Sophia's story is symbolic of the plight of the soul of mankind and its quest for wholeness. Her story also provides a roadmap for how man can find his divine nature and obtain liberating salvific Knowledge.
Sophia first resides in the fullness of the pleroma in perfect happiness with her heavenly twin or divine archetype. She seeks after the highest Light of the Father of whom she is a part. She makes supplications to this Light and becomes fully enlightened. She then ceases to do perform the mysteries of the twelve aeons below her. Beings of these lower aeons then scheme together to create a false light below her that she mistakes for the same light of the Father. She leaves her heavenly twin and seeks after the false light below and experiences a "Fall". Then in her weakened and divided state, she is attacked by the rulers of the lower Aeons and the lion-faced power devours her Light. She then enters a state where she feels exile from her true home and unity with her divine archetype. She begins to make supplications to the Light beings in the highest Aeon. Finally her pleas are heard and Light power is sent down to her so that she can break free from the grips of materiality and ascend back to her true heavenly home in the pleroma. Here she unites with her divine archetype and is whole once again.
The concept of "the Fall" is also echoed in Sophia's connection to the sephira of Chokmah (Wisdom), directly above the abyss on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Sophia's energies are pivotal to crossing the abyss associated with the pseudo-sephiroth of Da’ath (Intuitive Knowledge), and she is referred to as an “Initiate in the Knowledge of God” in the Wisdom of Solomon (8:3-4). Sophia also shares much in common with the Judaic Shekhinah. The Shekhinah is the feminine emanation of God and the link through which man must cleave to become close to God in Kabbalistic literature.
Her appearance is further described in the Wisdom texts. The Wisdom of Solomon describes her as "more beautiful than the sun,” and “radiant and unfading." Of her nature, it is said, “For in her is a spirit that is intelligent, holy unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, unpolluted, distinct, invulnerable, and loving…” and “compared with the light she is found to be superior." Sophia is always described as having a divine origin and inextricably intertwined with God. “Wisdom was created before all things” (Sirach 1:4). “All Wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him forever” (Sirach 1:1). “She glorifies her noble birth by living with God, and the Lord of all loves her” (WS 8:3-4). Sophia's close connection with God and her similarity to the Hebrew Shekhinah is related in the following passage:
“Because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things.
For she is a breath of the power of God,
And a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty;
Therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her.
For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God,
And an image of his goodness” (WS 7:24-26).
The “breath of the power of God,” is similar to the Ruach Elohim or divine breath of God. An “emanation of the glory of the Almighty” and a “reflection of the eternal light”, or “spotless mirror of the working of God”, seems to relate to the workings of the sephiroth of Chokmah and Binah on the Tree of Life. Chokmah and Binah are emanations of God that originated in Kether. Chokmah and Binah also are linked by their interactions and reflect back on one another. Chokmah literally means "Wisdom." Sophia is therefore a feminine aspect of the masculine Chokmah, that connects and interacts with the sephiroth of Binah and Kether in the supernal triad, beyond the abyss of Da’ath. This close location of Sophia to God is also shown in “Solomon’s” appeal to God. Solomon said, “give me the Wisdom that sits by thy throne” (WS 9:4). Sophia gives us further hints about her identity when she speaks of herself.
“I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
And covered the earth like a mist.
I dwelt in high places,
And my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
Alone I have made the circuit of the vault of heaven
And have walked in the depths of the abyss” (Sirach 24:3-5).
Sophia is again associated with the Ruach Elohim or the breath of God, and her throne in the pillar of cloud would point to the top of the left or black pillar of the Tree of Life. This pillar is crowned by the sephira of Binah. Binah is further associated with the Great Mother, Aima Elohim, the Bride, and the Shekhinah or God’s presence that is often said to appear to mankind. Sophia gives further indications that she is similar to the Shekhinah, when she explained:
“Then the Creator of all things gave me a commandment,
And the one who created me assigned a place for my tent.
And he said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob’,
And in Israel receive your inheritance….
In the holy tabernacle I ministered before him, and so I was established in Zion.
In the beloved city likewise he gave me a resting place, and in Jerusalem was my dominion.” (Sirach 24:8-11).
The Shekhinah is likewise associated with mankind by way of Jacob, Israel and Jerusalem. Therefore Sophia, as the Shekhinah can be associated with the Hebrew letter Heh of Binah and the mundane Heh of Malkuth. Because of this arrangement on the Tree of Life, she is linked with the spiritual destiny of mankind. Sophia therefore represents a spiritual process or points the way for mankind to know God and to reach Kether. “For she is an initiate in the Knowledge of God, and an associate in his works” (WS 8:3-4).
