Gnostic Mass

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

Welcome to our Gnostic Mass!

Our Mass team for 13 Mar, 2010 is:

Priestess: Laurie
Priest: Paul S

For dinner: butter chicken, saag paneer, masoor dal, alu matar, channa masala, raita, and Basmati rice.

We celebrate Gnostic Mass every Saturday night at Temple Sophia, our temple in Oakland. We gather about 8 pm, and Mass begins about 8:30. You're welcome to attend, and to stay around for dinner and discussion after Mass.

What is the Mass?

The Gnostic Mass is a "Eucharist" ritual (a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving") similar to the Episcopalian or Catholic Mass; but unlike those Masses, ours focuses on connecting to the God within you.

That's what makes us Gnostics, and makes this a "gnostic" Mass rather than a Christian Mass: we believe God lives in us, that we can talk directly to God and understand what God wants us to do, without needing to have a priest interpret God's will to us.

Who can attend?

Everyone is welcome. We do ask that if children (that is, anyone under 18) attend, their parent or guardian also attends or has given permission.

What is required of attendees?

For new attendees, we ask only this: when we all stand up, stand up. When we sit down, sit down. At the end of mass, all attendees "communicate": go up to the altar one by one; eat a cookie (a "cake of light"); drink a cup of wine (or water, for those who can't have alcohol); then turn, cross your arms over your chest, and say aloud, "There is no part of me that is not of the Gods!"

We don't wear shoes in our temple, so please remove your shoes before you enter the temple proper. Please turn off your cell phones, pagers, etc. If you would like to read the Mass while it is going on, we have scripts available (but note: Mass happens by candle-light, after dark). If you're allergic to wheat, or can't have alcohol, let us know before Mass starts.

Who are we?

Our church is "Ecclesia Gnostica Eleutheria", the Free Gnostic Church. We have been celebrating the Gnostic Mass at Temple Sophia since August 2005. We are a group of free Thelemites, not associated with any other Thelemic organization. (But we require neither exclusivity nor membership, so our members may be, and often are, members of other organizations.)

Love is the law, love under will.