Introduction

Gnostic teachings offer a fascinating alternative view of the Divine – including the feminine divine principle, which has been neglected by traditional church doctrine. One of the central symbols of this divine feminine in Gnostic cosmology is the figure  of Barbelo. Barbelo appears as the primordial emanation of the Most High God and represents the universal Divine Mother. In the so-called Barbelo-Gnosticism (Gnostic movements that worship Barbelo) emphasizes this feminine aspect of the Divinity – Barbelo as the feminine half of the fullness of the deity (Pleromatus) next to the invisible Father. This article presents the theological and spiritual message of Barbelo-Gnosticism in an engaging form, but with a professional basis. We will rely on the surviving Gnostic texts (e.g. Tripartite Treatise or the Secret Book of John) and modern studies (e.g. Textbook of Gnosticism 2.0 by Josef Šédl or Hanegraaff’s Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism), to explore the meaning of Barbelo as a divine emanation and feminine principle in God.

In short: Who is Barbelo? In Gnostic myth, Barbelo is  the primordial radiation of God, the Primordial Thought and at the same time the feminine maternal element within the divine. As we shall see, Barbelo, together with the unknowable Father and the emanated Son, form the sacred Trinity at the summit of the spirit world. This Mother-Father principle emphasizes that the divine nature includes both male and female poles. From the point of view of the Gnostics, Barbelo has not only a cosmological role, but also a direct spiritual significance – she is understood as a loving Providence who cares for souls and brings them back to the Light of the pleroma. Let us now look into the Gnostic cosmology and uncover the mystery of Barbelo, the Divine Mother of the universe.