The Fall of Sophia


Book Description

"There is a delicate distinction between these two sentences: 'To find the others in oneself' and 'To find oneself in the others.' In the higher sense, it means 'You are that.' [Tat tsvam asi]. Above all, in the highest sense, it means to recognize oneself in the world and to understand that saying of Novalis from The Disciple at Sais... 'One was successful. He lifted the veil of the goddess at Sais. But what did he see? Miracle of miracles! He saw himself.' To find oneself--not in egoistic inwardness, but selflessly in the outer world--that is true self-knowledge." --Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Steiner is perhaps best known for his influence and wisdom in the fields of education, agriculture, medicine, science, and art. It is often forgotten that it was as a spiritual teacher that he made these contributions. Unfortunately, while his immediate students had the advantage of Steiner as a personal guide to their inner lives, later readers have had only his written works to guide them. Steiner, however, did give a few lectures on inner development--especially on beginning a path of practice. This book now collects these lectures--some of which have never been in English--for the first time. It also contains a number of the basic meditations and exercises shared by Steiner with his students. Here readers will find descriptions of various practical exercises, including exercises for the moral qualities that students must develop, and for the various qualities of consciousness that inner development requires. This book is not only for beginners. Wherever you are on the path, this book will be your companion.




Pistis Sophia


Book Description

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.




The Gnostic Bible: The Pistis Sophia Unveiled


Book Description

“It came to pass, when Jesus had risen from the dead, that he passed eleven years discoursing with his disciples, and instructing them.” The Apostles wrote down what Jesus taught them during those eleven years, resulting in The Pistis Sophia, the most important Gnostic scripture. Includes an extensive commentary by Samael Aun Weor.




The Nag Hammadi Library in English


Book Description




The Books of Jeu and the Pistis Sophia as Handbooks to Eternity


Book Description

Despite the surge of interest in Gnostic texts following the discovery of the Nag Hammadi library, the Coptic Books of Jeu and Pistis Sophia remain understudied. Often dismissed as convoluted, confused, and repetitious, Erin Evans convincingly shows that these texts represent the writings of a distinct religious group with a consistent system of theology, cosmology, and ritual practice. This book offers an in-depth examination of these texts, their relationship to other contemporary Gnostic ideas, and their use in the context of a practicing religious group. Three thematic sections demonstrate how the collection of texts functions as a whole, covering baptisms and mystical ascent procedures, guides to moral living, and introductory texts and myths.




Sophia


Book Description

Anyone interested in the feminine face of God throughout the ages will find Sophia an illuminating experience. Caitlin Matthews' scholarship connects us to past, present, and future in the very depths of our femininity. ----Marion Woodman, Jungian analyst and author of Bone: Dying into Life. Sophia, or "wisdom" in Greek, has been revered in many forms throughout history--from the Dark Goddess of ancient Anatolia; to her Egyptian, Greek, Celtic, and Cabalistic manifestations; to her current forms as Mary and the orthodox St. Sophia. In the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, Sophia sits with God until the creation. Then she falls into matter and becomes manifest in every atom, permeating all things "like the sparks that run through charcoal," as Matthews says. While God is "out there," the Goddess is "in here"-- the mother-wit of practical inspiration and compassion at the heart's core. This definitive work comprehensively establishes a realistic Goddess theology for Westerners in the twenty-first century: grounding spirituality in daily life and the natural world; learning to work playfully and play seriously; ending the gender war to enjoy sacred marriage.




Return of the Divine Sophia


Book Description

An initiatic journey into the Mysteries of the Goddess and humanity’s return to an age of peace and celestial light • Details the ceremonies and rituals of initiation into the Fellowship of Isis • Reveals the lost teachings of Jesus about the Divine Mother and Father and how the goddess Sophia is connected to Mary Magdalene as the Female Christ • Explores the many archetypes of the Goddess, including Isis, Brigit, and the Black Madonna, and how we can transform into Homo luminous, spiritual beings of light Called through her dreams by the Priestesses of Isis, Tricia McCannon set out on a spiritual journey into the Mysteries of the Goddess. After a fateful encounter with a high initiate of the ancient Fellowship of Isis, she began researching the history of Judaism and Christianity to find out how and when the Divine Feminine became lost. She discovered a forgotten age when the Creator was honored as female and humanity lived in peaceful societies completely free of war. She shows how we can return to an age of peace and celestial light if we work to bring the masculine and feminine energies of the world back into balance. Sharing her journey into the heart of the Divine Mother, McCannon details her initiation into the Fellowship of Isis, a process rich with ceremony, ritual, and myths of the Goddess from ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Greek, Hebrew, and Native American traditions. She reveals how the many archetypes of the Goddess, including Isis, Ishtar, Brigit, and the Black Madonna, can become our allies for self-transformation. She explores Mysteries at the heart of Christianity that have remained hidden for nearly 2,000 years and how the Gnostic goddess Sophia is tied to the Second Coming, Mary Magdalene, and the Female Christ. She reveals the lost teachings of Jesus about the Divine Mother and Father and about the Divine Daughter and Son. Through her story and her in-depth research, McCannon takes us on a journey to awaken the creative power of the Divine Feminine within each of us. Equipped with the teachings of the Goddess, we gain the mastery to overcome the deeply rooted masculine-feminine imbalance of the patriarchy and to embark into the future as Homo luminous, beings of light.




Falling in Love with Sophia


Book Description

Do you believe there is someone in this world that you are destined to fall in love with and spend the rest of your life with? Michael Alexopoulos did. When he met Sophia, he knew there was something special about her. He knew they were meant to be together. The only problem was they were in 6th grade. Years later, fate brought them back together, Michael proposed, Sophia accepted. What happened next would change their lives forever and make Sophia and Michael question whether their love would last forever.




Paradise Reconsidered in Gnostic Mythmaking


Book Description

This book offers a new understanding of Sethianism and the origins of Gnosticism by examining the mythology in and social reality behind a group of texts to which certain leaders of the early church occasionally attached the label ‘Ophite.’ In the unique Ophite mythology, which rewrites the Genesis paradise story and is attested, for example, in Irenaeus’ Adversus haereses 1.30, The Apocryphon of John and On the Origin of the World, the snake’s advice to eat of the tree of knowledge is considered positive, the creator and his angels are turned into demonic beasts and the true Godhead is presented as an androgynous heavenly projection of Adam and Eve. It is argued that Hans-Martin Schenke’s influential model of the ‘Sethian system’ only reveals part of a larger whole to which the Ophite material belongs as an important and organic component.




The Wedding of Sophia


Book Description

Author of the acclaimed Jung and the Alchemical Imagination, Jeffrey Raff continues his teachings in psychoidal alchemy with an in-depth look at the feminine aspect of the divine. Sophia is, in the esoteric teachings, the embodiment of Wisdom, the matrix from which God arose, and God's heavenly consort and mirror. But, as Raff explains, she suffered a fall from this exalted state, corresponding to the obscuration of the feminine archetype in the patriarchal world. Without Sophia, God is not whole. It is our task to work with imagination to reunite Sophia and God. Raff explains the difference between fantasy, a product of the ego, and imagination, which comes from the soul. More importantly, he brings Sophia to life through a vivid analysis of an 800-year-old text, The Aurora Consurgens, as well as his personal experience with Sophia and active imagination. This process empowers us to become whole and realize our innate drive to unite with the divine.