Theos-Talk Archives (December 2009 Message tt00154)

Brad, 
Thanks for your reply and comments. Well the way I had exposure to the Gnostic and the Ogdoad was through the works of G. R. S. Mead who was the personal secretary to Madame Blavatsky, which would indicate to me at least that he was in some significant manner recognized 
as to his capacities of intellect. Mead is one of the only Theosophists of that time that was recognized by the world Academic community for his precursor works of the Gnostic Traditions. I might recommend to anyone his excellent work "Fragments of A Faith Forgotten" ( FFF ) a most replete survey of the Gnostic sects written for the reader level with many "helps" profuse with notes and definitions and linguistic correlates. This work is divided into two Primary parts or divisions: 

1. The Gnosis According to it's Foes ( the statements of the early Church) 

2. The Gnosis according to it's Friends ( the Legacy of the remnents of Codexes, and Gnostic traditions, Theogeny, Religious Philosophy. World Drama, Cosmogony. And the Historical statements of the renowned Historians, Philosophers and Recorders of anitquity. 

One particular element Mead restores by his gnostic publishments and studys is the figure of the "Demiurgos" who has receded into the dark closets of antiquity viz our modern evolvement. The Demiurgos is the "Creator Diety" of the Manifested Creation in the old system. Named ass Yaldabaoth in most Gnostic literature but commonly identified with "Yahway" of the hebrew as he is "The Jealous God who punishes with wrath ." filling the criteria neccesary viz the "secondary " world, The world creation of matter energy, space, and time existing of dualist projection. The best way is to read Mead's "Pistis Sophia" a treasury of knowledge restored by Mead. Due to the lasp in the teaching of the doctrine of a Demiurgos western societys rely upon diety without intermediary to explain the consequences of creation. It is the Gnostic Drama, the Spiritual Play of Life that is proferred to readers in the Pistis Sophia. Someday some excellent intellect will realize what a wonderful Movie the Drama Play of the Pistis Sophia would be. The use of the Demiurgos (the generable diety) the (1), and the Archons ( the Seven Rulers), the (7). 

"The "flesh" is the Hyle (the Hebdomad of Baselides) ; the "soul" is that of the Demiurgos ( the "material" force of the aetheric spaces, the Ogdoad of Baselides ); the Demiurgos hangs from the Spirit, which from one point of view is the Great Limit or Boundary, separating the Pleroma, or world of reality, from the Kenoma or phenomenal universe, and from another is Sophia or Wisdom, in the Kingdom of the Midst. thus the Demiurgos hangs from Sophia ; Sophia from the Great Boundary or Horos ( a further differentiation of the Baselidian simple idea of the Great Firmament ) Horos from the Pleroma, the Blessed Treasure of the aeons ; and this world of ideas, or Living Aeon, from the Abyss or Great Depth, the Father, the God beyond being." FFF pages 307-8. 

BTW, Mead is probably the only Author I know who had courage to place the "Index" and "Bibliography" at the front of the Book. 

I will give some sources in a second post on the Chaldean. 

Regards, 
John 











----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brad Crawford" <thot369@yahoo.com> 
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 10:06:47 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Theos-World Re:ten 






John 
Thanks for the info. Yes, HPB too issued a teaching recognizing the seven, and three Supernals, of the Decad. I am not really familiar with the 
" Ogdoadic" tradition, adhered to by some western schools, if memory is correct, Fraternity of the Hidden Light, may be one school which 
follows an " Ogdoadic" tradition. I may be mistaken, though. That name keeps going-round in my mind. 
I would like to know more of a " Chaldean Qabalah" of eight Sephiroth. Morten seems to keep referring to it, but I still don't find evidence 
of such but, I suspect there is very much out there that I am unaware of. 

yours, in L.V.X. 
brad 

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