By Anders Sandberg
The Gnostics have a long history as the enfant terrible of the Celestial Chorus. They have contributed to more schisms and strife than anybody else inside or outside the tradition. The Celestial Chorus have in fact spent much time and energy in eradicating this sub-tradition to the brink of extinction. At the same time the Gnostics have paradoxically helped create the modern teachings of the Chorus, and influenced the Order of Hermes and Cult of Ecstasy profoundly.
The Gnostics were a loose collection of cults, with seemingly no connection. These cult ranged from orgiastic sex-cults which would have shocked even Cult of Ecstasy, to groups of ascetics more strict than even the strictest Akashic Brotherhood. They all concerned themselves with the mystical experience, Gnosis, as opposed to mere faith, Pistis. This led them to mock all organised religions, by writing parodies of their holy writings, infiltrating them and spreading misinformation and by breaking the taboos of the religions. The Gnostics were true anarchists of the spirit. They saw all other religions as encouraging enslavement to priesthoods and secular powers with their legal and moral strictures. Against these things they ranged their cosmological jokes, their anti-morality and their magick.
As Christianity rose to power a great struggle began between the Gnostics and the Christian mages. They used every available mean against each other, both mundane and magickal. Slowly the Christians gained the upper hand, by using the secular powers of the East-Roman empire against the Gnostic sects, removing Gnostic parts of the scriptures and killing the Gnostics as heretics. Soon the Gnostic movement was almost crushed.
Many Gnostics fled to Order of Hermes, Cult of Ecstasy and the Cabalists. Some repented and joined the Celestial Chorus. But many went underground, and continued to spread their teachings in secret sects. These sects spread to every part of the empire in spite of persecution by the authorities. Gnostic thoughts infiltrated other sects and groups. Gnostics are rumoured to have infiltrated the Templars.
During the middle ages some of the Gnostics began to work more openly again. They thought that the days of persecution was at an end as they saw how the Celestial Chorus began directing its forces against the Order of Hermes instead. These Gnostics were behind the Cathars and the Albigensians. For a while they were left alone, and began to feel secure. But then the Church attacked with full force, and they fled or were destroyed. The same thing happened with the Templars and countless other groups. This was the last time the Gnostics tried to work openly, and the end of their infiltration.
Still, the Gnostics have had a very real influence on magick today. They have subtly influenced the traditions they have been assimilated into. Even if many mages in the Chorus will not admit it, the Gnostics have influenced their thoughts very much. The Cabala is filled with Gnostic ideas and symbols. And the Cabalists have in turn influenced most of Order of Hermes, especially the Enochians who use a very Gnostic worldview.
There are still small sects around the world influenced by Gnostics. Hermetic-Gnostic ideas are common among occult groups today around the world. Gnostics may have influenced the Islamic mystics and some sects in the middle east. Pure Gnostic groups are rare, and in Western Europe the sects have been almost completely crushed.
In eastern Europe the Gnostic thoughts still flourish among some religious sects, as they have done for a long time. Most of these sects belong to the lunatic fringe, and have forgotten most of the Gnostic teachings. The Skoptsers castrated themselves to show their denial of the flesh, while other sects celebrated orgies. It is possible that Rasputin was a Gnostic, or influenced by them.
Exactly how the Infinite fragmented itself and descended into existence with matter was the subject of unending debate among the Gnostics. They had many theories; Some were allegories of the process in sexual terms. Some were allegories for human psychology. Some were excuses to heap ridicule on other religions. Some were attempts to ridicule the idea of understanding the process with the mind at all. In constructing these theories, they produced a varied and colourful intermediate magickal world of various Aeons and Archons between this world and the Ultimate.
The Ultimate gave rise to a number of Aeons, usually thirty. These Aeons are sometimes regarded as periods of time, sometimes as worlds surrounding the physical universe, sometimes as spiritual principles or principalities, and often as all three at the same time. The Aethers of the Enochians correspond with this idea, as does the Sephiroth of the Cabala. Each Aeon has its Archon, or ruler, created by internal tensions in the Aeons. In other systems, ultimate reality itself is the First Archon and from this a number of Archons, usually seven, the Hebdomad, evolved by a process called Ennoia. Ennoia means that each Archon creates another, lower Archon by projecting its thoughts into the lower planes consciously or unconsciously, creating an inferior image of itself ("And God created man in His image")
Somehow from these cosmic principles the force responsible for this world arose. This is variously called the Demiurge, Ialdaboath the blind god, Sabaoth, Iao and many other names. Sometimes this principle is sevenfold and identified with the astrological planets. This force was often depicted as androgynous with an animal head. Ialdaboath was often identified with the horned god of the witches, known to the Templars as Baphomet and to the Christians as the Devil. It created the material world and the living beings, into which the Highest breathed the spark of life.
The Gnostics sometimes contradictory attitudes to material life were a direct result of their Gnosis and their cosmological speculations. Having experienced the spark of infinite within, they realised that they could not be touched by anything, and that they were free to do anything at all. Some considered some forms of activities more likely to obscure the vital spark and other forms more likely to liberate it. Some were libertines, some ascetics. Often they chose to be the opposite of the prevailing customs. The material world was considered evil, corrupt and imperfect because of its impermanence. Only the vital spark was immortal and would reincarnate until it achieved union with the Infinite, either at the end of the universe or by liberating itself in the meantime.
Many Gnostics believed that they had to understand the deepest depths of human behaviour in order to ascend. No act should be too vile to do for a true mage. It is possible that some of the crimes the inquisition accused heretics for, was in fact distorted descriptions of actual Gnostic practices. And since the Gnostics always thumbed their noses at authority, they tried to make the Church even more upset by actually doing some of things they were accused of.
Many Gnostics believed in personal ascension, like the marauders (This have led mages to accuse the Gnostics of being crypto- marauders) The mage should devote himself completely into The Great Work, to free the Infinite inside him. The rest of humanity was unimportant or a hinder for this quest. Other Gnostics argued that the whole of mankind would ascend together, and the role of the mages was to prepare the way for this joyful event.
Now you are confused. That's good. The next step towards true gnosis is to understand that you are living inside a great illusion, which you call the universe. If you could open your eyes, you would see what the world *really* looks like, not just some second rate imitation like this world. We are prisoners in a prison made of mirrors and smoke. If you could only for an instant see the Truth, the whole world would crumble into dust and you would ascend into Infinity. Or you would go comfortably insane.
When you have understood that everything around you is a bad imitation of the higher planes created by a incompetent god, you will be able to enjoy it. To ascend, you have to descend. Descend into the nethermost depths of pleasure, pain and degeneration, and you will find the most sublime truths. Ascend into the highest aethers, and you will find rude jokes scrawled on the walls.
Gnosis is used for Spirit, Prime and Life. The mage must achieve an altered state of consciousness to use these spheres. Gnostics use extreme pleasure, pain, concentration, fasting, suffocation, fear, anger, sleeplessness, drugs, magick or other means to achieve this state. Most methods are quite drastic. The most important thing is that the mage can achieve gnosis, not the exact method.
The other spheres are represented using small statues or symbols, depicting different gods, powers and spirits. These may be common in the culture of the Gnostic, or by a purely Gnostic symbol. Correspondence may be represented by a statue of Hermes, Time by an amulet with Ourobos (The snake that bites its own tail. A very old Gnostic symbol) , Forces by a statue of Abraxas (A god with lion-head, wings and a snake coiled around his body) and Matter by a statue of Ialdaboath the horned god. Clay is sometimes used for Matter instead of a statue. The mage forms the desired thing out of clay, like the Demiurge who created the world.
"Our cause is a secret in a secret, the secret of something that is concealed, a secret which can only be explained by another secret, it is a secret about a secret which is satisfied by another secret."
Alchemists: Wonderful. At least some hermetics have understood at least something. While bound to the material world, they have realised the need for evolution to higher levels. Too bad they try to do it by mixing things together.
Cabalists: Our friends have understood some of our ideas, but tend to be too formal to understand the really important lessons. If they burned their books and temples, threw away their foci and blinded themselves, they might see the real truth. Or just become poor.
Celestial Chorus: They have persecuted us the last 1700 years. They have burned us as heretics, enslaved the minds of millions and covered the light of the Infinite in layer upon layer of rituals and dogma. And yet they believe almost exactly the same things as we do. The longer they fight us, the more they become like us. Soon they will have become Gnostics completely. Wonderful. Who will we fight then? Perhaps we should become like the Celestial Chorus.
Cult of Ecstasy: They seek true gnosis, but are too wild to find it. If they tried the joys of fasting, pain and humility they might find it.
Discordians: Are we the founders of this tradition? Or, perhaps they founded us in our misty past? Or maybe we have founded each other. The snake Ourobos bites its own tail, eternal just like the Sacred Chao.
Dreamspeakers: Primitive and too involved with the world of matter and the lower Aeons. They do not even realise that their dear Goddess is the Demiurge, who have imprisoned them. Instead of struggling against Her, they worship Her instead.
Euthanatos: Interesting ideas, but far too dogmatic. How do they really know who is ready? And does their victims really reincarnate? Does the Kia really exist? They have taken us too seriously. Get a life, preferably with the owners permission.
Hollow Ones: The primal spark shines in unexpected places. Perhaps a sign of a new dawn, or the last sunlight before the great night. These mages are interesting, but unfocused and without any real drive.
Necromancers: They don't know it, but Abd Al Azrad was probably one of us. An interesting question: Is his book a big joke on the poor necromancers, or does it really contain any truth? After all, he had a really warped sense of humour.
Order of Hermes: Our friends the Cabalists have thaught them a lot, but nothing useful. The try to understand how magick and the universe really work. Good, we try to do that too. But we also use our knowledge outside the dusty library. The Hermetics, followers of the Thrice Damned Hermes, should get some fresh air.
Sons of Ether and Virtual Adepts: Petty demiurges. They rule their own toy-worlds of matter and illusions, believing themselves to be gods. They are completely ignorant, and have sunk into the mud too deep to be saved.
Trenchcoaters: Gnosis may be achieved in many ways. They are a living proof of that, by becoming mages against their wills. Too bad they do not use their power for much else than protection of "normality", instead of trying to liberate themselves and the world.
Verbena: The are so delighted with the world of matter that they try to drag everything down into it with them. And they are good at it too.
[ Many Gnostics combine it with other spheres, depending on knowledge, to achieve a even more complete vision. ]
The Voice (Mind 2): The mage give his voice a tone of authority and power, making it hard to resist orders or suggestions made. Whatever the mage says, it will be remembered. Many Gnostics use the Voice in teaching or to gather followers.
[ Each success add one dice to social rolls. To resist an direct order from the mage the victim must succeed in a willpower roll with a target number equal to the mages willpower (suitably modified. A direct, simple order as "drop it!" will increase the target number, while a complex or dangerous order will decrease it) ]
Visionquest (Mind 3 Spirit 2): (Also known as Vision Thing among the Hollow Ones). The mage puts himself into a state of gnosis by intoxication, fasting, pain or pleasure. As the mage sinks into a trance, he will begin to see visions of the world around him, the Umbra and his own mind. The world seems to become fluid in the perception of the mage, constantly changing and reforming. If the mage concentrates on a problem or a question the visions will begin to reflect this. Using a visionquest, a mage can understand the secret connections and symbols he normally wouldn't understand. Unfortunately the mage seldom remember anything about what he saw afterwards, and becomes very incoherent during the quest, which severely limit the use of the rote. Many Gnostics use their acolytes to write down what they see during their visions, and afterwards try to understand what they discovered. A mage undergoing a visionquest is in serious danger from his subconscious, which may erupt into his visions if it contains strong negative emotions, traumas or illnesses. Some spirits may also seize the opportunity to enter the mages consciousness as his defences are down.
[ During the vision the mages dream, intuition, enigmas, cosmology and occult are increased by the number of successes. On the other hand, willpower and all social and mental attributes are halved (round down). This should really be roleplayed. ]