Greco-Christian stream·Pistis Sophia·Second Book — The Repentances of Pistis Sophia·Chapter 77
Pistis Sophia
Sophia therein · I had taken its light-power from it
Source context
- Theme
- post-mortem soul-judgment by the Virgin of Light and the archontic receivers of souls destined for reincarnation
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Egyptian funerary tradition (Book of the Dead)The weighing of the soul before divine judges and the assignment of the soul to further incarnation or liberation shows cross-tradition congruence with the Hall of Osiris and the judgment before Thoth and the 42 assessors.
- Neoplatonic demonology (Iamblichus, De Mysteriis)The Virgin of Light's role as arbiter of soul-descent into bodies shows cross-tradition congruence with Iamblichus's account of intermediary daimonic beings who oversee the allocation of souls to appropriate incarnate conditions.
- Orphic-Pythagorean eschatologyThe sealing of souls by receivers and their dispatch to new bodies shows cross-tradition congruence with Orphic tablet traditions describing the soul's guided passage through post-mortem stations before return to embodied life.
Chapter 77
CHAPTER 77
"It came to pass then, when that time came on,--and I was in the world of men, |170. sitting with you in this region, which is the Mount of Olives,--that Adamas looked down out of the twelve æons and looked down at the regions of the chaos and saw his demon power which is in the chaos, that no light at all was in it, because I had taken its light from it; and he saw it, that it was dark andAdamas sendeth forth two emanations of darkness to plague Sophia. could not go to his region, that is to the twelve moons. Thereon Adamas again remembered Pistis Sophia and became most exceedingly wroth against her, thinking that it was she who had imprisoned his power in the chaos, and thinking that it was she who had taken its light from it. And he was exceedingly embittered; he piled wrath on wrath and emanated out of himself a dark emanation and another, chaotic and evil, the violent [one], so as through them to harass Pistis Sophia. And he made a dark region in his region, so as to constrain Sophia therein. And he took many of his rulers; they pursued after Sophia, in order that the two dark emanations which Adamas had emanated, might lead her into the dark chaos which he had made, and constrain her in that region and harass her, until they should take her whole light from her, and Adamas should take the light from Pistis Sophia and give it to the two dark violent emanations, and they should carry it to the great chaos which is below and dark, |171. and cast it into his dark power which is chaotic, if perchance it might be able to come to his
region, because it had become exceedingly dark, for I had taken its light-power from it.
"It came to pass then, when they pursued after Pistis Sophia, that she cried out again and sang praises to the Light, since I had said unto her: 'If thou shalt be constrained and singest praises unto me, I will come quickly and help thee.' It came to pass then, when she was constrained,--and I sat with you in this region, that is on the Mount of Olives,--that she sang praises to the Light, saying:
Sophia again singeth a song to the Light."'1. O Light of lights, I have had faith in thee. Save me from all these rulers who pursue after me, and help me,
"'2. That in sooth they may never take from me my light, as the lion-faced power [did]. For thy light is not with me and thy light-stream to save me. Nay, Adamas is the more enraged against me, saying unto me: Thou hast imprisoned my power in the chaos.
"'3. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, if I have done this and have imprisoned it, if I have done any injustice at all to that power,
"'4. Or if I have constrained it, as it hath constrained me, then let all these rulers who pursue after me, take my light from me and leave me empty;
"'5. And let foe Adamas pursue after my power and seize upon it and take my light from me and cast it into his dark power which is in the chaos, and keep my power in the chaos.
"'6. Now, therefore, O Light, lay hold on me in thy wrath and lift up thy power above my foes who have lifted themselves up against me to the very end.
"'7. Quicken me quickly, as thou hast said unto me: I will help thee.'