Mystery Schools of all kinds throughout history, including, probably, the Cathars utilized several ploys to survive. Some attempted to get power and influence to protect themselves, some enacted extreme secrecy in order to survive, others learned to "shape-shift" radically with each generation, having diverse names, practices and philosophies on the surface, yet within and behind, actaully being the same lineage, transmitted from teacher to disciple from generation to generation. What many don't understand is that many Tau (Masters) of a lineage have intentionally changed and evolved practices in later generations, both to refine the practices as well as to conceal the order, since certain philophies and ideas become a "red flag" for those who would persecute them. One task of a Tau is the guardianship of her/his lineage. Plus, disciples who have become Tau will form the lineage as they see fit, shaping it accordint to their style of working with energy as well as to create an effective vehicle for the light transmission. For initates, practices, rituals and such are vehicles for the light. The Tau who recognizes the light within and behind, can and must shape a vehicle that allows it to be transmitted to the people of her/his time & place. So they will naturally change and evolve as the times change, just as our mundane language does.

The Cathars ploy seems to have been oritinally to accumulate political power and influence to protect themselves, along with several others. The only traditions who seemed to make it into mordern times are those who learned the other methods mentioned, including those Cathars that may have survivied. But with this came a price. Many "secret society's" exist today who know pieces of rituals and such, but never really fully activated the fiery intelligence, and thus are deviod of the light-presence and light-power. People have become distracted by the vehicles and forgot the essence of the light-transmission. Thus, some schools are as empty as the exoteric churches, though they claim to be an "esoteric" school. So there are many mystery schools here in the West who can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk. Also, because of this, it can be quite deceptive whether one is speaking to an authentic initiate or a well-educated person. It's sad, but such is the dance of light and shadow in this world.

Many of the heretical gnostic groups saw Jesus' crucifixtion and resurrection as an alegory for something that any practitioner could achieve. Some of the groups saw Jesus as a prophet, others as a mystical mythic figure, not a flesh and blood person. Very few of them saw Jesus as a physical representation of a Son of God, but rather as a symbol of how we could all be 'Sons of God'. The Gnostic idea is that we are all divine and that we need no authority to come between us and God. It is because the Gnostic groups basically undermined everything that the Church had built it's teachings on, that posed a threat. They needed to be eradicated because people would stop believing in the Church, which means a loss of power and revenue.

It's fascinating stuff when you get down to it.

Dian