Sophia as divine Wisdom has been the helper and companion of many movements but recently, in the twentieth century, She has been venerated for her own sake.
In Santa Cruz the Holy Order of Wisdom was founded by Aurora Terrenus and in its own words is dedicated to the ‘enlightenment, enrichment, peace and prosperity of all.’ Aurora is a sensitive who received a vision of Sophia in the New Forest in England. Those who have followed the growth of the Wiccan movement will recognize the place as one where the goddess energy has been present and worshiped for centuries. When the Hungarian gypsies used our field in Essex as a stop over in the very early 1930’s they were often on their way to the New Forest to meet what they called the ‘Wise Ones.’
The Order comprises a School of Holy Wisdom offering free lectures and workshops and also a nondenominational church, Hagia Sophia, Ecclesia Spiritualis that offers ordination to those interested, whatever their spiritual path. Aurora has written books. Two that I know are Sophia of the Bible and Shroud of Sophia. These are both available on AbeBooks.com. Look up her name and the name of the Church on Google.

www.gatesofhorn.com

Upon Wings of Wisdom

by Aurora Terrenus


Aloha and thank you,

I will tell you a little something about myself and my work with Sophia.

How did it all begin?

Through wonder. It was a time of turmoil in my life. I was wondering about the meaning of life and asking, "Is this all there is?"

In 1971 in the New Forest in England a vision of light appeared to me.

It was like Light coming in the form of a female divinity. She said, "I love you. Love me. I am Sophia."

I am of Greek descent. I read and write and speak Greek. I knew Sophia as Wisdom. As in philosophy and in theosophy, etc. etc.

After the vision, I started doing research on "Sophia".

Around 600 BC, Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician, among other things, was the first to call himself a philosopher because he was a lover of wisdom. He also spoke of the transmigration of the soul and was also the first to use the word "cosmos" and the first to deduce the earth as a sphere. I often wonder if his school (and the great library in Alexandria) had not been burned, what other ideas might have passed on to us through Pythagoras.

Lao-tse in China, was at the same time, speaking of Wisdom as the Mother of All Things. Gautama Buddha in India was writing his "Three baskets of Wisdom". Zoroaster in Persia and the Jewish prophets in Israel, Egypt and Babylon were also writing about Wisdom. (The Egyptians had circumnavigated Africa, but these were not internet days, when ideas could be spread so quickly!)

In 1985 - fourteen years after my experience in the New Forest, I picked up copy of Gnosis magazine and wrote Jay Kinney, the following which he published.

Sophia Re-Emerging


"The feminine in Western Spirituality re-emerging in this New Age is the hauntingly beautiful splendor and sacred awe of the spirit of Sophia; the gnosis and wisdom not of some passing age, but an inexhaustible spiritual power, impervious to time, that connects the elect of all ages.

"From a cloud of peace, in a mist of silence, she spans the world to create a synthesis, to unite the opposites, to pervade and permeate all hearts with the inner light of love.

"Sophia is, will be and has always been the elixir of life; the philosopher's gold; the oneness and essence of the physical world-self, the Quinta Essentia..."

Then I received a letter from Caitlin Matthews saying she was writing a book called "Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom - Black Goddess to World Soul" and that the last chapter would be called the New Gnostics and could she write about me in that chapter.

The last ten years have been more about helping people have an experience of Sophia.

Currently I am working on the alchemical aspects. Alchemy being my favorite parts of Jung's work.

I also teach yoga and tai-chi with of course the emphasis on Yin.

In loving Sophia,

Aurora