[Part 3/5]
Why does the universe exist? What led to the formation of a singularity and the advent of time and space? Was the universe and the life it harbors intended? Or did it arise as some meaningless, mindless accident? If there is a universal mind behind creation, what was it that motivated its efforts? What was, or is, the First Primary Cause seeking?
If you’ve been reading along, you know that Wood‘s creation story doesn’t begin with a theistic conception of God, but rather, the mysterious awakening and continued evolution of a feminine Awareness referred to in the Song of God as “Areta”. This First Mind didn’t always exist. She had a beginning, a beginning that followed a natural course of evolution. It is with the continuing evolution of Areta that the story of creation unfolds.
In our continued exploration of Wood’s cosmogony, consider the following passages from the Song of God:
19 Now in the beginning did there exist neither God nor Goddess; for in the vastness of the cosmos was there found but darkness and emptiness only.
20 But there existed within the vastness, a power which moved and brooded in the greatness of the Deep, being in itself masculine in force and presence; being called Eidos, the uncreated and unbounded; even the mindless creator and thoughtless purposer of all things created and uncreated.
21 For all matter does spring forth out of the midst of the Eidos itself, having neither shape nor form; being pushed and moved about by such chaos as did stir within the depths of the Eidos.
22 Yet did there dwell in the midst of Eidos, that which lay unseen, being of itself the mystery unknown yet always present; being in herself both mind and power, even the Mother of Life.
23 Being hidden up and unperceived within the Deep; desiring most fully to bring forth order out of chaos, and light out of darkness; seeking for herself some greater purpose filled with meaning.
3rd Endowment 1:19-23
14 Yet within the Eidos did there bestir the ineffable wonder of Areta, who lay hidden and serene within the very folds of the mindless creator, being unknown by him, yet did she move most subtly within; always guiding, ever seeking the presence of some equal mind.
1st Endowment 7:14
35 For Areta desired to bring forth the beginning of some mind, like unto her own, whereby she might no longer be alone;
36 Desiring for herself a greater fulfillment than she had before known; hoping with all her soul, the coming forth of some companion whereby she might attain unto Oneness.
37 For in the aloneness of another is there found but aloneness only; but in the coming together of two souls in harmony and joy is Oneness made possible; causing that each being both separate and together, might embrace to their souls a hope and a glory greater than any other.
3rd Endowment 1:35-37
According to these passages, the primordial Awareness evolved to possess and identify within herself certain desires. In the midst of her aloneness within the Deep, Areta came to desire “some greater purpose filled with meaning” and to “bring forth order out of chaos, and light out of darkness” (3:1:23). Not only this—and perhaps most notably—”Areta desired to bring forth the beginning of some mind, like unto her own”, whereby she could achieve a greater fulfillment through companionship and Oneness (1:7:14; 3:1:35-37).
These were the initial desires that informed the intentions of the primordial Awareness, the First Primary Cause, referred to as Areta.[1]Scripture reveals an additional desire not mentioned here that may or may not be considered an “initial” desire. I will address this additional desire at a later point. Areta’s desire, as the First Emanation, to bring about the beginning of some other, equal mind was paramount. Another way to consider the situation is this:
Areta’s primary desire and intention, as the First Emanation, was to bring about other Emanations.
How do we classify what is, and what is not, an Emanation?[2]To my knowledge, Wood never used the term “Emanationism”, so I don’t want to give the impression that he espoused what is, or has been described with that particular word or theory. … Continue reading Wood taught that for anything to be identified as an Emanation, it must be animated by the same essential element that animated the First Emanation to begin with. Before the advent of any singularity or universe, life had a beginning and did exist in the form of a vague, feminine, infantile awareness. Thus:
The essential element necessary for something to be considered an Emanation is LIFE.[3]Wood designated the manifestation of life resulting from Areta’s efforts as the Second Emanation (See: Wood (2013); Origins manuscript, ch. 10). There is some confusion about how Wood … Continue reading
Finding herself alone in the void of the Deep, the Awareness possessed no knowledge of what she was or how she came to be. She did not know how to replicate herself or reproduce the process that brought her forth. Areta’s existence, at least initially, was a mystery even to her.
It was up to Areta to create the method which would allow her to make observations and learn from her environment. According to Wood’s cosmogony, Areta—as the First Primary Observer—engaged in a lot of experimenting, observing, and calculating, all the while driven by the hope of bringing forth life, and eventually, life that possessed mind.
For all the wonders and mysteries to be found in the universe, from the moment of the Big Bang till now, all of this was meant to serve but one particular end. The universe was designed to serve as both a laboratory and incubator for the creation and nurturing of other Emanations.
Wood (2013); “Origins” manuscript, ch.10
The Universe as a Mechanism
How would the primordial Areta address her concerns and desires? How could she begin to determine the meaning and purpose behind her existence? In a void where “nothing is known, where nothing could be observed or named, measured or defined to even the smallest of degrees, the birth of the universe seemed a great place to start.”[4]Wood (2013); Origins manuscript, ch. 12 In some regard, the universe was intended by the Universal Consciousness to serve as a kind of mirror, a “background against which the Universal Consciousness could begin defining the purpose behind her existence.”[5]Ibid.
The Universal Consciousness needed a reflective mechanism, “a laboratory and incubator”, where she could define her purpose, and experiment with ways to bring about other Emanations. The advent of spacetime and the creation of the universe and everything in it should not be considered the final object of Areta’s efforts. All of this was merely the means to a greater end: establish an environment conducive to life and the eventual evolution of “mind”. This achievement would bring greater meaning to Areta’s existence, and allow her the opportunity to develop a state of communion and oneness with another mind.
What’s interesting is, according to Wood’s cosmogony, Areta had no foreknowledge about how to bring about any of this. If the Universal Consciousness had no idea how to create a universe — let alone a universe that could harbor life — how many attempts can we suppose it took before her experiments proved successful? How many failed singularities? How many failed universes, inert, cold and lifeless, preceded the one that finally worked? And by “worked”, what do I mean? Well, according to Wood’s model, the underlying purpose of any and all universes is to bring forth and harbor life.
While the Song of God is grounded in the idea of an evolving Cosmic Awareness, and offers some detail about Areta’s beginning and the desires that came to motivate her, the text does not include much about Areta’s primordial, evolutionary process or her trial-and-error approach to bringing forth a life-harboring universe. This idea of the Universal Consciousness carving out a method and establishing a process to achieve her aims was advanced by Wood mostly in his teachings and additional writings.
Wood speculated that the first cosmic mind of the Areta evolved over what we would consider trillions, perhaps quadrillions of years. While Areta’s awakening and timeless, evolutionary process remains wrapped in mystery, the Song of God does provide an image of the first success, the first triumph in Areta’s experimental efforts to fulfill her primordial desires. In the next post, I intend to explore this miraculous event: the advent of the First Cosmos — the first cosmos that worked.
Until then, consider this excerpt from Wood’s unpublished Origins manuscript, wherein we get a better glimpse of how he frames the primordial Areta as the “Great Intender”, and how she differs in comparison to the biblical Creator God.
Is it appropriate to think of Areta as the Creator? No, it is not appropriate. It would be more accurate to think of Areta as the “First Primary Cause“. Without her, the universe would not exist. The idea of a Creator is rooted in biblical lore; it implies a Creator who simply spoke a word, and instantly, creation sprang into existence.
The greatest difference between Areta and the biblical God concerns itself with both process and method. Areta’s role in the creation of the singularity involved a process which took place over billions, maybe even trillions of years. The method she used had to be learned through trial and error. Her determination in creating the singularity was the product of hope and desperation. These two distinctly opposite emotional states created the motivation behind her efforts. With the biblical God, there is no process, no method. He simply spoke a word, and the universe just sprang into place. Areta had to learn how to create the singularity. The biblical God doesn’t have to learn anything because he knows everything already. Finally, Areta possesses feminine qualities. The biblical God is masculine, and by all biblical accounts, he is not a nice guy.
Is it appropriate then…to think of this Areta of the First Creation as the “Observer”? If so, why? People observe in order to learn. It was the same with Areta. When she first awakened in the deep of the great void, she possessed no knowledge, no insight, no memories, no reference points. For her, everything had to be learned; and she had to create the method which would allow her to learn.
Observing and taking notes creates reference points. It is a slow process, but it is also a thorough one. Throughout the entire creation of the universe, Areta observed. She did not design the universe to be as it is. She merely started it. The laws which underlie the creation of the universe evolved out of the Big Bang. The balance and symmetry which exists between these laws are the result of a million previous failures. These failures allowed the natural laws of the universe to work themselves out. Each failure of a Big Bang created a sympathetic resonance among all particles and forces involved in each succeeding Big Bang. This is why the laws seem to be so balanced and harmonious throughout the universe today.
Theoretical physicists are delightfully puzzled by some of the many mysteries posed by the universe itself. For instance, where did dark matter come from? What is the source of dark energy? Why is the universe speeding up instead of slowing down? These are just a few of the questions to which scientists are seeking answers. Allow me then to pose one possible answer. Is it possible, that all the anomalies posed by the universe itself, are actually the end result of a million previously failed Big Bangs? Why is the universe made mostly of dark matter? Simply because the Big Bang failed so many times.
All the anomalies and mysteries posed by the universe today are merely the leftover echoes of a million previous failures. In short, the universe designed itself to succeed. The only “Great Designer” is the evolutionary process. This process allows no room for God. However, there was a “Great Intender”, and her name is Areta.
Wood (2013); “Origins” manuscript, ch.9 excerpt
A Note About the Featured Image
I chose this image because, to me, it somewhat portrays the idea of Areta’s “trial-and-error” process speculated about in Wood’s writings. I imagine a long string of failed universes, each representing an increase in refinement and understanding, until finally there arose that one universe that would bring forth that which the Universal Consciousness was so desperately seeking.
Revisions
- September 8, 2021 – added “[Part 3]” to the beginning of the post.
- September 14, 2021 – revised first and second paragraphs under “The Universe as a Mechanism”. Added quote, content and footnotes.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Scripture reveals an additional desire not mentioned here that may or may not be considered an “initial” desire. I will address this additional desire at a later point. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | To my knowledge, Wood never used the term “Emanationism”, so I don’t want to give the impression that he espoused what is, or has been described with that particular word or theory. However, he did use the term “Emanation” in reference to Areta, and the word occurs twice in the scriptural text of Song of God (Wisdom 29:2; 6th Endowment 11:54). |
| ↑3 | Wood designated the manifestation of life resulting from Areta’s efforts as the Second Emanation (See: Wood (2013); Origins manuscript, ch. 10). There is some confusion about how Wood defined “emanation”, as I recall discussion about how a lifeform needed “mind” in order to be considered an emanation. Wood defined “mind” as the seat of self-conscious awareness (Wood (2015); Soul Creation manuscript). |
| ↑4 | Wood (2013); Origins manuscript, ch. 12 |
| ↑5 | Ibid. |