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On Barbelo and the Cult of the Barbelites

07:31 / 09.07.01

Based upon a mention in Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum here are a few references referring to Barbelites, which may or may not amuse you:

Google Search Terms

Barbelite texts like "On the Origin of the World" and "Hypostasis of the Archons" presented the "Tree of Knowledge" in a positive light as a mechanism for human liberation via free inquiry, curiousity and questioning. link

Scroll down for the Barbelites or Barbelognostics

The practices of the Barbelites included barboristic rites. Pleasure and sensuality were accepted as normal and natural. Their practices included what might be termed (today) as Tantric and as Magicka Sexualis. A Barbelite text might be viewed in the light of the information contained within the book The Hypostasis of the Archons (link)

How about another MANIFESTO thread?

ynh

07:58 / 09.07.01

From Gustav Davidson - A Dictionary of Angels

Barbelo - a great archon (female) "perfect in glory and next in rank to the Father-of-All." She is the consort of Cosmocrator. In the Texts of the Saviour, Barbelo is the [mother] of Pistis Sophia, procreator of superior angels. (+ Pistis Sophia aparently sent the serpent to Adam and Eve?)

Cosmocrator - in Valentinian gnosticism, Cosmocrator is ruler of the material cosmos in the guise of Diabolos (the devil). His consort is Barbelo and together "they sing praises to the powers of the Light," which would indicate that Cosmocrator is not wholly evil.

13:41 / 09.07.01

quote:
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Barbelite texts like "On the Origin of the World" and "Hypostasis of the Archons" presented the "Tree of Knowledge" in a positive light as a mechanism for human liberation via free inquiry, curiousity and questioning. link
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So, do you think Grant Morrison had this connection in mind when he came up with Barbelith & The Invisibles?

Certainly sounds like there's a pretty big connection..

12:08 / 10.07.01

reply dammit, this is interesting..

12:56 / 10.07.01

I don't know, honestly. I'm trying to get my hands on some of the texts mentioned. I think it's interesting too. I'd love someone to research it all for me and write something up for the zine.

reidcourchie

13:09 / 10.07.01

Didn't Morrison claim he'd completely made up the word Barbelith?

Is this some half remembered theory he'd read years before (as I don't recall him ever mentioning it in any interviews)? Odd coincidence? Or more grand self mythologising (one of Mr. Morrison's traits which I find particularly endearing)?

Could someone explain what Archons mean in this context and what Hypostasis means in any context. Archons=angels?

Recently to wile away the long dull hours of work I've been taking litreally internet definitions of myself. I have been told by admitedly spurious criteria that I am female, gay and a sociopath, so I am happy to go along with the above definition of Barbelite, though I may have my work cut out for me.

reidcourchie

13:19 / 10.07.01

"And his [thought performed] a deed and she came forth, she who had
[appeared] before him in [the shine of] his light. This is the first [power
which was] before all of them (and) [which came] forth from his mind,
She [is the forethought of the All] - her light [shines like his] light -
the [perfect] power which is [the] image of the invisible, virginal
Spirit who is perfect. [The first power], the glory of Barbelo, the
perfect glory in the aeons, the glory of the revelation, she glorified
the virginal Spirit and it was she who praised him, because thanks
to him I she had come forth. This is the first thought, his image;
she became the womb of everything for it is she who is prior to
them all, the Mother- Father, the first Man, the Holy Spirit,
the thrice-male, the thrice-powerful, the thrice-named androgynous
one, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and I the first to
come forth."

From the linked web site.

This to me shows a very strong correlation between early non Christian mythology and the later Christian mythoplogy itself. Nothing new in that but where these gnostic Barbelites the crossover?

14:52 / 10.07.01

One of the best collections of Gnostic (as well as other apocryphal texts) is "The Other Bible" edited by Willis Barnstone. It contains "selections from Jewish Psudepigrapha, early Kabbalah, Haggadah, Midrash, Christian Apocrypha, and Gnostic scriptures."

It has all of the Nag Hammadi library as well as some other Gnostic writings in it.

As far as 'Barbelites' I've seen the term 'Barbelognostics' used more often to describe that particular sect of gnosticism. Also, Barbelo shouldn't really be considered an Archon since Ialdabaoth was the first 'Archon' and he was created by Sophia. The 'good' beings of the true god (Barbelo being one) were 'Aeons'.

If I remember right, Morrison said he got the name Barbelith from a dream which might be an 'akashic record' of sorts or maybe an unconscious remembering of 'Barbelo' from one of the many things he read. Thematically (and linguistically) it seems quite the connection though doesn't it?

Anyone who wants to delve into Gnosticism further might want to check out The Gnostic Friends Network. It's highly irreverent but the creator of the site (the man behind the fiction suit "Rev. Illuminatus Maximus") has done a hell of a lot of research and is quite the gnostic scholar. Send him an email and he'll be glad to answer questions. Tell him Lothar sent you

14:57 / 10.07.01

quote:Originally posted by reidcourchie:
[QB
This to me shows a very strong correlation between early non Christian mythology and the later Christian mythoplogy itself. Nothing new in that but where these gnostic Barbelites the crossover?[/QB]

This is just a nitpicky point but Gnostic Christians (ancient and modern) consider themselves just that: Christian. They believe in God and that Jesus was the son of God come to deliver our salvation. The main point of disagreement is that they consider the old testament god to be different than the true god (Jesus' 'father').

Just because the Council of Nicea codified what 'official' Christianity is doesn't mean it's the only flavor around.

Now there are also Gnostics that aren't necessarily Christian in that they focus on the illusion of our reality and our divine natures but don't put as much stock in the belief of Christ, etc.

19:04 / 10.07.01

According to the Rev. the following text are the main Barbelognostic scriptures
As Tom previously mentioned:
Hypostasis of the Archons
On the Origin of the World

Also,
The Apocryphon of John
The Thought of Nirea

and the account of the Barbelognostics by St. Epiphanius. The only english translation of St. E's account is by Bentley Layton and can be found in his: "The Gnostic Scriptures : A New Translation With Annotations and Introductions (The Anchor Bible Reference Library)"

Now, the last thing Rev. said was that he's been doing some new research on the Barbelognostics (as well as other supposed heretical sects) and found that a lot of the accusations that Epiphanius made against the Barbelognostics was pretty standard accusations against a number of groups.

If this is true then a lot of what people consider the Barbelognostics to be may be completely false.

Unfortunately, no one I've talked to knows of any 'history books' about the Barbelognostics. There may not be enough info considering that we've only had the Nag Hammadi scripts since the 1940s.

Hope this helps Tom.

19:08 / 10.07.01

Originally posted by reidcourchie: Could someone explain what Archons mean in this context and what Hypostasis means in any context. Archons=angels?

In layman speak "The Hypostasis of the Archons" means "The Reality of the Rulers"

Archons are the 'rulers' of our world.

19:19 / 10.07.01

Tom, that site is very, very odd.

What language was it translated out of? Every time there should be a "was" there's a "were" instead....

09:29 / 11.07.01

This all raises a very interesting question.

i for one absolutely believe that Philip K. Dick at least truely believed he had a vision... at least.

but, i've always had a little, no a lot, of doubt about if Morrison truely had/believed he had the Philip K. Dick-esq experience he often speaks of.

When PKD talked about it he sounded like a prophet, with a lot of self-doubt, but absolutely serious nonetheless.

Whenever GM talks about it he sounds more like a cosmic jester.

certainly different people can react to the same experience in radically different ways, but i always thought GM was just having fun with theories he had read about and found interesting. At this point though, it's starting to look like a hell of a coincidence, damn good research, or a true vision.

09:29 / 11.07.01

I don't know, honestly. I'm trying to get my hands on some of the texts mentioned. I think it's interesting too. I'd love someone to research it all for me and write something up for the zine.

hint hint. I may have a go at this one, since my other attempts to come up with something for the webzine have proved fruitless.

For it seems more than a little fascinating.. I've always meant to try and get my head around Gnosticism, as it pops up everywhere, but it seems a pretty confused and impresice topic, so I've never got round to it.

King Mob: You may have a point there, but then we don't actually know the extent to which GM is/was familiar with this Barbelite stuff, or the precise details of how he came up with the barbelith concept etc.. It might be a good idea to email him about it?

13:43 / 11.07.01

Well I've found the beef.

Check this out:
http://www.enemies.com/html/newtestament/BARB_epiphanius_intro.html

Sniggering and a faint sense of uneasiness compulsory.

A holy eucharist based around oral sex ... why the very idea!

There are DEFINiTE Barbelo/Barbelith comparisons to be made though .. and this has opened my eyes to a big gnostic sub-text at work in the Invisibles.

Dig this, a border decoration on the Barbelite page linked to above:

And, as you'll remember, in the comic the Hand was activated after being annointed with sexual fluids and .. well .. I'll shut up now. Maybe write an article on this stuff.

14:17 / 11.07.01

And here's the text of the Hypostasis of the Archons:
http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/hypostas.html

I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

Here's 'On the Origin of the World' too:
http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/origin.html

16:39 / 11.07.01

quote:Originally posted by Rizla Year Zero:
http://www.enemies.com/html/newtestament/BARB_epiphanius_intro.html

Sniggering and a faint sense of uneasiness compulsory.

A holy eucharist based around oral sex ... why the very idea!

Heh. I think I was engaging in understatement when I said his work was 'irreverent'.

And you're right, whether conscious or unconscious there was a LOT of gnostic stuff in The Invisibles.

16:43 / 11.07.01

King Mob:

I always considered what PKD experienced to be a heavy duty gnostic 'vision' while Grant's UFO abduction I have no idea about.

From the little bit he's let us in on, I've thought there was more power inherent in his near death, quasi-shamanic sickness and vision that occured near the end of Volume 1 than his 'UFO abduction' in Kathmandu.

Grant definitely doesn't take himself as seriously as Dick did though.

He's probably happier that way

04:46 / 12.07.01

Basically, having a 'gnostic experience' makes you feel special as the inestimable gulf between those who know and those who don't is only open 'top-down.' I've never had a 'gnostic experience'- in fact- I've only had the opposite.

Blank Faced Avatar

05:49 / 28.07.01

I don't believe in agnostic experiences, having never had one myself .. but I'd convert if I saw an agnostic miracle.

08:21 / 04.09.03

More Barbelite wonders! What a wonderful cult to be a part of!

The second century Barbelite Christians believed that human bodies were vessels for fallen fragments of divine higher powers. Believing that reproduction only drove the cycle of imprisonment, they ritually consumed semen (and menses, according to some sources); they believed that the life energy bound therein would be bound to the soul of the one who consumed them, and be able to escape this world with the eater's soul upon death. If the eater had not gained enough energy and wisdom, he would be trapped by the Rulers and reincarnated again on Earth. The Barbelites used sexual fluids as the sacraments of the Eucharist. The suffering of Christ was re-enacted whenever a new being was born. The Barbelites used non-reproductive sex to re-enact the descent of spirit into matter without actually trapping the spirit in physical form.

08:21 / 04.09.03

Also: Subordinate to the story, there was a minor Gnostic sect, known as the Barbelites, whose celebration of, shall we say, the netherregion's excretions, is notorious. Some Barbelites would hold orgies, during which the semen and menses were devoured, rather than exchanged through coital penetration. Why? To end the cycle of human life on earth. The Barbelites, believing Yaldabaoth (Yahweh [YHWH]) was the vile bastard son of Barbelo, the pure reflection of the true God's conscious, felt that, by the desist of humanity, they would transfer Barbelo's stolen energy back to her, weakening the mad, tyrranical Yaldabaoth. Needless to say, the Barbelites were none too beloved by less eccentric religious groups. They were wiped out en masse, courtesy the Christians.

08:24 / 04.09.03

From this page on Leviticus and this page on Gnosticism

14:28 / 04.09.03

Barbelo is also a minor character in a manga called Angel Sanctuary, as mentioned in Tom's Leviticus link. I haven't had the oppertunity to really read it, just patches here and there, so I'm not really sure how she's used.

16:23 / 04.09.03

By the way - if anyone's a beta-tester at GameNeverEnding.com - I've started a cultish group called the Barbelites which is all about the consumption of semen in an attempt to bring us back in contact with the goddesshead.