The Greek term “Aion” is used in the Bible to describe “eternity” or “world.” Aeon also means “eternal realm.” In the Greek lore, Aion is the name of a Divine being born of Kore, the daughter of Persephone, who marks the coming of a new age. Aeon is the God of Silence in the gnostic Gospel of the Egyptians.
In Gnosticism, the Aeons are celestial planes. The Gnostics conceived them as a series of heavens. The chiefs of the Aeons are called Aaeons themselves. They are emanations of God, the first created beings, and compare to in closeness to the Godhead.
In different systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described. Basilides enumerated 365 Aeons. In Valentinianism the Aeons form male/female pairs called syzygies, and they are 30 in numbers. They are listed by Tertullian who wrote against the Velentinians. The list of the 30 eons are as follow:
– First generation – Bythos (Βύθος – The One) and Sige (Σιγή – Silence)
– Second generation – Nous (Νοΰς, Mind) and Aletheia (Άλήθεια – Veritas, Truth)
– Third generation, emanated from Nous and Aletheia – Sermo (the Word; Logos Λόγος) and Zoi (Ζωή, the Life; Vita).
– Fourth generation, emanated from Sermo (Logos) and Vita (Zoe) – Anthropos (Άνθρωπος, Homo, Man) and Ecclesia (Έκκλησία, Church)
– Fifth generation emanated from Sermo (Logos) and Vita (Zoe): Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture); Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union); Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure); Acinetos (Immovable) and Syncrasis (Commixture); and Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness)
– Fifth generation emanated from Anthropos and Ecclesia: Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith); Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope); Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love); Ainos (Praise) and Synesis (Intelligence); Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness); and Theletus (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom).
The highest Aeon is usually Bythos – The One. In the system of Valentinus, Sige was the consort of the primary Aeon Bythos. The Aeons had been one of the most important segments of the early Christian Gnostic cosmology, and not surprisingly it was later unfortunately forbidden by the official Church. As the keys seems now to have be lost, it takes efforts to enter the realm of the Aeons Theletos and Makariotes, and all other Aeons. The point is now, as it has always been, to reconnect yourself to the higher Sophia from her lower part where you are at, and then to reach out to all other 29 Aeons until you embrace Bythos which is on the top, and then merge into Fullness, which is Pleroma.
According to Thelema, history is taken into a series of Aeons, each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own formula of redemption and advancement. According to Aleister Crowley, the last three Aeons have been: Aeon of Isis, Aeon of Osiris, and current Aeon of Horus which began in 1904.