Today, my heart and mind hold love and gratitude for Jean Houston, teacher, mentor, friend. Jean died one month ago, on May 16th, in Ashland Oregon. Despite the many ZOOM conversations, tributes, poems and expressions of love, it still feels strange to think of our planet without her among us. Yet, Jean often reminded us that we are surrounded by numinous luminous beings just beyond our sight.
Jean, I trust that you are now among them. Stay near, and continue to guide us into wisdom.
Jean Houston
Thoughts of Jean led me to her Reflection: “A Visit to the Sophia” from Godseed, 1992 (Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton IL. 60189-0270)I have written a shortened version of this visualization for you today, as a gift from Jean. Settle yourself comfortably, take a few deep breaths, prepare for this sacred encounter. What question do you wish to ask when you come before the Sophia?
When you have your question ready, begin the imaginal journey. If you’ve heard Jean speak, imagine these words in her mellifluous tones:
After a long spiralling journey upwards, you find yourself at the very top of a high mountain. You go inside the mountain to a path that travels downward in a spiral. Moving along the path down and around within the inner mountain, you pass scenes of your own life, from your earliest infancy.
You see or sense yourself being born. Continuing on the path down and around, to your earliest childhood, see yourself taking your first steps, forming words, reaching out and grasping things, learning to feed yourself. Further down, see yourself learning to tie your own shoes, attending your first days at school, learning to read. Continuing down, you see yourself playing games and reaching out to other children. As you continue, see yourself growing up fast and learning many things. You see your adolescence. Further along you observe stages of your life until today………..
pause to remember (three minutes of clock time)
Suddenly you find yourself at the very bottom of the inside of the mountain. There you discover a door of baked mud. Going through it, you find that it leads to a hallway and to a door of water. You pass through the door of water, and it leads to a door of fire. You pass through the door of fire, and it leads to a door of winds. You lean against the winds and pass through. This door leads to a door of bronze, and you pass through. This door leads to a door of silver. You pass through the door of silver and find a door of gold.
At the door of gold there is a shining figure who says to you: “Through this door is the Wise One Herself. Enter now. When you pass through this door, you will be in the presence of the Sophia. You may see Her or you may sense Her. Approach Her with confidence.Know that She who is Wisdom awaits you with Love. When you are in Her ambience, whether you see Her or hear Her or sense Her nearness, ask your question. Wait for Her response. It may come in words or in images or in a question. It may come with a warmth that spreads though your Heart, with a deep knowing that you are loved.
You now have four minutes of clock time, equal to all the time you need, to be in the presence of the Sophia. Now, ask and receive…receive…receive…..
Thank the Sophia for Her wisdom. If Her response is puzzling, ask Her for greater clarity. Stay in Her presence until you come to peace with what you’ve received.
Knowing that you can always return to visit Her again, begin now to go back through the door of gold, the door of silver, the door of bronze, beyond the doors of winds, of fire, of water, of earth, beyond the spiral of the stages of your own life, reaching the top of the mountain. Now take the spiral path back down from the side of the mountain.
Find yourself here in this moment, in your own room. Open your eyes, sit up and stretch. You may you wish to write of your experience in a journal, or to draw with coloured pencils. Perhaps a poem or a song will rise from your heart.
To Sophia at Dawn
In the darkness, life stirs
In the dawning we rise.
In our bodies we give thanks,
In our hearts, joy awakens.
Drawing in love, Sending it forth,
We breathe with the Holy
Blessing all life.
Though empty ourselves
We draw in Her fullness.
Filled with Her Love,
We radiate JOY.
Singing the Dawn (Anne Kathleen McLaughlin)
Borealis Press, Ottawa, Canada 2022
sophiawakens 