Introduction to Sophian Gnosticism Study Guide - Magdalene Circle

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A Companion is a person who wishes to come along-side the Bishop/Priest/Deacon as a spiritual friendto learn and serve the tradition. A Companion is a student and a co-worker in the spiritual work of thegroup.Three Fold Rite of InitiationThe Three Fold Rite of Initiation is a beautiful ceremony where the initiate is into anatural setting and initiated into the tradition. The three fold rite consists ofBaptism, Chrism, & Wedding Feast. Baptism is usually performed by immersion inrunning water such as a stream or river to represent the death and rebirth into the“true self”; Chrism is anointing with oil to symbolize the fiery intelligence of theHoly Spirit coming upon the initiate; and Wedding Feast is a rite with bread andwine that resembles the Orthodox Eucharist, but is used to represent the unity allhave with God through the Bridal Chamber.Rite of ReceptionOnce an initiate has undergone the Three Fold Rite of Initiation, they can ask theirteacher to receive them as a Companion of the circle. If the teacher agrees, then aRite of Reception is performed where the spiritual teacher accepts the initiate andthey are formally accepted into the body of the Circle/Study Group.Basic Sophian BeliefsThe Name of JesusMuch can be said about the name of Jesus. Jesus is actually the Greek version of his name.In Aramaic, the language he and his disciples spoke, his name would have actually beenYeshua. Many Gnostic traditions use the Aramaic version because it is what he would haveactually been called during his incarnation. Jesus/Yeshua is the same name as Joshua(Yehoshua) from the Old Testament. The difference being that the Hebrew name in the OldTestament was translated as Joshua, and it was translated from Greek in the NewTestament as Jesus.In the New Testament it is said that the name of Yeshua has power and can banish dark andunclean spirits. The question is what is the meaning of this name and why would it have power? Yeshua inHebrew is spelled Yod – Heh – Shin – Vav – Heh. This is very similar to the divine name of God, YHWH, which isspelled Yod – Heh – Vav – Heh. In Kabbalah, YHWH is considered the Great Name of God and in the Judaictradition it is so holy that it is not to be spoken aloud. So, as we can see above, the name of Yeshua is the sameas YHWH with the addition of the letter Shin in the middle. Calling YHWH a name is actually sort of deceptive. Itis more a designation than a name and is actually a verb instead of a noun. YHWH means “That which was, isand forever shall be”. This can be taken to indicate a divine being but also means a force or the Life Power.That being said, the name Yeshua literally translates to “YHWH delivers” or “The truth will set you free”. TheShin in Yeshua’s name is very significant because it most often refers to the Holy Spirit (or Shekinah). This
Shekinah is the power and presence of God within and beyond creation. This implies that the name Yeshuasignifies an embodiment of this consciousness force and that Gnosis comes by embodying this force.Secret KnowledgeThe willingness to seek direct spiritual experience is the foundation of all mystical traditions. This is the heart ofSophian Gnosticism. The idea of “secret knowledge” is simply because it is impossible to tell someone the innerteachings because one has to experience them for oneself. In the Gospels (traditional and Gnostic), Yeshuahimself speaks of “inside” and “outside” knowledge. Here is a passage from the Gospel of Matthew:Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Heanswered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but tothem it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have anabundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. Thereason I speak to them in parables is that seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they donot listen, nor do they understand.”Here Yeshua speaks of outsiders and insiders, and he indicates the distinction is that the insider has someexperience of Gnosis. This does not preclude anyone from becoming an insider. Gnosis is not limited by God orman, but by the individual and their desire for spiritual experience.The Living YeshuaThe Gospel of St. Thomas begins with the statement: “These are the secret sayingswhich the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Thomas Judas wrote down.” It thencontinues to say, “And he said, ‘Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayingswill not experience death.’”The name Living Yeshua is common among Christian Gnostics because it denotes theRisen Christ. If one reads all of the Gnostic Gospels, they will find that almost all ofthem claim that their origin is from the Risen Yeshua, implying that the teachings arefrom a spiritual or visionary experience. This also implies a direct and personal experience of the Christos.The very nature of the Living Yeshua is not an experience rooted in the past. This is an ongoing experience andmakes Gnostic Christianity a living tradition that grows and evolves.TraditionThe word tradition in the English language has come to mean something fixed and makes one think of doctrineor creed. This is not the case with Gnostic Christianity. Sophian Gnosticism is a living tradition that is rooted intransmission of wisdom and enlightenment. Our tradition represents a body of teachings and practices that aidsinitiates in their ability to enter into direct and personal gnostic experience.In the tradition, a Priest (outer branch teacher), Bishop (outer branch spiritual leader), Elder (inner branchspiritual leader), or Tau (inner branch head of the Tradition) is an initiate who has acquired Gnosis of the LivingYeshua and who embodies something of Christ consciousness. In fact, all Gnostic initiates to the degree thatthey have achieved something of a higher consciousness, embody something of a living presence ofenlightenment.
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Introduction to Sophian Gnosticism Study Guide - Magdalene Circle

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