Of Baalim and Ashtaroth, those male, |
| 1. What is the Gnostic Witch Bible? | 2. The Purpose of This Site |
| 3. Who is Lucifer? | 4. The Mission of Lucifer |
| 5. The Divine Androgyne | 6. Endnotes |
What is the Gnostic Witch Bible?The phrase "Gnostic Witch Bible" is used in an attempt to define the meaning and purpose of this site. This is a site of gnosis, a word borrowed from the Greek language which means "to know." In classical times this word had a spiritual meaning of having a secret understanding of Life. Merriam-Webster says of gnosis that it is, "esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth held by the ancient Gnostics to be essential to salvation." 1 This is also a site of witchcraft, as the author is a perpetual student in the "Craft of the Wise." 2 Finally, this site is a bible, which has an archaic meaning of a compilation of small books. 3
This is a site of religion in the most honest rendering of the word possible back to the Latin root religio meaning to re-link with divinity by means of "supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice." 4 This is the religion of one person which is distinctly possible according to Merriam-Webster's second definition of the word as "a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices." 5 The views and thoughts presented here constitute "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith." 6 The point of this site is to organize the author's religious understandings and theories. It is made public via the Web in case some truth or wisdom that has helped the author can help someone else. Honest religion is a long but rewarding path which lasts a lifetime (at least) and it is hoped that some element of the Gnostic Witch Bible can aid another's search for satisfying religion.
It needs to be said that this site claims to be a Gnostic Christian one, but only in a heretical manner. There is no belief being put forward here that a corporeal man was God and died for all sins, thus saving all baptized souls. That is the doctrine of orthodox Judeo-Christianity. The first dictionary definition of the term Christian states only that to be a Christian means "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ." 7 The man whose name is translated into English as Jesus was very wise and had many things of a positive nature to say, such as the Golden Rule. 8 As part of the Christology presented here an appreciation for what that man said is had. Thus by the first definition of the word Christian, the belief in the teachings of Jesus, this is a Gnostic Christian site.
That being said, this site is a dedicated, harmonious blending of the Catholic heresy of Gnosticism and the Catholic heresy of Witchcraft through the study of Lucifer. The Gnostic Witch Bible, in combining the heresies of Gnosticism and Witchcraft, puts forth that there is esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth that is essential to salvation and this truth is used by the Gnostic Witch to possibly commune with Lucifer and also to enact the will through the use of magic. 9
The Gnostic Witch Bible is a workbook that is used in the author's personal studies. There is no cult or coven to join. There are no lessons or teachings to be had other than what knowledge or wisdom one gains from perusing this site. This is not an attempt to proselytize the reader to abandon their own religion for the views discussed here. Sources of influence in the creation of the Gnostic Witch Bible include Strega (Italian Witchcraft), Aleister Crowley's Thelema, classical Gnosticism, the witch-craze of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, some demonology, and some elements of Judeo-Christianity, particularly the angelology. It is important to note that due to the inclusion of Christian elements it is accurate to refer to this as a Christian as well as Pagan form of Witchcraft.
The viewpoints expressed here are definitely not within the mainstream of the Judeo-Christian, Wiccan/New Age Witchcraft, nor even Luciferian communities. This site is not about modern Satanism. Satanism is the recognition of an evil masculine energy that is a derivation of the Zoroastrian Angra Mainyu/Ahriman and is a part of the Judeo-Christian system. That being said, this site, as a Gnostic Christian one, is about Lucifer as our missing, much maligned, androgynous Goddess. Lucifer will be referred to here as feminine throughout, though this is only done to balance the overly masculine, villainized perspective that has been fostered in Judeo-Christianity. This site traces back the Goddess energy to before the ascension of the Church of Rome. The masculine side of Lucifer will not be ignored, however, such as the Judeo-Christian image of Lucifer, the Greco-Roman perception of Phosphoros/Lucifer and the Mesoamerican Plumed Serpent best known as Quetzalcóatl. Leave conventional definitions and opinions aside, please, until after gaining a clear understanding of this Luciferian blend of the heresy of Witchcraft with the heresy of Gnosticism.
The Purpose of This SiteThe purpose of this site is to examine the esoteric meaning of the Lucifer myth and to celebrate those things that are Luciferian. While this is being done the idea of a feminine side of Lucifer will be examined with comparisons to the Gnostic Aeon Sophia, the concept of the Middle Eastern Queen of Heaven, and other Venusian principles of femininity. An evaluation of Lucifer in regard to the terms "Satan" and "Devil" will be discussed. The relationship of Lucifer with the concept of deity will be looked at. Finally, the connection Lucifer has with Witchcraft and Gnosis will be studied.
In addition to the gnoses of Lucifer there are writings of a mystical nature. Some of these writings are original and are unique to the Gnostic Witch Bible. Famous works by well known authors are included. Additional writings by other modern writers can be found too.
As well as these works there are writings that can be seen as being distinctly spiritual in nature. Forgotten gospels are included. Hymns in praise of Luciferian forces, both modern and ancient, are here. Apocryphal writings of ancient times are also included.
Information that is relevant to the study at hand will be found in the appendices. This material is not directly related to the message of this website but does bear some meaning. Currently there is an article on the subject of the Gospel of Philip and how it explains the Valentinian Gnostic mysteries/sacraments.
Who is Lucifer?The accepted orthodox Christian myth of the Fall of Lucifer was begun by the Church Father Origen who lived in the second and third centuries C.E. Origen taught that passages in Ezekiel (28:12-19), Isaiah (14:12), and Job (41:1-2) contained esoteric meaning and showed the tale of the fall of a prince among angels and his followers. 10 This event was said to take place before the creation of our physical universe and the sin that caused this was one of Pride, the "willingness to substitute their own will for that of God." 11
The basic elements of the Fall of Lucifer were now in place except for one, the name Lucifer itself. This part of the myth was added by the Church Father Jerome who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. Jerome was the man who translated the orthodox Bible into the Latin Vulgate. In the process the name Lucifer found its way into the myth of the Fall of the angels. The name Lucifer can only be found in the Book of Isaiah in the passage cited by Origen as having esoteric meaning concerning the Fall of the angels (14:12).
The idea of Lucifer as a real being is a central tenet of the Gnostic Witch Bible. Exactly what form of being is for each individual to decide for him or herself. There are three forms of intelligence that Lucifer can be said to assume. These are: as a thought form within the collective unconscious, as an inferior divine power under the yoke of Jehovah, and as a superior divine power who is autonomous of Jehovah.
So what does this mean? Lucifer as a thought form is an interesting notion. The classical Gnostics wrote in the Gospel of Philip 71.35-72.11. This passage says, "God created man. [... men] create God. That is the way it is in the world. - men make gods and worship their creation. It would be fitting for the gods to worship men!" 12 According to this line of thought deities may only be thought constructs that dwell within our collective unconscious. This is a somewhat atheistic outlook, however. The perspective that Lucifer is an inferior power under the yoke of Jehovah is the orthodox stance in Judeo-Christianity and is considered here. The idea that we make our gods as well as being created ourselves does not exclude the concept of polytheism. This allows for the idea of Lucifer as a superior divine power who is autonomous of Jehovah in a polytheistic world. This is the stance that will be taken in the Gnostic Witch Bible.
The Mission of LuciferLucifer is not the incarnation of absolute evil, but rather a being of Light who wakes us up from our amnesia of the higher realms. Lucifer wants to make the scales fall from our eyes so that we may truly see the world for what it is.
Traditionally Lucifer is associated with the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. The message shared is from Genesis (3:5) and is well known, "For God knows that when you eat of it (the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 13 A Luciferian believes that divinity is not only to be found in the world around us or in some god who resides outside our universe. We ourselves are divine. The mission of Lucifer is to be the Light-Bringer who opens our eyes both to the Light of the Alien Deity above and that within ourselves. 14
This realization of our own divinity is reminiscent of classical Gnosticism. To the classic Gnostics we must realize our place in the higher realms of the Pleroma which means "fullness." We must free ourselves from the shackles of this world and strive to escape this lesser creation to exist in the harmony of the Pleroma. At the same time, paradoxically, we must learn to embrace that which is good in this world for that is a reflection of the perfection of the Pleroma.
The Alien Deity is foreign to our existence, neither its creator nor its keeper. It is the Source of all that is or ever can be. Lucifer whispers to us this secret so that we can escape from the prison that is this universe which is created by the Elohim. The attempt to rise above this limited world and claim a throne is symbolic of the mission to be free of Jehovah's influence. Lucifer, like the rest of us, seeks to reach the higher realm of the Pleroma but the Light of divinity that shines within each of us restrains Lucifer from leaving. This angel of mercy, the loftiest of archangels remains to see that each of us escape too. And Lucifer does so with pride.
The Divine AndrogyneLucifer is popularly viewed as a masculine being. This is due to the decision of the early Church to use the masculine pronoun when writing about Lucifer. Russell says, "Christian theologians have traditionally argued that the Devil, being an angel, has no specific sex." 15
As has been said, Lucifer will be referred to in the Gnostic Witch Bible as feminine as part of the process to show a benevolent side to Her. There are numerous examples in history where Lucifer takes on a feminine form. In addition to divinities that often had an androgynous side, such as the Babylonian Ishtar and Egyptian Neith, there is a hermetic work which spells it out very clearly. It is a work called "On God's Bisexuality" said to be by Hermes Trismegistus. It says:
Asclepius: You say then, Trismegistus, that God is bisexual?
Trismegistus: Yes, Asclepius; and not God alone, but all kinds of beings, whether endowed with soul or soulless. Nothing that exists can be barren; for if all things that now exist are deprived of fertility, it will be impossible for the now existing races to endure forever. I tell you that God eternally generates the Cosmos, and that the Cosmos possesses generative power, and thereby maintains all races that have come into being. For either sex is filled with procreative force; and in that conjunction of the two sexes, or, to speak more truly, that fusion of them into one, which may be rightly named Eros, or Aphrodite, or both at once, there is a deeper meaning than man can comprehend. It is a truth to be accepted as sure and evident above all other truths, that by God, the Master of all generative and power, has been devised and bestowed upon all creatures this sacrament of eternal reproduction, with all the affection, all the joy and gladness, all the yearning, and the heavenly love that are inherent in its being. 16
The notion of Lucifer as the androgynous godhead is foreign to popular understanding but does have a modern precedent. In Aradia: the Gospel of the Witches the goddess Diana is said to be the sister of Lucifer. She is the Darkness to His Light which becomes the Sun and the Moon. They are at the same time separate and united beings. Obviously this tale does not hold true to either of these deities' classical myths. But it does show a belief in Lucifer as the source of Light shining down on us all as an intertwined being with Diana. The Luxifer(a) Research Group recognizes the connection between Lucifer and Diana but sees Lucifer(a) as the Divine Androgyne in His/Her own right. They say, "The conjunction of the God and Goddess is called the God(dess) or Luxifer(a) (The Divine Androgyne)." 17 Occult writer Boyd Rice sees Lucifer in a feminine light as the partner of Archangel Michael. He says, "The feminine nature of Lucifer, they claim, is the reason why 'he' is identified as Venus, the Morning Star, and has been synonymous with characteristics traditionally deemed female, such as instinct, beauty, pride, and of course, temptation." 18 To balance out the masculine image of Lucifer this site will be investigating His/Her feminine side.
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Endnotes 1. "gnosis." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2006.
http://www.merriam-webster.com / (10 April 2006).
2. There is no linguistic connection between the words "witch" and "wise" or "wisdom" and, therefore, it is incorrect to define witchcraft as "the craft of the wise" according to Jeffrey Russell, A History of Witchcraft (London: Thames & Hudson, Ltd., 1980; reprint, 2002), 12, 177. The phrase "Craft of the Wise," abbreviated as simply "The Craft," capitalized, has caught on within the modern study of witchcraft, however, and so it is retained for use within the Gnostic Witch Bible. Gnosis certainly has ties to the word wisdom through its infatuation with Pistis Sophia. Another linguistic look does find a trace of relation between "witchcraft" and "wisdom" in Fred Gettings', Dictionary of Demons (London: Guild Publishing, 1988), 248. Here Gettings says the Anglo-Saxon wicca is linguistically related to the German wissen which means "to know." As to the question of what exactly witchcraft is, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as "the use of sorcery or magic" and/or "communication with the devil or with a familiar" (s.v. "witchcraft" [book on-line] available from http://www.merriam-webster.com/; accessed 10 April 2006; Internet.). The author of the Gnostic Witch Bible recognizes both parts of the Merriam-Webster's first definition.
3. "bible." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2006.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ (10 April 2006).
4. "religion." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2006.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ (10 April 2006).
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. "Christian." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2006.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ (10 April 2006).
8. As an example of why the teachings of Jesus are worthy the Golden Rule makes an excellent example. The Golden Rule is taught in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In Mt. 7:12 Jesus says, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." In Lk. 6:31 Jesus says, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." The author thinks most would agree these are words of wisdom to live by.
9. At first glance it may appear that this is a website based on apostasy and not a pair of heresies. According to the online Catholic Encyclopedia, however, this is a work of two interweaving heresies due to the fact that "the apostate a fide abandons wholly the faith of Christ" while "the heretic always retains faith in Christ" (s.v. "heresy" [book on-line]; accessed 1 April 2006; available from http://www.newadvent.org/; Internet.) The Catholic Encyclopedia is chosen over the dictionary for this distinction because it is the Church of Rome that dictates apostasy or heresy for its members and former members and therefore their determination is more important in this regard than the dictionary's interpretation.
10. Jeffrey Burton Russell, Satan: The Early Christian Tradition (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1981; reprint 1987), 131.
11. Ibid., 130.
12. James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1990), 152.
13. The Bible, Revised Standard Version, [book on-line](accessed 1 April 2006); available from http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/; Internet.
14. The term "Alien Deity" will be used throughout the Gnostic Witch Bible to refer to the ultimate divinity that is unknowable and unreachable. This Deity was considered by the classical Gnostics to be the ultimate Source of all of Creation but is ineffable. Since this Deity is unable to be defined by words adequately but must be to be understandable there is a paradox. The term "Alien Deity" is not accurate, but then since this Deity is ineffable no definition can be. The phrase "Alien Deity" is the closest the author can come to defining that which can not be defined.
15. Russell, Satan: The Early Christian Tradition, 23.
16. Willis Barnstone, ed., The Other Bible (New York: Harper Collins, 1984), 581.
17. The Luxifer(a) Research Group, [website on-line] (accessed 10 April 2006); available from http://www.aionicstar.com/; Internet.
18. Rice, Boyd, "Toward the Undivided - Sacred Sex, the Hermaphrodite, and the Dual Nature of God," [essay on-line] (accessed 10 April 2006); available from http://www.thevesselofgod.com/; Internet.
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