Sophia's Children

Beautiful Madonna & Mary Magdalene

I came across the stunningly beautiful La Vierge au Lys yesterday and was captivated by it. It stayed with me throughout the day, whispering. That's the activating power of imagery.

The artist, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, was of a school attentive to ancient themes and symbolism. La Vierge au Lys translates as The Virgin of the Lilies.

Aside from being captivated by the almost photographic quality of the painting -- common to Bouguereau's style -- specific symbolism caught my attention.

What does La Vierge au Lys tell us about the Divine Feminine?

I intuitively associated this image immediately with Mary Magdalene, whose embodiment and mastery of The Inner Way of the Deep Feminine is hinted at by the symbolism here.

La Vierge au Lys wears a dark cloak, symbolizing the Mysteries and the wisdom that comes from the unseen realms. We might also think of what the Black Madonna symbolizes and brings alive here.

The red sleeves showing hint at Shakti, the creative life force and Feminine Mysteries.

The Virgin's eyes look downward, toward her heart. She focuses her attention within.

We know now that the electromagnetic field of the heart is 5,000 times more powerful than that of the brain, giving new meaning to "where your heart is, there too is your treasure."

If you're a meditator, you might recognize this heartward gaze as a common eye focus -- eyes 9/10ths closed with a light focus at the tip of the nose.

This eye focus is said to help calm the mind and nervous system, withdraw attention to outward distractions, and stimulate the pineal gland and frontal lobe of 'higher thought'.

It is also symbolic of bowing one's ego to the wisdom of the heart and the Divine.

Her hands seem to be in a mudra, with the ring- and middle-fingers together and the others spread apart. The ring and middle fingers are associated with Sun and Saturn, so this might hint at a Vesta-like devotion to the practice, so that it informs what one 'shines' into the world.

La Vierge au Lys is flanked by white lilies -- lilies being a flower associated with regeneration and rebirth, white symbolizing higher vibration and Spirit. The throne makes clear her power, and that she is one who is revered.

As she focuses her eyes inward, toward her heart center, notice the clear, unflinching gaze of the Divine Child and the arms open wide in a welcoming, 'no one disenfranchised' kind of way.

Here we see that the Divine Child, the Christ consciousness, and the Sacred Masculine are all born from and sourced by the inner wisdom of Sophia-Wisdom, the Feminine, and from a heart-centered consciousness.

If they aren't -- if the ego, the mind, and the masculine are disconnected from the Feminine, from empathy, and from heart-centeredness -- they can become cruel, and even sociopathic or psychopathic. We see this in more recent history.

So evocative she is, La Vierge au Lys will find a place on my altar, alongside of Da Vinci's Magdalene (read my previous entry on Mary Magdalene to see Da Vinci's image).

We can work with the imagery to kindle remembrance within us, to activate latent knowing and strengthen our connection to the Medicine of the re-emerging Feminine so that wisdom and heart-centeredness inform our consciousness, expression, and action in the world.

Love,

Jamie

Image Credit: La Vierge au Lys, painted in 1899 by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)

Join us in The Academy of the Divine Feminine to explore and engage in the re-emergence of the Feminine.

Venus in Gemini: Iris the Rainbow Goddess

One of our personal archetypes has just gone Mercurial.

Have you felt it yet? If not, you will.

Read on for tips, so you'll be in the know about working with this energy in your life.

The Timeframe, Energies & Themes

The planet Venus entered Gemini territory in early April for an unusually long stay.

Compared with typical Venus transits of 3 or 4 weeks, we'll all be experiencing our inner-Venus ala Gemini style through early August.

Venus is considered a 'personal' archetype, symbolizing our experiences with harmony (or not), abundance (or not), beauty (or not), and love (or not).

She shifted from grounded, Earthy, sensual Taurus to quick-minded and communicative Gemini. From Earth to Air. Right on time to add to the Zap Zone Energies (see my recent post).

Given that this is a longer-than-usual transit, amidst the backdrop of the much-prophesied 'year of transformation' that is 2012, I wanted to really open to the deeper opportunity offered by Venus in Gemini.

As soon as I asked the question, guess who came to mind ... very appropriately (as you'll see)?

Iris the Rainbow Goddess.

If you haven't met the rainbow Goddess Iris, allow me to introduce you -- you're in for a lovely treat.

And if you'd like to get to know her further, you now have a three-month window of opportunity that makes it easier than usual.

You'll definitely want to make good use of your Iris Time while Venus transits Gemini.

Allow me the luscious honor of introducing you to Iris, the Rainbow Goddess of Hope and High-Vibin' Word.

Iris has a unique place in Greek mythology.

She is said to be the Great Goddess Hera's most trusted messenger, and the Great God Zeus sees Iris in the same way.

Even more unique, Iris is able to easily travel between the realms of Heaven and Earth, air and sea, and even to the Underworld and back, bringing vital information and messages between the gods, and between the gods and humans.

So she's a Shaman's Goddess, and the spirit ally for wordsmiths and communicators, who deal in Word Magic whether for good or ill.

Since we all use words -- and the power of the Word -- that applies to each of us, too.

Iris's name is said to derive from the Greek word eiro, meaning 'messenger' and also 'to join' -- as in a communication bridge that connects.

As I reflect on that, I couldn't help but think of Eris, a goddess associated with disruption, amongst other things. Perhaps she signifies the 'other side' of Iris? More on that below (and in another article as well).

Iris is usually seen with a winged staff or caduceus, and a ceramic pitcher from which she pours out Divine guidance.

She has an angel's wings, and sometimes winged heels as well, allowing her quick, light flight as she travels between the realms.

And she's associated with the rainbow, wearing a rainbow-colored robe and leaving behind a rainbow calling-card: Iris was here (or Iris is here). Sometimes she's thought to actually be the rainbow itself.

So what does this tell us about Iris?

She is a most trusted messenger and herald, respected in all of the realms -- a masterful, trusted, Divinely gifted communicator.

She is adorned with the winged staff or caduceus, so her communications are healing and high-vibration, perhaps even illiminating and enlightening.

She wears the rainbow robe and embodies or leaves her rainbow symbol as her calling card, symbolizing 'the rainbow after the storm' and also the hope and promise of the same.

Her rainbow robe also symbolizes the 'rainbow body' or 'light body' -- our own energy field when it's in its natural Divine vibration.

Even more, she is a spirit ally and messenger of (and to) the Divine Feminine, and the Sacred Masculine as well, generously endowed with the magic of the Word.

Perhaps Iris was the Muse for Dr. Emoto in his work with the effect of high or low-vibration words on water crystals -- and thus on us, too, since we are made mostly of water.

While Venus is in Gemini, Iris the Rainbow Goddess can be a spirit ally in our conversations with the Divine, and she can help us to increase the radiance of our own and others' rainbow-light-bodies through the use of beautiful words and communications.

This relates to our inner-chatter -- the Word-habits we've internalized -- as well as communications with others, and with the Divine.

Of course, her very example hints at the lower-vibration potential of Venus in Gemini -- a misuse of our power of the word by way of chronic negative chatter and gossip, for instance.

This is what made me think of Eris, sometimes called 'the Goddess of Discord'. Might Eris be the effects and energies we see, feel, and experience when we misuse or negatively use the power of the Word?

I'll be writing on this theme very soon (look for 'Lakshmi's Evil Twin' in the subject line!).

Iris the Rainbow Goddess -- and the energies of Venus in Gemini -- remind us that words and images have their unique vibrations, and can either be healing and illuminating or poisonous and harmful.

But if we ask for Iris's help, with gratitude and respect due to her as the most respected Divine messenger, we can elevate our communication, gain some additional understanding and mastery of our Word-power, and maybe even become rainbow-bringers ourselves.

As always, if you have a more prominent Venus or Gemini in your astrology blueprint -- like my own Venus-rising and Gemini moon nearly conjunct my ascendent -- this is an even more important archetype, teacher, and purpose-illuminator for you.

You can see where Iris the asteroid is placed in your chart, too, for additional insight on where her gifts (or shadow) might show up for you.

How do you see Iris the Rainbow Goddess & Divine Word Master working in your life?

Share your thoughts, musings, and questions below (or if you prefer more privacy, send along a direct email -- you'll see the email link in the upper sidebar).

And if you'd like to bring Iris the Rainbow Goddess alive within yourself -- and elevate your communication and 'power of your Word' -- send me an email and schedule an individual session.

In the meanwhile, lots of love and shiny rainbow communications!

Jamie

Image Credits: Iris the Rainbow Goddess on Greek Vase from Theoi.com; Morpheus and Iris, by Pierre-Narcisse Guerin (1811); and Iris the Rainbow Goddess by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893).

"My Life Came to a Standstill..."

That's what Leo Tolstoy wrote in his Confessions about the period in his life when his old priorities and accomplishments no longer held meaning for him, but a new sense of meaning and authenticity hadn't yet become clear.

He was pretty depressed about it, understandably, and had been resisting it for a long time.

"My life came to a standstill..."

I've experienced that, too, as are many more people in this time of great transformation.

As much as it frustrated me, none of my attempts to 'go back' to an old comfort zone seemed to work, and no attempts to impatiently force a new clarity were very effective. Both ego-effort and resistance proved depressingly futile.

One image that really captures this time of 'in-between' is the symbol-rich Queen of Disks painted by Lady Freda Harris for the Thoth tarot deck.

In this card, the Queen of Disks is at a standstill, but her pause is not without purpose.

Take a look.

She sits on her throne, looking back over the barren valley through which she has just journeyed.

The desert seems to stretch on forever into the horizon now behind her. It has been a long, trying, and often exhausting journey for her.

The desert, like the 'dark forest', is that cycle of life when what has come before has dropped away, and the 'new life' and renewed clarity and motivation have not yet materialized.

Our Queen of Disks looks out over the meandering path by which she's come -- one that seemed to zig zag along without direction, until she sees the whole of it from her current vantage point. It's led her to where she now sits.

And though it's a desert, and her path was meandering, she now sees the many trees, grouped in threes -- a pattern that she hadn't noticed when she was laboring through the journey.

This tells her that the Feminine, the Great Goddess, had been present with her throughout her desert-valley initiation.

She can now more fully realize that her desert-valley journey has been an initiation into the Feminine, presided over by the Great Goddess herself.

In her current position, new vegetation grows around her, symbolizing the energy of new growth that is gathering, perhaps because she has taken the time to be still enough to let the greening energy gather.

She wears the crown of spiraling horns, and the Aries ram sits to her left. In the journey of the Zodiac, Aries is the new beginning: one cycle has completed, and a new one readies to begin. The spiraling horns signify a maturity, a 'royalty' earned on the Spiral Road of initiation.

Look closely (unusually, I've repeated the same image twice so you can see it more easily).

She holds an orb-shield painted with interwoven circles, symbolizing her awareness of the interconnectedness of Life -- a more wholistic perspective gained from her experience crossing the desert valley.

In her right hand, she holds a scepter topped with a crystal, symbolizing a new clarity of mind and a new mastery that she has earned through experience, through gnosis -- the knowledge and wisdom based in her own experience.

With this awareness and experience, she is more grounded, centered, spiritually mature, and dignified. She can now move through life with a newly earned depth and grace.

Because she is a Queen of Disks, which represents Earth, her orb and scepter speak to her new mastery being rooted in 'down to Earth' experience, and her awareness that she is connected with the energies of Mother Earth and the 'greening' energy of Nature.

She now knows that it is this 'greening energy' of Nature, of the Feminine, the very Shakti of Life itself, that allows life to be rich, fertile, and abundant rather than the barren wasteland of the wounded Masculine in the Grail.

Being a Queen, she represents the Feminine, having learned through her journey how to navigate using the Feminine gifts of the Empress and the Priestess.

From this different perspective, she sees that the barren valley, the desert, is 'greened' through the presence of the Feminine and action that is based in connectedness and alignment with the laws of Nature.

Her meandering path through the desert valley might now be seen, with her expanded perspective and wisdom, as a potential riverbed through which waters might flow to bring a new fertility to what has lain barren and dry.

She reminds us that our time of seeming standstill allows us to take stock of our journey through the desert, and 'gather the pearls' of the new perspective and mastery we've gained, knowing that these give a renewed fertility and abundance as we begin a new cycle on the spiral of Life.

From Leo Tolstoy's writings, this is what he learned, too, as he opened to a new, more vibrant awareness that gave new meaning to his life.

If you're feeling like you're at a standstill, the remedy is homeopathic -- like heals like. Stand still, and let the 'greening energy' gather around you, renewing your vision and guiding you into authentic, inspired, and meaningful action.

With the current Aries energy and the newly emerging growth of Spring, it's the perfect time for it.

Blessings on the Way,

Jamie

Image Credits: the Queen of Disks, painted by Lady Freda Harris for the Thoth Tarot Deck.

Beauty, Power & Feminine Imagery

Exploring the Goddess and embodying the reawakened Sacred

Feminine is part artistry, part devotion. The energy is archetypal,

powerful, and transformative. There is a lot of imagery of the

Sacred Feminine and the Goddess, and some of it is truly evocative.

This image, by an as-of-yet unidentified artist, is powerfully

activating. Because Goddess, the Divine Feminine, is an energy

and power that goes way beyond words, I turn to my other senses

to feel and sense, see and hear into it. Just as words can

contain an energy transmission with the Divine is 'speaking through'

or 'writing through' if and when I allow myself to be a hollow bone,

a vessel, so to can imagery carry that energy signature that

awakens an ancient knowing from within our bones and soul

awareness. What I love about this artist's work is that s/he seems

to have a sense of this. These are no inert images; in these,

energy lives, moves, breathes, dances, maybe even whispers

(if I listen closely with all of my inner-Feminine senses alert

and waiting). This image is listed in some places as Tara,

and She could indeed be. The position she holds reminds me

of some representations of Vajravarahe, one of the powerful

Dakinis that help us to dance with the energies of Life

powerfully, consciously, with full Feminine beauty and knowing.

Visit with this artist's beautiful homage to the Sacred Feminine,

and see what unfolds and opens in your own sensual, sensory awareness.

Blessings,

Jamie

 

Explore the power of the Sacred Feminine, Goddess, imagery

and archetypes, and awaken your own inner-Feminine mojo,

with the Feminine Mojo Mystery School.

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Image Credits: I've not yet identified the artist of these

and similar images, despite quite a bit of sleuthing. I'll

continue, though if you know who created this, let me know!

The Power of Imagery & the Awakening Feminine

These days, when I want to get into the zone to write about the re-emerging Feminine, or work on one of my new Feminine Mojo projects, I go prowling Google images for inspiration. Imagery goes under the radar of the intellect, into the body to awaken some long-sleeping insight there.

This morning, as always, I found some evocative gems. Thanks to the nature of the web, I linked my way to new imagery finds as well.

Imagery & the Feminine

Leonard Shlain, in the Alphabet Versus the Goddess, wrote that the ascendancy of the printed alphabet 'rewired our  brains' and set us on a course of the dominance of intellect and reason, sans Feminine wisdom.

While there are those who question this, saying that alphabet was used in 'Goddess centered' cultures for a long time, it seems to make sense that as reliance on alphabet increased, we became oriented away from the more visual, imaginal, embodied-intuitive capacities. Kind of like what a recent flurry of research is showing now about how our hyper-technology immersion is rewiring our brains.

Stirring the Feminine with Athena, Minerva & the Famed Sybil of Cumae

So as I began my own long trek from the over-dominance on my Masculine, analytical nature to a remembrance of 'the other' -- that associated with the Feminine 'right brained' capacities -- I found the use of imagery essential, whether the ancient symbolism presented in the more beautifully crafted tarot decks to the art of the masters, or even just 'adding more color'.

So yesterday, and again this morning, when I wandered the imagery looking for the most traditional, and the most evocative images of the Goddess Athena, I struck more visual-imaginal gold.

Gustav Klimt's Goddess Athena

I've always loved Gustav Klimt's painting of Athena, decked in the armor she donned in an increasingly martial culture. But unlike many of the statues of creamy colored stone, Klimt's Athena is golden. Where the Feminine has often been associated with symbols like moon, water, and silver -- the lunar, flowing essence of Yin/Feminine -- the Golden Athena hints at the more Masculinized nature given Athena, now a Goddess of War and Reason as well as Feminine Wisdom. She's formidable, to be sure.

Franz Stuck's Mysterious Athena

Browsing further, the work of Franz Stuck (pronounced 'shtook') introduced itself to me. Stook's work seems darker, moodier, as if he's exploring into the Mysterious nature of the Feminine (which his work often depicted).

His version of Athena is darker, donned in black clothing (which can either symbolize conformity, or the depth of Mystery and Night). Stook's Athena still has her traditional symbolism -- the owl and snake, the Medusa head, that hint at her earlier existence as a creatrix Great Goddess.

The Magic of Elihu Vedder - Minerva & the Sybil of Cumae

Continued browsing led to a meeting with Elihu Vedder, and his beautiful mosaic Athena that appears in the U.S. Library of Congress (image at the beginning of this post). This Athena uses her Roman name, Minerva. Vedder's Athena-Minerva is exquisite, depicting  the martial 'chain mail' along with a more Feminine quality as well, with flowing clothes, the hint of the snake, and the Medusa at her heart. The statue of winged Nike stands nearby.

And then I saw Vedder's Sybillia of Cumae, based on the story (history, I'm guessing) of an elder wise-woman prophetess, or Sybil, who brought nine books of sybilline prophecies to sell to King Lucius Tarquinias. He declined to buy them, so she burned three; he declined again, and she burned another three; and finally he purchased the remaining three, wherein the emerging Christians interpreted prophecy of Christ. Many other great masters depicted the Sybil of Cumae, and other sybils (or oracles, like those of Delphi) as well.

Sybils and such priestesses were also guardians of the gates to the Underworld, that 'place' and Mystery that the Hero and Heroine must travel in order to become initiated into true Wisdom. The peril of this journey, and why one needs such wise, lantern-holding guides (those who have already done the journey) is hinted at in the Aeneid:

Trojan, Anchises' son, the descent of Avernus is easy.

All night long, all day, the doors of Hades stand open.

But to retrace the path, to come up to the sweet air of heaven,

That is labour indeed. (Aeneid 6.10.)

Renegade Communications of the Suppressed Feminine

Imagery, fairy tale, and poetic verse became the few ways that the 'heretical' suppressed Wisdom, the history and essence of the Goddess, could still be depicted and shared. And shared it was. Think of the symbolic imagery 'hidden' in the works of DaVinci or others, for example, or the tarot themselves -- the journey of life, the evolution of the soul, passed along as 'mere playing cards', for awhile at least.

When I look at such paintings, in museums or via imagery on the web, something deeper is stirred. Not just the 'lost history', but of the gifts of seeing and prophecy -- those Feminine gifts -- themselves are awakened from slumber.

FeMojo Blessings!

Jamie

Join me to explore, remember, and strengthen these and other stories and gifts of the Feminine, in the Autumn session of the Feminine Mojo Mystery School.

Image Credits: Pallas-Athena by Gustav Klimt, Minerva by Franz Stuck, and Athena by Elihu Vedder (WikiCommons); Sybillia of Cumae by Elihu Vedder (Library of Congress, United States)

The Way of Mary Magdalene

Who was Mary Magdalene, really?

And why is this question important at all given that we're talking about a woman who lived 2,000 years ago, and about whom we have only slender references?

Over the past several weeks, once again, Mary Magdalene has been coming up (along with Lilith), and that's usually a clue to pay attention to what's arising.

Such questions seem to arise in force when the answer is important to the times, it seems. And this seems a question whose time has come, if all of the movies and books offer a clue.

Mary Magdalene resurfaces in our collective consciousness as part of a general rise of the Feminine and the Goddess.

Most of us grew up with the notion that Mary Magdalene was a repenting prostitute, if we heard of her at all. More recently, we've learned that she was a very close companion of Jesus, one of his devoted disciples, 'the apostle of apostles', according to gospel references.

The bible doesn't actually say that Magdalene was a prostitute; we have a sixth century sermon by Pope Gregory 'the Great' to thank for that, and though it 'stuck' for centuries, it's since been debunked as lie or misinterpretation.

The film, The DaVinci Code, brought Mary Magdalene into even greater visibility, raising the possibility and stimulating conversation and debate about whether she was the wife as well as disciple of Jesus. While this is interesting, to me it seems a distraction from the more important question, and greater likelihood, that she was a spiritual adept, priestess, early church leader, and teacher in her own right.

In the preface of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup, David Tresemer, PhD, and Laura-Lee Cannon, write:

"...Mary Magdalene focuses on the inner worlds of initiation. We imagine that, not through outer pomp and pageantry, but through gnosis or direct knowing, she seeks union with the Divine. Hers is the path of the sacred marriage, accomplished within."

They continue, "Her path emphasizes inner preparation, introspection, and inner transformation. Perhaps, in addition, she also represents the feeling world; she carries the sensitivity of sensuality, in the truest meaning of the word, finding the divinity in the senses."

She's also seen, in the various gospels, as one who 'gets it' -- one who has truly understood and experienced the teachings of the wisdom master, the rabbi Jesus. The scholar John Lamb Lash has explored this indepth in his writings on Mary Magdalene and the resurgence of the Feminine.

Yet Mary Magdalene, according to the gospels and more recent scholarly writings about her, was one who, in addition to an emphasis on the inner Mysteries, engaged in the world.

She is portrayed as a teacher and adept, yes, but also as one who is devoted in action -- it is she, with two other women, for example, who don't flee the threats at the crucifixion.

They remain there, present, witnessing, and perhaps 'holding the space' through their attention and devotion. It is Magdalene who goes to the tomb with the sacred oils, and it is to her that the risen Jesus first appears and gives the instruction to 'go tell the others what you have seen'. Because Mary Magdalene is one who has seen.

Joan Chittester, OSB, in her book The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible, writes this of Magdalene:

"The Magdalene quality of friendship is what distinguishes those who walk with us through the shallows of life from those who take the soundings of our soul and follow us into the depths of them...Intimacy, the Magdalene quality, is about appreciation, affection, and warmth...it is about being deeply valued, reverently respected, lovingly tended, and warmly received." (p. 83)

In these reflections we begin to see why the question of who Mary Magdalene really was is important -- why these ways and qualities are so needed in our lives and in our world now. We see how the path of inner transformation and devotion to wisdom enlivens these beautiful qualities of sensuality, devotion, intimacy, dignity, wisdom, and deep respect and reverence for all as Divine expressions of sacredness.

Who was Mary Magdalene, and what does she offer us now? The explorations continue...

Wild & Beautiful Blessings,

Jamie

Join us in the The Academy of the Divine Feminine - Explore Magdalene and other Goddess-Feminine energies and archetypes, and reclaim & express your Feminine Mojo ... Learn more...

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Listen to the Feminine Mojo Show on BlogTalkRadio, with guests talking about Mary Magdalene, Sophia, the Mysteries, the Divine Feminine, and more.

* Image Credit: Leonardo Davinci's Mary Magdalene; Mary Magdalene by Richard Stodart (purchase the print here).

Artists and Writers Envisioning the Divine Feminine

Given the vital importance of re-membering and re-embodying the Divine Feminine within ourselves, in our work, and in our world, I'm delighted to help spread the word about a wonderful new project and resource to inspire us as we endeavor to bring the Divine Feminine alive.

I'll also say, just to be clear, that I have no financial interest or affiliation with this project at all. I came across the work early in its development and have followed the project with interest, having fallen in love with the concept, the art, and the inspiration it will provide.

It's my pleasure to support Artists Envisioning the Divine -- and the work of the artists and writers creating sustainable livelihood -- by sharing the news of it with others who will likewise be inspired and wish to support it.

Victoria Christian, an artist living and working in Oregon, has lovingly and with commitment stewarded the 'Artists Envisioning the Divine: Feminine Mysticism in Art' project, and forthcoming 'coffee-table book' and DVD into being.

The book and DVD feature an amazing and inspiring collection of artist's and writers envisioning through their art and essays the many faces of the Divine Feminine.

Advance sales help support the final printing of the book and production of the DVD, and you'll find a wonderful summary and examples of the images at Victoria's web site.

Learn more about Artists Envisioning the Divine and support the emergence of the Divine Feminine and the work of Her stewards at Victoria's site.

Victoria Christian and Artists & Writers Envisioning the Divine Feminine...

In peace and with love,
Jamie