GNOSTICISM

is an ancient spiritual tradition that recognizes a supreme Celestial Mother as the principal divine energy in the universe and the source of all creation.  It is centered around the instinctive knowledge that life originally began with a descent of Spirit into matter and that humanity has been deluded into the belief that the phenomenal universe represents the scope of the cosmos when in reality it is little more than a well decorated prison.  The symbolism and mythology of Gnosis is designed to liberate us from this condition of bondage by revealing to us that we are in fact superior beings who have forgotten who we are and where we really come from.

With its rejection of patriarchal dogma and its goal of elevation of the individual spirit, Gnosticism could be viewed as the contrapositive of Catholicism and in fact has been considered its most dangerous heresy.  Gnostic traditions revere Mary Magdalene as the favorite apostle of Jesus and as an avatara of Sophia, the Universal Mother.  Nearly all Gnostic scripture incorporates a central theme of transmutation, the intent of which is to make possible the union of the individual with the Divine.

I personally became involved in Gnosticism in an attempt to reconcile a series of visions in my personal life with a mystery tradition I instinctively knew to exist but had no name for.  The resulting events, which continue to unfold, have led to a richness and diversity of experience I may not otherwise have found.  Gnostic symbolism and cosmology have provided me (amongst countless others) with an unequaled artistic metaphor and a potentially limitless source of artistic and literary inspiration.

I am also happy to say that the advent of the Internet has brought with it many resources for people that are interested in exploring Gnosticism in a spiritual, cultural, or ecclesiastical capacity: From a purist's standpoint, the best of these is the online Nag Hammadi Library, the recently unearthed time capsule of Gnostic scriptures written when Christianity was in its infancy, presented as a convenient, searchable archive. From a spiritualist's standpoint, you will no doubt be able to recognize many personal expressions of this archetype encompassing the entire span of human inspiration and imagination. If you've read this far, then I wish you the greatest success in your endeavors!

Regards,

Brother Sophia Matri (I, Robert Thomas Phair)
October 30, 2000
(revised 15 June 2007)