What does the Confederation mention about "Aeons"?

[Aion]

I have a somewhat different slant to offer here. I am familiar with the Gnostic Aeons in some small way. They are particularly mentioned in the Secret Book of John.

I think it's difficult to create a parallel between these teachings and what's contained in the Ra Material, but I have some thoughts.

Within the Gnostic structure there are Four Luminaries, which are considered the primary Aeons, each with 3 "sub-Aeons" which stem from the primary. There is then a Fifth Aeon (well actually the "first") which sort of oversees the rest.

However, it also refers to the Limitless Light as the "head of all Aeons". I think that it is along the right lines to parallel it with the concept of Logos/Sub-Logos in the Ra Material but with a bit of caveat. I think think Logoi are a "focus" or coalescence within an Aeon, and I would describe an Aeon as being something like an "universe being", it is the beingness of the Octave Universe in this case. There are infinite Octave universes, but octaves are not the only universes.

78.22 Questioner: I did not understand that. Could you say that in a different way?

Ra: I am Ra. As you have noted, the creation of which your Logos is a part is a protean entity which grows and learns upon a macrocosmic scale. The Logos is not a part of time. All that is learned from experience in an octave is, therefore, the harvest of that Logos and is, further, the nature of that Logos.

The original Logos’ experience was, viewed in space/time, small; Its experience now, more.

Therefore, we say, as we now speak to you at this space/time, the nature of creation is as we have described. This does not deny the process by which this nature has been achieved but merely ratifies the product.

If I were to give it a word that is in line with the material I would call an Aeon a "Super-Logos".

What's very interesting is that this is characterized as a feminine (but considered androgynous) consciousness named Barbelo whom has 'perfect Power', the 'perfect Aeon of Glory', and is essentially the operative intelligence of the Limitless Light. I would equate this with the three part One Infinite Creator that Ra describes, that is, the self-contained unity of intelligent infinity, intelligent energy and limitless light. The First/Fifth Aeon.

The word Aeon is used for multiple things which gets confusing. The Aeon Barbelo also has 10 Aeons. These Aeons are considered dual, that is the Five all have masculine and feminine manifestations and so total Ten, which is of course can be viewed as a numerological basis. These are more like concepts, such as "Thought", "First Knowledge", "Eternal Life", "Imperishability", etc.

Then the combined other 4 have 12 beneath them, so you can maybe see some parallels with four elements and the zodiac.

Our world, this Creation is considered to be a creation of Sophia, the Aeon of Wisdom, which is part of the Aeon of Eleleth. As the story goes, Sophia desired to create something, but did it without her masculine half and out of this was born the Demiurge Ialdeboath, the being which created the world of matter we all physically inhabit. One interpretation in terms of the material could be viewing the Demiurge as the "Veil" in the Ra Material, and look up the concept of the 'dweller at the threshold'.

I think a fruitful way to look at the Aeons is also archetypally, for I believe it is from the Super-Logos or Aeons that the Logoi gain 'inspiration'.

There is also a common occurrence of Aeons creating new Aeons, much like the concept of Logos and sub-Logoi.

It is also worth noting that the creation of Ialdebaoth by Sophia (Wisdom) was an attempt to "let a copy appear out of herself", but "the Spirit did not agree with her" and so it was formed from Limited Light rather than Limitless Light. Since her desire was so strong she couldn't hold back the creation and she emanated Ialdebaoth as the First Archon. It is said, "from his mother he drew great power and he withdrew from her", while also saying she pushed it away from her, away from where the other immortals could see it.

It is perhaps worth noting then how the negative polarity in the Ra Material is often characterized as emphasizing wisdom and cleverness at the cost of compassion. Essentially, Ialebaoth creates an imitation of the Creation formed by the Limitless Light, the idea that the material realm is basically an imperfect 'copy' of the perfect divine realms. Once he learns of the Limitless Light and that he does not possess it, he becomes jealous of Adam and lusts after Eve.

It is maybe interesting to note that Ialdebaoth is said to have seduced Eve and produced two children, "Yahweh, with a face like a bear, and Elohim, with a face like a cat, but one is righteous while the other is unrighteous. Elohim is the righteous, Yahweh the unrighteous." So, for those familiar with the role of Yahweh in the Ra Material, there is that...

Anyways, I'll be here all day if I keep going, I'll stop there. Here is the Secret Book of John for your perusal and an excerpt where the Luminary Aeons are described.

http://gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn-davies.html

Tertiary Structures of the Divine Mind

The Holy Spirit
Brought his and Barbelo’s divine autogenes Son to completion
In order that he could stand before the great Invisible Virgin Spirit
As the divine autogenes Christ
And honor Him with a mighty voice.

[The Son came through Providence].

The Invisible Spirit
Placed the divine autogenes over everything.
All authorities were subordinated to him.
The truth within him let him learn everything

[He is called by the highest name of all.
That name will be told only to those who are worthy to hear it
From the light, [which is the Christ,]

From the incorruptibility,
Through a gift of the spirit
The Four Lights arising from the divine autogenes stood before him.

[The four fundamental powers are Understanding, Grace, Perception, and Consideration.]

Grace exists within the realm of the Light called Harmozel, the first angel.
Along with Harmozel are
Grace
Truth
Form

The second Light is called Oriel and it stands over the second realm.
With Oriel are:
Conceptualization (Epinoia)
Perception
Memory

The third Light is called Daveithai and it stands over the third realm.
With Daveithai are:
Understanding
Love
Idea

The fourth Light is called Eleleth and it stands over the fourth realm.
With Eleleth are:
Perfection
Peace
Wisdom (Sophia).

These are the four lights standing before the divine autogenes.

Twelve realms stand before the Son of the Powerful
The autogenes
The Christ
Through the intention
And the grace
Of the Invisible Spirit
Twelve realms belong to the Son of the autogenes.

[All of this came into being through the intention of the Holy Spirit
Through the autogenes.]

From the perfect mind’s foreknowledge
Through the intention of the Invisible Spirit
And the autogenes’s will.
The perfect human appeared,
Its first true manifestation

The Virgin Spirit named the human Adamas
And placed him over the first realm with the mighty autogenes Christ
With the first Light Harmozel and its powers.

The Invisible One gave Adamas invincible power of mind.

Adamas spoke, glorifying and praising the Invisible Spirit:
“Everything has come into being from you
Everything will return to you.
I will praise you and glorify you
And the Autogenes
And the triple realm:
Father – Mother – Son,
the perfect power.”

Over the second realm was appointed Adamas’s son Seth
With the second Light Oriel.

In the third realm were placed the children of Seth
With the third Light Daveithai.
[The souls of the saints are placed there.]

In the fourth realm were placed the souls of those ignorant of the fullness
Those who did not repent at once
But who, after some time, eventually repented,
They are with the fourth Light Eleleth.

All of these created beings glorify the Invisible Spirit