"... According to this vision the god of this world was created when Sophia became so frustrated at the absence of Her lover that She chose to give birth without Him, parthenogenetically. The resulting child, like an orphan in the phenomenal Universe outside the border of the eternal Heaven, created the worlds and everything in them out of a desire to assert his own superiority. In his blindness he failed to realize that such a thing was only possible due to the energy that he derived from his forgotten Mother. It is this Mother whose aspect shines through so penetratingly but so rarely into this material world, since everything from which it is composed is composed originally from Her and to Her it will eventually return after this cycle of creation is complete."

It is said in a great number of the world's religions that the universe can be comprehended if viewed in terms of its three aspects of creation, preservation, and destruction.  The traditional view of Sophia, the Universal Mother as depicted by mystics throughout history, is no different.  Most people would probably feel most comfortable viewing Her as White Sophia in Her creative aspect, eternally inspiring writers, artists, musicians, and inventors.  Those guided by passion may see her as Red Sophia, ever an agent of transmutation, transformation, and transfiguration as one evolves through the romantic aspects of the mystical experience.  And then of course there is Black Sophia who waits at the end of the journey, the force of the volcano and the glory of the supernova, eternally clearing the pathway for new creation until the final Celestial Return.

Though Tarot cards are used effectively by many as a tool for divination, I personally believe they can also be useful to understand transformative processes such as personality development and global dynamics.  The sequence of images in the Major Arcana of the Black Sophia deck outlines a method to understand these processes in the context of personal and universal dissolution.  I am a few frames away from completing the sequence, though I do not expect it to be of general appeal because of the stark, often alienating imagery and frequent nudity.  Nevertheless if you have any ideas or encouragement about the subject you may feel free to get in touch with me personally at:

Regards,

Robert Phair
October 19, 2000