Sophia, the Wisdom of God, has always been acknowledged in sacred writings. In the Septuagint Old Testament, the oldest translation of the Hebrew Bible, she is a central figure in six of the seven wisdom books: The Wisdom of Solomon, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, and Ecclesiasticus. Although Sophia’s mystical path to inner knowing has not been preached to the multitudes for the past 2,000 years, today it is returning to our awareness.
In 1987 Jean Houston wrote in The Search for the Beloved, “Denied and repressed for thousands of years, the goddess archetype returns at a time when the breakdown of the old story leaves us desperate for love, for security for protection, for meaning. It leaves us yearning for a nurturing and cultivation of our whole being, that we might be adequate stewards of the planetary culture.”
As people who are finding Sophia for themselves can tell you, her Way is riddled with mystery and paradox. For example, each seeker, whether supported by a group or not, travels alone, yet increasingly experiences not separation, but reconciliation: between conscious and unconscious, self and other, mind and body, masculine and feminine, God the Father and God the Mother. Ultimately Sophia’s Way leads to union with everyone and everything, including the Mystery. Why? Because the essence of the sacred feminine is connection and relationship.
Here’s another paradox: As you move into your own unknown territory, the more lost you get the more found you feel. The inner path leads to a joyful reunion with the lovely sense of wonder, mystery, and meaning most of us had as children and lost as adults. This is a most extraordinary gift, especially during the second half of life, for against all expectations we find that while we were gradually losing our youth and physical power we were gaining something far more precious and lasting: the ability to live from our authentic Self. Why? Because to discover the sacred feminine is to discover the neglected and forgotten half of the Self.
A third paradox: As you grow more introspective on the inward spiritual journey, your perspective on life grows more expansive. This speaks to the common misconception that taking oneself seriously through self-study is somehow selfish, self-indulgent, or self-centered. In fact, the contrary is true: The better you know and love yourself, the more you feel and express love for others. Why? Because the sacred feminine’s form of love is not a mental ideal but a physical and emotional reality.
My latest discovery is that the more reverence you acquire for your internal, metaphysical universe, the more you experience the sacredness of the external, physical one. Why? Because Sophia is the sacred essence of life, both within and without.
The final paradox is that while we have to discover these truths for ourselves, we can claim absolutely no credit for them. As the Right Reverend Larry Maze says in Issue 17 of The Rose, in an article titled “Jung and the Inner Mystic,” “…Wisdom that is truly Wisdom has always been Wisdom and will always be Wisdom…Wisdom is the stuff of being consciously alive in the world. Indeed, Wisdom is the universe being alive with meaning.”
I’ll have more to say about meaning soon. Meanwhile, you might want to ask yourself what gives your life meaning. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts.
What’s the Point of the Three Kings?
December 24, 2024
24 Comments
Those of us raised as Christians know this holiday is about a lot more than rushing about, partying and shopping, and many of us enjoy warm memories and nostalgic feelings this time of year. But why are the moments of love, joy and peace so difficult to find during the holiday season? Where do the feelings of exhaustion, anxiety, disappointment and depression come from? Why do we keep missing the point of Christmas? How can we recapture it?
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I am pleased to have discovered your blog. In my personal experience, I have found what you have written to be so true. Perhaps the essence of the Sophian way is experience. Through experience all paradoxes seems to resolve themselves into the union with the Beloved.
Meaning cannot be possessed just as one cannot possess love. One can only experience meaning in the moment of revelation which opens a door to another layer of meaning.
Blessings,
Sophia
Dear Sophia,
What a lovely name you have! One of my favorites. Welcome to my blog.
Yes, I think you’re right about experience being the essence of the Sophian way. It’s about centering oneself in life, not abstractions without physical substance. Certainly we humans are furnished with an instinct for reflection, and we most definitely need to develop it if we are to become mature and morally responsible beings capable of inspired action. But in isolation from the other four instincts — activity, nurturance, sex, and creativity —- reflection is sterile and cannot produce compassion. It is experience that awakens Sophia of the Understanding Heart.
Thank you for commenting. I look forward to more stimulating discussions with you.
My best,
Jeanie
Jeanie,
The ancients used to say, “Learning is really Remembering.” Another paradox: Anamnesia, remembering all our Understanding from Before.
The Sufis have long said, “Form Itself is the Beloved.” And again: when I am Form, then I hold the Formless as the Beloved–but when I become the Formless, then it is Form that is the Beloved.
Your posts are touching on so many valuable open secrets, they filled my heart with gladness and eyes with tears. It is such a privilege to share this time with you.
Thank you for all your good works,
Wm
William,
It always comes down to recognizing and uniting opposites doesn’t it? This “open secret” seems too obvious to take seriously, and yet, if the physicists are right, it’s the essence of the mystery of existence: entropy/negentropy, (yes, I’m being edified by Charon)! As an educator, this makes me think teachers should consider adding a new category, True and False, to their tests instead of just True or False, to help students become more comfortable with paradox. The left brain definitely needs some retraining!
As to your kind words about my work, your openness of heart and generosity of spirit have the same effect on me. Believe me, the privilege is mine.
Jeanie
Dear Jeanie,
Thank you for reminding us of our ever present, but some times neglected access to Sophia, God’s Wisdom.
This is a beautiful and incredibly important post.
Sally
Sally,
And I can say from personal experience that you are a beautiful and incredibly important person.
Thank you.
Jeanie
divine…… wisdom of inner sophia….in built in every atom of cosmos……that
is how inspirations emerge….one has a choice to regard it or disregard it….life is to learn to unlearn the learning……..of time….to experience one to
become everyone…..first as atom then at OM…..omnipresent…….
Atheist = A scientist with microscopic vision of logical intelligence = right eye with two-dimensional vision.
Theist = A scientist with macroscopic vision of emotional intelligence = left eye with two-dimensional vision.
yoga or union of both eye’s vision fields brings third dimension also, with this vision correction one will graduate from non believer and believer to knower of God.
Birth and death are two ends of a ropeway . Life is to glide in balance of soul and body carrying nectar of happiness.
Not twice this day, Inch time foot gem , This day will not come again, Each minute is worth a priceless gem.
Zen master ” TAKUN ”
happiness …… breath to breath , happiness……. thread to bread , happiness ……. eat to sleep , happiness ……………that occupies the being , a to z of ”creative enlightenment”………….mile to smile…………
distance……… has no meaning , meaning is , how you cover it…. discover smile to cover mile…..…….to milestone eternal…………… happy journey…………………….
bless you……………………
Ram0singhal,
Such beautiful thoughts. Whether we use psychological, spiritual, or scientific language, it always comes down to the fact that creativity and infinity arise from the tension between, and transcending of, opposites. So simple yet so profound. Thank you.
Jeanie