I thought I would share some impressions from the interim between the “regime” of Easter to the “regime” of the Holy Spirit in its descent at Pentecost. Realization dawns that where the wind blows the hardest and

resistance has become most dense, there the presence of Sophia is felt the most intense. Why not ask then if the price for the most gracious and loving instruction is not indeed the hardships we must reconcile ourselves with?

Notice I use the term reconcile, not “abjectly accept”. There are galaxies floating between the stretch of distance and distinction which exists between the two. Pentecost promises the active indwelling of the Holy Spirit – a radical penetration of our condition which reveals that within the Mysteries of the redemption and the ascent to our eternal abode – We are Sophia. As this is intuited on one of manifold levels, we need inspect again the premise of Gnostic Myth of Sophia`s fall into chaos and a begetting of the Shadow. For at its root, the space which encompass all things which follow as a consequence of this arrest of consciousness, this interruption of the unfolding mystery of Being – we find the ladder of ascent, as Gnostics.

Consider how the descent is unfolded within the Gnostic revelatory treatise
The Apocryphon of John:

“And the Sophia of the Epinoia, being an aeon, conceived a thought from herself and the conception of the invisible Spirit and foreknowledge. She wanted to bring forth a likeness out of herself without the consent of the Spirit, – he had not approved – and without her consort, and without his consideration. And though the person of her maleness had not approved, and she had not found her agreement, and she had thought without the consent of the Spirit and the knowledge of her agreement, (yet) she brought forth. And because of the invincible power which is in her, her thought did not remain idle, and something came out of her which was imperfect and different from her appearance, because she had created it without her consort. And it was dissimilar to the likeness of its mother, for it has another form.”

The Mystery of the all-elusive and unapproachable paradox of our free will and our inability to instinctually master our psyche`s impulses is quite apparent in this – and is involved in the creation of the authorities. Spiritually speaking, this developement emanates out of our first experience of absence of the consort/the ever-present witness who engages us in a consciousnesss-creating dialogue interior and exterior to ourselves – the “life in God” which nevertheless is a vital theme in all theistic religions, even Gnosticism.

I am not entirely content with the premise that this is incurred by the developement of a distinct personality as opposed to the “panoramic” and passive personality of the infant/small child. Separate existence is also completely different from “division” or even “duality”.

The doubt of parents and persons of authority haved touched us and upon impact we are carried into the perception and modus operandi which they themselves inhabit. However, all we carry, whether we are found within the mystery or on its perimeter – is this potentional, this seed – which has its own life, so far as we do not proceed from this interior life, in sleep or wakeful meditation, it is inactive, but a hope of glory – but when the light which is within the man of light shines, it enlightens the entire world. This life of active manifestation is the bringing forth that which is within you, which will save us – from error, from a complete deficiency, a total failure in being spiritual men and women. This is how we “attain” the consent, agreement and participation of the Spirit of God in our lives.

Further in The Apocryphon of John :

“”And when the light had mixed with the darkness, it caused the darkness to shine. And when the darkness had mixed with the light, it darkened the light and it became neither light nor dark, but it became dim.”

Here we may inspect the premise of mixture. Why is distinction, integrity and genius still considered of great value by human beings inhabiting the 21st Century? Perhaps its nostalgia and everything really is one massive Block of Shite; perhaps someone consciously attempts to burrow through, to explode, to dissolve it from the inside, someone who is someone – while stars and pulsars ignite and fade, galaxies appear and collapse – as they are bound to do. Perhaps that someone is either me or you. Perhaps that someone can say something meaningful from his or her predicament. Perhaps this is where language originated.

This is where the descent of the Holy Spirit comes in – and the gift of the tongues.

May we have safe passage through this difficult and most challenging landscape, interior as well as exterior.

Last Sunday`s epistle reading from the Gnostic Lectionary of the Ecclesia Gnostica instilled , from the Great Book of the Mandaeans (the Ginza Rba) in our thoughts, this triple prayer to Divine Reality:

Mildness in which there is no rebellion.

A strong heart to bear both great and small.

Smooth paths to ascend and behold the place of light.

May we attain to these three, and proceed towards our liberation, and in turn, assist in the liberation of our fellow beings.