I am perfectly aware that there has been a long, perhaps loud, silence on my blog the last nine months. It has been an unplanned sabbatical – which gave me a chance to catch up on my studies, work work work, tend to my family, prepare to take over the main responsibilites with the Ecclesia Gnostica ministry

in Oslo, as my good friend, Right Revd.Jan Valentin Saether is going to move to France.
I wish him all the best in that endeavour and hope to be able to visit him and that reciprocally we will meet on an occasional basis here in Oslo. I am deeply grateful for the advice, instruction and friendship I have had with him the last eleven years.It is a really melancholy situation, but put my trust in our dear lady Sophia and the indwelling Logos that I will be able to carry on the work, since thats where my heart is.

I have also had a disillusionment about the phenomenon of “Internet Gnosticism”, I am not accusing anyone of being exclusively “online” in their spirituality and orientation, but do feel that the sense of radical intimacy and communion is better tended “in person” than in some kind of “astral” neverland.

I intend to keep this blog going, but will only write occasional posts on topics that inspires me, specifically Gnostic (I’ll make another blog eventually for “other” topics). Until I write again, I wish you a merry Incarnation of the Divine Logos in and through us.

Pax Pleromae,

Terje

Back in the days, when I were a wild eyed fanatic, freshly emerged from a hermit-like situation with regards to orientation, attitude and reading – I knew two special people who shared my passion for all things Gnostic, Mystical and obscure: Jacob and Teresa.

Jacob arrived first.Jacob is a rock musician and composer of some artistic skill and integrity studying comparative religion at the University of Oslo when we first met. He had just finished a study of the mystical philosophy of Plotin which he had prefaced with a quote from British rock band The Police‘s undying classic Spirits in the Material World, he had also finished the first of by now four albums with his progressive (really, implacable – but thats what Proggrock means to most, after all) rock group White Willow, Ignis Fatuus. Which were followed five years later with a rivetingly beautiful Ex Tenebris, and my favourite Sacrament.

Last year they released Storm Season, I am a bit ashamed to announce I have not been able to get hold of it.

This year White Willow will record their 5th studio album.

I suspect Jacob’s approach has been more eclectic and Hermetic oriented than mine all along, in many ways he has more strings, more references than I can dream of acquiring with regards to the in and outs of our Western culture and its always active spiritual undercurrents. It has something to do with the curiousity and intensity of attention and passion which is inalienably connected with the calling of the artist.

Jacob and Teresa married in 1997 and celebrated with a Gnostic Wedding service at Jacob’s home in Asker, held by Reverend Father Jan Valentin Saether. I was privileged to both be a guest and assist during the ceremony.

Now they are busy parents expectant of no.2 (a daughter, so they have a matching set soon), with a son of 18 months and some.

Teresa is an artist as well, and like her husband, a poetic soul. Its good to see old friends again, even though its just on the net presently.

I am beginning to suspect I am neglecting this blog. Since last I wrote, I am a married man. We had a short but dignified ceremony at the Civil Court in Oslo, and a trip to Gran Canaria with my parents. Atfter that I have been busy trying to find a job, it looks like I am going to get a position at a Library nearby and work until autumn.

Maths exam didn’t go as I hope it would, so I need to get another.

Hope everyone has had a swell holiday season.

Almost three months since last post. Thought I should tell my friends, and other readers of this blog that I am currently doing final exams, qualifying me for studies in Library and Information Studies at the University College of Oslo, it is going very well – but it takes basically all my time.

On Friday the 9th December we (me and my fiancee May) will celebrate ourselves (5 years together) and marry at the Civil court in Oslo, I hope for good weather and good cheer. The original plan were to do it next summer, but when things are going so well, why wait any more?

From January onwards to August the plan is to get a job in a library, collection or archive somewhere in the vicinity.

Last exam is on Monday the 5th December, the one I have dreaded the most due to complexes I contracted early on in my education – Maths, but I feel I shall do better than I have done ever before with the topic.

Not sure how much posting I will be able to do after this, but will at least try to catch up with some correspondence and reply to comments.

I am not sure if I have told you all, but I am trying to qualify for the University College in Oslo and a bachelorate of Library Science. To reach that end I have to take up all the courses that slipped me by when I took a crafts education for culinary arts.

That means at the end of this semester and the next I will have to pass, with good grades, 11 finishing exams. This semester 6.. I am halfway and got my second, at all, grade A, yesterday..

It was gratifying to feel that the censor and examiner listened attentatively and interested to what I had to say about the reasons and consequences of the First World War (the European war, that is), while feeling quite unprepared and nervy. Being on edge apparently works for me, as I have found that working under pressure is much better than having a loose deadline on everything.

Everywhere in this country people don their best folk costumes and march to the tune of Souza&c, it is the day for the children, for overconsumption of sausages and icecream, for messy toddlers in their sunday best running around screaming at the top of their lungs, “Hurra Hurra Hurra for syttende Mai!”. In front of the King’s Palace a great mass of people waving flags, a tricolor of red and blue and white, a huge blue cross upon a white cross upon a red background. This is the 100th Constitution Day celebration in a free, independent scandinavian Country. In 1905 “we” separated from the Union with Sweden, 91 problematic and confusing years since the country was given away by the War comittee after the Napoleon wars, which the country was forced into by the British, on account of them bombarding the Danish-Norwegian merchant fleet and causing the arrogant Danish king to side with Napoleon Bonaparte… In 1814 we got our constitution which explicitly said all official documents and legislation be written in _Norwegian_, a language, at the time, nonexistent. Far away in an unforseeable past, beyond the days of the Black Plague which only left a quarter of the population alive.. people spoke and wrote another language, the language of the sagas and the vikings.. now we don folk costumes designed with a German folk inspiration, for a few centuries we have pretended the “best” of our culture has been unqiue, different from the other Northern European cultures, very different from the Swedish and the Danish… ha!

But we need invention, we need grand fantasies, we need to build up an identity.. apparently. Im having a great allergic reaction to the gloriously bright green Birch trees present everywhere, painting every surface green with pollen.

Happy National Day, indeed.

I have been knocked out by influenza and haven’t been able to attend the Easter services at the Chapel. I have been able to observe my lent fast, though..despite all other infirmities.

My thoughts have been all over the place, in front of me there is a rather stressfull period of mock exams until the real going from the end of April all the way to July. 6 in all. And that is only the first semester. I have been reading a lot, mostly Recent History, English curriculum and Norwegian (mainly Literary History from medieval times until today..its a hoot, I promise you)..precious little time to sit down in front of the computer and jot down some lines on the Blog.

Oh well, Im sure I’ll get a chance a little later. In the meantime, March marches out of view. On the plus side spring is finally catching hold with some sunshine and disappearing ice and snow.

On March 16th we had a service for the Cathar Martyrs at Montsegur and I suppose I will get better so I can attend Low Sunday service next Sunday.

I am now in the progress of packing up and leaving the Zoological Museum in Oslo. Its been a pleasant, interesting stay. A lot of work, a lot of research; a lot of hours in front of a monitor… I am onto better things, I suppose.