Union with Living Yeshua-The Risen Christ

In the Gospel of St. Thomas the name Living Yeshua appears: “These are the secret sayings the Living Yeshua spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down” (Logion 1). In Christian Gnosticism the name Living Yeshua is very specific – it means the Risen Christ or Risen Savior, and indicates inner and secret teachings, along with the corresponding initiations, that Lord Yeshua imparted to his disciples following the resurrection. This reflects a significant distinction between the orthodox forms of Christianity and Gnostic Christianity, for orthodoxy is focused primarily upon the outer and public teachings Yeshua gave before the crucifixion, while Christian Gnosticism is founded upon the inner and secret teachings given by Master Yeshua after the resurrection; the secret teachings of the Living Yeshua. That the Gospel of St. Thomas begins in this way connotes that these sayings come from the Risen Christ.

Most Christian Gnostics do not place the same importance on the teachings of St. Paul that orthodox Christians do. After all, by Paul’s own account, he is the “least of the apostles.” However, Gnostics take note of the conversion of Saul into St. Paul, for his conversion takes place by way of the Living Yeshua or Risen Christ in a spiritual or mystical vision. (See Acts chapter 9) Not only did his metanoia (spiritual transformation) take place through a mystical contact with the Living Yeshua in vision, but the disciple who received him also experienced the Living Yeshua in a vision instructing him to heal Paul’s sight, and thus to receive Paul into the Circle.

The orthodox church speaks of such events as something of the past and proffers a vain “apostolic succession” completely apart from any direct experience of the Living Yeshua – a faith of blindness leading the blind, and ignorance teaching the ignorant. The principle of the apostolic succession and the Light-Transmission that moves through it means something completely different to a Gnostic Christian: For the Gnostic knows that the Christ Presence exists within him or herself, and that direct experience of the Living Yeshua is open to anyone who seeks to receive the Anointed – hence True Gnosis.

Gnosis and communion with the Living Yeshua is not isolate to the past but is an on-going experience in the present for Gnostics. And it is this direct spiritual or mystical experience of the Living Yeshua that is the foundation of Christian Gnosticism and the True Apostolic Succession.

It is this belief, above all others, that earned Gnostics the brand of being heretics, for Gnostics know that the Living Yeshua and Holy Spirit transcend all manmade religious institutions and that the apostolic succession is not dependent upon association with any external church. Essentially, Gnostics know anyone who wishes to contact the Living Yeshua – the Risen Christ – can do so, and that everyone can receive the teachings and Light-Transmission directly from the Anointed. Spiritual Teachers and discipleship are highly valued among most Christian Gnostics, specifically for the purpose of guidance on the Path of Self-realization and teaching aspirants how to enter into Gnosis and Communion with the Living Yeshua and the Luminous Assembly of Tzaddikim and Maggidim directly. This is the essential intention of Gnostic Christianity.

It is for this reason that Gnostic Elders (Adepts) and Tau (Masters) have designed and evolved Partzufim Meditations – methods of uniting oneself with Divine Personifications – in order to teach aspirants how to invoke and experience direct contact with the Living Yeshua. On the one hand, it is the rehearsal and remembrance of the Truth and Light within oneself, and, on the other hand, it is a way to contact and experience the Anointed directly for oneself – hence a Path of Gnosis.

In Gnosticism the resurrection is taught as primarily a spiritual event that is perceived not with the physical eyes, but with the spiritual eye. The story of St. Paul reflects this very well, for he experiences physical blindness as his spiritual eye is opened, symbolic of the necessity of learning to see, hear, smell, taste and touch on a different level through interior senses. The methods of spiritual practice and meditation in Gnosticism are specifically designed to facilitate the opening of the interior senses through which one might receive instruction directly from the Risen One and Holy Spirit. Partzuf Meditations are meant to do just that – open one’s interior senses and generate a Body of Light (a more Subtle Body of Consciousness).

Partzuf Meditations have another purpose, however; what is called the “generation of Divine Pride.” Essentially, this is the dissolution of one’s self-identification with limited name and form and, in place of it, the generation of a new self-identification with fully evolved and realized being – hence the Christos or Gnostic Being. Because this is the truth of our Inmost Being – the Soul of Light in us – practicing it we naturally and spontaneously bring forth the Light-Presence from within us. Coupled with Spiritual Humility, which is the state of being empty of ourselves and completely open and sensitive to the Spirit, the cultivation of Divine Pride is central to the Sophian Way. Thus, typically, every Sophian knows and practices at least one form of Union with a Partzuf.

The basic aim in all Partzufim Meditations is to experience a conscious unification with the Partzuf and to embody the Partzuf in one’s life. Essentially, it is one’s aim to merge one’s mind, heart and life with the Light-Presence represented by the chosen Partzuf and to live as that Light-Presence as fully as one can. This idea is reflected by the name Didymos Judas Thomas, which literally means “Twin” Judas Thomas – the “Twin of the Living Yeshua.” Through Partzufim Meditations we also become Twins of the Light-Presence. It is a very powerful practice that lends itself towards the acquisition of secret wisdom, mystical experiences and various wonders.

Here we shall give the Union with the Living Yeshua Meditation, but you will also find Union Meditations on this website with the Holy Mother, St. Mary Magdalene, John the Baptist and St. Lazarus, each of which represents a Face of the Beloved – the Christ Presence. The Living Yeshua Meditation is, perhaps, the most common among Gnostic Christians, though the meditations with the Holy Mother and Bride are also very common.

Union with the Living Yeshua Meditation

Sit in a place where you will not be disturbed and let yourself settle in. Perform the Kabbalistic Cross and abide in Primordial Meditation, letting your heart return to the place (the present moment). This is the foundation of all good things.

From this Primordial Ground, shift your focus to the Image of the Spiritual Sun in your heart, envisioning the Spiritual Sun shining within you, illuminating your whole body-mind. Let your mind and heart turn to the Living Yeshua and pray that the Anointed might come and be with you. Then, envision a ray of light streaming forth from your heart – leaping out of you like a shooting star – and the Image of the Living Yeshua magically appearing in the space before you, an Image of Radiant and Translucent Glory. (The Divine Image appears as though formed of translucent light, like a rainbow which is bright and distinct, yet through which you can see.)

Meditation Image: The Risen One appears as though his body is made of sunlight, wearing an inner robe of white brilliance and an outer robe of violet or amethyst. His gaze is intense, though deeply loving, and he is enshrouded with a great rainbow aura, the red band nearest his body and the violet band on the outermost edge. He does not appear with his feet on the ground, but hovers in the space before you as though standing on air.

Open your mind and heart to the Holy One completely, and pray to the Anointed. As much as speaking your prayers, become a womb of silence, listening and hearing the Word of the Life-Power he speaks to you – entertain gnosis and communion with the Risen Christ. As you commune hold the visualization as clearly as you can, and not only see, but let yourself feel the warmth and vibration, love and compassion, understanding and acceptance of the Lord. When you feel your prayer and communion is complete, take up a chant of the Anointed:

The most simple is the Blessed Name of the Anointed – Yeshua. Alternatively, you can intone Adonai Yeshua or Yeshua Messiah or Hayyah Messiah. The most common chant for this practice is Adonai Yeshua, Yeshua Messiah.

As you chant the Name of the Anointed envision that he answers your prayers and invocations, smiling upon you and sending forth streams of light from his body and aura, pouring out grace and blessings upon you and empowering you in the Great Work. See your own body-mind shining brighter and brighter and your own aura transformed into Rainbow Glory. When you conclude the chant, envision the Divine Image dissolving and becoming fluid flowing light, pouring back into the Spiritual Sun in your heart. In the silence, know the Christos as your very own Soul of Light and let your mind merge with the Mind of Christ, your heart merge with the Sacred Heart of Christ and your body merge with the Mystical Body of Christ. Abide in this Unification as long as you can, whether an instant or a prolonged period of time. When your mind and heart move, close with thanksgiving and praise and a prayer extending the Light of the Great Seth (Cross), and perform the Kabbalistic Cross.

Let the energy settle and ground for a few minutes before getting up. When you go out into the world, consider everything you see as the Light Abode and Body of the Anointed; every sound hear as the Living Word of the Holy One; every thought and emotion that arises in your mind, receive as the innate Wisdom of Christ. In this way practice the Holy Seal of your Unification throughout the day – live as a Christ-bearer. This is the Essential Meditation of Union with the Living Yeshua – the Risen Christ.

Opening the Interior Stars Method

This is an extension of the same practice. In this method the initiate envisions the seven interior stars within the Divine Image of Yeshua, from Crown Star to Root Star (which follow the spectrum of the rainbow, violet-crown to red-root), as well as the Transcendent Star of diamond-like brilliance above the head of the Lord. When one is envisioning the extension of blessing during the chant of the Blessed Name, one envisions a ray of jeweled colored light emanating from each of the interior stars in the body of the Anointed to the points of the interior stars in one’s own body, and the interior stars opening in one’s own body. (Another method is to envision an intense ray coming from the Transcendent Star over the head of the Lord to the point of the Transcendent Star over one’s own head, and the seven interior stars spontaneously appearing as the rainbow glory of the Transcendent Star.) The whole practice is exactly the same, except for this detailed visualization. This method is still an Essential Practice. Advanced practices developed from this base are taught in the Tradition, though special instruction and initiation from an Elder or Tau is necessary.

Essential Transference of Consciousness Method

This method is also basically the same. The only difference is that at the end of the meditation the initiate envisions his or her own body-mind condensing into the Spiritual Sun at the heart and dissolving into fluid light and shooting into the Sacred Heart of the Divine Image. Essentially, in this way, the initiate shifts the center of his or her consciousness into the Body of Light or Divine Image. This is a practice of consciousness beyond the body and for conscious dying. Typically, special instruction along with an initiation or empowerment is necessary for success with any form of the Transference of Consciousness Practice. However, this is an essential method that can prove productive for any sincere practitioner once knowledge and experience of the base practice is in place. For this reason it is provided here in a relatively public forum.

We pray that all who seek Gnosis of the Living Yeshua may receive it, and that the Light of the Great Seth might illuminate all! Amen.

Union with the Woman of Light-Holy Mother

According to the Kabbalah, in the beginning Or Ain Sof (the Light of the Infinite) pervaded endless space and, thus, Godself filled endless space, infinitely in all directions. The first action of creation was Tzimtzum-Constriction, in which God withdrew into Godself, leaving a Great Void of Infinite Space in which creation could take place. In others words, God made space in Godself for creation. The masters of the Tradition say that this Great Void of Infinite Space is God’s Womb. Thus, God the Father (Abba) and God the Mother (Aima) appear, though, indeed, God is beyond the duality of male or female, Father or Mother.

It cannot be said that Endless Space was created, for though Or Ain Sof filled it, it is Primordial and was ever-present in the midst of the Primordial Light. This Infinite spaciousness is Uncreated Sophia – Mother Sophia (Wisdom). Within her we live and move and have our being, and the whole of creation appears. She is within creation as the space in which everything exists, yet she is ever beyond creation as the space of Ain Sof (the Infinite), which is the space of God and Godhead – the One-Without-End.

She is the Primordial Ground and Matrix – the Space of Creation and the Nature of Consciousness, as revealed in the Melchizedek Transmission. Light and Darkness appear in her, and all the Cosmic Forces: Divine Forces, Titanic Forces and Dark Forces. Because she is never changed by anything that appears in her, but remains ever pure and pristine, she is called the Holy Virgin. Yet, because all Cosmic Forces appear in her, Divine, Titanic and Demonic, she is called the Whore. She is exclusive and all-inclusive at one and the same time, Our Mother.

One who knows the nature of Consciousness and is Self-realized has acquired Gnosis of Mother Sophia, and it is this Gnosis which is called Enlightenment and in which Supernal or Christ Consciousness is born. Therefore, she is called the Mother of Christ – Mother of all the Holy Ones. In the Gnostic Gospel she is personified by Mother Mary, the Mother of Yeshua Messiah, the One Anointed with the Supernal Light of God.

Mother Mary is Mother Sophia – Uncreated Wisdom, and St. Mary Magdalene is Daughter Sophia – Created Wisdom, and, in truth, the Mother and Daughter are one and the same Divine Sophia. Yet, the Holy Mother corresponds to Pure Being and the Daughter to the Ever-Becoming, so that it is said of Holy Sophia, “She moves and moves not.” According to the masters of the Tradition, everything in the Holy Gospel transpires with, in and through the Divine Mother, and she is the Ground of it all. Just as without the Element of Spirit-Space nothing would appear, so without the Mother the Light of the Cross would not shine forth and no one would be Christed.

The Mother is the Voice of Silence that speaks the Logos-Word of God, and she gives birth to herself in the Bride and Bridegroom, so that through her the Face of the Father is revealed and the One-Without-End is made known. She is the Throne upon which the Image and Likeness of Yahweh appears, and she is all Divine Images of Light that appear in the Light-Continuum – to know the Holy Mother is to know oneself and to give birth to Christ in oneself. She is the All in All, within yet ever transcendent; blessed be God the Mother and the Mother of God!

Now here we speak words and generate thoughts, but the Gnosis of Mother Sophia is not in our words or thoughts, nor in anything that arises in the mind. Indeed, though everywhere within, she is ever beyond, and therefore Supernal or Supramental. To know her one must experience her – one must abide in Pure Radiant Awareness at-one with the Primordial Ground of Infinite Space.

What is written here is, itself, a contemplation and meditation of the Holy Mother, and there is much more that may be said of her – the body of inner and secret teachings of Mother Sophia is vast in the Tradition. Yet, direct experience and gnosis of her will not come through words and is not to be found in books, but in life and in one’s soul and nowhere else. In truth she is oneself and she is more – she is the essence of oneself, the Essence of the Self of every self and Soul of every soul. Such is Mother Sophia.

For this reason the adepts and masters of the Tradition have generated many meditations with the Partzuf of Aima or Mother Sophia, so that drawing near unto her and experiencing her, we might gain Knowledge and Understanding of her and grow in Wisdom. Here is one of the most common Partzuf Meditations of the Holy Mother, which is called Union with the Woman of Light.

Union with the Woman of Light Meditation

Sit in a place you will not be disturbed and abide in Primordial Meditation. This, itself, is the most essential meditation of Mother Wisdom, but if true Gnosis does not dawn from this simplicity of Pure Being, then shift your awareness to the Heart Center and envision in your heart the Image of the Spiritual Sun, our Io Adonai indwelling.

Contemplate your body as the Womb of the Mother, and the Spiritual Sun as her Holy Child – meditate on your body as the Virgin Mother giving birth to your Holy Soul to the Infinite and Eternal. This, itself, is a fundamental meditation of the Holy Mother – if Gnosis of her dawns abide with it.

Let your heart be your guide and when the time comes and your heart wishes to speak itself, envision a ray of light shooting forth from your heart and magically appearing as the Woman of Light before you.

The Image of the Woman of Light: This Divine Image appears in Revelations 12:1-2. She is a Woman of Light, giving birth to a Child of Light, her body shining like the sun, with a crown of twelve stars, standing on the orb of the moon, full of Grace and radiant with Divine Glory. Her image is formed of translucent light, like a rainbow, yet she is a Great and Brilliant Light-Presence.

Envision the Woman of Light, Mother Israel, and feel her and smell her and taste her and hear her – be fully present with her, opening your mind and heart and life to her. Contemplate your Soul of Light as the child in her Womb, and infinite space within and around you as her Divine Body. Pray to her and commune in her, knowing her as your True Mother, the Mother of all mothers, Woman of all women – the Womb of All.

When your heart moves you, take up the chant of the Woman of Light: Ha Isha Ha Elyona Aima Israel (“Woman of Light, Mother Israel”)

As you chant her chant, envision rays of light streaming from her Divine Body pouring out upon you, purifying you and consecrating you, blessing and empowering you in the Continuum of the Light-Transmission. It is as though you are being born as a Child of Light in her presence and as though in her you remember yourself in the World of Supernal Light. Envision this light pouring over you and pervading you, transforming every cell and every particle of matter in your body into Fiery-Light, so that gradually you grow more and more self-radiant, until your body shines with brilliant translucent light like her body, and you are as she is – the Image of your Mother.

At the conclusion of the chant when Silence comes, abide in the silence as long as it lasts, whether an instant or a prolonged period of time. Then, envision the Image of the Divine Mother dissolving into fluid light and that Divine Light pouring down through the top of your head into your Heart Center. Contemplate your heart as a Heart-Womb and the whole world within it – a Great Sphere of Light encompassing the Good Earth, and let love and compassion for all beings as your fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and little ones dawn, and let love for all creatures and God shine from within you. Pray for the resurrection and ascension of the Good Earth, and pray to be as the Mother in the Great Work.

Then, take up the simple chant of the Holy Mother holding this love in your heart and holding this wish in your mind: Ama-Aima

When the chant is concluded imagine that you merge with the Holy Mother completely – your mind becoming as her Divine Mind, your heart as her Sacred Heart and Womb, your body as her Emanation Body; be at-one with the Divine Mother.

In closing, pray for the extension of the Light of the Cross, and the Divine Illumination of all beings.

Walk in the world as though walking in the Abode and Body of the Holy Mother, aware of the Sacred Unity in which all things live and move and have their being; all sounds let be as her Heavenly Voice; all thoughts and emotions that arise receive as her Divine Wisdom. Know you are in her and she is in you, and that you are inseparable from her in body and in soul – this is Gnosis of the Divine Mother. Amen.

This is a powerful practice. In the Presence of the Woman of Light no darkness or evil can enter and in her Divine Presence is all healing. Many have experienced Divine Illumination through this practice and acquired all manner of wonder-working powers. Of this practice we may say, its essence is the Sacred Heart of Love and Compassion.

Union with the Holy Bride-St. Mary of Magdal

Sophian Gnosticism is founded upon the belief that the Christos was embodied in Lord Yeshua and St. Mary of Magdal, who is considered to be his consort and wife, co-equal and co-enlightened with him, and co-preacher of the Gnostic Gospel. Lord Yeshua represents the Divine Personification of Christ the Logos (Word) and Lady Mary represents the Divine Personification of Christ the Sophia (Wisdom). Thus, from a Sophian perspective, the Divine Fullness of the Christos – the Light-Presence – is manifest through the Mystical Union of Lord Yeshua and Lady Mary. Essentially, Lady Mary is the Female Emanation of Christ in the Sophian Tradition.

This sacred relationship between a masculine and feminine embodiment of Enlightenment is well reflected in Eastern Traditions. In Vajrayana Buddhism there is Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal and in Hindu Tantra there is Shiva and Devi. In the teachings of Sophian Gnosticism Master Yeshua and Lady Mary are viewed in much the same way: Divine Consorts whose love-play embodies profound Enlightenment Teachings and initiates a stream of the Light-Transmission. Basically, Yeshua embodies the Desire to Impart and Lady Mary embodies the Desire to Receive, so that between them a circuit is formed through which the Light-Presence is fully embodied and Divine Grace pours out upon the world. According to the masters of the Tradition, we cannot truly speak of one without the other, for the two are inseparable from one another. In Sophian teachings they are said to be “soul-mates,” which is to say that they are the male and female expression of one and the same Neshamah (Supernal Soul).

In the Gnostic Gospel of the Sophian Tradition, Lord Yeshua is akin to the Light and Lady Mary is akin to the Matrix of Light. It is as though he is the Light-Presence of Supernal Being and she is the Prism of Light through which the Light flows, becoming many Rays of Rainbow Glory, each Ray of Light representing a different body of teachings and initiations, outer, inner and secret. She is the Divine Muse who inspires Master Yeshua to give the outer, inner and secret teachings of the Gospel of Truth and to reveal the Light-Continuum; and she is the First Apostle who receives the Divine Fullness of the Light-Presence and transmits it to the circle of apostles, each of whom receives according to his or her capacity. Lord Yeshua is the Incarnation of Christ or Supernal Being and she is the Emanation of the Consciousness-Force of Supernal Being. Thus, Lady Mary personifies the Shekinah- Consort or Holy Spirit in the Gnostic Gospel.

In the Tradition, Mother Mary personifies the transcendental aspect of Sophia and Lady Mary personifies the immanent aspect. In a similar way, Lord Yeshua represents the otherworldly aspect of Christos and Lady Mary represents the “this-world” aspect. This is reflected in the ascension of the Lord to repose in the Father and in the vow Lady Mary is said to have made to continue to incarnate in a woman’s form until the time of the Second Coming. Thus, somewhere in the world it is believed that the Soul of Mary Magdalene is incarnate as a woman in every generation and, according to the teachings of the Sophian Tradition, the Presence of the Holy Bride is accessible to anyone who calls upon her.

Some adepts and masters of the Tradition have gone so far as to say that one can only acquire full Gnosis of the Living Yeshua and Christ Consciousness through Gnosis of the Holy Bride. Basically their point is this: Without Gnosis of Christ the Sophia, complete Gnosis of Christ the Logos is not possible. Likewise, apart from the redemption and co-equality of womanhood, the full realization of manhood is impossible. Essentially, on an inner level we are both male and female, and our Soul of Light is the union of the male and female aspects of ourselves. Without the activation and union of the male and female aspects of our Soul-Being our full Self-realization is sorely obstructed. Thus, in Lord Yeshua and Lady Mary we have an Image of the Divine Fullness of the Christos and the Soul of Light that is in us.

The Holy Bride has many Faces, both Bright and Dark. One the one hand, she is the Maiden of Light, the Mother of the Royal Blood and Crone of Ageless Wisdom; on the other hand, she is Lilith, Naamah and Iggaret (Mistress of the Night, Queen of Demons and Hag of Chaos). Thus, the Holy Bride has many forms and there are many different practices associated with her in the Tradition – Peaceful, Blissful and Wrathful. Though St. Mary of Magdal was noted for her great intelligence and her skill at preaching and sacred discourse, more than by way of intellectual argument and reason the Holy Bride tends to teach and transmit the Light through experience. The Way of the Bride is primarily experiential. Invoking the Presence of the Bride we find she tends to impart teachings through life-experience; the principles she shows in vision and what she speaks with voice swiftly plays out in our lives. Through contact with the Presence of the Bride our intuitive faculties are opened and penetrating insight soon emerges. Without these faculties activated and the flow of spiritual energies that comes with them our practice would be lifeless and dull and merely conceptual.

It is the Holy Bride who brings our spiritual practice to life and who gives us a deep sense of relatedness, yet her Divine Presence is very playful and reminds one of the Feminine Archetype of a Trickster-Prankster-Fool. Hers is the Way of Crazy Wisdom that is most luminous and delightful, yet at the same time it can prove frightening and overwhelming. Though, indeed, she is most accessible, as near as your own body, she is the embodiment of Divine Passion and sometimes tends to carry us where, at first, we do not want to go!

Mother Sarah was the most senior disciple of Tau Elijah and was a Sacred Tau in her own right. In one discourse, speaking of the invocation of the Holy Bride, she said, “When you invoke her, she will come, like a firestorm leaping and laughing, and she will burn you utterly away, until only the Beloved remains. Playful maiden and dread crone and regal mother is she, and no one can say which Face she will reveal, nor predict her coming or going. She loves you and hates you, and she gambles with your life – all for the sake of your Enlightenment and Liberation. If you run from her she will chase you down, and if you cling to her she will throw you away. Invoking her, you cannot banish her, just as once you are in life you cannot depart until it is time. There is no getting rid of her, for she is your very body and life, as surely as the Lord is the Radiant Holy Breath in you. If she does not awake in you, life is perpetual boredom and a shadow of death – they are alive who invoke her and know her. I dare say that there is no True Gnosis apart from her, for it is she who is the Christ Presence of the Second Coming.”

There are extensive teachings and legends of the Holy Bride in the oral tradition of Sophian Gnosticism, far beyond what can be written here. However, the above should serve to give some sense of the Sophian view of her and a point to begin one’s own quest to know and experience her. Some modern Gnostic movements claim to give initiations to put one in contact with St. Mary of Magdal, and while there are initiations that correspond to her in our own Tradition, one does not need an initiation from anyone to contact the Bride. One need only desire to experience her and consciously invoke her and she will come, in one form or another, according to one’s own capacity to receive her. The practices generated by adepts and masters of the Sophian Tradition merely serve to help facilitate her invocation and teach us how to integrate the influx of spiritual energies that are activated by her contact. Here we give one of the key practices associated with her, which is a self-initiation into the Gnosis and Communion of the Holy Bride.

Union with the Holy Bride

It is common that Sophians have a room in their homes set aside as a sanctuary for prayer, meditation and sacred ritual, or at least an altar or shrine upon which they light candles and burn incense and use as a place of focus. This is especially true of devotees of the Holy Mother and the Bride. If you seek to invoke the Holy Bride it is good to build an altar or shrine to the Divine Mother and the Holy Bride. You can engage in this practice before your altar or shrine, or you can do so in any place you will not be disturbed. Frequently, initiates will seek a place in nature where they can practice, as well as in their homes.

Sit and settle in. Perform the Kabbalistic Cross and abide in Primordial Meditation – become clear and present in the moment. Calmly abide, waiting upon the Spirit of the LORD, and when the Spirit moves you, shift your focus to your belly, and imagine there is a Holy Fire in your belly, and as you breathe let this Holy Fire be kindled and stoked.

When the Holy Fire is blazing, let it be consecrated with the chant Ya-Ha-Va (all short vowel sounds).

Then, envision a fine thread of flame moving up from the base of your spine and belly to your heart and envision your heart bursting into flames. Let the Force of Divine Passion, Energy and Love fill you. Feel yourself on fire with the Spirit of Yahweh.

Now envision a flame leaping out of your Fiery Heart and magically appearing in the space before you as the Divine Image of the Holy Bride dancing.

Meditation Image: She is robed in crimson red, with a crimson shawl over her head, and wears a white inner robe. She is dark in complexion and awesome in beauty, with jet black hair and green eyes. She holds the Jar of Anointing in her hands and some times may even bear a sword. Around her is an aura of Fire and Light, and she dances in the sky like a flame. This image is formed of translucent light.

As the Bride dances before you, see and feel her Holy Fire dancing within you, and pray to her and commune with her, and as much as you would speak, abide in silence, listening and hearing the Voice of Wisdom. Open your mind and heart to her completely, and invite and welcome her, and, if you are willing, pray that she might take up your life. Receive whatever illumination or teaching she might give, or whatever blessing or boon, and be fully awake in the Innate Bliss of her Living Presence.

Then take up her chant: Kallah Messiah (Anointed Bride).

As you chant envision the Holy Bride pouring out blessings upon you in the form of Fire and Light, and see her dancing around you, within and through you, your own body filled with Fire and Light, and your aura radiant with Fire and Light. Perhaps you will be called to dance, or perhaps to remain very still – go with the inspiration that comes in the moment.

When you fall silent after the chant envision the Holy Bride leaping into you and merging with you completely, your mind becoming her Wisdom Mind, your heart her Flaming Heart and your body her Holy Body: be at-one with the Holy Bride. Know that you are hers and she is yours for all time – so walk in beauty and holiness as you go out into the world, knowing her in everyone and everything, and in you!

Sit and let the energy be absorbed and grounded. Then pray that the energy and blessing of the Holy Bride go out to bless all creatures and the whole world, and pray for Gnosis of the Second Coming. In closing, perform the Kabbalistic Cross. This is a basic self-initiation and meditation with St. Mary of Magdal, Our Lady in Red.

If this method seems too awkward or seems unclear, you can simply use the method of envisioning the Spiritual Sun in your heart and see the Image of the Bride magically appearing from a ray of light streaming out from your heart. In this method she is not dancing like a flame, but her Image hovers in the space before you and she remains in place. At the conclusion, simply envision her dissolving once again into the Spiritual Sun in your heart. The beginning and end, and the chant of Kallah Messiah would remain the same.

We pray the Fiery-Light of the Bride is received by all who seek her! Amen.

Union with St. Lazarus

The most mystical of the Gospels that found their way into the Bible is the Gospel of John. Curiously enough, clergy and scholars of orthodox Christianity, who are ignorant of the deeper esoteric content of the Gospel, propose it was a Gospel written against the “heresy” of Gnostics. However, according to the masters of Gnostic Christianity, it is a Gnostic Gospel, and in the Sophian Tradition a vast body of oral teachings has developed based upon this Gospel. In the introduction to these wisdom teachings the authorship of the Gospel is challenged, for it is said not to have been written by St. John but by St. Lazarus. There are several reasons for this teaching. First, the pivotal event of the Gospel is the resurrection of St. Lazarus, of whom it is said, “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (Gospel of John 11:3). From the event of Lazarus’ resurrection Lord Yeshua concludes his public ministry to focus primarily upon teaching his disciples, and the nature of these teachings is clearly inner and secret. At the conclusion of the Gospel it is said that the disciple “whom Yeshua loved” is the disciple who wrote this Gospel, and there is a strange allusion to this same disciple as one who is to remain in the world as a witness until the time of the Second Coming. The masters of the Tradition point out that this could only be St. Lazarus, for only he shared directly in the experience of death and resurrection that would make this possible.

This argument, in and of itself, proves most convincing, and some modern scholars have begun to propose it also, but it becomes even more clear when one understands the code of symbolism embedded in the Gospel and the secret wisdom it conveys to Gnostic Initiates. The Holy Book is actually a manual of metaphysical teachings and meditation, the specific intention of which is the awakening of the Serpent Power, which in Christian mysteries is called the Power of the Holy Spirit and in the East is called “Kundalini.” Whoever wrote this Holy Book received the inmost secret teachings and initiations from Master Yeshua and directly experienced the Resurrection Power. Among the disciples of the Master it could only be Lazarus – the most beloved disciple who experienced death and resurrection, just as the Lord experienced it. This has earned Lazarus the title, Secret or Hidden Christ-bearer, and in Christian Kabbalah he is associated with Da’at (Knowledge) on the Tree of Life. Essentially, he represents a hidden or unmanifest dimension of the Christos that will not become fully embodied until the Age of the Holy Spirit or Second Coming.

For obvious reasons many myths and legends have evolved in the oral tradition of Sophian Gnosticism about this mysterious disciple whom the Lord loved. Apart from St. Mary Magdalene it is said that he was the only disciple to receive all teachings and initiations of the Holy Gospel, outer, inner and secret. Likewise it is suggested that he was the “twin brother” of Magdalene, sharing in the Holy Neshamah of Our Lord and Our Lady. When we contemplate the ascension of Lord Yeshua to repose in the Father, the vow of Lady Mary to perpetually incarnate in a woman’s form until the time of the Second Coming, and the legend of St. Lazarus remaining alive on earth until the Second Coming, we see three distinct realms of operation of the Christ Presence.

It is said that St. Lazarus lives in remote places and wanders the earth in secret, immortal and indestructible. According to legend, he receives one or two disciples in every generation to whom he transmits the inmost secret teachings, serving as a guardian and knowledge-keeper of the Light-Transmission on earth. Only those whom the Holy Spirit calls and guides are able to find him, and it is said many who have tried with the wrong motives have died in their attempts over the Ages. Though many might think of him as an old man, legend speaks of him as a young and very handsome man, and he is often called the Eternal Youth or the Hermit-Lad.

As strange and fanciful as all the stories and legends of St. Lazarus may sound, nevertheless deep spiritual and esoteric truths are contained in them, which are verified in our own experience. In the Sophian Tradition all myth and legend relates to spiritual and metaphysical truths, and to spiritual practice and the spiritual life through which these truths are realized. Essentially, they are allegorical in nature and become historical as we ourselves embody the Spirit of Truth of which they speak. In the case of St. Lazarus, it is the truth of the Life-Power which is infinite and eternal, and our capacity to realize Eternal Life.

Some have said that the character of Christian Rozenkrutz in the Rosicrucian teachings is based upon legends of St. Lazarus, and that true Rosicrucian teachings themselves represent the School of St. Lazarus, founded by one of his secret disciples.

Teachings of Sophian Gnosticism on St. Lazarus and his legends are not typically given in a public forum, as they include inner and secret practices, and the special initiations that correspond to them. However, there are several essential Partzuf Meditations openly provided for aspirants who might be inclined to contact this Divine Personification of the Light-Presence or who feel a strong connection with St. Lazarus as their Heart Tzaddik. The following is one of the most basic meditations with St. Lazarus.

Union with the Secret Apostle

Seated in Primordial Meditation, abide in the Living Presence of the moment, aware of the Sacred Unity in which all things exist. Perform the Kabbalistic Cross and pray for purification and consecration by the Spirit of Yahweh, that you might be blessed to receive Gnosis and Communion with the Secret Apostle, St. Lazarus.

Envision St. Lazarus magically appearing before you, as though stepping out of the Light-Continuum.

Image of St. Lazarus: He appears in robes of ivory white – the outer robe is hooded and rainbows flow out of his body. He is youthful and has a beautiful boyish face, appearing as though he were sixteen, though having pure white hair. His eyes are unearthly in appearance, as though the universe is in them and his gaze seems otherworldly. There is a clear diamond-like light surrounding him, this image being formed of translucent light.

Let your mind and heart open completely to the Secret Tzaddik, and any other Tzaddikim who might appear with him. Do not speak, but abide in silence, listening and hearing the Wisdom Teachings emerging within your own heart and mind.

See St. Lazarus smile upon you and envision rays of light streaming forth from his Brow and Heart Center and Body of Glory, blessing you and fulfilling every wish of your Holy Soul.

Take up the sacred chant of St. Lazarus: Azaza-Al-Lazarus (Alternatively, you can chant the Divine Name IAO, or the Six permutations of IAO.)

As you chant envision yourself becoming more and more radiant and glorious, and as you near the end of the chant envision your body dissolving into fluid flowing light, so that as you cease the chant you pour into the Image of the Secret Apostle, merging with him completely. Abide in this union as long as you can.

When your mind and heart moves, take up the chant: Hayyah Yeshua (Living Yeshua)

Let your mind, heart and life merge with the Holy Chant.

At the conclusion of the chant imagine yourself spontaneously appearing once again.

Give praise and thanks to the Holy One of Being, and pray that the Light of the Cross is extended unto all beings, then seal the practice with the Kabbalistic Cross. Walk in the world as a Light-bearer; this is enough.

May all who ask, receive;
May all who seek, find;
May all who knock, enter!
This is our prayer. Amen.

Union with Prophet-John the Baptist

In the Gospel of St. Mark we read: As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism for the repentance of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were coming out to him, and were baptized in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I baptize you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Gospel of St. Mark 1:2-8)

The Mystery of the Divine Incarnation was not isolate to Yeshua Messiah, according to Gnostic Tradition, but rather the Light-Presence was embodied through a Matrix of Great Souls, John the Baptist being significant among them. John was the Baal Shem, the Master of the Name, and head of the assembly of the prophets. The canonized Gospels make it clear that he was the reincarnation of the soul of Elijah, the embodiment of Ruach Ha-Elijah (Spirit of the Prophets).

In the oral tradition of Sophian Gnosticism John is the Tzaddik of the Messiah, which is to say that he was the principle Spiritual Teacher and Guide of Lord Yeshua and Yeshua was his disciple. Thus, the baptism in the river Jordan was an initiation of Yeshua into the Supreme Mystery, and the power of these two Great Souls invoked Ruach Ha-Messiah (Spirit of the Anointed).

This was the fulfillment of a promise made by Elijah to his disciple Elisha, just before Elijah ascended. He promised Elisha “twice the power of Elijah” if Elisha was able to witness his ascension. Just as John the Baptist was the reincarnation of the soul of Elijah, so was Yeshua the reincarnation of the soul of Elisha. Essentially, John the Baptist was the midwife of the Holy Spirit giving birth to Supernal or Christ Consciousness in Lord Yeshua.

We may speak of Lord Yeshua giving his life for the sake of the Light-Transmission, but in so doing he followed the way of his Tzaddik, who also sacrificed his life for the Christ Revelation. To honor the Self-realization embodied in Master Yeshua is to also honor his Holy Tzaddik, John the Baptist.

One cannot help but think of the Sufi master, Shams of Tabriz, and his great disciple who came to be known as Rumi, for the exchange between John and Yeshua was much the same, though unlike Shams, John had other disciples besides Yeshua. Yet, as in the case of Rumi, through whom we know Shams, we know John the Baptist through Lord Yeshua.

John the Baptist was a Great Master and represents the Partzuf of the Prophet. If one contemplates the image of him given in the Gospel of St. Mark, in truth, it is the image of a man filled with Divine Madness. Essentially, he is filled with Crazy Wisdom and is moved completely in life by the Spirit of God. He stands completely outside of the establishment of the world, and is completely apart from the Dominion of the Demiurgos and Archons (false god and rulers). In many respects he appears like a crazy street-person one might pass right by without giving a second thought, and yet he is a fully realized individual – a Great Spiritual Master. As the Tzaddik of the Messiah, it is this fellow who has the largest influence on the teachings of Master Yeshua. Thus, meditating on John the Baptist we gain deeper insight into the Enlightenment Teachings given by Lord Yeshua; hence deeper Gnosis of the Gospel of Truth.

There are relatively few who could take John the Baptist as their Heart Tzaddik, for very few could embody Crazy Wisdom in the way of John the Baptist. However, many Gnostic initiates practice Partzuf Meditation with John the Baptist to contact the Spirit of the Prophets, to gain deeper insight into the Gospel of Truth, secret knowledge of Divine Names, and for self-purification, among other things. Meditations of John the Baptist are often used before spiritual retreats or when a radical change in consciousness and life are necessary. The following is one of the meditations that is most commonly used.

Union with the Prophet

Abide in Primordial Meditation, departing from the world to wait upon the Spirit of Yahweh. When the Holy Spirit moves you, perform the Kabbalistic Cross.

Envision the Cross of Light clearly in your body and imagine that your body is formed of Clear Light, as though made of clear quartz crystal.

Now envision the Divine Image of John the Baptist magically appearing before you, as though the Prophet steps out of the Light in front of you.

The Image: He wears a camel’s hair garment with a leather belt. His body shines with the glory of the Light and his eyes are as burning coals with a penetrating gaze. His hair is disheveled and there is fire in it, and there are subtle luminous outlines in the air about him, as though an endless field of countless angels. The entire image is formed of translucent light.

Meet the gaze of the Holy Tzaddik and open your mind and heart to the presence of the Prophet, and speaking names of the Prophets that come to mind, invoke the blessing of the Spirit of the Prophets and Grace from the Light-Continuum. Pray to the Spirit of God that you might be purified and consecrated to the Most High and empowered as a Light-bearer in the material world and beyond. Commune in the Holy Shekinah that comes with the Master of the Name and cleave in your soul to the Holy One of Being.

Then, envision a ray of light streaming out of the Heart Center of the Prophet and magically appearing as a second image of the Prophet above your head. Intoning Ma, imagine that water flows out of the image of the Prophet above your head, washing over you and down through the Clear Body, cleansing you of every taint or trace of ill-will, fear, anger or hate.

Then, intoning Yo, imagine fire invoked from the secret center of the earth beneath you, rushing up through your Clear Body, and imagine that all desire is purified, becoming one Holy Desire for the Beloved.

Then intone Ha and envision the image of the Prophet above your head dissolving into Fiery-Light and pouring down into you, your whole body becoming this Fiery Light-Presence, the dominion of ignorance being dispelled.

Abide in this First Union, listening and hearing the Spirit of the Prophets. When the mind and heart moves, take up the chant of the Holy Prophet: I-Ah-Oh Ru-Ach Ha-E-Li-Yah

Envision the Light of the Supernal Abode pouring through the Image of the Prophet before you and streaming out as blessings and grace upon you – yourself growing more and more radiant until, when you fall silent from the chant, there is a flash of white brilliance – imagine in this flash that you become Light in an ocean of Light. Abide in this Second Union as long as you can.

When the mind and heart move, intone the Divine Name Adonai, aware of yourself as the vehicle of the Divine Presence and Power, and let your mind and heart and life be joined in union with the vibration of the Name.

Then, give praise and thanksgiving to the Holy One of Being, and pray that the Holy One remains with us in the world until the fruition of the Second Coming. And pray that the Dominion of the Klippot might be shattered and the holy sparks uplifted; that all illness and dis-ease might be healed; and all living spirits and souls might receive Divine Illumination. Let the Light of the Cross be extended and perform the Kabbalistic Cross in closing.

Abide where you are for a little while, letting the energy ground, and when you go out into the world remember the Fiery Light-Presence that is in you – walk in holiness and beauty, as a sign of spiritual hope before the people. This is the essence of the practice.

Blessed is the Name of Ha Shem,

And blessed is the one who comes in the Name of Ha Shem;

We pray that this blessing comes upon you, and upon all beings! Amen.

Union with the Mother & Child

The Divine Mother labors to give birth to the Messiah in us, and when we invite the Anointed and Mother Spirit into us and into our lives at the outset of the Path, we open ourselves to the Mother’s Force, the Father in the form of the Holy Dove; her Grace descends as the Light from above and she awakens the Power of the Holy Spirit in us, the Serpent Power that rests in the Root. Through the Grace of the Living Father in our Divine Mother, the Messiah is conceived and born in us – the Spiritual Sun dawns in our hearts and minds, and we are illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

Through the practice of Union with the Holy Mother and Child we seek to draw near to the Divine Mother so that she might give birth to the Spiritual Sun in us – it is a practice of opening to the Mother’s Force.

The Meditation

Begin with Primordial Mediation, aware of the Holy Virgin as the very Nature of Consciousness (Ain/No-Thingness) in yourself; abide in this Holy Awareness.

Then envision the golden orb of the Spiritual Sun within and behind your heart, and envision a golden sphere of light surrounding you, as though you are a Child of Light in the womb of the Holy Mother. Holding this image in mind, pray:

Hail Miriam, full of Grace, Yahweh is with you;
Blessed are you among woman,
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Yeshua.

Holy Miriam, Mother of the Messiah,
Anoint us now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
(Repeat this at least seven times.)

When your prayer is complete, envision a ray of light shooting forth from the Spiritual Sun in your heart and magically appearing as the Holy Mother, with the Holy Child in her arms.

Meditation Image:

The Holy Mother is a young woman, with a beautiful, joyful and gentle countenance; she is robe in red, trimmed in gold, with a red veil over her head and an aura of golden light about her; she holds in her arms her Holy Child, who is robed in gold, with an inner robe of white, with holy symbols in red embroidered upon it; she supports her Child with her left hand and holds his hands (which are in a gesture of prayer) in her right hand; the Holy Child is most beautiful and radiant with glory, and has an aura of white brilliance with rainbow hues surrounding him. (The image of the Mother and Child is formed of translucent light, like a rainbow in the sky, and hovers in the space before you – her feet not touching the ground.)

*Envisioning the Mother and Child, if you are inclined, you can pray Mother Miriam’s Song of Praise – Gospel of St. Luke 1:46-55.

Holding the visualization of the Holy Mother and Child in your mind, pray to the Holy Mother as you are lead to pray by your heart, and offer yourself up to her, praying that she might conceive and give birth to the Light-presence (Anointed) and Light-power (Holy Spirit) in you. (You may also commune with the Holy Mother and Child in the silence of your heart, holding the conscious intention of being open to the Mother’s Force, depending upon the inspiration of the moment.)

When your cycle of prayer is complete, take up the chant: Adonai Yeshua Messiah. As you chant, envision the Holy Child in the arms of the Virgin becoming brighter and brighter, and streams of light flowing from his body of glory, blessing you, and see the Holy Mother smiling upon you, her love pouring out upon you as the Light of the Messiah. The light within and around you grows brighter and brighter as you receive the light-emanations of blessing from the Mother’s Child. As you come to the conclusion of the chant, see the Holy Child become pure white brilliance and see this light shoot forth, like a shooting star, to form a center of white brilliance above your head.

Then take up the chant: Ah-Yah-Ha-Vah, and envision the white brilliance pouring down through the top of your head into the Spiritual Sun in your heart, transforming the Sun into white brilliance – all of the light from the center above pours down into your heart, and you feel yourself filled with the Light-presence and Light-power, the love and compassion of Messiah.

When you have received the Light from above, the Holy Child, aware of yourself as the Holy Child, shift your focus once again to the Virgin Mother, giving praise and thanks to God for the Divine Grace manifest as the Holy Mother and Child. Then take up the Mother’s chant: Ishah Ah-Ma Imma Miriam (the extended chant may include: Imma Miriam Ha-Elohim). As you chant the Mother’s chant envision her growing brighter and brighter, and streams of light flowing from her body of glory, blessings you. At the conclusion of the chant see her image become fluid flowing light, and envision it pouring back into the Spiritual Sun in your heart. As the great blessing of the Holy Mother enters your heart see brilliant rays of rainbow glory stream forth from your heart and from your whole body – abide in the awareness of your mind, heart and body merged as one with the Holy Mother and Child.

Abide in Union as long as you can.

When you go out into the world, let all that appears be as the Palace of Lights in which the Divine Mother dwells – as though all is her Body of Glory; hear all sounds as her Voice, the Living Word of God; and all thoughts and emotions arising in the mind and heart receive as the spontaneous display of her Innate Wisdom-Mind, the Wisdom of God.

This is the essential practice of Union with the Holy Mother and Child.

*The initiate may carry this practice further, envisioning her or his body dissolving into fluid flowing light, and the light being gathered into the Body of Truth – the Clear Light Essence. The seal of this practice is the Primordial Contemplation of Melchizedek. This conclusion is an advanced practice which may require added instructions by an Elder or Tau of the lineage in order to actually be performed.