Knowledge, Wisdom, Gnosis

Week 1 – March 2 – Knowledge, Wisdom and Gnosis – What do these words mean to you? How do you express these principles in your spiritual work? Is any one more important than the other? Why?

This is a fascinating question! Knowledge, wisdom and gnosis work together to guide and balance my spiritual practice. In a broader sense, these three concepts form my viewpoint upon the world.

Knowledge is the objective understanding and mastery of facts. I know that the sky is blue because of the way that light is scattered in the atmosphere and because the atmosphere absorbs wavelengths in the blue portion of the spectrum. That’s a factual framing of this information. I (mostly) understand this fact, so you can say that this is something I know.

One thing I love about my path is the fact that knowledge is essential, and my interest directs what sort of knowledge I should obtain. I would also argue that my thirst for knowledge is a big part of why I am a Pagan to begin with. As a shamanic witch, there are a lot of techniques to master. But which ones? That’s up to me. There is no one book or authority telling me what to study. I get to decide what facts are important to my practice.

“I am merely a seeker after knowledge, taking the world for my province, for it seems all knowledge is interrelated, and each science is dependent to some extent on the others. We study the stars that we may know more about our earth, and herbs that we may know medicine better.”

-The Walking Drum, Louis L’Amour

Wisdom is experience and understanding how and when to apply facts. Having spent a large portion of my life outdoors, I know that the sky is usually blue during the day. The particular color blue depends on the time of day, location and weather. I also teach summer camp. Having gained a bit of wisdom here and there, I know that when the children ask why the sky is blue, I’ll have to come up with a more accessible explanation than Rayleigh scattering and wavelength absorption. It would also behoove me to understand whether or not they actually need an answer, or whether they would benefit more from finding that answer themselves.

Wisdom is honored in the Pagan tradition. We value our elders, and continue the oral traditions of our ancestors by teaching and mentoring others newer on the journey. This is certainly true for me – if I have a situation that I don’t know how to handle, I consult my high priestess and close circle of magical colleagues. Wisdom is powerful because in one sense, it is knowledge that has withstood the test of being filtered through many people. Wisdom and knowledge are interrelated in this way – wisdom contains knowledge but is distilled from it in the way that grapes produce both wine and grappa.

“Apply knowledge with wisdom.”

–      13 Goals of a Witch by Scott Cunningham, adapted by many

Gnosis is deep personal knowing based on mystical experience. In the Pagan world, we often discuss UPGs, or Universal Personal Gnosis – epiphanies or peak experiences that lead to this inner knowledge. I have experienced gnosis about the blue of the sky. Lying on a mountaintop, I have felt bathed and dissolved in the deep blue of the high country sky. I don’t know that I understand why the sky is blue as a result of gnosis, but I know that it is. I have experienced the blueness of the blue sky and it intoxicated me with bliss.

clouds flutter across

an endless blue winter sky

I long to join them!

-       Yours truly, 2004

As a mystical tradition, Paganism has deep roots in gnosis. Most of us do consult outside sources of information about our Gods, the elements, and energy. But to build relationships with these things, to use these things to make magic…that requires gnosis. One must personally experience magic to use it. Belief is essential in my work, and through gnosis, I have no choice but to believe. The gnosis I have experienced over and over have shown me that there is far more to reality than what is perceived with the five basic senses.

In my practice, knowledge, wisdom and gnosis are all essential. They are interrelated, but they also serve to balance one another. Wisdom can be thought of as the fulcrum on a pair of scales. One on side is the subjective experience of gnosis. On the other is the objective knowledge gained through intellect. Wisdom balances the two and helps me decide when to use what feels right to me and when to consult a reference.

Due to the essential nature of all three concepts, I don’t think that one is more important than another. I could make an argument that critical thinking and an understanding of how to learn is more important than these three. Without that foundation, it is easy to get lost. Reference books and subject matter experts often disagree. How then, is one to decide what is valid? That’s another blog post!

As for me, I plan to continue to learn, to continue experiencing and hopefully, with a little luck, continue to gain wisdom.