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
---------------------