Mystical Christianity Lesson 7 (assignment)

1. Which manifestation of Sophia do you most identify with and why? My (re)discovery of the Goddess (i.e. the Divine Feminine, the feminine manifestation of the Absolute) has been relatively recent in my spiritual development – yet that discovery came about by way of Sophia. Initially I saw Sophia in the Virgin Mary – not Mary as a human person as much as Mary being the channel through which Sophia manifested herself in the Christian West. But this awakening opened my eyes to other manifestations of the Goddess/Sophia in other forms: the Holy Spirit (which, although masculine in Latin and neutral in Greek, is actually a feminine word in Hebrew), Mary Magdalene, Shekhinah, and even the secular "Mother Nature". I would say that I've tended to identify more with the White Goddess aspect of Sophia, mostly due to tradition – i.e. the image of the "Queen of Heaven", "Mother of Mercy", "Immaculate Virgin", etc., are widespread and easy accessible to our psyches. On the other hand, the Black Goddess is equally important, and I wish to grow in knowledge of Her – yet She is more elusive and hidden than the White Goddess. 2. What significance does the Sacred Marriage have for our 21st century Western society? Our modern Western society has become so dominated by masculine energy (not only patriarchal religion, but also technology and an overly positivist way of thinking) that we've arrived at a point where complete destruction of the environment and humanity are real possibilities. This imbalance must be corrected for the sake of own survival and welfare – and this must come about through the restoration of balance brought about through the Sacred Marriage of masculine and feminine energies.    J.P.A.