Transfiguration

Catharose de Petri (1902-1990) was a Dutch Rosicrucian involved after the Second World War in the interface with Catharism and gnosis through her relationship with Antonin Gadal (1877-1962). I found this interesting book in Gadal's house when visiting with a group. She defines transfiguration as a 'Gnostic process of completely replacing the mortal, separative, earth-born human being with the original, immortal, divine being, the true Spirit-Human-Being intended by the divine plan of creation.' This involves a new and more universal axis of being, calling the soul to life and entrusting it with the governance and guidance of one's entire state of being. This I believe was the refinement and purification process of death and rebirth in becoming a Cathar parfait so that one can say along with Paul, 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.' The text draws on the Upanishads, Hermes Trismegistus and especially Taoism for inspiration. The soul is seen as the awakened rose of the heart, and the seeing of the seer is identified with the imperishable radiance of being ('The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me' – Meister Eckhart) – it is in this sense that Yeshua in the Gnostic Gospels said to his disciples that they would not taste death – 'the sage abides in his heavenly nature.'