Artwork: Three Interlocking “Waw” letters by Calligraphist Osman Özçay

“Let the immortal depth of your soul be opened. May all of your eyes stretch upward on high.”

(Fragment 12)

‘The Oracle says that the depth of the soul is its triple gnostic powers, viz, intellective, discursive and opinative, and that the eyes are its triadic gnostic activities. For the eyes is the symbol of knowledge, and life of desire; and triple are they each. The earth from which it is necessary that the heart be raised, signifies all material and diverse things among those that move in generation, and every corporeal form. To which follows, the Oracle adds, the contemplation of the paternal monad, the pure joy at his view, and a steady tranquility resulting from this intellectual survey. From this it is obvious that our good is a blended good, made of movement and the joy that naturally comes with it. For every life having the freedom of its own activity is allotted and associated pleasure.

The Father’s hymn does not consist of compound discourses nor the preparation of sacred workings. For being alone incorruptible he does not receive a corruptible hymn. Let us not therefore imagine that we may persuade the master of true discourses by a hollow hurricane of words, nor by show or parade adorned with artificial workings: For God loves the unadorned beauty of form. Let us therefore consecrate this hymn to God; let us move away from the ephemeral substance; let us go to the true end: the assimilation in him; let us know the Master; let us love the Father; let us obey his calling; let us run towards the warm, fleeing the chill. Let us become fire; let us travel through fire: we have an unobstructed path of ascent. The Father will guide, after having opened the roads of fire; so, to avoid that, forgotten, we drift miserably away.’