▁in ▁G nost ic ▁cosm ology . ▁Probably ▁originally ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁Greek ▁da im ons ▁of ▁the ▁plan ets , ▁in ▁G nost ic ism ▁they ▁became ▁the ▁demon ic ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁world , ▁each ▁associated ▁with ▁a ▁different ▁cel est ial ▁sphere . ▁As ▁r ul ers ▁over ▁the ▁material ▁world , ▁they ▁are ▁called ▁ ἄ ρ χ ο ν τ ε ς ▁( , ▁" pr incipal ities ", ▁or ▁" r ul ers "). ▁As ▁with ▁ancient ▁astronom y , ▁which ▁thought ▁of ▁a ▁sphere ▁of ▁fixed ▁stars , ▁above ▁the ▁spher es ▁of ▁the ▁seven ▁plan ets , ▁beyond ▁the ▁spher es ▁of ▁the ▁evil ▁arch ons ▁( H eb dom ad ), ▁there ▁were ▁the ▁super cel est ial ▁regions ▁which ▁a ▁soul ▁must ▁reach ▁by ▁g nos is ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁domin ion ▁of ▁the ▁arch ons . ▁This ▁place ▁is ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁the ▁ab ode ▁of ▁Soph ia ▁( W is dom ) ▁and ▁Bar bel o , ▁also ▁called ▁Og do ad . ▁ ▁N aming ▁and ▁associations ▁The ▁O ph ites ▁accepted ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁these ▁seven ▁arch ons ▁( Or igen , ▁Cont ra ▁C els um , ▁vi . ▁ 3 1 ; ▁a ▁nearly ▁identical ▁list ▁is ▁given ▁in ▁On ▁the ▁Origin ▁of ▁the ▁World ): ▁ ▁Y ald aba oth , ▁called ▁also ▁Sak las ▁and ▁S ama el ▁Sat urn . ▁Fem in ine ▁name : ▁Pr ono ia ▁( For eth