“In imitating the exemplary acts of a god or of a mythic hero, or simply by recounting their adventures, the man of an archaic society detaches himself from profane time and magically re-enters the Great Time, the sacred time.”
― Mircea Eliade, Myths, Dreams and Mysteries

Notes: Mircea Eliade, the Romanian scholar renowned for his work in comparative religion, philosophy, and literature was born on this day in 1907. Eliade viewed modern secularism as a force corroding humanity's perception of the divine. Eliade traced this shift back to the revolutionary impact of Jewish monotheism, which desacralised the cosmos, a process further propagated by Judeo-Christianity among gentiles. Despite his mourning over the vanishing of the sacred in contemporary society, Eliade remained hopeful. He envisioned a resurgence of the sacred, foreseeing its potential to reignite creativity in the realms of arts and sciences.

Image: The Fall of Phaeton by Peter Paul Rubens

“The transpersonal experiences revealing the Earth as an intelligent, conscious entity are corroborated by scientific evidence. Gregory Bateson, who created a brilliant synthesis of cybernetics, information and systems theory, the theory of evolution, anthropology, and psychology came to the conclusion that it was logically inevitable to assume that mental processes occurred at all levels in any system or natural phenomenon of sufficient complexity. He believed that mental processes are present in cells, organs, tissues, organisms, animal and human groups, eco-systems, and even the earth and universe as a whole.”
― Stanislav Grof, The Holotropic Mind

Notes: Within Gnosticism, Sophia's presence within the Earth implies a living, conscious being, intimately connected with all life forms. This understanding aligns with the view that the material world is not inert or a trap (aka prison planet) but imbued with spiritual essence.

Image: Return to Gaia by Freydoon Rassouli

“Questioning is the engine of contemporary initiation.”
― Linda Sussman, The Speech of the Grail

Notes: The narrative device utilised by chroniclers of the Grail legend revolves around the concept of the "Grail Question." Upon first encounter with the Grail, the knight does not know what question to ask. This embodies the human condition of confronting the mysteries of existence without possessing the insight to pose the essential inquiries, despite witnessing extraordinary events. This parallels our own journey, where we often encounter profound truths without recognising their significance until reaching spiritual maturity.

Central to unlocking these enigmas is the act of inquiry, of remaining receptive to knowledge and personal evolution. The timeless virtues of embarking on quests, displaying knightly courage, and mastering the art of asking pertinent questions continue to play a pivotal role in the modern pursuit of uncovering the Grail's mysteries.

Image: Tiago Sousa

“We cannot experience the world, even for an instant, without experiencing it through some myth, some narrative structure that sorts out our experiences and gives them meaning to us.”
― John Michael Greer, A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry into Polytheism

Notes: Such statements shouldn't be construed to deem the material world illusory. Instead, they highlight the pivotal role of myth and narrative in shaping our subjective reality. Often, these narratives, ingrained since birth, operate unnoticed, influencing our perception profoundly.

The challenge lies in discerning the myths and narratives that inform our perception and questioning their validity and impact on our lives. This is what is truly meant by lifting the veil, a bifurcated process. By lifting the veil of deceptive narratives operating within, we, in turn, unveil an aspect of the external world, allowing us to see with increased clarity, appreciation and insight.

Image: Douglas Smith

One of the frustrating things about the Natural Law movement is the assumption that it is 'God's Law' and somehow based on the Bible. This is a misunderstanding that I intend to correct more in the future, just as I did in Fyrgen Podcast episode 15: Citizen or Pagan?

Advocates of Natural Law are now even realising that it is the Law of the Land because we are the land. We are literally made of the land - from what grows upon it. This goes further, with the Arthurian mantra of 'the land and king are one' really meaning that the people and the king are one. The king embodies the collective.

As I point out in the aforementioned podcast, both 'pagan' and 'heathen' essentially mean 'rural dweller' (of the land), whilst the Christian considers himself to be first and foremost of God's Kingdom which is beyond the material Earth. Early Christians were those who dwelt in cities; citizens. The city is the more artificial construct, just like Christianity is, and the laws of citizenry were (and still are) excess to the Law of the Land.

Common Law derives from pre-Christian Anglos, and as 'heathens' we have the most intimate bond with the Law of the Land; Natural Law.

“Untroubled, scornful, outrageous - that is how wisdom wants us to be: she is a woman and never loves anyone but a warrior.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Image: Kalki Avatar slaying demons by Fridolin Froehlich

Additional Notes: Some representations of the Kalki avatar show a white horse with no rider, suggesting the question: Who is missing? Why is the white horse riderless? Who shall be mounted on this horse?

This imagery is consistent with the challenge facing humanity today: to restore honour to manhood in the fullest possibility of genuine virile power that can be imagined. The haunting image of the riderless horse points exactly to what is missing in the current closing chapter of the world drama: the Kalki avatar is the wrath of Gaia-Sophia in male-gendered expression.

Until that happens, the honour of man is a riderless horse.

“My Sovereign GOD will wipe the tears away
From all faces
And will put an end to the reproach of God’s people
Over all the earth—
For it is GOD who has spoken.”
― Isaiah 25:8, The Hebrew Bible

Notes: Reproach verb - to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); an expression of disapproval, to criticise someone, to express disappointment in or displeasure with (a person or group) for conduct that is blameworthy or in need of amendment.

The House's endorsement of the 'Antisemitism Awareness Act', which adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of 'antisemitism', has sparked widespread concerns. Critics argue that this clashes with the principles of the First Amendment and would effectively silence criticism of Israel. Upon reflection on the verse above, it becomes evident that the ending of 'reproach' against ‘God's chosen people’ is eventually intended to encompass the entirety of the earth.

Image: Moses Burns with Anger by Gustave Dore

“The pre-Christian Grail imagery of the Cauldrons of Rebirth and Inspiration played a significant role in shaping later Christianised depictions, wherein the significance of the vessel's content became paramount. However, the era when these foundational concepts were established remained submerged in the collective subconscious of the race, akin to a distant golden shimmer on remote mountains. It mirrored a profound need, fulfilled by the pursuit of the Grail then and now, for something eternally enduring to believe in—a need that continues to propel individuals on quests for the Grail to this very day.”
― Geoffrey Ashe, At the Table of the Grail: Magic and the use of Imagination

Image: The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse

"The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth."
― Peter Abelard

Notes: Within Christianity, doubt is often portrayed as a weakness, indicating a lack of blind belief, with figures like Doubting Thomas serving as cautionary tales rather than examples to be admired. His doubt is presented as a failing, and he is ultimately rebuked by the Jesus character for needing physical proof of such a remarkable claim. This attitude towards doubt reflects a broader trend within Christianity and more widely, the Abrahamic religions as a whole, where questioning or challenging established beliefs is discouraged or even condemned, as doubt is seen as antithetical to faith. However, doubt is not a hindrance to wisdom but instead, as the quote posits, is a necessary precursor to it.

Image: The Incredulity of Thomas by Caravaggio

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others."
― Aristotle

Notes: Courage stands prominently among the Stoic virtues, with Aristotle noting its pivotal role, considering it the progenitor of all others. In a world often lacking virtue, it's a brave thing to go out there and do what needs to be done. Yet, Aristotle cautioned that unchecked courage easily devolves into recklessness, underscoring the need for temperance and self-discipline to channel courage into meaningful action.

However, above all virtues, Justice reigns supreme. For the Stoics, the whole point of the philosophy was to direct a person towards doing what was right. In fact, Marcus Aurelius deemed injustice as a blasphemy against the ancient gods.

Moral excellence, the Stoics taught, stems from habitual practice. We cultivate justice through just actions, temperance through temperate acts, and courage through brave deeds.

Image: The Green Knight by Ethan M. Aldridge

“Nonetheless, gazing out the train window at a random sample of the Western world, I could not avoid noticing a kind of separation between human beings and all other species. We cut ourselves off by living in cement blocks, moving around in glass-and-metal bubbles, and spending a good part of our time watching other human beings on television. Outside, the pale light of an April sun was shining down on a suburb. I opened a newspaper and all I could find were pictures of human beings and articles about their activities. There was not a single article about another species. ”
― Jeremy Narby, The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge

Image: Distance by Kenneth Blom

'This world is a prison full of tyranny, injustice, hardship and suffering. I want out.'

I get it. I sympathise. I occupied that headspace in my younger years, when I became interested in 'Gnostic Luciferianism' - 'Escaping the cosmic trap through gnosis and death to return to the void of chaos and liberty' etc. Thankfully it was a short lived phase.

David Icke and an increasing number of 'Truthers' have been pushing the 'Prison Planet' narrative. They're wrong, and what they preach is dangerous.

This natural, material realm that we experience with our Five Senses, is one of many. It is a place of immense beauty upon which evil* has placed a veil of illusion: Man-made law, the digital experience, unnecessary strife, distraction and ignorance. It is neither better nor worse than the so-called 'spiritual' realms, but due to the physical laws that govern this world it offers immense opportunity for growth and experience. It is sacred.

No malevolent demiurge created this place (though he might like you to think he did). To create is to love, and this realm is for our benefit. Yes, it is a place of finite lifespans, and the mechanism to enable that finiteness is 'dharmic' yet reliant upon what we perceive as suffering - death. To make this material realm entirely pain-free would be to take away the very feature that sets it apart from the spiritual realms; the aspects which give us the gift of learning in a 3D, time-bound environment. Clearly those who wish to 'escape' to a spiritual realm and yet bemoan the suffering of the material do not comprehend the gift of contrast. There may well be realms free of suffering, but that is not the purpose of this one.

*Note: 'Evil' is a pre-Christian, OE word.

“The sad truth is that man's real life consists of a complex of inexorable opposites day and night, birth and death, happiness and misery, good and evil. We are not even sure that one will prevail against the other, that good will overcome evil, or joy defeat pain. Life is a battleground. It always has been, and always will be; and if it were not so, existence would come to an end.

It was precisely this conflict within man that led the early Christians to expect and hope for an early end to this world, or the Buddhists to reject all earthly desires and aspirations. These basic answers would be frankly suicidal if they were not linked up with peculiar mental and moral ideas and practices that constitute the bulk of both religions and that, to a certain extent, modify their radical denial of the world.”
― Joseph L. Henderson, Man and His Symbols

Image: Silence by Vrindavan Das

“When the history of the earth enters a very critical period, as at present, the myths, gods and demons that direct us, the Archetypes, come to take an even more active part, becoming almost visible to many. They participate directly in the combat, as happened in the last world war, of cosmic resonance.”
― Miguel Serrano

Image: Wolkenwanderer by Hermann Hendrich

"Myth basically serves four functions. The first is the mystical function, realising what a wonder the universe is, and what a wonder you are, and experiencing awe before this mystery. The second is a cosmological dimension, the dimension with which science is concerned—showing you what shape the universe is, but showing it in such a way that the mystery again comes through. The third function is the sociological one—supporting and validating a certain social order. The fourth function is the pedagogical function, of how to live a human lifetime under any circumstances”
― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

Image: Vidar and Fenrir by Dirk Robertson

“Christian societies have never come to the realization that the Mosaic covenant is nothing but a program for world domination by the Jewish nation. That is because it is written right under their nose, in a book whose malice they cannot recognize because they have been told it is the Word of God. It takes a free-thinker like H. G. Wells to see the biblical idea of the Chosen People for what it is: ‘a conspiracy against the rest of the world*.’”
― Laurent Guyénot, Our God is Your God Too But He Has Chosen Us

*Herbert George Wells, The Fate of Homo Sapiens, 1935, p.128. (archive.org)

Image: Esau sold his birthright by Matthias Stom

“There is no way to re-enchant our lives in a disenchanted culture except by becoming renegades from that culture and planting the seeds for a new one.”
—Thomas Moore

Image: Infinite Forests by Albert Bierstadt

“Faith in technology has absolutely nothing to do with reason or wisdom: it is religion — an insensible, uncritical, unquestionable religion. Technology is the foundation of the most anti-intellectual and religious culture Western civilisation, or indeed the world, has ever known.”
― Pentti Linkola, Can Life Prevail?

Image: Transhuman by Debra Lott

Are Noahide Laws compatible with Gnosticism or Paganism?

Much has been speculated regarding the Noahide Laws, these laws are currently being promoted via various channels including the United Nations. These laws are said to bring about ‘world peace’ however the very understanding of ‘peace’ within this context means submission to the Noahide Laws. For more information see the following post on ‘the true meaning of peace’.

The implementation of such seemingly universal laws for many Christians and Muslims would likely be welcomed as they appear to be in alignment with their faith however as many Gnostics and Pagans stand in opposition to all forms of universalism we can anticipate that such laws would be intolerable.

The first of the seven laws from the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 56a-b is to not worship idols. The worship of idols doesn’t only prohibit graven images, statues and shrines but also considers the worship of Gods other than the god of Israel to be considered ‘false gods’ and therefore ‘false idols’. Within the mystical tradition of Kabbalah elements considered to be ‘forbidden’ by the off-planet father god are said to derive from the ‘impure shells’ (kelipot ha-temei’ot) meaning that they are ‘intrinsically evil’.

The Noahide Laws also impose a specific perceptual framework through which nature must be observed and understood. Both Pagans and Gnostics have an animistic view holding nature to be sacred with Gnostics seeing the earth itself as the body of the Wisdom goddess the Aeon Sophia. We can see that such laws are a direct affront to our perception of nature and our relationship to it.

Neo-Paganism in the Public Square and Its Relevance to Judaism, Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, Volume 11:3-4 (Fall 1999) link

“In today’s fragmented society a large number of religious and secular neo-pagan expressions have emerged and are gathering strength. An increased interest in nature is a central element in many of its manifestations. Expressions of this attitude are found among neo-pagan believers, neo-Nazis and some extreme environmentalist currents.

The ancient revulsion with regard to paganism felt by adherents of Judaism links up with the need to take stock of these contemporary phenomena. The return of paganism forces Judaism to focus on Jewish law and tradition, which proclaim that God is central in the world. Nature is not sacred and its laws represent barbarity; the Noahide laws represent civil society. There are many reasons for Jewish observers to watch attentively which direction the powerful, renewed interest in nature will take, and what consequences this may have for world Jewry.”

____

In short, the Noahide Laws are completely incompatible with the Pagan or Gnostic worldview. We must therefore oppose them in order to preserve our pact or bond with the greater forces of the environment so that we can exercise sovereignty over our own minds and that practising Pagans and Gnostics alike can thrive alongside nature in a sane and harmonious manner.

“The cultivation of passionate love began in Europe as a reaction to Christianity (and in particular its doctrine of marriage) by people whose spirit, whether naturally or by inheritance, was still pagan,”
―Denis de Rougemont, Love in the Western World

Notes: During the medieval period, the tradition of amor courtois emerged as a response to the domination of salvationist religion throughout Europe. This concept of romantic love defied ecclesiastical doctrines, positioning the knight as reliant on his lady to dignify his exploits. This movement effectively revived the ancient practices of Goddess worship and contributed more to the humanisation of Western society than any sermons from priests. The devotion to personal love, illustrated by legendary characters like Tristan and Isolde, offered a powerful alternative to the prevailing religious orthodoxy.

Image: Tristan and Isolde (extract) by John William Waterhouse

"Ignorance is not bliss; it is the breeding ground for tyranny and oppression. Ignorance allows manipulation, control, and the violation of natural law principles to persist unchecked. It is through knowledge and understanding that we can liberate ourselves from the chains of ignorance and reclaim our personal sovereignty. Ignorance blinds us to the true nature of reality and prevents us from recognizing the mechanisms of oppression and the erosion of our freedoms. By seeking knowledge, questioning assumptions, and being open to new information, we can break free from the shackles of ignorance and actively participate in creating a more enlightened and free society.”
― Mark Passio

Image: The Blind Leading the Blind by Pieter Bruegel the Elder