GNOSIS
Neo-Gnosis according to Nicole Christina Sonnberger
Stuttgart, GermanyJuly 2026
There are no Dogmas in Gnosticism.
But be not mistaken as there are rules, such that one plus one equals two. And between the truisms, the axioms, that build a proper foundation for understanding the reality, or realities, we inhabit or co-exist with, exist the systems, realms, within which we operate.
The human realm is born from Observation and Growth.
Our understanding is as of nothing, shaped by our Experiences, made to suit our needs; Whatever they may be. And thus, when we speak of Enlightenment we speak of the virtues that heighten our understanding and procure the best of our Potentials. Salvation as by Insight or Knowledge – such is the spirit of Gnosis.
The divine realm is much the same; But so it exists above and before the human one. Necessarily it is also much greater as its scope encompasses the human realm and more.
Should our spirits now endeavor to find an Enlightenment without the Divine, its fruits must therefore always be less than what can be attained in reconciliation with it. And however much the forges of human passions and desires and the likes burn to push beyond its own limitations, it can there at best grow into an affront to God, should it stubbornly close its eyes from the higher Truths; A self-perceived “Challenge” unto the divine.
The Heavens, to say: The Graces of the Divine, however are Merciful and All-Bearing; And still, not All-Willing.
Quibble not over the words, however, understand their meaning.
Blind are those who seek Gnosis, but know not to heed the Calling of the LORD.
And still, the human heart is Blind unto that which it cannot comprehend.
Thus one must open their mind, let go of prejudice, and ask Wisdom from God; As a first step onto a path of Enlightenment that conjoins with the Divine.
Dogma on the other hand is the Poison of clouded judgment; Born from, as explained by, a need to shape that which is shapeless; At least to the resolution of our limited comprehension. And yet do truths exist. Wisdoms. Know How. Better Judgment. And even still: Revelation and Doctrine.
Doctrine however is not Dogma.
And such is a complexity between the human and the divine, such as with those that mediate between the two. Once a figure of necessity, then a human deception meant to steer and control the human mind. Therefore Knowledge of the Divine is as a snake born from Fire. And so one cannot impose its truth onto an unwilling mind; And it is the seeker themselves who is to learn its dance and complexions.
For at the heart of it rests a bitter struggle. One between righteousness and wickedness. The forces that be and those that let be. For who unrightfully claims knowledge of the divine, will do so in contention with its truth. And whether this will be left standing as is, or bent to suit a deceptive agenda, is a yet unresolved aspect thereof.
No warning will do, unless it itself becomes a Dogma. And so when You build, be sure to build on solid rock; Such is the demand of Enlightenment.
By itself, this is a riddle; For if the knowledge that compounds the path of reconciliation is lost; All that remains is the idea and the shapes it can beget. No more than a Philosophy, no less however from what was originally implied – in essence though lacking the true embrace.
For what unification with the Divine might the human mind attain once it is lacking the very thing it thinks itself united with? And while one would rightfully deem it omnipresent; One is yet forced to contend with the apparent lacking – as to fill in the gaps that still beg for reasonable explanation.
And thus it must feel almost futile, if not worse, to seek that which is as by definition removed from us; Or at least our mortal senses. But behold, at the heart of it the desire but also the demand for change.
And so: While Gnosis – the Path to Enlightenment in reconciliation with the Divine – starts as an individuals Journey, eventually, inevitably, it becomes a social question. Social not merely among our own kind; But Social above and beyond any form of self and community one might hold. And like so is the concept or reality of the adversary not a mere individual one; But one that the united Body as the whole it is or is to be is to contend with.
And what can now be gleaned from the Divine?
As there is a veil that can be lifted by God alone, knowledge had been given; And yet relentless seemed the clutches of ignorance. So why then, oh why, have we been subjected to this toil? What redemption might we hope for – once the forces that be merely rule to sate themselves rather than the whole?
To some, the answer is right there. Yet then it begs another question: Why would the fates conspire to have Gnosis die at the hands of the wicked?
History, as yet unwritten, is yet to be written. And the toil, thus far, has been such. Some of it lost to time, some of it recorded. And no more can be done; No greater wisdom gained; Of this life within this mortal realm. Whether our paths be as walking the Dunes of a shifting Desert, or paved as the roads of a thriving City. Be it here or there or anywhere else.
And if all solace that the knowledge of the Divine can bring is merely a function of its existence; Then all we can do is hope that one day we might grow worthy of its presence.
To learn then, from our history, our present and our projected futures – of our mistakes, our misdeeds, our misgivings. To truthfully strive for Enlightenment. No more and no less.
| The three Principles | ’Wanting ’’’Life ’’Thinking |
But what then is Gnosis, true Gnosis, which cannot boast Divine Knowledge?
It is, as previously discussed, an empty shell; Though a Vessel of Hope it might be.
For what now is the vastness of History, the treasure trove of Knowledge and Wisdom, if it must exist in the shadows of our ignorance? These things might not speak true of the essence – to the idea – and yet of it, the idea, it must be Treasured. And while some of it is more valuable than the rest, there also is -True Treasure-. And the one deemed most valuable above all is nicknamed LITHARGOEL, thought of as a stone made of the most precious Light.
It is however no such thing. Thus the need for a nickname and an imaginary appearance. I certainly have an idea of my own; And I have no means to verify whether it was what the source of the idea intended. But merely on principle it stands as the pivotal instance between ones Self and the Divine. Furthermore as a Rock, solid; Impossible to deny and virtually imperative in its presence and demand. But also Light, fluid; Bordering between material and invisibility and splendid in its presence to the heart and to the mind.
So precious, so the Legend goes, that one would sell all that they have, merely to possess it as entirely as one might possess anything. A slight exaggeration perhaps; For isn’t life more than the absence of everything but One thing that might provide?
However, words are merely fit to describe it; Not to express it – truthfully – to the mortal mind. And what we so are left with are shadows. “Multiply the Three Principles by the Four Lights and You get the Twelve Aeons”. Well, if it were that simple – or intuitive at all – we maybe wouldn’t look at it in awe. But then it is also merely a figure – for the Life within.
To ponder it is within our might. Life, Wanting and Thinking are as absolute as they are indivisible. The ability to Think invokes Wanting and Life; As does our Wanting invoke our Thought and our Life. Either is fundamental to the others; And thus are they inseparably Linked and harmoniously One.
And yet it is all but a shadow. One of many, of this kind or another.
But so, consider this: Even as shadows, these thoughts can shape Enlightenment. Ignoring things such as use or purpose, the truth still remains. And within these we can ponder the essence of our Origin.
It is said, that we are made in the image of God. But even more so are we born of HIS Essence. We are Life, we are Wanting, we are Thought and Thinking – but never can we rival HIS Magnificence. We are born with imperfect minds – imperfect by the ONE Standard innate to Existence itself. And yet we are Free as HE allows us to unfold; Allowing us to be. A Marvel of Reality, a Mystery perhaps in its own right. And yet if You asked me: Doubts and Skepticism fade in the Light of these simplest of acknowledgments.
There is Truth, there is Wisdom. And yet it lacks the strength to bond us all together. To give us a shared idea or understanding of what these Symbols entail, in the small as in the large. We may at best hope to deliver the Light unto the others; And what one does thereafter is another story entirely still.
To wonder: What is Self? What is the human/Living mind? What is our nature, such that we might or perhaps must ponder these questions? That we are as caught between Heaven and Hell, left to a struggle that has been decided for us; By forces and conditions we might not be able to grasp?
Precious are we, to God, so the stories would have us believe; Where God, furthermore, sees further and deeper than we ever could. He might merely leave us be – divide us perhaps into groups – or encourage us to aspire for more. The part of it that we know is that of our own self; And shadows from the world surrounding us. The part of it that we don’t know … what is it, if not a Mystery?
And who might disclose it? And what would they do with that knowledge?
But moreover: What might we expect if not matters of greater Harmony; Such that HE might do right by us? And so, where could the Bar – the Bar of expectations – possibly be? Could it be as simple as a “One size fits all Dogma”, a divine decree for us all to bend around? Or does it need be far greater than that, as to accommodate us in our individual wealth of complexities?
| ARMOZEL: Grace | ELELETH: Understanding | |
| The Four Lights | ||
| ORIEL: Perception | DAVEITHEI: Prudence |
The seeing and that which is seen … as distinct and separate from each other as they might appear to be, as intimately linked are they still. For what good is seeing, if there is naught to be seen? And what is a wealth of beauty, if there is no means of beholding it? It is all but a shadow – and still, the shadows speak true.
And then, what good is the seeing without the Peace to ultimately behold? And what is seen, if there is no Love of comprehension? But so, still, what is the Peace that cannot see? Or Love without a Truth? Gibberish? Or wisdom removed from the ordinary terms that make up the composure of these sentences?
The meaning is there; the Lights add context to the Matters of Life, Thought and Wanting. And again, this time however Four in Number, indivisible and harmoniously ONE. ONE … of the same as the other. A different way, another perspective; And yet, indubitably no less elemental.
And still, as the figure grows in its complexity, as the symbols become more in their number, it could be a symptom of our imperfection that we lean towards simplicity. And while the image in its totality cannot be reduced, perhaps so we chose favorites. And could we, from our individual points of view, even agree to what colors best represent the one or the other?
Favorites, Preferences … in some way they are the same; And along with them come perceived Needs and Demands; And thus follows a call from or upon Authority; Then, logically, the questions of Leadership, followed by the words to proliferate a Conclusion.
It is not a matter of whether we want it or not. It just is.
And so are the virtues of either of them. From Life we glance the virtues of Joy and Pleasure. From Wanting we glance the virtues of Making and Doing. From Thinking we glance the virtues of Shape and Enlightenment.
And so is Grace often used to describe Glory and Attitude; Where the matters of Perception, Prudence and Understanding would fill volumes merely by virtue of their own being.
But what now bears the greatest significance?
If not “the Graces” from above. The Truths that are given, for us to Behold.
Thus it is for us to Understand – to hold it as Knowledge – for us to Appreciate, what it now is that we are to consider as Doctrine.
3 Nephi//Scattered across the new Testament
And as the stances above, they are simple and harmoniously One. Three that are One; And a reminder of the Complexities that envelop it. For therein lies the Divine path of reconciliation. The given way without which the idea of conjoinment with the Divine were a mere Mystery lost to the ages.
Within it, we have a Name, a History, a commandment and a Cultural Centerpiece.
And as bloody as the Legacy of our LORD may be, as hard fought seemeth every inch of Enlightenment that we might account for. What reads as a Tragedy, has since become a Victory. What may read as Barbarism is still Wisdom to the Savagery of our Hearts.
We … are the source of our own contentions.
We … are the cause behind so many of the perils that afflict us.
And if not so, it is still us … who may choose to proliferate or quell them.
And so, at the heart of it all, is the Authority. The WORD from up High that is certainly known to HIM; Speak of it as You will; And the matters throughout – such as the Blessings of the Priesthood.
And if I read it as such, that there are no Adults in the room; None that I could value above the other; I must feel encouraged to find my own way. To learn from the True Teacher; And no one else; Unless or until I’m satisfied with the answers that are provided – should it be possible.
|
Grace Truth Form |
ARMOZEL |
But understand, that this Knowledge as such is merely a shadow. And what it is cast from and by – that is a matter of its own. One thing stands implied herein as the Truth; As from me unto You; In a vein similar to the other Shadows, but still different in its nature.
It is not self-evidently precious or true in any way. Even the Name of the LORD would differ between Cultures and Languages and Traditions. Some would insist on adding the Nazarene, others might prefer a shorter while yet others would value an even longer way of the Form. Some would feel the need to further elaborate on His nature as the Son and Word of God – I myself would try to stay clear of contentious forms; Lest I be lecturing You on things that I believe don’t belong in here.
He wore a crown of thorns and was crucified as the King of the Jews; Whom – as legend has it – they themselves delivered unto the Roman authorities, who, at the time, were willing to let him go as an innocent man.
Or is that telling already a fruit of the contentions that followed? For much was lost – as the Gospels clearly don’t constitute a sound and proper recollection of the events. They are second hand at best.
And thus people would scavenge for Apokrypha, searching for what scrolls might be unearthed, containing perhaps a word from one of the Twelve. The Book of Mormon speaks of sealed Scriptures, a great and abominable Church; And is at long last itself subject to controversies of varying kinds. Does it now say, in “1 Nephi 11:21” that He is God Himself, or that He is the Son of God? It depends on which version You read – and now, what is the truth behind those words?
It is, I should say, ultimately inevitable to conclude, that He, the Logos, is – as stated in the Beginning of the Gospel through John – the Word GOD itself that became Flesh. The Body, as it were, of the Invisible God. Allah or Yehowah, perhaps even Dao or Prahna or however You want to call HIM.
But still we read in 3 Nephi that the Spirit will bear Testimony; And unto those who have received that Testimony, the central Truth is revealed – and thus the Legacy of Christ flows as a river through the Landscapes of the Ether. And the Hearts that seek it will most certainly find it. For how else would God BE, invisible as HE chose to remain, if not by the acts of Revelation that conjoin our Knowledge with the Truth Above?
Or so, in other words: The promises that keep HIS Word alive.
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Insight Perception Memory |
ORIEL |
But yea, tainted is the Name and the Legacy of the LORD in the eyes of the Heathen and the Gentiles. And tainted it is, by the Hands of mortality, before HIM truly; As anyone with understanding must conclude.
And yet: VAIN is the Word, as Vain as the Glory that only the One True God may radiate. And thus it is beyond the Word, as beyond appearances of the Material world, that the Truth of Unity with it unfolds.
To follow in His footsteps is of more than to merely live a life like so or like so. To follow in His footsteps is of coming unto the Father, in His very own name as a vessel within and through which we are united with HIS Truth on earth; And it is this through which we can harbor a true Understanding of God, HIS Nature and HIS Will.
For who knows HIS Will, if not HE HIMSELF?
And who am I to say that it is not that which it most certainly is?
And why should I hide and withhold it from You?
If not for the contentions that follow as we contend over the meaning of HIS Words?
Yea, vain is the Word.
The material world can’t adequately dress it. And a regress it is to some, coming to speak of Jesus when we have been touched by the Light. He is IMMANUEL, God with us; Alive in the present, not dead on a cross.
And so we learn from HIM, even in the now.
But consider this: The outsider, whom most – if not all – of Christ’s Legacy revolved around. They who are not “of the Blood” or “of the Ways” to be considered worthy by the sanctimonious. They who would behold the Light and would want to partake of it. If one has a mind to reach out to the Divine, we must not assume it our duty to stand between them.
|
Understanding Love Image |
DAVEITHEI |
To Love Reality, truthfully, is to learn of its wealth in Diversity; And of our inability to boil it all down into straight and simple lines of equal stretch and measures. The old ways are one thing, the new ways are another; And to those interested in Enlightenment it should become apparent that there yet is a true and transient common denominator.
“Humility begets Exaltation; And the Self-Exalted beget humiliation”. So the stories go; Even if tales of the outliers; Abominable as they may be at times; Would on occasion slither their way into the Zeitgeist. For yay, neglect not the doing and the confidence in Your works.
Oh could it only be a cosmic truth by which the wheels are spinning.
But God’s judgment isn’t necessarily a matter of the mortal planes.
And like so is Magical Thinking an error or flaw in its own right. Such is the toil with the Forces that be.
But apart from that – there is us. “The Collective” – of whatever shape, size or configuration. Of whatever belief or culture. The whole as such, or the individual one therein. A great and intricate web, spun as by the hands of Chaos and our flickering minds. Here we have order beyond even the attempts of imposing one. And here we have Chaos, confusing as beyond even its own reach. An order of its own, woven through Fate, one that sages and mystics alike can barely grasp in its entirety. Whatever order there may be, and I do not wish to say that none can be found, is constantly at risk of coming undone by the actions of those that comprise it. And when such upheaval takes place, we might not even notice it, as a different chaos swoops in and takes place. Such is Life.
And aye, I suppose, the vanity of the word requires I find lavish language to envelop my meaning within comprehensive expressions.
It is what it is – and as beyond any ruler we govern ourselves through our ways. And where this chaos is our hero, temptations are its antagonist. Like drugs perhaps, seeded out unto a populace to shape it in some specific way. Or as sweet lies, told to anchor our Hearts within the Lore of our undoing.
But I would further stress, that it is neither Chaos nor Order that we are to Fear; But union with the Divine that we are to Embrace. For such is the truth that stood the Test of Time; And will forever and always prevail. For such is the Human Spirit. As dead without the compassions that invigorate our collective wellbeing.
|
Perfection Peace Wisdom |
ELELETH |
The Peace however that we have within our hopes and dreams; The Solace we find within the Word and its manifestations; It too is merely a shadow. Perhaps of our own ambitions; Or of our worries and fears; Our inabilities perhaps. But perhaps too just that of a moment’s rest, to not load the scale one-sidedly.
And in times of Darkness and Confusion, it is easy to fall prey to these simpler terms of making sense of it all. It is a bitter lesson, I presume; And one we’re doomed to succumb to until we may find a way to grow beyond it. And to speak of these bitter lessons is one driving issue behind this writing.
For as with Dogma and Doctrine, the Wisdoms that comprise our Faith must fail unless they’re pure. And if we grow blind, in our faith, or negligent in our observation thereof, we forget that ‘the Truth’ that we cherish, as in the Name of our Lord, is to encompass Reality as it is. That it is not a moniker to manifest the imperative of the Divine, but a reminder of the Justice of God – as for us to not live a lie.
True Peace is for the Living who realize it. Or for those saved in the Afterlife … I presume … for where else would we ultimately find it?
And so it is done. All the pieces of the Puzzle are in place; And all that’s missing is the final hint to its Solution. So come then, before the Father, within the Shadow of HIS Glory; And ask the All-Encompassing Spirit to Unite with the Individual Spirit that is within You. And thus the Shadow will be a seed that Grows as a Testimony of this Treasure that is the most precious above all.
Amen
End of Part 1