Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom
Linda Stern of The Convocation of the Divine Feminine
Divine Feminine Wisdom
Good morning. This year it has been our pleasure to share Divine Feminine aspects of Wisdom. Across the ages, wisdom has been known as feminine and defined in so many ways. This Wisdom is not only an accomplishment of the intellect, but also and perhaps primarily, an experience of the soul, of the heart and a way to Be in the world.
Today, I am blessed to share insights about Sophia. So first, please join me to connect with the essence of Sophia through sound.
Aaaaaaah is a sound that opens the heart and Eeeeee is a sound that opens the crown. Let the tones flow one into the other, calling out to Sophia, to let her ignite the Light of Wisdom within you. Join me and let the sounds fill you, opening your heart, your mind, and your spirit.
Many mystics over the ages have been filled with the brilliance of Sophia, wanting to share her Wisdom and Light. Here is a prayer written by the Mystic St Hildegard in 1157 speaking about Sophia.
“I am Wisdom. Mine is the blast of the resounding Word through which all creation came to be, and I quickened all things with my breath so that not one of them is mortal in its way; for I am Life. Indeed, I am Life, whole and undivided -- not hewn from any stone, or budded from branches, or rooted in virile strength; but all that lives has its root in Me. For Wisdom is the root whose blossom is the resounding Word...”
My conscious connection with Sophia began about in 2003 when I was asked to speak about Wisdom here at Interfaith Community. Two of the things you might already know about me is that I am heart driven and that I trust my inner voice……especially when I don’t know what I am doing! So, I sat in prayer and meditation. I had a pen in my hand and one word came flowing out – SOPHIA. At that point in time, I didn’t know Who Sophia Is. I didn’t even know that in Greek, this name meant Wisdom. Open, Trust, Surrender, Act.
I did not know the wealth of information that has been written……. and not written.... about Her over the millennium. This occurrence, this experience, this encounter, was a gift! She answered a question I asked. And She led me to a point... that would activate in me....the next step on my path. Not doing all the work for me but pointing me in a direction.
Following that, I did some investigation into who Sophia is, and found out that humans have called Her Wisdom Incarnate, and the Eternal Mother and a Universal mind set of Wisdom. So, you can imagine my astonishment when I found this information. For me it is wonderful that by sitting in openness, and listening to my heart, my inner voice–
Sophia showed me Her Light, gifted me with Her Wisdom and has guided me on my path. This was experiential not learned. And it involves trust and surrender to the energy and connection to Holy Creator.
Since that time, Sophia has helped me to continue to choose the Wisdom of the Heart and to not be afraid. And, to connect to the Light. She has been a guide, a confidant, a protector, and a beacon of Love and Light.
Sophia has been called by many names and no names at all. She is in all that is. The purity & the strength of Her Love, Light and Wisdom is always available; all we need do is tune into our hearts and ask. It is a frequency our cells are wired to.
Humanity has tried to define Sophia in many ways. One description is the Holy Mother who is the totality of all Divine Feminine aspects. Another description is that She is the aspect of Wisdom. And yet another description is the symbolic representation of the Spirits’ path of decent and ascent, that we all are on.
The name Sophia is Greek and was used in that part of the world by many spiritual paths including Abrahamic traditions. But She is also known by many other names. Some of these human names are Athena in Greece, Isis of Ancient Egypt, the wise bride of Solomon by the Jews, the Black Goddess, Bridget of the Celts, White Buffalo Calf Woman, Green Tara, Saraswathi, the Great Mother. Sophia is also known as the Holy Spirit of Wisdom represented by a dove.
I would like to point out that in the community art piece over the door, there appeared a Dove in the center formed by our hands. That was not planned but simply appeared. This to me is a sign that we are honoring the wisdom of Sophia and the Wisdom of the Divine Feminine in this sacred space.
There is so much to say about Sophia, and it is difficult to give words to something that is wise beyond my knowing. So here is a passage written by the Gnostics that describes Sophia well.
“I Am the thought that dwells in the Light. I am the movement that dwells in the All. I Am She in whom the All takes its stand. She who exists before the All. I move in every creature.”
“I am the life of thought that dwells within every Power and every eternal movement, in invisible Light and with Angels and Demons, and every soul. Those who sleep, I awaken.”
“I am the Invisible One with the All, I am immeasurable, I am the head of the All. I existed before the All, Since I exist in everyone, I am the All.”
“I am a voice speaking softly. I dwell within the Silence that surrounds everyone. And it is the hidden Voice that dwells within me.”
“I am the Womb that gives shape to the All by giving birth to the light that shines in splendor. I am the fulfillment of the All.”
Sophia is found throughout the wisdom books in the Bible’s Old Testament. Here is one of my favorite passages in the book of Proverbs:
“When God set the heavens in place, I was present, When God fixed the clouds above, When God fixed fast the wells of the deep, When God assigned the sea its limits- I was present. When God established the foundations of the earth, I was by God’s side, a master creator.”
Given this mind set, is it any wonder that Sophia is constantly associated with King Solomon? In Wisdom 7 in the Old Testament Solomon sang her praises saying:
“She gave knowledge of the structure of the world and the operations of the elements, the beginning and the end of epochs, the alternating solstices and changing seasons…..I learned it all, hidden or manifest for I was taught by Sophia, by her whose skill made all things.”
The Gnostics wrote powerfully about Sophia. As a part of their view, Sophia is the Light and the All and chose a decent into matter creating the world. And then She gradual ascended with the wisdom of experience, back into the state of Grace, leaving us all here with a little bit of Her Divine Spark.
Her ascent, like our own journey, was challenging. The descent was like a lightning bolt, and she was not immediately “rescued” out of the chaos of the lower worlds. Her path back into Grace was a gradual process, much like ours. This enabled her to become more conscious of who she is and her own power. She was filled with gratitude and a Knowing of Her own Light and purpose. Again, much like our own journey.
Sophia was helped out of the chaos just a little at first so that she was aware that things could get better, and that her tormenters were farther away, but she didn’t know who helped her. Eventually, after she made several moves to get out of Chaos, her Helper was revealed to her. She saw the Brilliance of the Source of her assistance shining in dazzling glory and in their ecstatic reunion, light-sparks poured out of them and showered the world. This empowered all of the exiled Sophia Light-
you know……us….to show the way to return to Grace.
Sophia always kept her faith, knowing who she was and that she is the Light ----which kept her clean and untouched by the Chaos. Like her, when we remember the wisdom that we are amazing spiritual light on a journey, we are safe.
Within each of us, there is Wisdom, a beautiful Divine Spark, a beautiful pearl, unsullied by the chaos of the world around us. This is a knowing of the heart. It is not taught in a course or a book. It is Wisdom Experienced; it is wisdom felt, and it is wisdom lived. Look inside to your heart, look at your wisdom and you will see and feel that beautiful Light. On our paths, if we’re lucky, a Messenger of Light comes to help us see and remember our own Spark and to remind us that we are Beings filled with Spiritual Light and Wisdom and Love. We then remember who we are and why we descended into matter in the first place. Our journey.
In the account of Sophia, she is resplendently spread across the Multiverses as Light. THE Light, into each of us, into everything. In Sacred Geometry, it is said that there are shapes and formulas that are present in most everything in the universe, including us, uniting us all. Some think this is the presence of Sophia. Some others think that Sophia is the alchemical spark that was present in the “Big Bang” that spread herself across the universe, across the Mulitverse. I believe both.
It is said that Sophia designed and created matter, designed and created God’s thoughts into form and then she hid in that matter as drops of Light- leaving clues in everything for us all to discover. When we have the wisdom and innocence to see Sophia, hidden in everything, we can invoke her light in our world and ourselves.
One way to do this would be to see your heart as a loving space that contains Sophia’s Wisdom, Light and Love and then to see Sophia in everyone and everything around you – everything, as grand as a Galaxy and as minute as a drop of water. And then to really feel that Holy connection. Take a moment and feel our connection and sit in the Wisdom of yourself and of Sophia. Truly, the Wisdom of the Heart is full of Light, her Light and yours and can shine on your path to your own personal ascent to Grace.
In Wisdom 6 it is written- “Wisdom shines brightly and never fades; she is easily discerned by those who love her, and by those who seek her, she is found. She is quick to make herself known to those who desire knowledge of her; if you rise early in search of her, you will not grow weary in the quest, for you will find her seated at your door.”
And to that I say.......I will meet you there.