Tradition
Gnosticism
Era · 1st–4th century CE → modern revivalRegion · Eastern Mediterranean → global esoteric streams
A constellation of early-Christian and pre-Christian sects teaching that liberation comes from gnosis — direct, experiential knowledge that the material world is a flawed copy of a higher pleroma, and the spark of the divine lies within.
Core beliefs
- 01A hidden, ineffable God beyond the creator.
- 02The Demiurge: a lesser, often ignorant fabricator of the material world.
- 03Sophia: divine wisdom whose fall is the cosmic drama.
- 04Salvation through knowledge of one's true origin.
Practices
- Sacred reading (Nag Hammadi texts, Pistis Sophia)
- Initiatory rites
- Symbolic interpretation of scripture
- Awakening from the 'sleep' of forgetfulness
Key figures
- · Valentinus
- · Basilides
- · Mary Magdalene (in Gnostic gospels)
Bridges to other traditions
- Gnosis ↔ jnana ↔ direct knowing
- Sophia ↔ Shakti ↔ Holy Spirit (feminine)
Go deeper into Gnosticism
Have the Oracle walk through Gnosticism in depth — its core insight, its practices, and the places it converges with other paths.
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