Wild Woman Gnostic

It’s very difficult to explain my beliefs. While my spiritual beliefs & practices follow sort of all-purpose version of Gnosticism, I also celebrate the solstices and equinoxes much in the same manner as my Pagan ancestors did. I also cast circle much in the same way modern Wiccans do. Wicca was my first religion, and there are some practices that blend nicely with the more “Christian” ones.

One of the areas I blend these two systems is acknowledging the Shekinah as the Mother of us all, and the various goddesses, such as Hekate, Bastet, or Gaia, are some of her emanations. It is how She interacts with us humans, depending on beliefs and culture.

For instance, Ostara was a prominent figure on my altar during the Spring Equinox. When Summer Solstice rolled around, she was teplaced by Hestia, and so on. I have very beautiful goddess statues tucked away for future celebrations.

One of my favorite aspects of the Shekinah in Gnostic tradition is the Nigraine Sophia (Black/Dark Wisdom). I don’t think it is coincidence that a concept in science shares the name: Dark Matter. The word matter comes from the Latin mater, which means mother. Dark Matter, Black Mother. Even the attributes of Dark Matter align with what both Pagans and Gnostics believe about the Goddess. Both cannot be seen or measured by any known means. What you do find is a signature trail that shows where both have been. Eternal, self-perpetuation, encases and dwells within all things in the cosmos.

I love looking for the innumerable images of her in human history. Stone, wood, mosaic, cloth, clay, etc. From the Neolithic statues we call the Venuses of Waldendorf, to the colorful mosaics of Byzanthium, we are always trying to convey what we know is impossible to convey.