Achar

The term "Achar" is not readily identifiable in standard linguistic databases or classical esoteric lexicons. Its origin within Blavatsky's context likely stems from a specific, perhaps esoteric or Gnostic, interpretation of ancient religious texts, possibly a transliteration or neologism to denote a particular class of spiritual entities.

The Gods over whom (according to the Jews) Jehovah is the God.

Blavatsky's inclusion of "Achar" in her glossary, defining them as "The Gods over whom (according to the Jews) Jehovah is the God," points to a fascinating intersection of comparative mythology and esoteric interpretation. She seems to be referencing an understanding that transcends the singular monotheistic portrayal of Jehovah, hinting at a pre-Abrahamic or Gnostic cosmology where multiple divine powers held sway, with Jehovah occupying a supreme, but not solitary, position. This resonates with Mircea Eliade's observations on the phenomenology of religion, where the sacred is often experienced through a multiplicity of forms and manifestations before it is conceptualized as an abstract, unified principle.

The idea of subordinate "gods" or divine beings is not alien to many ancient traditions. In Hinduism, for instance, the devas are divine beings who, while powerful, are themselves subject to Brahman. Similarly, in Hermeticism, the concept of planetary intelligences or archangels represents cosmic forces that are extensions of the One Mind. Blavatsky, a voracious reader and synthesizer of esoteric lore, was likely drawing from such parallels, or perhaps from specific Gnostic texts that posited a complex pantheon of aeons and archons. The term "Achar" itself, if not a direct transliteration from a known ancient language, might be a construct designed to encapsulate this specific theological or cosmological position: beings of divine stature, yet existing under the dominion of a higher, singular deity. This perspective challenges a simplistic view of divine hierarchy, suggesting a more intricate, almost bureaucratic, structure within the spiritual realms, where power is distributed and delegated, a notion that might appeal to a modern sensibility accustomed to complex organizational systems. It invites contemplation on the nature of ultimate authority versus manifested power, and the intricate relationships that bind the cosmos.