July 2019 throws us into Eclipse Season and Mercury Retrograde, and it’s the Gnostic Goddess Sophia who brings us calm, hope, and a contemplative mind during this summer period.
In Gnostic and Judeo Christian traditions, Sophia is the Divine Feminine and the Holy Spirit of the Christian Trinity. In the Ancient Greek, the word Sophia translates as "clever, skillful, intelligent, wise". She is the personification of Divine Wisdom, the Voice of Her consort Jehovah, and a piece of Her is said to reside in every human. She has been referred to as the Black Goddess , the Mother of God, and is described as pure and veiled (much like the Egyptian Isis). The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is her sacred shrine and one of the seven wonders of the world. As God’s true source of power, Sophia is the mother of all creation and the universe.
She is a heavenly spirit, yet descends to Earth to act as the link between God and humanity, only revealing herself to the true seeker of knowledge.
As an oracular Goddess, Sophia provides both the mystical and human components of intuition. She paves the way and provides for deep moments of introspection and self knowing. To know ourselves is to know our place in both physical and spiritual worlds, and to embrace our mental/heart state of being. She helps you to have a balanced view of the truth by sorting through the different opinions and perspectives within yourself and the world.
The arrival of Sophia this month heralds a need for crown chakra and third eye development and focus. This is a time for solitude; to go deep, to go silent, into the space of the mind and soul that connects to the Divine. This Goddess is the height of intuition, of oracular work, of prophecy, and complete alignment with your highest self. Her guidance is omnipresent but requires a step-back from the natural world. In my experience, a silent meditation practice is key to connecting with the Goddess Sophia’s energy and wisdom. Quieting your mind and deafening the influences of the outside world gives the Goddess room to speak and be heard.
It can be said that the Crown Chakra is where Goddess speaks to us, and the Third Eye is where we interpret what was said. Tools and practices of these energies centers should be a priority this month: prayer, meditation, and any activities that connect you to the sacredness of your spiritual life.
Whether you call yourself Priestess, witch, or householder, your spirituality is an evolving, living practice. Sophia invites you to embrace your mystical journey in your own particular way. Wherever, however, you feel that magick twinkle in your heart and soul is your way forward, the gateway to your spiritual growth. Some of us find it nature, others in the kitchen. We read, write, sing, dance. We give tarot readings, make tinctures and potions, heal the body and emotions with touch and intention. We sleep, we jog, we go on retreat.
Sophia is also a Goddess of faith and perseverance, and in Her infinite wisdom She reminds us that a fair-weather heart gets fair-weather results. If you want to be in the flow of abundance, of love, of joy every day of your life, then you have to call those energies in, surround yourself with them every day. If you need Sophia’s wisdom to direct you in your personal and professional life, then you have to learn to listen for Her voice, and make the space in your mind and heart to hear Her.
You have to live your faith.
Spend this month contemplating your special brand of connection, and living it. Make time everyday to breathe life into your chakras, to feel that Goddess vibration, and let Sophia guide your way home.
JULY 2nd 2019: NEW MOON IN CANCER and SOLAR ECLIPSE
Yeesh. But don’t worry, it’s not as cataclysmic as it sounds.
The energy surrounding this new moon and solar eclipse is the kind that makes you feel… hungry. Starving for change, for growth, for that unknown, unnamed desire in your heart you can’t quite wrap your brain around. Luckily, the Cancerian aspects of this astrological event provide a bit of nourishment. It’s as though the Moon is saying, “Oh honey, I know it hurts. But don’t worry, I gotchu. You need a cookie? Here’s a cookie. What else do you need?”
And that’s the joy of this New Moon Solar Eclipse: the energy this week will support you in discovering what it is you need, and help you to release the crap you don’t. Those old ideas, false relationships, and stagnant beliefs are just taking up the space reserved for the stuff you actually want.
Cancer rules home and domestic life, security, intimate relationships, and family, so the emotional work needed may relate strongly in these areas. Eclipses carry that birth/death/rebirth energy, so trust that anything you feel the need to release this month is destined to go. The changes you make here will affect the next few moon cycles, and lay the foundation for prosperous and love-filled opportunities in the future. Luckily, we have a Goddess of compassion, wisdom, and unconditional love on our side, so none of this should be that painful.
Uncomfortable, possibly. But not painful.
Sophia supports you in discovering your new passions, and points the way to your new beginning. In your prayer and ritual time this week, ask Her for the wisdom of self-nurturing, for the ability to identify and then feed your hunger. Meditate with Sophia on developing your powers of discernment, so that when your path reveals itself, you’ll be all, “No doubt, that’s it right there, here I go, wheeeee!”
Solar eclipses are also a powerful time for spellwork, magick, rituals, and divination practices. Take advantage, and move some magick towards your desires!
JULY 7th 2019: MERCURY RETROGRADE IN LEO
A typical Mercury Retrograde, with a little anger thrown in for good measure. You’ll be tempted to pick fights under the guise of self-care, because “Boundaries!” - but be careful you aren’t just being an asshole. The work you started at New Moon may be provoking your shadow self to take your frustrations out on others. This is when we call on Sophia, to share some of the compassion, charity, and hope She has in abundance. Connect with Her, and discover what’s really going on with that attitude of yours.
The Cancer energy is still floating over from New Moon, and that can help. Grab hold of that vibration by surrounding yourself with good friends, some sensual encounters, and lots of color.
You can also pick up a bottle of my Retrograde Remedy for a magickal fix.
JULY 16th 2019 – FULL MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE IN CAPRICORN
…aaaaand here’s where the real work starts.
And also the real fun, depending on your point of view.
It’s time to start implementing all those changes you’ve been contemplating. The energy here demands we start cooking for ourselves, to feed those hungers within. Things are being fulfilled, manifesting, and our bellies are ready to be full.
Because this Full Moon Eclipse in Capricorn is that BOOM you’ve been waiting for. We get the practical, slightly-anal-retentive order of the Goat (it’s my sun sign, so I can say that) aligned with an extra powerful dreamy moon. After all that reflection, prayer, magick, and meditation during the first part of the month, now we get some clarity.
Unknown factors and information regarding home life and career are revealed, in addition to the last bit of our personal inventory making itself known. Find a good balance of your emotions and your logic in your decision making this week. Remember you’ve done the work, and you can trust yourself and your decisions. “No doubt, that’s it right there, here I go, wheeeee!”
Cosmic push is a good way to describe this lunar phase. This is one of those times that your next level of attainment and growth is going to happen with or without you. It’s sink or swim time, sweetie, so dogpaddle if you have to. Just get moving before you drown.
And by now you’ve established a good, working spiritual practice with Sophia, who will support and direct you every step of the way.
JULY 31st 2019 – NEW MOON IN LEO and MERCURY GOES DIRECT
Damn, this is a long month.
But things finally settle with the New Moon in Leo making us feel confident about the journey we’ve just experienced. And with Mercury going direct, it seems as though our new path has been solidified, and we’re all the way up!
Although… there may be a battle or two that still need to be won before we feel comfortable in all this new-ness. And it seems those battles have major energies in expression and communication.
Here is where you learn to speak on and stand in all that wisdom and guidance Sophia has bestowed upon you. You’ve gone from Top Ramen to filet mignon, from a dogpaddle to a butterfly stroke. How is all this change affecting you? Do you feel at ease with this rebirth, with your spiritual practice?
Take some time this week for a good check-in. Go to that therapy appointment, journal until your hand cramps, spend some time in silent thought. A new month is just around the corner!
CORRESPONDENCES
Energy: grace, intuition, divine wisdom, peace, balance, fate, unconditional love, faith
Color: white, pastel blues, red, gold, silver
Totem: doves, butterflies
Crystals: clear quartz, citrine, selenite, moonstone, rainbow fluorite, lapis lazuli, sodalite, rose quartz, apophyllite, diamond, Herkimer diamond
Fragrance: lotus, rose, helichrysum, marigold, lily, juniper, rosemary, sage, cypress, myrrh, frankincense
Resources:
SOPHIA Guiding Goddess Perfume Oil (limit quantities, available only during July 2019)
Retrograde Remedy (on sale now!)
The Goddess Sessions: Oracles and Soothsayers eCourse with Priestess Brandi Auset
Desperately Seeking Sophia article by Joyce Rupp
Isis and Sophia article by M. Isidora Forrest
The Gnostic Goddess, Female Power, and the Fallen Sophia article by Max Dashú
The Researchers Library of Ancient Texts: Volume One - The Apocrypha
The Goddess: From Natura to Divine Sophia by Rudolf Steiner
Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom by Caitlin Matthews
The Cosmic Shekinah by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine