DeConick A.D

190
GNOSTIC ALTERED STATES
images of the primal deity as an ouroboros, a snake encircling itself with
its tail in its mouth (see Mastrocinque 2005).
Marsanes (NHC X.1 25.18–39.25), another Sethian text, has an entire
section devoted to the spherical sound of different divinities, including
souls. The text records different vowel patterns, including diphthongs,
semivowels, and double vowels, that are associated with different beings.
Consonant combinations are also referenced. Stress on different syllables,
beat, and pitch all are covered in this handbook on the language of creation.
These vowel and consonant combinations are the roots of all of
creation, from the transcendent realm to our world. Their vocalization
brings all of life into being. They must be learned carefully and used wisely
because they are so creatively potent.
These vowel vocalizations were not something the Sethians made up
out of thin air. For centuries, Egyptian priests had used the pronunciation
of the seven vowels to guarantee heaven’s harmony. One ancient text relates,
“When the priests in Egypt are singing their hymns in praise of their
gods, they utter the seven vowels in due succession” (Pseudo-Demetrius,
On Style 71; see Quispel 2000, 208). This practice was very popular in
antiquity, found in many magical spells from Egyptian and Greek sources.
The ancient people believed that vowel chanting helped maintain order in
the universe, heal their bodies, and compel powerful divinities to do their
bidding (Frankfurter 1994; Dieleman 2005, 64–80).
Another type of chant that we discover in the Sethian materials is the
snore, Z-A or Z-Ô or Z-Ê. This mantra is used to imitate the highest
God in the pantheon of Sethian divinities, the father of life itself. In Allogenes
the Stranger (NHC XI.3 53.33–37), it is the sound of the invisible
spirit who is at rest and silent. He continually utters the sound of sleep:
zza zza zza . As the Sethian initiate moves into the transcendent realms,
he likewise makes a snoring sound, to imitate the deity. One such snoring
mantra plays off the sound of the word zoê (life). The mantra uses a nasal
Z followed by the sound of an exhale, which is made with several vowel
variations (Zostrianos NHC VIII.1 127.1–3):
Light [Phôs]! Life [ Zoê ]!
Z-ÊOÊ Z-ÊOÊ
Z-ÔSI Z-ÔSI
Z-AÔ