The Latin word aeon, also spelled eon or æon, means "age," "forever," or "for eternity". It is derived from the koine Greek word αίών (aion), which at one point meant "age," "a period of existence" or "life". It has a similar meaning to the Sanskrit word kalpa. The Greek word 'aion' is used, for example, in the "koine Greek" Christian scriptures. And while Christian theologians and translators might agree to support an English definition of "age", as inherited by Latin from Greek; some contend that "aion" in the Greek scriptures rarely, if ever, suggested the idea of "forever" or "for eternity" as made popular by the doctrine of an "eternal" hell. "Hell, in Christian beliefs". Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... A pocket watch, a device used to tell time Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In general usage, an eon (sometimes spelled aeon) is a very long period of time. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existing for an infinite, i. ... Koine redirects here. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... A kalpa is a Sanskrit word meaning an aeon, or a long period of time in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. ...

Although a proposal was made in 1957 to define an aeon to be a unit of time equal to one billion years (1 Ga), the idea was not approved as a unit of scientific measure and is seldom used for a specific period of time. Its more common usage is for any long, indefinite, period of time. A similar Latin word aevum for "age" is present in words such as longevity and medieval. [1]

In philosophy and mysticism

Occultists sometimes speak of a "magical Aeon" that may last for far less time, perhaps as little as 2,000 years. See Thelema. Thelema is the English transliteration of the Ancient Greek noun : will, from the verb θέλω: to will, wish, purpose. ...

Plato used the word aeon to denote the eternal world of ideas, which he conceived was "behind" the perceived world, as demonstrated in his famous allegory of the cave. PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois (U of I) and later taken over by Control Data Corporation (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

In Gnosticism

In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of God, who is also known by such names as the One, the Monad, Aion teleos (The Perfect Aeon), Bythos (Depth or profundity, Greek Βυθός), Proarkhe (Before the Beginning, Greek πρόαρχή), the Arkhe (The Beginning, Greek ή αρχή), are called aeons. This first being is also an æon and has an inner being within itself, known as Ennoea (Thought), Charis (Grace), or Sige (Greek Σιγη, Silence). The split perfect being conceives the second aeon, Caen (Power), within itself. Along with the male Caen comes the female æon Akhana (Truth, Love). This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Emanationism is a component in the cosmology or cosmogony of certain religious or philosophical systems that argue that a sentient, self-aware Supreme Being, born from an unmanifested The Absolute (Root of Existence) beyond comprehension, emanated lower and lower spiritual modalities and lastly matter (the physical universe) as the resultant... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Within certain variations of Gnosticism, especially those inspired by Monoimus, the Monad was the highest God which created lesser gods, or elements (similar to aeons). ... Bythos was the name given by some Gnostics to the monadic first being and originator of the spiritual world of the Pleroma. ...

Aeons bear a number of similarities to Judaeo-Christian angels, including their roles as servants and emanations of God, and their existence as beings of light. In fact, certain Gnostic Angels, such as Armozel, also happen to be Aeons[2].

The aeons often came in male/female pairs called syzygies, and were frequently numerous (20-30). Two of the most commonly listed æons were Jesus and Sophia. The aeons constitute the pleroma, the "region of light." The lowest regions of the pleroma are closest to the darkness — that is, the physical world. Look up Syzygy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... For the Gnostic Christians, the Sophia was a central element in their cosmological understanding of the Universe. ... Pleroma (Greek πληρωμα) generally refers to the totality of Gods powers. ...

When an æon named Sophia emanates without her partner aeon, the result is the Demiurge, or half-creator (Occasionally referred to as 'Yalda Baoth in Gnostic texts), a creature that should never have come into existence. This creature does not belong to the pleroma, and the One emanates two savior æons, Christ and the Holy Spirit, to save humanity from the Demiurge. Christ then took the form of the human Jesus, in order to be able to teach humanity how to achieve gnosis; that is, return to the pleroma. The Demiurge, The Craftsman or Creator, in some belief systems, is the deity responsible for the creation of the physical universe. ... Christ is the English term for the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Myther et al suggests that the whole mechanism can be an allegorical representation of violation of CP symmetry, required to create a universe of matter, by facilitating particles to win over antiparticles. CP symmetry requires emanation of equal amount of matters and antimatters which obviously has been violated somehow in the beginning of the universe; otherwise we would not have a material universe. Æons may denote this conjugation of particles-antiparticles produced in equal number. Somehow the perfect symmetry of Pleroma gets violated and a particle or a number of particles (Sophia) ensued out without its/their antiparticle counterparts, resulting in an increase in number of particles (birth of Demiurge) – a process which ultimately led to the creation of our physical universe. CP is the product of two symmetries: C for charge conjugation, which transforms a particle into its antiparticle, and P for parity, which creates the mirror image of a physical system. ...

The Gospel of Judas, recently found and then purchased/held by the National Geographic Society, and translated, also mentions the aeons and speaks of Jesus' teachings of them. The Lost Gospel - online feature from National Geographic, including Coptic text, English translation, and photos The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel. ... The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the worlds largest not-for-profit educational and scientific organizations. ...

Valentinus

According to Tertullian's Against the Valentinians (Latin: Adversus Valentinianos), chapter VII and VIII (and we only know the details of this system from its opponents), the Gnostic Valentinius had 30 different aeons that emanate each other in sequence. The first eight of these aeons (corresponding to generations one through four below) is referred to as the Ogdoad. Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, (ca. ... -Quevedo Valentinius, also called Valentinus (c. ...

• First generation:
  • Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

• Second generation:
  • Caen (Power) and Akhana (Love)

• Third generation, emanated from Caen and Akhana:
  • Nous (Nus, Mind) and Aletheia (Veritas, Truth)

• Fourth generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia:
  • Sermo (the Word) and Vita (the Life)

• Fifth generation, emanated from Sermo and Vita:
  • Anthropos (Homo, Humanity) and Ecclesia (Church)

• Sixth generation:
  • Emanated from Sermo and Vita:
    • Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture)
    • Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union)
    • Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure)
    • Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture)
    • Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness)
  • Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
    • Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith)
    • Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope)
    • Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love)
    • Ainos (Praise) and Synesis (Intelligence)
    • Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness)
    • Theletus (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom)

The total number of Æons, being 32, reflects the similarity of the mechanism to the Tree of Life, which, as suggested in the Zohar, incorporates 10 Sephiroth and 22 paths interconnecting these 10 Sephiroth; while 10 Æons are created during the first five generations from which come the other 22 Æons later during the sixth generation (Myther et al). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Tree-of-Life is a fictional plant (the ancestor of yams, with similar appearance and taste) in Larry Nivens Known Space universe, for which all Hominids have an in-built genetic craving. ... The Zohar (Hebrew: זהר Splendor, radiance) is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ... Sephiroth may refer to: Look up Sephiroth in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Ptolemy and Colorbasus

According to St. Irenaeus Against heresies (Latin: Adversus Haereses) also known as The Detection and Overthrow of Falsely So-Called Gnosis book 1, chapter 12, the followers of the Gnostics Ptolemy and Colorbasus had aeons that differ from those of Valentinius. Logos is created when Anthropos learns to speak. The first four are called the Tetrad and the eight are called the Ogdoad. Irenaeus (Greek: Εἰρηναῖος), (b. ... On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis, commonly called Against Heresies (Latin: Adversus haereses), is a five-volume work written by St. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... -Quevedo Valentinius, also called Valentinus (c. ...

• First generation:
  • Bythos (the One) and Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea, etc.)

• Second generation (conceived by the One):
  • Caen (Power) and Akhana (Love)

• Third generation, emanated from Caen and Akhana:
  • Ennoae (Thought) and Thelesis (Will)

• Fourth generation, emanated from Ennoae and Thelesis:
  • Nous (or Monogenes) and Aletheia

• Fifth generation, emanated from Nouse and Aletheia:
  • Anthropos (Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Church)

• Sixth generation, emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
  • Logos and Zoe

• Seventh generation:
  • Emanated from Logos and Zoe:
    • Bythius and Mixis
    • Ageratos and Henosis
    • Autophyes and Hedone
    • Acinetos and Syncrasis
    • Monogenes and Macaria
  • Emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia:
    • Paracletus and Pistis
    • Patricos and Elpis
    • Metricos and Agape
    • Ainos and Synesis
    • Ecclesiasticus and Macariotes
    • Theletos and Sophia

The order of Anthropos and Ecclesia versus Logos and Zoe is somewhat debated; different sources give different accounts. Logos and Zoe are unique to this system as compared to the previous, and may be an evolved version of the first, totalling 34 æons, but it is not clear if the first two were actually regarded æons.

See also

• Plato
• Gnosticism
• Aeon (Thelema)
• Kalpa

PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois (U of I) and later taken over by Control Data Corporation (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Within the system of Thelema, history is taken and broken down into a series of Aeons, each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own formula of redemption and advancement. ... A kalpa is a Sanskrit word meaning an aeon, or a long period of time in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. ...

External links

• Tertullian's account against the Valentinians is the source text for much of what we know about the Æons.
• Corresponding text in original Latin
• Irenaeus: Against heresies