Re: When Was Orlanth Illuminated?

From: Greg Stafford <Greg_at_...>
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 18:09:22 -0700

YGWV This came up while I had no email, though Jane kindly asked me about it. But I was unable to reply at that moment, and I'd like to reply to it now.

The illuminated nature of the High Gods is different from mortals. Orlanth, and the other High Gods, did not "get illuminated." They BEGAN that way.

There's a major difference between the immortals and mortals, in that the immortals are in large part a story of DESCENT, while for mortals it is of ASCENT.

The origin of the gods was from the GREAT UNITY of Being and their creation of the world through their actions defined the world, embedding them in it while making the world what it is. CREATION is the story of DEVOLUTION.
Orlanth was not the first god, but the mantle of unity descended upon him and he diffused his powers into the universe.

Humans, being products of mixures and microcosmic creation, can continue to devolve, but their attributes allow them to seek cosmic evolution instead, and their ultimate spiritual quest is not to create the world, but to uncreate their connections with it and reunite themselves with the UNITY that was lost when the gods created the cosmos.

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Sincerely,
Greg Stafford

Issaries, Inc.
c/o Greg Stafford
1942 Channing Ave, #204
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA