According to Gnosticism, a heretical form of Christianity that emerged in the centuries following the death of Christ, God did not create the world. Instead, the world was created by a misshapen and evil being called the Demiurge, and because he was imperfect and malevolent, so is the world that he created. He also created a group of supernatural beings called the Archons to help him run his new world. Together, they created human beings, placing a spark of the true divinity embodied by God in each. They then trapped them in their evil world. In Gnosticism, the teachings of Christ aim to show men how to reach enlightenment, escape the evil material world, and join with the divine.
Who Are the Archons?
According to Gnostic texts, the Archons were hideous beings, with hermaphrodite bodies and the heads of beasts. This defiance of the natural order in the composition of their bodies suggests that they are chaotic beings that could not have been created by God.
Their number varies. While most texts refer to seven archons, the Hebdomad, as the rulers of reality, in some traditions, there are five, or 12, or a great archon called Abraxas who rules over 365 archons. The Hebdomad are thought to have created existence, but they are also incompetent, often making mistakes. So, while they stand between humanity and salvation, they can be overcome by the truly dedicated.
The Gnostics often identified the archons with pagan god worshipped in other religions to make sense of their religion within a predominantly pagan world (at the time). Each of the seven archons of the Hebdomad was also associated with one of the seven planets known at the time and linked to Astrology. They also correspond to the days of the week that govern life in the material world.
While there is no consistent list of archons, below are profiles of some of the archons that are consistently identified.
Yaldabaoth
Yaldabaoth, also known as Saklas (fool) and Samael (blind), was the archon of fornication and was associated with the planet Saturn. He was considered the chief of the other archons and had the face of a lion and the body of a serpent. Yaldabaoth may be the Demiurge himself who created the other archons. He is known for his arrogance and said, “I am God and there is no other God beside me.” This archon is principally responsible for keeping souls trapped in the material world.
Yaldabaoth is also described as a kind of ruler of Hell, and as residing in Chaos with 49 demons, where he tortures wicked souls in boiling rivers of pitch. He was also responsible for denying man knowledge by trying to prevent him from eating the fruit of knowledge. Saturn, as the furthest planet known in ancient times, is associated with time, limitations, and death.
Yao
Yao is described as one of the sons of Yaldabaoth and is associated with the planet Jupiter. He appears as a serpent with seven heads and wings and has an idiotic face. Yao is often associated with rulership, authority, and law and is seen as a figure of judgment. Rather than being a positive thing, he enforces the corrupt laws that keeps mankind imprisoned.
Sabaoth
Sabaoth, another son of Yaldabaoth, is associated with the planet Mars. His name appears in the Old Testament in reference to the divine army and is often interpreted as “forces of chaos.”
Fittingly for a god of war, Saboath dethroned his father with the help of Sophia, who created the Demiurge. He is sometimes interpreted as a good archon who takes on the form of the god of Israel. But he is also a negative figure responsible for strife, chaos, and war within the world.
He is the one who threw Yaldabaoth into Tartarus, making him the ruler of Hell. His envy of his son took on its own form, and he became Death. Other evils emerge from Death, including envy, wrath, weeping, roaring, loud shouting, sobbing, and grief. In many ways, Saboath parallels the Greek god Zeus.
Adonaios
Adonaios is associated with the Sun and represents power and authority. This archon is often associated with the Greek god Adonis, linking him with beauty and desire, and the cyclical nature of life and death. He has the face of a monkey.
Astaphaios
Astaphaios is associated with Venus and is considered the “star bringer,” which is logical for an association with the morning star. He had the face of a hyena. Astaphaois is associated with “base” knowledge and the lowest form of wisdom, including desire, sensuality, and attraction. He keeps souls imprisoned by creating attachments to the pleasures of the material world.
Elaios
Elaios is associated with the planet Mercury, which links him with communication, intellect, and trickery. He uses deception and illusion to prevent souls from seeing the spiritual truth.
Horaios
Horaios is associated with the Moon, which is astrologically connected with cycles of time, emotions, and the subconscious. He underscores the ever-changing nature of the material world, which makes it challenging for souls to become grounded and grow in a progressive way. Horaios manipulates the psychological and emotional states of souls.
The Archons in Gnosis
For the Gnostics, when someone tried to gain salvation, or gnosis, his or her spirit ascended up through the celestial spheres toward Heaven. This happened both in life during ecstatic moments of enlightenment and after death. As the spirit ascends through each sphere, the archon that presides over that sphere detains their spirit and asks them a series of questions. If they cannot answer the questions, they have not yet fully realized gnosis. The archon will prevent them from ascending higher.
The Story of Saint Anthony
Saint Anthony was a Christian monk living in Egypt in the 4th century CE. He went into the Egyptian desert to live as an aesthetic, during which time he was faced with many demonic temptations. The gnostics suggest that these were posed by the archons.
First, while traveling the desert, he came across a centaur, a half-man, half-horse creature. He asked it for directions, but it spoke in an unintelligible tongue to try and terrify Anthony and lead him astray. Ultimately, with patience, the creature pointed Anthony in the right direction and vanished.
Later, while Anthony was still traveling through the desert, he found a plate of silver coins. Considering he was in the middle of the desert, Anthony identified them as a demonic temptation, declared them as such, and the plate vanished. Later, the same happened with a plate of gold.
He eventually found his cave, but it was full of demons. They beat Anthony until it appeared that he was dead. Hi servant carried him out of the cave, and other hermits gathered to mourn his death, but he was miraculously revived. He then demanded that his servants take him back to the cave. When he arrived, he called out the demons, who appeared, prepared to rip Anthony apart, but a bright light appeared and drove them off. He correctly interpreted that this was God, and asked the lord why he had not come to his aid sooner. God responded that the battle was part of Anthony’s spiritual growth and journey.
Archons in Alechemy
The archons found their way into modern alchemy. They have become personifications of the forces that seek to control, limit, or manipulate human consciousness and spiritual development.
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