In this episode of Way of the Hermit, David and Gene conclude their deep dive into The Secret Gospel of John, uncovering its profound esoteric teachings on self-awareness, spiritual awakening, and the cosmic struggle between light and darkness.

Picking up where the last episode left off, they explore how the creation of Eve symbolizes a division within Adam’s unified self, representing the separation of conscious and subconscious aspects. This psychic split, orchestrated by the Demiurge, obscures humanity’s divine nature, setting the stage for the journey back to wholeness. Eve, embodying the hidden spark of divinity (the luminous Epinoia), becomes a key figure in awakening Adam to his true nature - a process that mirrors humanity’s longing for self-realization and unity.

The conversation delves into the symbolic narratives of Cain and Abel, representing material desire versus spiritual transience, and Seth, who emerges as a figure of divine recognition and alignment with higher consciousness. David and Gene unpack how these archetypes reflect humanity’s inner struggles and potential for liberation. They also discuss the “fate of souls,” emphasizing how choices influenced by either the Divine Spirit or Counterfeit Spirit determine one’s spiritual trajectory - liberation, imprisonment, or punishment.

Finally, David and Gene examine the redemptive role of the Perfect Pronoia, who descends into darkness to awaken humanity from spiritual slumber. Her three attempts at awakening symbolize stages of moral preparation, philosophical understanding, and spiritual realization, mirroring the Blue Lodge Degrees of Freemasonry and the Scottish Rite.

The episode concludes with an exploration of how Gnostic texts like The Secret Gospel of John serve as seeds (or mental viruses) planted in fertile minds, bearing fruit through shared understanding. So, join us for this thought-provoking conclusion to a discussion of one of history’s most profound spiritual texts.

Deep Dive:

• Secret Book of John
• Secret Gospel of John correspondences

Chapters:

• 01:15 Introduction
• 02:07 Review
• 05:28 Creation of Eve
• 08:16 Adam and Eve
• 11:23 Cain and Abel
• 14:48 Seth
• 17:59 The Fate of Souls
• 20:51 Chain of Fate
• 25:27 Redemption
• 29:30 Conclusions

Resources:

• The Nag Hammadi Scriptures
• The Apocryphon of John - Frederick Wisse Translation
• Gnosis.org - The Gnosis Archive
• The Red Book: A Reader's Edition by Carl Jung

In this episode of Way of the Hermit, David and Gene continue their exploration of the “Secret Gospel of John,” delving deeper into the text’s esoteric description of the evolution of consciousness.

The primary story arc of this episode concerns the awakening of self-consciousness and awareness, and also the accompanying feeling of being “not whole.” The narrative follows how Sophia, representing dawning self-awareness, experiences her separation from divine unity, leading to a profound journey of anguish, realignment and restoration. In a response from heaven to Sophia’s prayers, heaven grants a vision to her son, the Demiurge, of what the “perfect man” looks like. But, this “image of god” is distorted, as it is reflected down through the worlds into manifestation, resulting in man’s plight.

This portion of the narrative of the “Secret Gospel of John” can be seen as the blackening phase of the alchemical process. It is the complete descent of spirit into matter, where it is in a sense, imprisoned, and yet, it is the spark that can reignite the ascent home.

David and Gene discuss the idea of building and embodying a living temple, and how the blueprint for such a construction, is an unfolding of “archetype of archetypes,” the same pattern that unfolds and becomes embodied in everything that exists.

So join us, as we continue our in-depth discussion of one of the most important spiritual texts of all time - “The Secret Gospel of John.”

Deep Dive:

• Secret Book of John
• Secret Gospel of John correspondences

Chapters:

• 01:15 Introduction
• 02:00 Review
• 07:33 Sophia’s Call
• 12:16 Pleroma’s Response
• 16:34 Creation of Man
• 20:42 Body of Light
• 23:32 Luminous Epinoia
• 27:54 Light Trapped in Shadow
• 31:17 Tree of Death
• 35:00 Conclusions

Resources:

• MiddleChamber.org - Symposium on Masonic Esoterica
• The Nag Hammadi Scriptures
• The Apocryphon of John - Frederick Wisse Translation
• Gnosis.org - The Gnosis Archive
• The Red Book: A Reader's Edition by Carl Jung

In this episode, David and Gene continue their exploration of the Secret Gospel of John, delving into its complex cosmology and comparing it with Neoplatonic philosophy. They review the discussion from the previous episode that detailed the first phases the evolution of consciousness through the emanations of (1) the Monad (pure undifferentiated consciousness - will), (2) Barbelo (first reflection - thought), and (3) Christ/Autogenes (self-generated awareness - life).

They draw parallels between ancient spiritual concepts and contemporary neuroscience, and discuss how these concepts relate to the modern understanding of consciousness and psychological development. The conversation explores the emergence of the Four Lights from Autogenes and their correspondence to the Four Worlds of Kabbalah, representing different levels of consciousness from spiritual to physical.

This text for this episode focuses on the dramatic turn in the narrative with the appearance of Sophia of the Epinoia and her creation of the Demiurge - a lion-faced serpent representing primal consciousness without higher reasoning. The text details how this "blind idiot god, born of chaos" creates the Archons (rulers) in an attempt to mirror the higher realms, resulting in a distorted reflection of divine patterns that governs the material world.

In this episode, David and Gene (as always) weave together insights from various esoteric traditions, including Masonry, Kabbalah, Hermeticism, alchemy, and Christian Gnosticism, showing how these ancient texts are intended as grimoires or textbooks, detailing sophisticated models for understanding consciousness and human psychological development.

Deep Dive:

• Secret Book of John
• Secret Gospel of John correspondences

Chapters:

• 01:15 Introduction
• 02:29 Review
• 05:32 Neoplatonism
• 10:38 Autogenes
• 14:03 The Four Lights
• 19:06 Pigera-Adamas
• 22:24 Sophia Epinoia
• 25:52 The Demiurge
• 29:09 The Archons
• 33:53 A Jealous God
• 36:52 Conclusions

Resources:

• MiddleChamber.org - Symposium on Masonic Esoterica
• The Nag Hammadi Scriptures
• The Apocryphon of John - Frederick Wisse Translation
• Gnosis.org - The Gnosis Archive
• The Red Book: A Reader's Edition by Carl Jung