Filianism
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Filianists believes in one supreme God revered in feminine aspect and most commonly called Dea, who is either a Trinity (the notion of the Trinity precedes Christianity) or singular but expressed in triple form (with adherents of this position being known as Déanists). Dea (unlike the "Goddess" in many contemporary religious movements) is not a projection of women's collective consciousness or a symbol of nature (as in Mother Earth), but is much closer to the conception of God in classical theism. The Filianic Dea is celestial and solar, not chthonic and lunar as she might be expressed in Wicca or other Neo-pagan, New Age, or alternative spiritual systems. Drawing heavily on the thought of traditionalist authors such as Ananda Coomaraswamy, Filyani believe that, by revering God in feminine form, they are restoring the original religion of humanity, the worship of the one God as the mother of all things. This original religion is believed to have been partially preserved in patriarchal times through such traditions as Shakta Hinduism, the veneration of Guanyin, and devotion to the Virgin Mary.
The Filianic Creed is generally accepted in most Filianic denominations and is widely used for catechetical purposes. Its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and of the healing of the chasm of separation through the celestial based (as opposed to historical)sacrificial act of the Daughter (the second person of the Filianic Trinity). Each of the doctrines found in this creed can be traced to statements in the Filianic Scriptures. The Kyrian Order uses a slightly modified form. There is also a short catechism.
Scriptures[edit]
Filyani of all denominations regard the Filianic Scriptures as the core common source of their faith. The extent to which these should be taken as the literal "Word of God", versus an inspired poetic interpretation of enduring spiritual truths, is a subject of discussion among believers.
The Scriptures themselves are of anonymous authorship and appeared in circulation around Oxford, England in the 1970s. It has been claimed that the present text is a translation from a Greek work called Kosmopoiia, of which no copy has ever been produced. Alternatively, the Scriptures are sometimes attributed to channeling, but this claim has been challenged even by prominent Filyani.
The Scriptures are divided into between sixteen and eighteen (depending on edition) independent books, totaling between 767 and 778 verses. There are four common editions today: (A) the version originally published by the organization Lux Madriana (this edition is sometimes called The Madrian Scriptures), (B) the edition assembled by the Chapel of Our Mother God (currently the most prominent organization promoting the religion) as The Gospel of Our Mother God, (C) the edition released by independent scholar Sarah-Andrea Morrigan as the New Celestial Union Version, and (D) The Clear Recital, with Typikon released by independent Filianic scholar RJ MoChridhe. The last edition (D) is part of a three book collection, the first being the scriptures and beliefs of filianism, and the second and third being writings, speeches, and magazine stories from the founders of Filianism, the Madrians.
Origins[edit]
The origins of Filianism are obscure. The first publication of the Scriptures was made by an English religious organization called Lux Madriana around Oxford, England in the 1970s. Little is known about this group, and it seems to have ceased to exist sometime in the early 1980s. The Madrians, however, never claimed to have originated the Scriptures or the teachings that surround them. The Scriptures were adopted at approximately the same time by the Aristasian subculture, which has been the primary driving force behind their preservation and continued publication over the last thirty years. Participants in the Aristasian community currently sponsor the Chapel of Our Mother God, which serves as the main online resource. Aristasian philosophy has thus come to play a pivotal role in the interpretation and elaboration of Filianism, although Filianism is not, in itself, inherently Aristasian.
In the present day, Filianists have largely divorced themselves from connections with Aristasia and most are independent practitioners.
Sotierology[edit]
One major tenet of Filianism is the belief that the Daughter was begotten by Dea as the savior of creation, to restore the intimate communion with Dea that humans and all creatures had once enjoyed. The Scriptures provide an account of the fall of the primordial maid from communion with Dea. Some Filyani believe that each soul has existed from the beginning of creation, each individual person is believed to have participated personally in the fall of creation. However, other Filianyi regard the Mythos as Divine Allegory. According to the Filianic Scriptures, the Daughter was birthed or emanated directly from Dea. (The Holy Mythos 4-5)[1] and voluntarily entered the netherworld (an act called her "Taking on of Fate") to bring the light of God into even the most alienated reaches of Creation. Upon looking into the eyes of death, the Daughter died and was hung upon a pillar until She was resurrected by the intercession of God the Mother. (The Holy Mythos 8-9)
It should be noted that Filyani regard this story as psycho-spiritual and mythological, rather than historical, in import, seeing it as in essence one and the same as the story of the Bodhisattva who, having attained enlightenment, puts off the boon of enlightenment until all beings shall have been saved. Indeed, the figure of Guanyin is used as a common analogy for the Daughter in Filyani instructional texts.
The Daughter is thus taken as a kind of bridge across kear—the existential gulf otherwise separating us from the Mother. Another common metaphor for this is that of the Sun and the Moon; just as human beings cannot look directly at the Sun, owing to its brightness, they are, in their present state, unable to apprehend directly the glory of God, the Mother. The Daughter reflects Her light perfectly in order to mediate it to the world in a form that can be looked upon directly. Kear is not like the Christian idea of sin - it just describes the degree of separation from God that we all have as unenlightened living beings, and isn’t used in a shaming way.
From another perspective, the sacrifice of the Daughter is representative of the paradox that the human experience of individuated existence appears, by its very individuation, to take place outside the singularity of God, and yet at the same time all existence derives its Being from God. Thus, the existence of the manifest things of the created world, including ourselves, presupposes the presence of God precisely in those places where God is not. This idea has parallels in many religious traditions, ranging from the doctrine of tzimtzum in Kabbalah, to the Aztec idea of the Five Suns.
Afterlife[edit]
Filyani adhere to a doctrine of metempsychosis. It is believed that, through the sacrifice of the Daughter, one can return to full communion with God and thus leave the Wheel of Werde—the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
There is also a concept found in Filianic communities similar to the Buddhist ideas of multiple heavens and hells, and the documented heaven that Filyani agree upon is named Avala, the resting place provided by the Holy Daughter. Many believe we go there to rest between lives, or perhaps stay if one doesn’t want to reincarnate again (although that is debated, as the existence of werdë seems to imply that you can’t opt out of the wheel before extinguishing that first).
References
References [1] All citations from the Filianic Scriptures in this article are given from the New Celestial Union Version. Further reading
• Jackson, Phillip P. (2008). The Sacred Myths and Rites of the Madrians. Lulu.com.
• Morrigan, Sarah-Andrea (2012). The Filianic Scriptures: New Celestial Union Version. Portland: Koreion Publishing.
• Sinclair, Brythwen (2013). Rose Petals: A Filianic Psalter. Lulu.com.
• Trent, Alice Lucy (1997). The Feminine Universe. Sun Daughter Press.
External links
-The Clear Recital: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/rj-mochridhe/the-clear-recital-with-a-typikon-according-to-the-use-of-oxford/paperback/product-rke48d.html?page=1&pageSize=4
• "The Filianic Catechism" (http://www.mother-god.com/catechism[permanent dead link]). A short catechism of the Filianic faith. • "The Filianic Scriptures: New Celestial Union Version" (http://works.bepress.com/sarah-andrea_morrigan/3/ Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
). A downloadable PDF copy of the Filianic Scriptures. • "The Chapel of Our Mother God" (http://www.mother-god.com/). The main online resource for information about Filianism.
The Independent Filianic group of Kyrians: kyrianblog.wordpress.com, The Independent Order of the House of Kyria open to men, women and families.
The Elegant Lady Feminine Seminary, Home of the Matronite Faith: http:/ /groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/the_elfs/info
• "The Daughters of Shining Harmony" (http://www.daughtersofshiningharmony.com/). An Aristasian-inspired group hosting a great deal of information on Filianism.
• "An Unofficial Traveler's Guide to Filianic Faith" (http://gopherproxy.meulie.net/sdf.org/0/users/ ladywillow/filianic/travellers-guide-to-filianism). A good resource for objective general information on the religion.
• "Provisional Organizing Association of the Sodalitas Chloes International-Academia Thealogica" (http:// antistitamayflower.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/be-a-seedling/).
• "Goddess of 10,000 Names" (http://maisappho.wordpress.com/). Homepage of prominent Filyana blogger
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