punishment. Occultists of the Thelema and O.T.O. (English: "Order of the Temple of the East") traditions sometimes speak of a "magical Aeon" that may last for perhaps as little as 2,000 years. Aeon may also be an archaic name for omnipotent beings, such as gods. Gnosticism In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of God, who is also known by such names as the One, the Monad, Aion teleos ("The Broadest Aeon", Greek ), Bythos ("depth or profundity", Greek ), Proarkhe ("before the beginning", Greek ), ("the beginning", Greek ), ("wisdom"), and ("the Anointed One"), are called Aeons. In the different systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described, but the emanation theory itself is common to all forms of Gnosticism. In the Basilidian Gnosis they are called sonships ( ; singular: ); according to Marcus, they are numbers and sounds; in Valentinianism they form male/female pairs called "" (Greek , from ). See also Aion (deity) Kalpa (aeon) Saeculum – comparable Latin concept References Concepts in metaphysics Latin words and phrases New Testament Greek words and phrases Neoplatonism Theories in ancient Greek philosophy Time Units of time