be one soul inhabiting two bodies, linked together by destiny for life.

Yemoja - Cancer - The Moon

The fourth house of the Zodiac is ruled by Cancer and deals with issues surrounding the home life. Cancer is known for being maternal, protective, nurturing, and instinctive. These qualities are shared by the Orisha Yemoja, the goddess of the ocean and mother of all the Orisha. She is the patron spirit of women, especially pregnant women. Her name is a contraction of the Yoruba words “Yeye omo eja” which means “Mother whose children are like fish”. This represents the vastness of her motherhood. Her ebb and flow of the ocean tides are a result of the moon, the fourth house's ruling “planet”.

Orunmila - Leo - The Sun

The fifth house of the Zodiac is the house of creativity and pleasure, ruled by the sign Leo. This house deals with gaining pleasure through acts of creation, artistically and even procreation i.e. the creation of offspring. The Sun, the ruling “planet” of the fifth house, is a symbol of creative energy, illumination, and knowledge. These are all aspects the Orisha of wisdom, knowledge, and divination Orunmila reflects. It is Orunmila’s duty to record the destiny of individuals the moment the breath of life is given to them.

Eshu - Virgo - Mercury

The Orisha Eshu is the ruler of the sixth house, the equivalent to the sign Virgo. Health, work, and service are central to the sixth house. It is ruled by the planet Mercury, the messenger of the gods within the Roman pantheon. Eshu is the Orisha that stands at the crossroads between the physical world and the spirit world. His duty is to be the intermediary between man and the Orisha. Therefore, when one wishes to call upon the Orisha, he or she first gets permission from Eshu. This is symbolic of clearing and preparing the mind to receive whatever message the Orisha have for you.

Oba - Libra - Venus

The Orisha of marriage and personal transformation is Oba. This makes her fit to be the ruler of the seventh house, the house of partnership. Oba was the first wife of Shango who tended to his castle and everything that he requested. This made her the ideal wife before being tricked by her sister Oya into trying to ensnare Shango with witchcraft. After this betrayal she fled to the cemetery in which she went through a transformational journey into her true power. This house is about expediating our life’s purpose through partnerships, whether that partnership be marriage, business relations, contracts, and/or treaties. Through these partnerships we learn a great deal about ourselves, transforming and enhancing our lives. They make our lives fuller, bringing us balance on the scales of Libra.

Oya - Scorpio - Pluto/Mars

Oya, the goddess of winds and storms. She is the equivalent to Scorpio and is the ruler of the eighth house. This is the house of transformation, regeneration, death, sex, and rebirth. She is the powerful force in nature that can change the face of the Earth. She embodies the tornadoes and twisters that uproot trees and houses with her destructive winds. This powerful Orisha is also responsible for carrying the spirits of the newly departed to the spirit world.

Obatala - Sagittarius - Jupiter

The ninth house is the house of philosophy and is ruled by the philosopher Sagittarius. Jupiter, the king of the gods within the Roman pantheon is also the ruling planet of this house. Obatala, the father of all the Orisha, would therefore be the Orisha ruler. The Orisha of purity, Obatala was sent by the Supreme Being at the beginning of time to form the Earth. He also constructed the bodies of humans. Obatala completed his construction of the bodies he created by adding heads to them. He therefore became known as the owner of heads. The head is symbolic of intelligence, higher education, and deeper understanding, all which the ninth house represents.

Babalú-Ayé - Capricorn - Saturn

The tenth house is the house of public life and social status, being ruled by Capricorn and the planet Saturn. The aspects within this house deal with how you manifest your individual role within society and your work place. It also includes the energies and challenges you’ll face meeting your career goals. The Yoruba associate the planet Saturn with Babalú-Ayé, the Orisha of disease and healing. Also known as the “Wrath of the supreme god”, Babalú-Ayé’s job is to punish individuals for their transgressions. He's also known to heal epidemics like small pox.

Shango - Aquarius - Uranus

The house of friends and membership. The eleventh house of the Zodiac is ruled by the planet Uranus and the sign Aquarius. Aquarius is associated with rapid social change, upheaval, and rebellion. These traits all reflect Shango, the warrior Orisha of thunder, lightning, and fire. Once a living king on Earth, Shango is known for working miracles after his death. This elevated him to the status of Orisha. Shango is also the brother of Babalú-Ayé, the Orisha ruler of the tenth house. The work in society represented within the previous house is expressed through the individual in the activities associated within this house. The planets and energies within indicate how group associations and friendships will operate in your life.

Olokun - Pisces - Neptune

The twelfth house of the Zodiac is ruled by the sign Pisces. The Orisha equivalent is Olokun, the god of the ocean floor. This house is associated with self undoing and confinement. This is reflected in Olokun being confined to the ocean floor by seven chains. This house deals with the unconscious and things beyond the physical plane. Olokun’s aspects are therefore expressed within the astral, the subconscious, and altered states of consciousness that is experienced during meditation, initiation, and spirit possession. Deep and mysterious is this house of the Zodiac, just like the bottom of the ocean; an old Yoruba proverb says that nobody knows what lies on the ocean floor. Olokun is said to be the owner of the Mysteries, sparking within our being the genius activating our super subconscious.

Peace, Love, & Balance

SEE ALSO: "Addressing A Critique About Orisha Rulers of the Zodiac"

[thegnosticdread]

What Is Spirituality?

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/what-is-spirituality/

Spirituality is not a set of any dogmatic rules, beliefs, or practices. One may choose to meditate, pray, collect crystals, perform rituals, and/or eat vegan. These all can be beneficial, but these things do not make a person spiritual. We are all spiritual beings by Nature, so to embrace spirituality is simply being conscious of and drawing closer to your true nature. It is knowledge of Self. Each person's path to self-realization is uniquely their own and no one will have the same journey as someone else. What you may perceive as a sin may in fact be the spiritual liberation for another, and your own spiritual liberation may be seen as a sin to someone else. A loosely defined dichotomy is made within Esotericism between the different spiritual paths towards self-realization. These are known as the Right hand path (or Dakṣiṇācāra in Eastern tradition) and the Left hand path (Vāmācāra in Eastern tradition).

Many are already familiar with the characteristics of the Right hand path. The RHP is defined as being any system where the ultimate goal is uniting with the Godhead or Source in the afterlife. This is believed to be done by believing in and obeying the Will and Laws of God. Therefore, all mainstream religions by default fall under the RHP classification. Other characteristics of the RHP are a belief in a universal moral code that clearly defines good and evil, belief in the concepts of karma or divine judgement based on moral decisions made during one's lifetime, and the acceptance of social norms. The Left hand path is defined as those traditions that teach that the individual Self can be akin to God through spiritual insight, and reject the idea of needing to accept or obey a higher power. If belief in a higher power exist, LHP adherents view their relationship with it as a partnership, or an alliance which does not require subservience. Good and evil are relative in the LHP's view and social convention is rejected, therefore taboos are often embraced as being legitimate practices for spiritual liberation. Magic, especially sex magic, is often used in ritual and it is believed that the forces of the universe can be harnessed to one's personal Will by magical means, and that power gained and wielded in such a manner is an aid to self-realization or enlightenment. Gnosticism can be viewed as a Left hand path tradition, for it rejects mainstream religion, its dogma, and its idea that one needs to submit to the Will of a deity. However, the ultimate goal within Gnosticism is to escape the prison of the material world/materialism and reunite with the Divine, which is the ultimate goal within RHP traditions. In truth, characteristics of both the LHP and the RHP exist within all spiritual traditions, just like how there is a little "yin" in the light side of the circle and a little "yang" in the dark side of the circle. The RHP and the LHP is often seen as being "good" and "bad" or "light" and "dark", but they should not be treated as such. Both paths are equally as valid for attaining self-realization. Remember, no one's path will be the same. What works for you may not work for others, and vice versa.

The most important thing within spirituality is following your heart or your True Will. Within the Teachings of Ptahhotep, the oldest wisdom texts in the world coming from Kmt (Ancient Egypt), it is written:

"Follow your heart as long as you live. Do not make a loss on what is said, do not subtract time from following the heart. Harming its time is an offence to the Ka (spirit). Do not deflect the moment of every day beyond establishing your heart. As things happen, follow your heart. There is no profit in things if it is stifled."

The heart is where your spirit, your True Divine Essence, is located. To get more in tune with your heart space is what spirituality is all about. When you are able to know, understand, and follow whatever is your heart's True Will and Desire, then you are on the correct spiritual path towards self-realization. Let me briefly add that to follow the "True Will" within your heart does not mean to do whatever you want, nor does it mean to impose your Will onto someone else. The heart produces Love and therefore your True Will will always manifest itself through Love and operate in harmony with Nature. Any desires that would harm yourself and/or others is a product of a faculty within the mind (the Ego). Perhaps this is a concept I will address in a future post...

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

Thoughts Manifested

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/thoughts-manifested/

"The ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental. The Universe is Mental - held in the Mind of the ALL." - The Kybalion According to the Hermetic Principle of Mentalism THE ALL is an universal, infinite, living mind. THE ALL exist within all, and all exist within THE ALL. Everything that exist within our material universe is but a manifestation of thought into the physical. Thought is the seed of existence; from one single idea, everything appeared here. Manifestation is the turning of non-physical ideas into physical actions. When your phone rings, you first process the thought in your mind that the phone is ringing. You then decide in your mind if you are going to answer the phone or not. If your Will is to answer the phone, you will then do the physical action of reaching for and answering the phone. All of this happens fast - in less than a second, with thoughts moving faster than the speed of light and many times subconsciously, but thought is still the beginning of the process.

If thought is the seed, the mind itself can be thought of as the womb. The quality of the mind is going to determine the quality of the thoughts it produces, and the quality of what is manifested is determined by the quality of the thoughts that brought it about. A good mind will produce good thoughts which in turn will manifest good actions and so on. A bad mind will produce bad thoughts which will manifest bad actions all the same. Therefore one should be conscious of the mentality they choose to have. Do you find yourself often having bad days where you feel nothing is going right or the world is against you? If so, a changed mind may be all that is needed to turn things around. You may be at a job that you don't like but you don't have the ability to work somewhere else at the moment. Instead of thinking in the morning "I hate this job, I can't wait until it's time to go home", maybe start thinking "I don't like this job, but I am grateful that I have it so I can pay my bills and keep my stomach full, and I know there are many others in worse situations than me." Developing a more positive attitude and mentality will manifest more positive outcomes in life. Obviously in certain situations, changing your mentality will be easier said than done, but the end result makes it all worth the while.

The mind is so powerful that every thought that it conceives can be made manifest into the physical. However when thoughts are manifested into the physical, they will for the most part be imperfect compared to how they were originally perceived within the mind. This is due to the "imperfect" or limited nature of the universe in comparison to the unlimited and boundless nature of the mind. This doesn't mean sitting around doing nothing and thinking things into existence without any physical effort though. To give you an example: there was a time before the invention of aircraft where humans thought about flying. Of course it is physically impossible for humans to fly using their bodies but two individuals, the Wright brothers, invented a way to make flying happen. Using the raw materials of the planet along with understanding and using the universe's laws and principles (gravity, physics, mathematics, etc), the Wright brothers through their invention of the airplane were able to manifest their thought of flying into a physical reality. It might not be exactly like what the original thought of humans flying may have been, but it is still the thought of flying manifested nonetheless. When you create a thought in your mind that you wish to manifest physically, the next step is making the proper moves and actions to make it so.

One of the many things my parents repeated often to me growing up was "you can do whatever you set your mind to". I always believed and held onto that, and as an adult today being within this fold of knowledge I can see how that is absolutely true. All that you want to achieve, anything that you want to change, everything begins as a thought within the mind. Choose to change or control your mentality and thoughts, move accordingly through those thoughts and watch them manifest within your physical reality!

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

Yahweh: Son of Chaos, God of War

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/yahweh-god-of-chaos-god-of-war/

Related Post: "What If The Devil Convinced The World That He Was God" Deification of the State

In my two previous post I demonstrated how Yahweh, known to the Gnostics as Yaldabaoth (son of chaos), could in fact be the devil and I showed how the State developed organized religion for control. In this post I will present my theory on the origins of the concept of Yahweh and how this concept of god made its way into organized religion. During the 14th dynasty of Ancient Kmt (Egypt), a Semitic people known as the Hyksos came into the land and rose to power, establishing their own dynasty, the 15th dynasty of Ancient Kmt. The Hyksos brought with them their customs and traditions, along with their cosmology and their concept of god. When they came across the Egyptian pantheon of deities they identified their god with being one and the same as Set, the god of opposition. As I have mentioned in previous post, Set is where the concept of Satan comes from. Where previously Set was understood to be a god of opposition, the natives now viewed Set as an evil deity, since the foreign ruling Hyksos identified Set as their supreme deity. The Hyksos would go on to rule for a few dynasties until they were finally expelled at the end of the 17th dynasty, starting the New Kingdom of Egypt. Who exactly the Hyksos were is unclear in history, but there are quite a few researchers who identify the Hyksos with the ancient Hebrews, who would later become Israel. This is based on the Hyksos being Semitic like the Hebrews. Also, the biblical account speaks about Jacob (Israel) and his descendants coming into Egypt during a time when his son Joseph was vizier for Pharaoh (Genesis 46) and is seen as a parallel with the Hyksos coming into Egypt, settling and obtaining power. If we entertain the idea of the Hebrews and the Hyksos being one and the same, connections between the biblical myth and history are made. The first connection is the identity of Joseph. Journalist Ahmed Osman identifies the historical Yuya with being one and the same as the biblical Joseph. Yuya was an Egyptian official who is thought to be of Semitic origin due to his Semitic features, including his beard style which was identical with that of the ancient Hebrews; note that native Egyptian officials were known to shave their facial hair. Another connection is that in Genesis 45:8, Joseph is called "a father of Pharaoh" while historically, Yuya is the only Egyptian official to have such a title. Yuya was also the father of Queen Tiye, wife of Amenhotep III and the mother of Akhenaten. Therefore if Yuya truly was a Semitic foreigner, possibly being a descendant of the Hyksos, that would mean Akhenaten was not an Egyptian native, not fully at least, and that may explain his change in policies and view of god. Could it be that Akhenaten was a mixed Hyksos descendant who tried to revive the rule of their storm god through the use of the Aten?

Akhenaten is usually depicted wearing the Egyptian blue crown, which is the crown of war. His royal court was also made up of majority military personnel, a first in Ancient Egyptian history. It is known that storm gods were usually male gods of war, easily angered and wrathful. Indeed, Exodus 15:3 says this about Yahweh: "The LORD is a man of war; Yahweh is his name."

Could the war like behavior of Yahweh in the bible be reflective of Akhenaten, the founder of Atenism/Hebrewism? If we accept that Hebrewism is indeed Atenism and that the Aten concept of god is in fact the Hebrew concept of god, then we are able to see yet another historical connection to the biblical myth. This connection deals with Aaron, the brother of Moses. If you take the stance that the biblical narratives are myths loosely explaining historical truths and that the names used in the scriptures are coded titles, not proper names, then the connection is made. Aaron, the brother of Moses, is said to have been the first Hebrew High Priest. That would then mean he was the Atenist High Priest, since Hebrewism and Atenism are one in the same. We know that Akhenaten was the sole mediator between his god Aten and the people of Egypt, so he was both King and High Priest. The Messiah (whom in Christianity is equated to Jesus) is referred to in the scriptures as being both a King and High Priest. The Hebrew name Aaron actually comes from Ancient Egyptian "aha rw" meaning "warrior lion". Interestingly, the Messiah is also referred to in scriptures as the "conquering lion of Judah". The word "Messiah" itself is of Ancient Egyptian origin, meaning "anointed" which referred to the anointing of the King of Egypt and the Priest with the oil fat from the crocodile of the Nile river.

Could Akhenaten be who the Hebrew scriptures refer to as Aaron, and where would that leave Moses? A few authors like Comyns Beaumont, Ralph Ellis, and Arthur Jones suggest that Moses' true identity is Thutmose V whose biography in the historical record is vague. He was however the older brother of Akhenaten. Being the oldest, he was suppose to take the throne as King of Egypt after his father, but he disappeared from historical record and is assumed to have died, leaving Akhenaten to become King. Coincidentally, the bible refers to Aaron as having become Moses' prophet and the one that would speak for Moses. Was the Atenist idea originally going to be presented to Egypt by Thutmose V but then was passed to Akhenaten due to Thutmose V's absence? There is indeed evidence that shows the Atenist heresy was being developed and being prepared to be put into place in Egypt even before Akhenaten became King.

Whether or not it's true that the concept of Yahweh began as the Hyksos' storm god or the Aten, it is without a doubt that Yahweh eventually did become identified as being one and the same as the sun, the Aten, for the symbols like the one above tell the rest of the story. When the Atenist heresy ended in Egypt, it survived and found it's way into the Canaan region which eventually became biblical Israel. There, the religion was codified and morphed into Hebrewism (traditions that are distinct from modern day Judaism). Generations later, the Atenist concept would find its way into Roman thought and would eventually be adopted by the newly founded Catholic Church. You will find in Catholic churches across the world the Atenist symbolism, with either the Tetragrammaton (Yahweh) encased in the Sun (like the picture above), the name Jehovah (another name of Yahweh) encased in the Sun (like the first picture in this post) or the all too familiar symbol, the all-seeing eye encased in a triangle with sun rays coming off the sides. So what significance does this all have? My answer is this: majority of the world today adheres to one of the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaisim, Christianity, and Islam). Despite the differences in these three faiths, the mainstream interpretations of each all agree on one thing, that God is this being that exist separately and remotely from man and therefore man is in need of a messiah or mediator in order to reach God. This teaching that they all have in common has its roots in Atenism. With this teaching, the ones in power have been successful at controlling the masses for generations, and as we move further into the 21st Century we are putting ourselves in danger by continuing to hold onto these beliefs. As the ones in power continue to cripple society, there are too many of us that continue to hold onto the false hope that god or a messiah will come out of the sky to change things for us instead of changing things for ourselves. In reality, it is not in our best interest for there to be someone who rules over and decides the fate of all the Earth and acts as our mediator towards God; it matters not if the person calls himself the son of god or not, one person ruling all is tyranny. The Divine exist within each and every one of us, no one has the right to claim that they alone are the representation of God's will on Earth. It's time to wake up family. Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

Deification of the State

It has been said that all the major religions and spiritual systems of the world, from the ancient to the modern times, have had their origin within the Ancient Mystery Schools of the Nile Valley civilization. It was the Initiates of these schools, the Adepts, that went out to teach the laymen the exoteric or "outward" teachings of life and the Universe and were revered as Gods, Avatars, Prophets, and Master Teachers. Each one of these enlightened individuals would teach divine principles in a way that their audience and nation would be able to relate and understand, along with only teaching them enough that they were ready to receive. The higher degrees of knowledge were for those who had gone through the proper initiatory rites within the Mysteries. Thus this would create an atmosphere where spirituality was very personal and adaptable, being able to be expressed in countless ways. This is what lead to there being a plethora of different gods and goddesses within the different ancient systems. Despite the many different deities and systems, the underlying esoteric or "inner" teaching behind them all was and eternally is the same....that God is within Man. "Man know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God."

               The idea of a single, organized religious system where everyone conformed to the same beliefs and expression of worship came with the coming of Pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and his system of Atenism. Atenism replaced all the generations old traditions of the Ancient Nile Valley and their pantheon of deities for the worship of single deity known as the Aten, which was the physical solar disc in the sky. Now an understanding of the Ancient Egyptian esoteric teaching along with the meaning of the symbolism being used is needed and important. The Adept knows that all of the different deities of the pantheon were merely all different aspects of the One, the ALL, the same principle as the Monad in Gnosticism. Therefore, when it is said that Akhenaten brought monotheism to the Nile Valley, understand that that statement is false, for the understanding of the One was already known. Atenism was not about having people believe in and worship one god or the sun, it was about getting people to conform to one mindset, a hive mentality, in order to control the People.

Now I will explain the symbolism. The sun has historically been used as the most proper symbol for the masculine, active principle of creation. Ancient and philosophical texts speak about how God (or the Masculine principle) is the active force that imposes His Will upon Matter (or the Feminine, receptive principle) in order to create the cosmos. It therefore also represents the Will. This example is also seen in the Earth (a symbol of the Feminine principle) being receptive to the Sun's (a symbol of the Masculine principle) energy in order to produce life on this planet. Thus the sun also becomes a symbol of God. As mentioned earlier, each of the deities within the Egyptian Pantheon were all aspects of the One, the ALL. Amen-Ra, who is often called the chief Egyptian sun god by mainstream Egyptologist, was in fact a personification of two of the divine aspects combined; Amen meaning “hidden” or “unseen” and Ra roughly meaning “creative power”. So from Amen-Ra you get “the hidden creative power/unseen Creator”. This hidden creative power referred to the force that animates all life, which can be identified today as being Spirit, or the active principle in creation. This creative power was symbolically represented with the image of the sun, thus the reason for modern Egyptologist identifying Amen-Ra as being a sun god.

Now that you have an understanding of the symbolism, you will be able to understand better the change that was taking place in Ancient Egypt's religious system. Up until this point, the Aten was only seen as being the sun disc in the sky, not as a deity or an aspect of God. This change in thought suggested that God was something external, separate and above man in the sky, watching down and unreachable. This new thought then brought with it the idea that since God was unreachable to the common man, there was a need for a mediator. Akhenaten became that mediator. Author Lorraine Evans points out in her book 'Kingdom of the Ark' the following: "Akhenaten frequently emphasized that he, and he alone, was the go-between for this new divine life of Egypt. The sole god of Egypt was now mediated through Akhenaten. At the close of the 'Great Hymn to the Aten' (which is very similar to Psalm 104) it says:

"There is no one who knows you, except your son, Akhenaten".

Those words are very similar to those attributed to Jesus who is said to be the Messiah: "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." - Matthew 11:27

Keep in mind that the 'Great Hymn to the Aten' was written over a thousand years before the Gospel of Matthew would have been written. Akhenaten being the sole mediator between god and his people, Akhenaten's word was god's word, his laws were god's laws, his commands were god's commands. 

At this point it should start to make sense to you the reality of the situation here. Akhenaten's act of disbanding the traditional religious systems of the Nile Valley and replacing them with Atenism was an act of destroying and hiding sacred knowledge and the State taking full control of the affairs of people's lives. It created a society where instead of people being free to express God and themselves in their own way, they were forced to conform to the State's ideology and forced to follow and obey the Will of the State, their new god. Thus the reason the State properly used the symbol of the Sun as a reminder; the eye in the sky is always watching.

It is said in mainstream scholarship that the Atenist religion died with the death of its founder Akhenaten, but one who studies the symbols and signs knows that this heresy has survived all the way into the modern day in many different forms. The cult would spring up again in Ancient Rome as the cult of Sol Invictus (Latin for "Unconquered Sun"). The Roman Emperor Aurelian in 274AD established the cult as an official religion of the Roman Empire alongside the other traditional Roman cults. The god Sol Invictus was favored by the Emperors after Aurelian and his image would be minted on their coins all the way through to Constantine I. Constantine would then combine the traditions of the Sol Invictus cult and the traditions of the other Roman cults with a reconstructed message of Christ to form the Catholic Church. It is for this very reason it is called the Catholic Church, for the word Catholic means universal. Constantine's intentions, like Ankhenaten's before him, were to have everyone under one universal religious umbrella in order to get the people to conform to one unified ideology and expression of worship that favored the agenda and Will of the State.

Though Constantine claimed to be a Christian he still had the Sol Invictus symbolism minted on his coins, established Sunday (the day of worship for Sol Invictus) as the official day of rest for Catholics (as opposed to the original Sabbath on Saturday) and still wore the solar crown during the dedication of the new capital Constantinople, confirming that he was still an Atenist at heart. Constantine was also influential in the creation of the Nicene Creed which established the orthodoxy of the Church which declared Christ as god and part of a trinity.

After the orthodoxy was established, all the other Christian groups like the Ebionites, Arians, and Gnostics that had beliefs that were contrary to the Catholics were considered heretical and majority of their scriptures were gathered and burned. The birth of Christ also became identified with December 25th, the same day that was believed to be the birth of the sun, Sol Invictus. The Catholic Church, which claimed itself to be the legacy of Christ, was in fact the new face of the Atenist ideology, with the Pope being the representation of Christ on Earth and thus the new mediator between the people and the Divine. The political power and control of the Papacy would come into full realization during the Middle Ages with the rise of the Holy Roman Empire and the onset of the Crusades.

Some even suggest that Hebrewism/Judaism is in fact the same as or developed out of Atenism, a theory my next post will explore as it ties together with what the concept of Yahweh/Yaldabaoth represent, which in my previous post I said I would explain coming forth. I will wrap this post up by giving two examples of the Atenist ideology showing itself in the modern era.

Adolf Hitler had ordered to be referred to as a deified messiah. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s chief propagandist, said in a broadcast on April 19th 1936, that "Germany has been transformed into a great house of the Lord where the Fuhrer (Nazi Germany's leader aka Hitler) as our mediator stands before the throne of God." So here you see that the attitude in Nazi Germany was that of Hitler being a sort of "son of God." Thus Hitler's word also became law, and was treated as divine law. It is also worth mentioning that if you dig deep into Nazism's history and background you will know that it is deep rooted in the occult.

United States President Barack Obama has never made a serious reference to himself being god or the son of god, but he has jokingly made references to himself being a messianic figure sent to save the planet Earth. We have all however witnessed the masses being in awe of his election, giving him almost a God-like complex, some even referring to him as a messiah. Under his administration we've witnessed the same continuing agenda that the State has always had with the abuse of federal powers, and the erosion of people's rights and privacy in the name of "security". Due to social politics in America Obama is the perfect smokescreen, for there are many that ignore his actions against liberty because they see him as being able to do no wrong, or just see him a being better than the previous President. What many fail to understand is that it matters not if it's Obama or Bush, the agenda of the State remains the same.

The deification of the State is what the entire idea of organized religion is all about. Throughout the ages it evolved and took on many different names and outward forms. When Church and State became separate in the modern era the agenda then became secularized, but the objective remained the same, control. Even with Church and State supposedly being separate now, the ideologies and theologies that the mainstream religious institutions teach still serve in favor towards the State. This is done by instilling into their religious dogma that it's God's will for the People to obey the laws of the State. Another teaching that plays into the State's favor is the passive approach to social justice, teaching that God is an invisible man in the sky who with enough prayer will make all your woes go away. While prayer is important, it is not stressed enough that God does not work for man who sits idle waiting for a change. God works through man and his actions. "Faith without works is dead."

If they would only realize their own divinity within themselves and acted on it instead of waiting for something to come out of the sky, they would be controllers of their own destinies. Of course, this is not what the State wants.

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

"What If The Devil Convinced The World That He Was God"

        Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/what-if-the-devil-convinced-the-world-that-he-was-god/

Related Post: The Serpent: Enemy of Man, or Enlightener of Man?

They say that the devil is the greatest of liars and deceivers. Christ refers to the devil as "the father of lies" (John 8:44 NIV). Therefore it would be probable that the devil is able to deceive even the brightest of minds if allowed. With that being said, what if he "which deceiveth the whole world" was able to convince the world that he was God? Specifically, what if the being that followers of the Bible pray to, Yahweh (often called Jehovah, Adonai, or LORD as well), is in fact the devil? I know, that may seem blasphemous and contradicting to someone who has never had that thought before, but allow me to explain. 

As I explained in a previous post, the original Hebrew term "Ha-Satan" is a title that is given to the devil and it's meaning is "the adversary". The issue here is that we are told to believe that the Serpent in the garden was the devil and that Yahweh was the benevolent god. However, let's once again exam what exactly happened within the narrative of the garden myth. Yahweh was the first liar within the Bible, making him "the father of lies"; he told Adam he would die the day he ate from the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 2:15-17) but this did not happen. Instead, Adam's eyes were opened and his divinity was realized, Yahweh even admitting to this (Genesis 3:22), making the Serpent's words true (Genesis 3:1-5). As you can see, Yahweh was the deceiver, not the Serpent.

Let's move past the garden myth to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Here you have what almost everyone in the 21st Century ultimately wants, everyone understanding each other and working together in unity towards a common goal for mankind. The narrative says that everyone was speaking the same language and that they had decided to build a tower unto the heavens to make a name for themselves. When they began to build the tower, Yahweh came down and observed that the People were of one accord, and that with this unity they would be able to achieve whatever it is they wanted. Apparently this was a threat to Yahweh, for of course the authority is always threatened when the People are in unity. 1st Corinthians 14:33 claims that "God is not the author of confusion", however Genesis 11:7 has Yahweh saying: "Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

This confusion caused by Yahweh resulted in the people being divided up and scattered, never completing the tower. One must ask themselves.....why would a benevolent god not want the people to be united in a cause? And why would an all powerful, all knowing god be threatened by such? Maybe this "god" is not as powerful and all knowing as he claims to be, and that would explain why he is threatened by the unity of the People. Authority always needs to portray the image of being powerful by keeping the People divided and ruled by fear in order to maintain control. 

Yahweh is far from benevolent. Not only does he claim to be a jealous god, but claims that his very name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14). Thus Yahweh hates those who do not obey and serve him, and declares death upon those who will not submit. The narratives within the Old Testament show an overwhelming amount of murders done either directly by Yahweh himself or his servants under his command, from the killing of the first born children in Egypt (Exodus 12:29-30) to the literal genocide of the Amalekites done by Saul and his army under Yahweh's orders (1st Samuel 15). They claim that the evils and atrocities that happen in the world today are the work of the devil and that may be true, but again who exactly is the devil? Throughout history and even unto the present day countless lives have been taken in the name of "god" Yahweh.

Christ was very critical of the Pharisees who were the religious leaders and claimed servants of Yahweh during his time. Christ whose mission it was to awaken the people to the Kingdom of God within and free them from the religious laws imposed on them by Yahweh and his religious authorities, made it known in John 8:41-44 that the Father God he referred to was not the same god that the Pharisees served, and in fact called their god, Yahweh, the devil. "Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Before the canonization of the Bible and the texts outside the canon being declared heresy and burned by the established Catholic Church, the Early Christians and Gnostic sects had a text in wide circulation called The Apocryphon of John which was considered by many to be the "part 2" to the Gospel of John. Within it, Christ appears to his disciple John again and begins to explain to him much about Gnostic cosmology. Christ tells John about the Monad, the "true God", which he describes as being pure light, sovereign and Father over all, but is not to be looked at as being a deity for It is above and greater than a deity. He then starts to describe the chain in which each of the Aeons (emanations or aspects of the Monad) came into being down to the Aeon Sophia, a feminine aspect of God representing divine wisdom. The myth goes on to say that Sophia desired to conceive and give birth without the consent or involvement of her male counterpart. The child that Sophia gave birth to is Yahweh, who is known to the Gnostics as Yaldabaoth which means "son of chaos". Yaldabaoth is described as having a body of a serpent and the head of a lion with flashing bolts of lightning in it's eyes, and is said to be corrupt and imperfect due to both divine aspects (male and female) not being involved in his conception. When she had seen what she had produced, his mother Sophia wrapped him in a bright cloud with a throne in the middle so that he would not be seen by any of the Aeons. Thinking that there was no one else in existence besides himself and his mother, Yaldabaoth then took power from his mother Sophia and started to create other beings and rulers (known to the Gnostics as the Archons) and exalted himself above them claiming that he was a jealous god and there are no gods besides him, for he was ignorant of his origin and the other Aeons above him that emanated from the Monad. However by claiming this, he suggested to the host around him that there is another god, for if there were no other god, of whom would he be jealous?

The text continues by retelling the story of the creation of the material universe by Yaldabaoth and the creation of Adam from the Gnostic perspective. Due to the corruption and imperfection of Yaldabaoth/Yahweh, the material universe itself is corrupt and imperfect in the minds of the Gnostics. This cosmology formed the basis of Gnostic thought, and explains why the Gnostics reject the material world (or rather the concept of materialism) and embrace the spiritual world within, for while Yahweh may have formed the physical body of Adam, the animate Spirit that was breathed into Adam came from the true "God" the Monad, the source of all life and things. This Divinity lies within each and every person and can come to be realized. 

In closing I would like to share a passage from another Gnostic text known as the Gospel of Philip. This gospel, like the Apocryphon of John, was not included in the Catholic Church's biblical canon, however it was circulated and read by the early Christians and Gnostics. 

“The rulers wanted to fool us, since they saw we were connected with the good. They took the names of the good and gave them to the not good so with names they could trick and rope us to the not good. As though doing us a favor, they took names from the not good and placed them on the good. They knew what they were doing. They wanted to grab those of us who were free and make us eternal slaves.”

Could it be that Yahweh is in fact the devil or Satan, and that through his servants (the religious authority figures) he leads the world to believe he is the true god by confusing the words and titles? Let me remind you, as I always must, that to the Gnostic these are all concepts, metaphors, parables, and myths explaining higher truths. It should not be taken and viewed in a literal sense. Understand that Yahweh is a concept of god created by man with a purpose and an agenda. In an upcoming entry I shall go in depth explaining the origin of this concept of god, it's purpose and agenda along with showing how it relates to ourselves and the Universe. The Apocryphon of John is available to be read online here.

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

The Reality of Duality Within the Universe

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/the-reality-of-duality-in-the-universe/

Never forget the Reality of Duality within the Universe. Everything is dual in nature (positive/negative, hot/cold, etc), this is explained in the Kybalion as being the Hermetic Principle of Polarity:

"Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."

It's raining where I am at today. Many times people associate storms with negativity and melancholy moods due to the gloomy weather. However, the storm is a necessary component of our life on this planet. The rain from the storm replenishes the Earth and all the life that springs from it so that when the storm has finally passed and the Sun is shining again, everything can come back in full bloom.

You can metaphorically apply this to your personal life....everyone goes through hard times, or a "storm". While life might feel gloomy while in the midst of your situation, try to see the positive aspect of it. Dealing with a break up is an example; instead of focusing on what the person you ended a relationship with might have did (or didn't do) to hurt you, feeling resentment towards them, or getting stuck on how things could have been different, focus on the lessons that can be learned from the relationship...i.e. things you like in a boyfriend/girlfriend, things you dislike, things that worked in the relationship and things that were mistakes. This way here you can grow and hopefully be more successful in your next relationship.

Many want to always be surrounded by light, positive vibes, and happiness and don't want to deal with and face the dark, negative, and sorrowful aspects of life. They forget the principle that light is blinding if there is an overabundance of it, and they fail to learn the life lessons that are taught by the darker aspects. Therefore, these people usually never see the full reality of the world we live in. Of course, those who abide in nothing but darkness also cannot see the full reality of things, and they do a disservice to themselves by not being able to see the beauty and opportunity in what they perceive as being faulty and meaningless. Polarization on either side leads to an incomplete picture of life. Never forget the dual nature of the Universe. There is positive in every negative situation...the yin and the yang.

Peace, Love, & Balance

[thegnosticdread]

The Difference Between "Spirit" & "Soul"

Originally posted on: https://thegnosticdread.com/the-difference-between-spirit-soul/

The terms “spirit” and “soul” have been used interchangeably all throughout the ages and even into the modern day. However, what many may fail to realize is that though they are related, there is a distinct difference between the two.

Let’s start with the etymology of the word “spirit”; it comes from the Latin spiritus which means “breath”. Therefore, one could say that the real meaning of spirituality is simply the art of breathing. Breathing is something majority of us do without ever really thinking about it. We know it’s important, for if we did not breathe we would not continue to live, but most take the act of breathing for granted and don’t contemplate exactly how essential it is for our overall well being. People who perform yoga and meditation however are aware of the importance of practicing good breathing techniques and how doing so gives them an abundance of energy and good health. Breathing is directly related to the heart, and the heart is the house of the spirit!

“Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to create a human being out of clay. When I have formed him and breathed My Ruh (spirit) into him, fall down in prostration to him!’” - al-Qur'an Surah 38 Sâd 71-72

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” - Genesis 2:7

The first organ that forms during the development of a human embryo is the heart. About 6 weeks after conception, the heart starts to beat. The embryo at that point has become a living animate being, the spirit being the animating energy! 

The spirit is the animating energy found within all living things alike; it can be likened to the electricity powering a machine or computer. The spirit is the “divine spark”, the direct connection to the Source, and is therefore in itself indestructible and immortal. The Western religious traditions always hold that the spirit is given to man by God himself. The Gnostic tradition differs only in saying that the spirit was not given to man by the creator of the physical world (known in Judeo-Christian tradition as Adonai or Yahweh, but known to the Gnostics as Yaldabaoth) by his own power, but was given to man by the creator from the power he obtained from his mother Sophia, whose power comes from the true God above in the Pleroma. Nevertheless, the Gnostic tradition still holds the view that the spirit is divine and is the direct connection to the Source.

This is in contrast to the soul. In Greek, the word for “soul” is psykhē. Interestingly, the root of psykhē also means “to breathe”. This might explain the cause of the confusion between the two words along with why they are used interchangeably, but in classical philosophy there is a distinction between the words “pneuma” (the Greek word for spirit) and “psykhē” (the Greek word for soul). You may immediately notice that the Greek word psykhē is where we get our modern word psyche from, which in psychology (the study of the psyche) means the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious. That is exactly what we are dealing with here; the soul is the human mind.

Whereas the heart is the place that houses the spirit, the soul is housed within the brain, specifically within the pineal gland which is known as “the third eye”, “the mind’s eye” and “the seat of the soul”. While it is also immaterial like the spirit, the soul is much more personal in nature. The soul is divided up between the higher nature and the lower nature which in turn are both further divided up into different aspects. These aspects along with your personal knowledge, experiences, and memories together make up the totality of who you are individually; your soul, it’s everything that makes you who you are.  

There is debate over whether or not the soul/mind is immortal and survives after the body expires. One school of thought that is along the thoughts of Aristotle is that the soul is indeed the personality and essence of a person, but it does not have a separate existence from the body, and therefore upon death the soul dies too. This is likened to the act of cutting being the “soul” of a knife, because cutting is what it means to be a knife. Once the knife breaks, it is no longer cutting. Thus the soul is not immortal. Many of the gnostics of old would be satisfied with this view because they too believed that the human mind/soul was a creation of the Demiurge, and therefore not divine. In contrast to that view, there’s the school of thought that says the soul is also divine and immortal and upon death of the body that soul will either be judged, inherit paradise, be sentenced to eternal damnation, reincarnate, or continue to evolve in the astral realm. The middle ground between these two schools are those that teach that certain aspects of the soul are divine and immortal, while others are tied to this life and expire along with the body. I like the idea of my knowledge, experiences and memories living on after I die…and in many ways I know that can happen…but that is a different discussion to be had at a later time. In an upcoming entry I will talk more in-depth about the divisions of the soul. 

Peace, Love, & Balance