From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer) To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest) Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Fri, 29 Apr 1994, part 3 Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM Content-Return: Prohibited Precedence: junk --------------------- From: john.hughes@anu.edu.au (John P Hughes) Subject: Gnostics Message-ID: <9404290136.AA02227@cscgpo.anu.edu.au> Date: 29 Apr 94 16:35:21 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3842 THE ONE & THE MANY / GNOSTICS / WHITE MOON * BTW, was Greg influenced by gnostic scripture in * writing the "Timeless" section of GRoY? I ask this, * because, apparently, quite a few gnostics beleived * that from the "First Principle", the Unkowable, * roughly speaking, there emanated the "Second * Principle" or the "Barbelo", from whom there * followed the "Ten Aeons" and then, at least in * Christian Gnosis, "Christ". This mythological principle - The One into the Many - is nearly universal, and extends far beyond the Gnostics. The Egyptian Memphite creation theogony, the Indian Vedas, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, and Kaliki Purana, the Babylonian 'Enuma Elish' (Epic of Creation), Ovid, Kant, certain Amerindian myths (Jo Campbell quotes a Pima story) and many many others use it. The metaphors are sometimes slightly different, but the underlying thought is the same. The One is usually considered to be beyond language and understanding, though perhaps accessible through mystic vision (or heroquest?). And Illumination of course. It points to a total unity beyond any conception of opposites such as male and female or existence and non-existence. The gnostic creation myths often identified The One with the Mother, or Sophia, the world soul. Yelmites certainly wouldn't like that! I use gnostic ideas mainly in my conception of the White Moon cults. However,the WM is not a coherent religion, but a rag-tag collection of contradictory philosophies put about by blood-and thunder prophets, educated priestesses, gullible peasants, lunatics, visionaries, libertarians, libertines, religious frauds, political disaffects and self-effacing hedonists (Hey! just like the gnostics!). The main ideas I adapt for the WM are those of 'secret knowledge', the focus on inner transformation in small groups rather than a hierarchical temple structure linked to Empire, the acceptance of alternative religious ideas, supposed revelations of the true nature of the Goddess ('Sophia' or Wisdom, the World-Soul), secret ceremonies and spells designed to bring about the White Moon, a strong pacifist ethic, tantric-style meditation and sexual rites, and a fuzzy new-age optimism tempered by a healthy fear of Lunar authority. John john.hughes@anu.edu.au --------------------- From: rowe@soda.berkeley.edu (Eric Rowe) Subject: The Broken Council LARP Message-ID: <199404290534.WAA25609@soda.berkeley.edu> Date: 28 Apr 94 15:34:11 GMT X-RQ-ID: 3843 Howdy, Work is only just beginning on the LARP for RQ Con 2 covering the Broken Council. If any of you have any ideas about the council that you would like to see happen we are still taking suggestions. e-mail me at rowe@soda.berkeley.edu if you have one. eric ---------------------