Did I realize at the time I chose the name that Sophie was the feminine aspect of God? Nope. I was more concerned with finding a name that sounded intelligent yet distinctly female. I was looking for something that I felt comfortable with. I needed a user name for chatting with.
So I hit random baby name generators. I told myself over and over that I would accept whatever turned up, yet I continued to renege and say, "Okay, the next one." I did this for days, until the word "Sophie" was glaring up at me from the screen. I paused.
I taught Sunday school for a while, and was a little familiar with the fact that Sophia was the Greek word for wisdom when the proverbs were translated, and I knew that wisdom was almost always "she" in the Hebrew wisdom literature. I could definitely relate on an intellectual level. I wanted to be respected for my mind. And then as well the word felt softly feminine. I softly sounded out the word, "Soph fee." It just sounded so right, too.
Later, I couldn't help but be attracted to a book entitled, Chasing Sophia. What were the odds I would encounter this book at this time in my life. The theme of the book was the search for Women's Wisdom in God's order. In the end, the author felt her God was male, yet the texts she referred to seemed to imply that there was another with God, a female divine--Sophia, the source of Wisdom.
Eventually, in my own heart, I started wondering why God should have any gender. Why did God have to be so engendered? And I realized as I posed the question to the universe, an overwhelming embracing feminine compassion seemed to descend on me. My interactions before had always been through a stern, yet loving masculine aspect; but this was far different. Immediately, I thought to this spirit, "You're not male." I was in awe. Never before had I encountered what to me could only be the Sophia, the feminine aspect of God.
Just as we have different aspects that we portray to different people, I realized that when God appears to us, it is an aspect that we individually need.
Now I dearly love my name, and I'm glad I made it mine, because it reflects my faith, my experience with my heavenly Mother/Father, and the type of woman I aspire to be, which is the compassionate, embracing woman in Her.
Hugs and God Bless,
Sophie
The Divine Sophia is a gnostic concept. Not actually the feminine aspect of God, she was a dyad. In some translations, the mother, or possibly the wife of God. Yes she was also the mother of Wisdom.
ReplyDeleteAccording to gnostic theology, it was she who created the material world, and the demiurge, and fell from grace. She gave humanity the gift of the Holy Spirit, without God knowing she did so. Giving humanity this spark of divinity, according to gnostic theology, is why we were thrown out of the Garden of Eden.
Her redemption for this, according to gnosticism, will mirror our own.
She was also worshipped in pagan religions as the goddess Asherah.
Its' a fine name. One that expresses the duality of human nature, as well the positive and negative aspects of femininity. There is perhaps no better female name for a MTF transgender person!
The famous Byzantine Catholic cathedral in Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia is named for her.
Well you could not have a better explanation than Jamie gave.
ReplyDeleteI guess all I can add is that I really love the name Sophie and always have.
It suits you.
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