Aeon; These are the emanations from first cause, the Father. The word not only refers to the "worlds" of emanation, but to the personalities. Sophia, Logos, and the other high principles are aeons.
Agape; Unconditional love. A love that stems from the ability of the initiate to see the divine spark in all life.
Agnoia; Literally "ignorance" or the act of not paying attention.
Agnosia; The state of not having insight or Gnosis.
Allogenes; Means "alien". The existance of spiritual force in the material realm is "alien" to it. This includes both aeons, such as the Logos, as well as the Gnostic him/her self. It is the name given to the teacher figure in the book by the same name, and can very likely be identified with Seth.
Anthropos; "Man". This is the cosmic human as well as the philosophical form of the regular human.
Antinomianism; While this word literally refers to the belief that legal precepts are no longer applicable to a "saved" individual, it has come to be used in regards to any libertine doctrine or practice. Thus, the groups that are experiential rather than ascetic have been referred to as antinomian. There is reason to doubt that the "any thing goes" ideas that have been ascribed to Gnostics like Carpocrates and Corinthus are accurate.
Apochryphon; "Secret Book". The notion of secrecy was important for a wide variety of reasons. Thus the development of the "secret writings" amongst the Gnostics.
Apolutrosis; Secret "Redemption" is seen as being helped by the rite of initiation which helps to impart gnosis. This word refers to both the rite and what is received from it.
Aponoia; "Unreason" is the misuse of thought. This is different than simply not having thought, as the inability to "put things together" can be worse than not even knowing they do in fact fit.
Archigenitor; The "first begetter". A Greek reference to the Demiurge.
Archon; "Ruler". Refers to the creators and governing forces in the material world. The Demiurge and his angels.
Arete; Means "virtue". In Platonic thought it is a reference to the importance of meaning above technical skill (techne). In other words it denotes deeper value such as mythological or philosophical meaning.
Autogenes; "Self Generated". In Gospel to the Egyptians it is equated with the Logos. In Allogenes we see this as one of the three aspects of the Barbelo
Barbelo; Generally it is the first aeon, from which the other Aeons come. As the woman who is "the first male virgin", she has is androgynous.
Boule; the "will" of God which in turn leads to the word (Logos) of God.
Bythos; or "Depth". Another Valentinian term for the Father.
Choic; "Earthly" same as "hylic".
Chrestos; "Friendly" Is a play on the word Christ (anointed). Both refer to the Logos.
Demiurge; The "Craftsman" or creator of the material world. Usually viewed in a negative fashion. If nothing else, the material is less than the spirit so that the creator is lower than the spiritual world.
Docetism; From the root word meaning "image". This is a theological premise that states that Christ's actions on the earth (including the "passion") is illusory.
Ennoia; Means "thought". Sophia in her high form, or Barbelo, is often equated with the first thought. Creation of the spiritual realm, in Allogenes (for instance), happens in the triad of Vitality, Intellection (or Thought), and Being.
Epinoia; Means "insight" as it comes from the higher connections of spirit. In the Apocryphon of John it is the luminous source of Sophia, and the spirit that gives life to Adam.
Eros; This is the love that comes from the desire to reunite. It is a passion contrast with agape which is compassion). Eros originates when the Demiurge sees "light Adam" or the primal man (see Anthropos).
Esaldaios; This is the name that the Naasenes used for the Demiurge.
Gnosis; The common literal translation for this word is "knowledge". We should not confuse this with other Greek terms for knowledge, such as "plerophoreo" which is a purely intellectual understanding, or "eurisko" which is more of a knowledge of the heart, intuited and experiential. Gnosis is the complete comprehension that comes from both rational and intuited means. In the Gnostic context this includes revelation, intiatory progression, a knowing of the function of the internal spirit and the external source as they relate in the Gnostic system.
Gnostic; Both a specific sect mentioned by heresiologists, and a category for a number of sects that believed "Gnosis" had a salvational purpose.
Gnosticism; the word was created by modern scholors to refer to the sects of the Late Antiquities that shared a similar cosmology and soteriology. More recently the definition has been widened in some circles to mean any form of mysticism or esotericism. However, this has largely happened as a result of ignorance as to the technical purpose of the term.
Hebdomas; The kingdom of the "Seven", referring to the spheres of the planets and thus the Archons and heimarmene.
Heimarmene; Literally "destiny". Hylics are controlled by the spheres of the stars, which represent different base drives. Destiny does not apply to the pneumatic, who has broken past such connections.
Hylic; "of matter" This level of thinking (one of the three aspects of existance) deals with the lowest portion of human nature. The world and the instinctual drives with no sublimation.
Kenoma; "Emptyness", the physical universe as opposed to the pleroma.
Logos; often translated as "word", it's true meaning is much more multifunctional (a better translation would be "reason"). The Logos is the light that gives Gnosis via communication. It is the Christ (not to be confused with Jesus). First there was a thought, then the word.
Metennoia; This is the "change of mind" or perspective that happens to the initiate.
Monogenes; The "Only begotten", See Autogenes and Logos.
Nous; "Mind", The soul, which is not the same as the pneuma or spirit. Also a name for the First Thought.
Ogdoad; This is the "eight" kingdoms including the hebdomas (7) and the one above it. It is the realm of the Demiurgos (or sometimes that is the 7th, with the eighth being that of Sabaoth), as well as usually being the realm of the zodiac (dodecon). Sometimes it is also seen as the beginning of freedom from the Archons, and the beginning of connection to the Aeons. Accurding to Tertullian the Valentinians used the term for the realm of the Bythos and Aeons instead
Ouroboros; This familiar image of the serpent biting it's own tail is meant to imply infinity. Or, possibly, eternally being stuck in the material cycle.
Paraklete; "Comforter".
Pharmakeia; Is roughly equivalent to witchcraft. Contrary to the accusations of the heresiologists, Gnostic writers seemed to be have generally been against sympathetic magic or divination as part of the realm of Heimarene. There does seem to be indication of the practice in Apocryphon of John, and we are told by the heresiologists that Basilides bracticed magical formulas for health.
Pistis; "Faith".
Plane; means "error" and can be used for both the cosmic mistake, and a personal lack of understanding.
Pleroma; The word means "fullness". It refers to all existence beyond matter but not including the Bythos that is beyond it.
Pneumatic; One who identifies with the spirit (pneuma) as opposed to the material world (hylic) or rational existance (psychic) alone. The pneuma is the spark (spinther) that came from and is drawn to reunite with the spiritual realm. One who awakens it within the self does it through gnosis.
Poimandres; "Good Shepard" A Hermetic (rather than Gnostic) term that is a guiding force like the Logos.
Praxis; practice.
Pronoia; forthought, "First Thought", or sometimes "providence".
Prunikus; "Slut". Sophia in the fallen state is (according to heresiologists) sometimes referred to as "Pistis Sophia Prunikus".
Psychic; This level of thinking is the one right above "hylic". It's drive is the animal reason, or normal understanding of the mind.
Saklas; Literally means "fool". It is another name for the Demiurge.
Samael; The word "Samael" means "blind god" (or God of the Blind) and is another name for the Demiurge.
Sarkic; "Fleshly". Same as "hylic".
Sethian; It is a name for a specific sect of Gnostics, but also a category created by scholors to refer to a number of sects that are similar in thier difference to Valentinians.
Sophia; Means "wisdom". Like the Logos this is a primal form. While the Logos is personified as male, Sophia is female. Logos has a direct and intellectual basis for guidance, Sophia is inspirational and experience based. The begettor of the Demiurge who falls from grace in some texts
Soter; "Savior" is a name for the Logos.
Soteriology; the study of principles of salvation within a religion. In the most basic sense it is possible to look at much of western religion based on a particular emphasis in the process of salvation. For instance, most Christians believe salvation is gained by faith (pistis) alone, which could be called a "Pistic" soteriology. Manichaeans believed salvation was gained through certain actions (praxis) so they could be said to have a "Praxic" soteriology. Gnostics, of course, believed that salvation was gained through Gnosis.
Spinther; The "spark" or "splinter" that is awakened with Gnosis is the spirit (not the same as soul see "nous"), which is a piece of the divine source. Also see "pneumatic".
Syncratism; Syncratism is the interworking of two or more cultural perspectives into one system. Gnosticism (and therefore Christianity), as well as Kabbalah and the Mysteries of Mithras etc grew from syncratism. This has often been confused with eclecticism but is not the same thing. The latter is a picking and choosing according to taste, without the cultural framework. The former is when two systems come together with cultural perspectives that need to be worked out.
Synesis; Means "insight" in a relization of the physical inter-workings and is an aspect of Gnosis. It is one of the lower powers that was bound into man from the Aeons, by the Demiurge.
Syzygos; Literally means "consort". Sometimes used to refer to the twin. Is generally meant to imply the thing to which one is driven to connect with. A person's syzygos is their spirit. Sophia's mistake was said to be her drive to create without her syzygos.
Yaldabaoth (Ialdabaoth Jaldabaoth); From the Aramaic, meaning "begetter of the Heavens". A name for the Demiurge.
Zoe; Means "Life" and is usually equated with "Eve" which means the same thing. This is essentially the fallen Sophia.
(C) 2001 Karl Nygren
