SOPHIA - GODDESS OF WISDOM
Subtitle: THE DIVINE FEMININE FROM BLACK GODDESS TO WORLD-SOUL
Publisher: THORSONS; Aquarian/Thorsons
Published: 1992
Place of publication: LONDON
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 378
ISBN-13: 9781855382756
Subjects: Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques; Nature & existence of God; Women's studies; Comparative Religion; General; Literature: Folklore/Mythology; New Age / Parapsychology; New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit
Description: SOPHIA--GODDESS OF WISDOM TAKES THE READER ON A JOURNEY FROM PRE-CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY TO THE PRESENT DAY, SEEKING OUT THE PRESENCE OF THE GODDESS -- THE DIVINE FEMININE POWER OF WISDOM.  DRAWING MAINLY ON SOURCES FROM THE WESTERN TRADITION, THE MANY FACES OF THE GODDESS ARE REVEALED:  SHE IS THE PRIMEVAL BLACK GODDESS OF THE EARTH, THE SAVIOUR GODDESS, THE GNOSTIC SOPHIA THE WORLD-SOUL, THE APOCALYPTIC VIRGIN, THE MOTHER OF GOD.  WE SEE HOW THE FOUNDATION MYSTERIES OF THE GODDESS UNDERLIE THE ESOTERIC CURRENTS OF ORTHODOX RELIGIONS, AND TRACE HER HERMETIC PRESENCE IN QABALA AND ALCHEMY THROUGH TO HER EMERGENCE IN THE REALMS OF GODDESS RELIGION, FEMINIST THEOLOGY AND THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT.  THIS DEFINITIVE WORK GIVES SOPHIA A VOICE THAT WILL BE WELCOMED BY ALL WHO SEEK TO REAFFIRM THE GODDESS AS THE CENTRAL PIVOT OF CREATION AND AS THE GIVER OF PRACTICAL AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM.
Table of contents: title: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS               vi; title: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS              vii; title: AUTHOR'S NOTE             1; title: PROLOGUE              5; title: PART ONE:  THE BLACK MISTRESS               13; title: THE BLACK GODDESS                15; title: THE SACRED MARRIAGE                 34; title: THE SAVIOUR GODDESS                   58; title: PART TWO:  THE WHITE VIRGIN                    75; title: WISDOM AMONG THE PHILOSOPHERS             77; title: WISDOM BUILDS HER HOUSE                  97; title: THE CLOUD ON THE SANCTUARY              111; title: THE DIVINE ANDROGYNE                     132; title: THE BRIDE OF GOD                 150; title: THE VIRGIN OF LIGHT                 179; title: THE BLACK VIRGIN                191; title: THE GRAIL GODDESS               208; title: VIRGO VIRIDITAS                   223; title: PART THREE:  THE RED QUEEN                 245; title: THE VEILED GODDESS                  247; title: THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN                       268; title: SAINT SOPHIA                     288; title: APOCALYPTIC VIRGIN                  303; title: THE SOPHIANIC MILLENNIUM             320; title: GLOSSARY                  345; title: NOTES               347; title: BIBLIOGRAPHY              359; title: SELECT DISCOGRAPHY               367; title: INDEX                   369; title: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; title: EARTH MOTHER             24; title: I AM BLACK BUT BEAUTIFUL               46; title: WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN             70; title: ISIS OF CORINTH                  72; title: AGAINST WISDOM EVIL DOES NOT PREVAIL                84; title: CAVE OF THE NYMPHS                  93; title: WISDOM HAS BUILT HER HOUSE                    101; title: THE SHEKINAH                 114; title: SOPHIA                141; title: ACHAMOTH                157; title: MOTHER OF THE OGDOAD               177; title: THE BLACK VIRGIN                   198; title: THE GRAIL GODDESS               210; title: PHILOSOPHIA                   236; title: ALCHEMICAL VIRGIN                256; title: WISDOM ENTHRONED               293; title: MADONNA ORIFLAMMA              300; title: MOTHER OF THE WORLD              311; title: TAU ROSAMONDE MILLER               339; title: RECLAIMING RITUAL             343