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June 4, 2006

LADY WISDOM (A Miniature)

August 16, 2009 09:12 AM EDT (Updated: August 28, 2009 10:05 AM EDT)

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“The concept of Sophia has been championed as a key part of the Godheadby some Eastern Orthodox religious thinkers. These included Vladimir Solovyov, Pavel Florensky, Nikolai Berdyaev, and Sergei Bulgakovwhose book Sophia: The Wisdom of God is in many ways the apotheosisof Sophiology. For Bulgakov, the Sophia is co-existent with the Trinity, operating as the feminine aspect of God in concert with the three masculine principles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

(See more about the concept of Sophia/Wisdom on Wikipedia here).

Infant Wisdom –

Precocious child –

Attends the Creation,

Jubilant and beguiled.

Youthful Wisdom,

Intrepid and bold,

Calls on the streets

For all eyes to behold.

Woman Wisdom –

Skillful artisan –

Infuses for her children

Her salvific tisane.

Lady Wisdom

Removes her head-covering,

Reclaiming again

The joy of discovering.

Generous Wisdom

Exacts commensality,

Guiding our souls

To the source of vitality.

Divine Wisdom,

Lofty and ingenious,

Ignites the sparks

Of all human genius.

Fiery Wisdom

Holds her torch high,

Offering entrance

To the promised skies.

Svetlana Goryacheva

August 16, 2009

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Tags: wisdom, sophia, inspiration, spirituality, bible, women, religion, personal musings, poetry, 2009

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Comments: 76

Dawn (kitty on the wall) Aug 16, 2009, 9:16am EDT

I love how the diff. wisdoms are recognized...very beautifully written!

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 9:17am EDT

A part of my Orthodox heritage as well... :-)

Love and hugs - S.

Dawn (kitty on the wall) Aug 18, 2009, 3:47am EDT

I loved the way you styled it. I know a little about Orthodox.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 18, 2009, 7:40am EDT

I do have some bones to pick with the official church, but there are also true gems that need to be valued and preserved. :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

John Doyle Aug 16, 2009, 9:47am EDT

Marvelous. Wisdom like truly beautiful and desireable women are the most illusive, appearing when least expected

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 9:49am EDT

Yes... and that's why both in Hebrew and Greek Bible it was personified as a feminine character - Hokmah/Sophia.

Hugs and blessings - S.

Chris Brockman Aug 16, 2009, 9:48am EDT

It's curious that traditionally mothers are represented as giving us life and love, but fathers as giving us wisdom. Mothers, however, have always been recognized as the de facto source of common sense, and in the end, that is wisdom.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 9:50am EDT

So true, dear Chris... thank you! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

JOHN BECK Aug 16, 2009, 9:50am EDT

This is special, Sveta. You had me reaching for references with "salvific tisane". You have inspired me to delve into the Sophia theology.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 10:11am EDT

Thank you kindly, dear John... all these philosophers mentioned above wrote extensively on the subject, and I wish more of their works were translated from Russian.

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Bethann K. Aug 16, 2009, 9:50am EDT

Beautifully written!

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 10:12am EDT

Thank you so much, dear Bethann! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Kathryn E. Aug 16, 2009, 10:32am EDT

Loooove that musica...............

and the words, pure SOPHOS............

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 10:34am EDT

Thank you so very much, dear Kathryn... I'm quite a fan of ERA as well. :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

Nancy Silveria Aug 16, 2009, 11:05am EDT

Beautiful darling!
hugs

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 11:49am EDT

Thank you kindly, my sweet friend! :-)

Love and hugs - S.

Purrrrrrrrrrr~Genki dashite~Nantoka naru-yo! S. Aug 16, 2009, 11:56am EDT

exquisite ~ =)

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 12:04pm EDT

Thank you so very much, dear! :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

Sandi S. Aug 16, 2009, 1:26pm EDT

OH! Something very different. I did not know this about Orthodox Christianity.

How are you, Sveta? Is your book almost done? I want to read it...of course, I will have to work more on my Russian studies. I haven't been working on it much lately until just a few days ago. But I remember the little bit I've learned (and so has Sam!) so that is good at least. :)

Hope you are doing well!

Blessings,

Sandi

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 1:33pm EDT

I'm very well, my dear friend... getting ready for my thesis' defense which presumably has to take place this fall. That's why I wasn't so often on Gather and even my book had to be postponed for a while... but I have every hope to recompense for this. :-)

Love and hugs - S.

Alison H. Aug 16, 2009, 1:37pm EDT

Fascination figure of religion/mythology/folklore, so meaningful for us women. Thanks for sharing about Sophia!

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 1:43pm EDT

Yes, especially for us women... and that's why I have become quite attracted to it lately... thank you so very much for your kind comment, dear Alison! :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

.* Sandi * Aug 16, 2009, 1:44pm EDT

very nice

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 2:35pm EDT

Thank you very much, dear Sandi! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Debbie G. Aug 16, 2009, 2:09pm EDT

Wonderful! Artful and meaningful.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 2:35pm EDT

Such a pleasure to hear from you, dear Deb... thank you in abundance! :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

Marsha S. Aug 16, 2009, 2:22pm EDT

thanks for sharing

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 2:36pm EDT

You're most welcome, dear Marsha! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Sunaura *. Aug 16, 2009, 3:00pm EDT

I am happy to see feminine representation bringing more balance in such a male dominated world - wisdom recovered

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 3:15pm EDT

Precisely what I have been trying to do with this one... thank you so very much, my dear friend! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Karen E. Aug 16, 2009, 3:23pm EDT

Fascinating, I had not heard of Sophia and will enjoy learning about her. It is heartening that there are those beliefs that honor women. The music you chose to accompany is wonderful Sveta. Is this a part of your culture as well?

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 16, 2009, 3:30pm EDT

No, dear Karen, this is the composition of a French group called ERA. Thank you so very much for your most kind and generous comment! :-)

Love and hugs - S.

Beth G. Aug 16, 2009, 4:25pm EDT

This was quite amazing Svetlana. I enjoyed the history behind the poem as well. This poem was the featured post for comment as you please today!

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 11:41am EDT

Thank you so very much for your kind words and for the honor, dear Beth! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Abigal Ja Aug 16, 2009, 4:53pm EDT

I really like your poem. I got you mixed up with Purr. Sorry.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 11:42am EDT

Thank you, dear Abigal! :-) Glad to be among your friends.

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Shaunee C. Aug 16, 2009, 5:32pm EDT

Wonderfully written

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 11:42am EDT

Thank you, dear Shaunee! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

Georgiana S. Aug 16, 2009, 6:00pm EDT

To know the secrets of Sophia is to know the original goddess! Lovely Svetlana, and a belated Happy Birthday!

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 11:43am EDT

Yes, indeed, dear Georgiana... thank you in great abundance! :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

Elizabeth S. Aug 16, 2009, 6:10pm EDT

Feel like I walked into the middle of the movie. Going to have to check this out. It's all new to me.
Thanks for sharing.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 12:10pm EDT

I wish you good luck with your search, dear Elizabeth - it's truly fascinating! :-)

Blessings from Moscow - S.

David N. Aug 16, 2009, 6:51pm EDT

This was very interesting. Thanks for posting at ~Songs/Poems/Love Letters~

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 12:12pm EDT

You're most welcome, dear David! Thank you so much for visiting and commenting! :-)

Blessings and best wishes - S.

lynn a. Aug 17, 2009, 1:55am EDT

Svetlana, this is all so beautiful. I don't remember having seen this much information in any of my books from Women's Studies. Am going to have to pull them out and take another look. This is fantastic.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 12:14pm EDT

Thank you, kindly, dear Lynn... Solovyov's concept of Sophia (and he was a serious and ardent student of Gnostic sources, even before the Nag Hammadi discoveries) was the subject of one of my student papers... :-)

Hugs and blessings - S.

Quinn (aka Entwife) Blackburn Aug 17, 2009, 10:08am EDT

Divine! Wonderful subject and beautifully illustrated, my friend.

:) wishing you laughter

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 12:20pm EDT

One of these paintings, depicting the fiery Sophia/Wisdom, is by Nikolai Roerich, a well-known Russian painter and philosopher who was also deeply interested in the subject.

Hugs and blessings - S.

William Dotani Aug 17, 2009, 11:41am EDT

Your verse has a very nice flow. Your poem tries to capture the essence of "Sophia/wisdom" by listing many of her attributes.

I know a bit about this and how the Western Church viewed this as heresy.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 12:24pm EDT

The official Eastern Orthodox Church considered Solovyov's and Bulgakov's ideas to be heretical as well... only it couldn't persecute them for a simple reason. Revolution that all but destroyed both the Church and non-Marxist philosophy. Only now we're beginning to unearth our own treasures...

Blessings and best wishes - S.

William Dotani Aug 17, 2009, 12:36pm EDT

It seems from the earliest foundations of Christianity that viewpoints were going in many directions with vast borrowings from other religions. Personally, I never thought Russia Marxist since the collective seemed only for the chosen few. Uncovering your history is a good taste of your roots.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 12:42pm EDT

You're absolutely right, dear Bill... thank you! :-)

Blessings and best wishes in a plenty - S.

Haim Kadman Aug 17, 2009, 2:10pm EDT

A great dear Svetlana, thanks.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 17, 2009, 2:12pm EDT

Toda raba, dear Haim! Always a pleasure to hear from you! :-)

Shalom ubraha - S.

Jennifer Lee Aug 17, 2009, 11:38pm EDT

Especially enjoyed the last stanza. Great work, Sveta. Love ya.

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 18, 2009, 7:33am EDT

Love ya, too, darling... thank you! :-)

Hugs and blessings in abundance - S.

Elsie Duggan Aug 18, 2009, 1:24am EDT

This is wonderful Svetlana, I enjoyed the descriptions of Wisdom very much and the video

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 18, 2009, 7:34am EDT

Thank you kindly, dear Elsie! :-)

Hugs and blessings in a plenty - S.

Barbra L. Aug 18, 2009, 9:00am EDT

Thought-provoking write, my dear. It brings to mind how the verses from the Book of Proverbs in the Holy Bible have placed “wisdom” in the feminine tense; seemingly indicative of companionship, for from--Proverbs 4: 5-9--it reads thusly: 5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; there fore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

Beautiful versifying... especially love these lines: "Woman Wisdom – Skillful artisan
Infuses for her children//Her salvific tisane."

Svetlana Goryacheva Aug 18, 2009, 9:12am EDT

Yes, dear Barb, the word "wisdom" in Hebrew, Greek and Russian is of feminine gender, and it is interesting to notice that the very first Christian cathedral in Rus was dedicated to the Holy Sophia. Thank you so very much for your kind words and wonderful quote! :-)

Love and hugs - S.