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The Sophian Way of Celebrations
Within Sophian circles, each year these ceremonies are created anew. Typically speaking there is almost always an impromptu element in each ceremony, along with whatever might have been crafted ahead of time, allowing for the play of the Holy Spirit in the power of the moment. Usually, in circle, a lineage-holder or senior Sophian initiate creates and leads the community ceremony (typically an initiate who studies our theurgic and ceremonial arts ), but those who are not able to be present in the community ceremony will create their own version to celebrate the rite at home – as to some degree all Sophians are familiar with creating sacred rituals, having participated in many of them.
It can be a delightful experience creating a sacred ritual. We build an altar or shrine, placing images and symbols corresponding to the theme of the rite on it, and we decorate the environment (the space or room), and create cycles of prayer/invocation and visualization/meditation, coupled with purposeful gestures or movement – likewise, we will usually bathe before the rite and “dress up” for the rite, decorating bodies also; all reflecting and expressing the theme of the mystery we are exploring/celebrating. Typically we light candles and incense as an offering, and may place out other offerings as inspired – at some point in the rite we celebrate the ceremony of bread and wine, and at the end of the rite we extend the light and blessings generated to all sentient beings, praying for the well-being and happiness of all beings. In essence it truly is a creative and playful affair, though sacred and holy through our conscious intention in the Spirit.
In speaking about such things it is not the intention of Sophians to be vague – typically, these are things we teach through experience and by demonstrating the art to our spiritual companions in circle; but more than this, in the Sophian way we purposefully leave a great deal of room for creativity and inspiration, as the Holy Spirit or Mother Spirit is a *Creative Spirit* – she speaks through our inspiration and creativity.
Aside from creating the conditions in which we might have a direct spiritual or mystical experience of the mysteries, or perhaps gain some experiential insight into them, when we celebrate a sacred ritual we invoke an influx of the Divine Light and blessings into the world and serve to uplift the world – there truly is something very powerful and magical about creating and enacting sacred ritual, and ultimately it is a way of service to others, to the universe and the Divine.
SOPHIAN HOLY DAYS
The Sophian High Holy Days are all based on the Solar Calendar. The list below is a basic list of the 8 major days we celebrate:-
Winter Soltice: This is our New Year and the theme is the Feast of the Divine Mother and Child
August 2nd: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Prophet, John the Baptist - the Feast of the Light Extension
Vernal Equinox: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Crucifixion and Resurrection - the Feast of the Risen Saviour
October 31st: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Holy Bride, St. Mary Magdalene - the Feast of the First Apostle
Summer Soltice: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost - the Feast of the Pleroma of Light
February 2nd: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Apostolic Succession - the Feast of the Gnostic and Light Transmission
Autumnal Equinox: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Apocalypse - the Feast of the Second Coming
May 1st: The theme of this Holy Day is the Feast of the Blessed Dead - the Feast of the Day of Be-With-Us. Alternatively it may also be called the Feast of St. Lazarus