February 11-13, 2005
Currently there’s a huge amount of interest in the Gnostics, the ancient school of mystics who sought gnosis, a mysterious spiritual illumination that provides the key to our true nature. Although the Gnostics vanished in ancient times, small groups of seekers have kept their knowledge alive and carried it down to the present.
What is gnosis, and how do we find it in ourselves? In this seminar, Richard Smoley helps us explore this method of awakening so we can learn who the ancient Gnostics were, what their mysterious texts were trying to say, and how their teachings managed to survive. We will explore the different levels of consciousness the Gnostics describe and how they interact with the three parts of human nature: body, soul, and spirit. In addition, we’ll investigate the nature of Sophia, the elusive feminine aspect of divine Wisdom and examine the Gnostic idea of the archons or “rulers” — the veils that the human mind uses to limit its own awareness. These veils are the source of many of the frustrations and difficulties we experience in our daily lives.
In this retreat, you will be able to experience these different levels of being for yourself through simple exercises and guided meditations. You will work with the other guests to create a sacred space in which gnosis can manifest. Simple, gentle, but effective exercises will open you up to some of the blockages in your own awareness that may be keeping you from a deeper and more fulfilling experience of the world. You will also be able to explore the level of being to which gnosis leads — the place where your Self in its deepest sense connects with the individuality of all other human beings.
Richard Smoley is one of the world’s most distinguished authorities on the esoteric and mystical traditions of the West. He is the author of Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition and coauthor of Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. From 1990 to 1999 he was editor of Gnosis magazine. He works today as an author, speaker, and spiritual counselor and is working on a history of the Gnostic tradition from ancient times to the present.