The Esoteric Background of Sime~Gen
The Esoteric Background of Sime~Gen
Sime~Gen fans can each cite one memorable book or quality to the series that drew us in and kept us reading -- for some, over decades -- despite a dearth of new books and the ever-increasing scarcity of existing ones.
Mahogany Trinrose was my first Sime~Gen book. The intimate adventure theme drew me in: a young woman coming of age striving to meet the almost impossible expectations placed on her by her family and her society. The esoteric underpinnings hooked me: glimpses into the secret teachings and disciplines of the Rathor mystery school where select Simes and Gens learned to use their psi talents. I loved the book and couldn't wait to find more. And I kept looking for that magic and mystery within every other S~G book I read.
As I became privileged to get to know Jacqueline Lichtenberg, a brilliant woman who seems to embody several paradoxes within herself: a science-fiction writer who is also a trained scientist (chemist), a practicing Orthodox Jew, and an expert in Tarot, astrology, Kabbalah, reincarnation, and Judeo-Christian ceremonial magic and mysticism, I learned from her that, in her conception, these esoteric disciplines and the psi talents: telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, empathy (to name several) are an integral part of Sime~Gen.
But if you look deeper, there are no contradictions in any of this.
When Ercy, in Mahogany Trinrose, is accused of witchcraft by her jealous cousin, Rellow, for growing her trinroses according to the phases of the moon, she vindicates herself by proving she not only kept meticulous documentation, but adhered to scientific principles throughout.
If I understand anything about how Jacqueline's mind works in relation to esoteric thought in general, and Sime~Gen in particular, her underlying point is that these disciplines are not "magic," but technology. The technology of how the Universe works: a system we only imperfectly understand but may continue to gain more insight into as time goes on.
Tarot shows us the soul's journey through the archetypes of the Major Arcana; the roles we play throughout life in Court cards; and the way we handle routine challenges in the numbered cards of the four suits of the Minor Arcana. Reincarnation and Karma teach us how each soul progresses in spiritual evolution over many lifetimes in different bodies, experiences the gamut of human possibility through gender, larity and role, and plays out recurring relationships in different forms, understanding and correcting the mistakes of previous lifetimes. Kabbalah helps us understand the Will of the Divine through names, numerology, and the sephiroth of the Tree of Life. Psi talents demonstrate the little-known facets of human potential.
Plots and characters are created with the archetypes of the Tarot in mind; many key characters in the Sime~Gen novels reincarnate, learning new lessons and facing fresh challenges with each turn of the cycle, but always built on who they were and what they have accomplished previously. All Simes and some Gens are empaths; Endowed Channels are telekinetics and often telepaths. In their training, whether it be ordinary First Year lessons, specialized channel and Companion training, or the secret disciplines of the Mystery Schools, Simes and Gens learn to control and effectively use their own particular talents.
Astrology heralds not only the progression of the planets through the signs of the zodiac, but also the keynote philosophy of an age. Sime~Gen begins two thousand years from now in the age of Capricorn, whose keyword is "I Use." The emphasis here is not on faith, as in the age of Pisces, or knowledge, as in the age of Aquarius, but upon works. And progresses through to the age of Sagittarius, "I Understand," encompassing space travel, interstellar migration, and the dissolution of the first and last Householding, Zeor, whose name in Hebrew means "Enlightenment."
Mahogany Trinrose was my first Sime~Gen book. The intimate adventure theme drew me in: a young woman coming of age striving to meet the almost impossible expectations placed on her by her family and her society. The esoteric underpinnings hooked me: glimpses into the secret teachings and disciplines of the Rathor mystery school where select Simes and Gens learned to use their psi talents. I loved the book and couldn't wait to find more. And I kept looking for that magic and mystery within every other S~G book I read.
As I became privileged to get to know Jacqueline Lichtenberg, a brilliant woman who seems to embody several paradoxes within herself: a science-fiction writer who is also a trained scientist (chemist), a practicing Orthodox Jew, and an expert in Tarot, astrology, Kabbalah, reincarnation, and Judeo-Christian ceremonial magic and mysticism, I learned from her that, in her conception, these esoteric disciplines and the psi talents: telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, empathy (to name several) are an integral part of Sime~Gen.
But if you look deeper, there are no contradictions in any of this.
When Ercy, in Mahogany Trinrose, is accused of witchcraft by her jealous cousin, Rellow, for growing her trinroses according to the phases of the moon, she vindicates herself by proving she not only kept meticulous documentation, but adhered to scientific principles throughout.
If I understand anything about how Jacqueline's mind works in relation to esoteric thought in general, and Sime~Gen in particular, her underlying point is that these disciplines are not "magic," but technology. The technology of how the Universe works: a system we only imperfectly understand but may continue to gain more insight into as time goes on.
Tarot shows us the soul's journey through the archetypes of the Major Arcana; the roles we play throughout life in Court cards; and the way we handle routine challenges in the numbered cards of the four suits of the Minor Arcana. Reincarnation and Karma teach us how each soul progresses in spiritual evolution over many lifetimes in different bodies, experiences the gamut of human possibility through gender, larity and role, and plays out recurring relationships in different forms, understanding and correcting the mistakes of previous lifetimes. Kabbalah helps us understand the Will of the Divine through names, numerology, and the sephiroth of the Tree of Life. Psi talents demonstrate the little-known facets of human potential.
Plots and characters are created with the archetypes of the Tarot in mind; many key characters in the Sime~Gen novels reincarnate, learning new lessons and facing fresh challenges with each turn of the cycle, but always built on who they were and what they have accomplished previously. All Simes and some Gens are empaths; Endowed Channels are telekinetics and often telepaths. In their training, whether it be ordinary First Year lessons, specialized channel and Companion training, or the secret disciplines of the Mystery Schools, Simes and Gens learn to control and effectively use their own particular talents.
Astrology heralds not only the progression of the planets through the signs of the zodiac, but also the keynote philosophy of an age. Sime~Gen begins two thousand years from now in the age of Capricorn, whose keyword is "I Use." The emphasis here is not on faith, as in the age of Pisces, or knowledge, as in the age of Aquarius, but upon works. And progresses through to the age of Sagittarius, "I Understand," encompassing space travel, interstellar migration, and the dissolution of the first and last Householding, Zeor, whose name in Hebrew means "Enlightenment."
