One of the best ways of acquiring and developing knowledge of Sophia is to investigate this website thoroughly, engage with it, stay in touch with it, read the blogs, watch the videos, etc., or better still, subscribe for my Premium Content. You can of course also do lots of other things. And in this present blog you’ll find tips, ideas and advice on how to proceed.
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Bringing Sophia into our consciousness is one of the very best steps we can take in life. She enriches life enormously. For Sophia enables us to really know our soul. She shines a bright light on the mystery of death and tells us emphatically that we are not just ‘bodies of clay.’ She teaches us that we also have an immortal and magisterial soul and an eternal spirit. We may already, of course, have acquired this knowledge, or something like it, in an abstract, intellectual, doctrinal or theological sense as part of our education, or our Christian faith, belief and practise. However, it is Sophia, insofar as she is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, who actually confirms us in this belief. She turns our belief into pure spiritual knowledge. She can do this because she works not only through our head but also, and primarily, through our heart.
The first thing therefore to realise is that sophianic knowledge differs from ordinary knowledge. We acquire ordinary knowledge through our intellect. Sophianic knowledge however goes deeper (or higher!) than the intellect. It is soul-and-spirit knowledge. It is knowledge of, and gained through, a higher Being, the Being of Sophia.
THE SOUL IS REAL
Sophia can be approached, understood, studied, visualised, or seen in many different ways, but first and foremost, and in her highest aspect, as the anima mundi, or the macrocosmic world soul. However, precisely because of this she can also be seen reflected in her microcosmic or ‘human’ aspect, in that because our own individual soul is obviously part of, or at least intimately related to the world soul, we can actually think of her as the substance of our soul.
Visualising this can be difficult. Good and pure images of the soul are always needed to stimulate the imagination regarding the soul along pure and proper lines. But the heavenly Virgin of Light, Sophia, is our very best guide and help in this inner work precisely because she is the perfect or ideal image of the soul, a fabulously beautiful, and chaste heavenly Being.
Of course we must clearly understand that our own individual soul is ‘fallen’ in comparison to Sophia. No matter how good we are we must regard our individual soul as very imperfect in relation to Sophia. It is she however who provides us with the template and the knowledge whereby we may learn to raise up and purify our own individual soul.
Unfortunately many people nowadays have great difficulty with the idea of the soul, of recognising it, or of visualising it. It is not unusual for people to even deny the soul’s existence altogether, saying that it is a kind of figment of the imagination. This attitude however appears utterly stupid to one who really knows their own soul. For actually it takes very little mental effort to come to the realisation that our inner, emotional, or psychic life is different in essence to the purely physical or instinctive functions of our material body.
This inner surging life is the life of the soul.
Many people who live in one of the developed western, or more precisely north-western cultures today have difficulty with the concept of the soul because these cultures generally are rapidly losing their deeply spiritual Christian roots and becoming more and more focussed on the physical body only. What may justifiably be called the higher bodies, i.e. the soul and spirit, are completely ignored or are deemed to be dead concepts. This occurs because the true sense of the soul is stupefied by the comforts, conveniences and luxuries of modern life, or else it is hypnotised by the excitement and magical allure of modern technology and thereby drawn into all kinds of illusory and soul-destroying temptations that are in fact on offer for the body only. This was not the case in former times when such attractions and distractions were not available, but people on the other hand had a genuine and noble sense of the reality of their own soul being. (The situation is somewhat different in Eastern and Southern regions of the globe where a real sense of the soul still generally persists.)
Sophia, as a soul Being, lives in our own soul. But for most people she is half dead or asleep. However, she wants, nay actually needs in our time to be awakened if we are really serious about our spiritual life.
THE HISTORY OF SOPHIA
The ‘history’ of the appearance of Sophia within the Judeo-Christian tradition can be traced through the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament. Generally speaking five books of the Old Testament can be called Wisdom Books. These are: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus (also known as Sirach) and the Wisdom of Solomon (Book of Wisdom). But there are also references to Sophia in other Old Testament books like Psalms and Baruch. Baruch for instance (which like Sirach is only found in the Catholic Bible) says of her ‘But the one who knows all things knows her. He found her by his understanding.’ (Baruch 3:32). [Sophia can of course also be found in the New Testament.]
The Hebrew name for Sophia is Shekinah or Chokmah. Sophia is her Greek name, which is retained in English and many other languages. Sophia however, as an attribute of God, can be found in many, if not all, of the world’s religions. This we might call her ‘goddess’ aspect. The monotheistic impulse of the Jewish religion however led inevitably to a very personalized vision of Sophia. One of the very best general books available in English on her is Sophia-Maria – A Holistic Vision by the German Jesuit priest Fr. Thomas Schipflinger. Calling attention to this ‘personalisation’ of Sophia by the Hebrews, on page 11 he states: ‘Holy Wisdom (Chokmah or Sophia) was generally understood as the key to happiness and soon came to be viewed as a virtue and a capacity given by God for recognising what leads to happiness and achieving it. Gradually Wisdom begins to be revealed as a mysterious Being in God, created before all time, who works together in the creation and councils God, sharing the throne as God’s Beloved (Proverbs 8, 22-31; Wisdom 8, 3-4; 9,4). Because of her role in creation she mediates between God and the world; coming from God and leading back to God.’
SOPHIA AND CHRIST
The first step to awakening Sophia in our soul is to acknowledge her as a real spiritual Being. As clearly indicated in the above quote from Fr. Schipflinger’s book, Sophia should not be regarded as a mere figure or an abstract concept, but as a real Being. We must therefore believe in her, or think clearly, and decide resolutely, that she is as real, true and living a being as Christ Himself. She can be understood as a real and living part of Christ in the very same way as we understand the light of the sun as part of that magnificent heavenly body.
As we approach Sophia we can feel how she transcends the brain-bound intellect and stirs the heart, where she lives, into a deeper knowledge-acquiring organ. The heart is much more than a kind of blood-pump which is the way that physicians like to speak of it. This becomes clear once we begin to stir the heart’s chakra into spiritual movement through meditation.
The diligent and sustained practise of meditation is the key to knowing Sophia.
Of course it must also be said that while sophianic knowledge transcends the intellect, it does not in any way disparage or despise the mind or the organ of the intellect, i.e. brain as such. It is rather that the intellect must be seen as a stepping stone to a higher (or deeper!) kind of knowledge. We can also say a purer kind of knowledge.
All knowledge begins of course with the intellect. But it does not end there. That is the point. Like us human beings for millions of years past, knowledge too evolves. To turn the brain into a kind of god, as modern science and medicine is trying to do, is a grave error. We are now entering a very crucial epoch of human evolution where knowledge must take on new forms, otherwise there is a danger that the machines really will take over, as some people like to predict.
Now, the only answer to this very modern predicament is to develop real and genuine knowledge of the soul, which is also knowledge of Sophia.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE
Sophianic soul-knowledge need not be antagonistic towards science and technology, whatever forms they take. But to those who really know their own soul and spiritual being, a denial that such a higher or spiritual kind of knowledge can exist at all betrays a kind of unconscious fear. Ultimately this is self-fear or fear of gaining true self-knowledge. For soul knowledge is also self-knowledge, and self-knowledge is the foundation of all knowledge.
Gaining true self-knowledge is a moral process and requires a certain degree of inner or moral courage, a kind of heart-strength. This is so because acquiring self-knowledge is also, to coin a common phrase, a process of ‘facing our demons.’
The acquisition of self-knowledge is primarily a process of moral development whereby we consciously acknowledge our faults and imperfections (sins!), and try to overcome them. The psychological truth is that we are often blissfully unconscious of many of our faults and imperfections and, precisely because of this, facing them can be difficult, which is also the reason many people do not take spiritual life really seriously.
However, if you really want to know Sophia, you cannot be like that! This is so simply because, as I have already clearly stated, you can only really get to know Sophia through the practise of meditation; and the sustained and dedicated practise of meditation will always tend to bring these moral impediments to gaining true self-knowledge to the fore of consciousness. However, it is also true to say that in all, or in almost all cases, the strength needed to properly address such difficulties will be found by the serious and dedicated practitioner. For, after all, this is the same kind of strength needed to open up the heart to Sophia in the first place!
MEDITATION
Meditation is the key to knowing Sophia. Meditation is different from reflection, contemplation and prayer. Through these latter activities we develop our relationship with God. Through meditation, on the other hand, we develop a relationship with a higher part of our own individual being, or that part of ourselves we are not normally conscious of, i.e. our soul-being. This can be called our Higher Self. Sophia therefore, as that high or heavenly Being who shares in our own individual soul nature, is the key to knowledge of our Higher Self.
Another important difference between prayer and meditation is that the latter is a totally free act. We don’t have to do it. Therefore we develop free will through the practise of meditation.
As believers in God we practise prayer to nourish our faith. We practise meditation on the other hand to gain real spiritual self-knowledge. And as we develop our relationship with Sophia, the difference between faith and knowledge becomes increasingly clear.
The main point to keep in mind is that the gaining of self-knowledge is a totally free act. However, it is one that is guided holistically every step of the way by the spirit of Sophia. Sophia therefore is our door to spiritual freedom, which means freedom in every sense and application of this word, i.e. in body, soul and spirit.
BOOKS ON SOPHIA
Fr. Schipflinger’s book, referred to above, is highly recommended. It is really a compendium of Sopianic knowledge. Fr. Schipflinger covers the Wisdom Books very thoroughly but also treats sophianic Wisdom and knowledge from many other aspects. For the theologically minded, Sophia – The Wisdom of God, by the Russian Orthodox priest and theologian Sergi Bulgakov is excellent. For a scholarly study of the way Sophia appears in all the various religions of the world, Caithlin Matthew’s book Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom is recommended. The Dutch priest Michael Debus’s book Mary and Sophia is very good, but also very challenging if you are not familiar with anthroposophical terminology. Similarly, but to a lesser degree, with Valentin Tomberg’s Christ and Sophia.
Generally speaking however, reading books, no matter how good they are, is not the primary way to knowing Sophia. Meditation is the key way. General books can never be more than stepping stones to her. For, truly, she reveals herself to each person in her/their own individual way.
The key thing to remember is that to know Sophia we must first open up our hearts to her. If we open our loving hearts to her, our heads will follow in the right way. While it is astute to recognise that Sophia is such a higher Being that she causes many a modern scholar and theologian headaches in his or her efforts to clarify her (Sophia’s) precise relationship to the divine Trinity, it is even more astute to know that the days of (mostly men!) debating fiercely about how many angels fit on the head of a pin are well and truly over! Thus, while it is important to learn to think clearly about Sophia, we should never let our thoughts get bogged down in theological nuances. At every moment we must be able to clear the clutter of our minds through the wonderfully healing and purifying practise of meditation.
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RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Thomas Schipflinger: Sophia-Maria – A Holistic Vision; Samuel Weiser Inc, 1998.
Sergei Bulgakov: Sophia – The Wisdom of God; Lindisfarne Press, 1993.
Caithlin Matthews: Sophia – Goddess of Wisdom; Quest Books, 2001.
Michael Debus: Mary and Sophia – The Feminine Element in the Spiritual Evolution of Humanity; Floris Books, 2013.
Valentin Tomberg: Christ and Sophia; SteinerBooks, 2006.