Sophia

Culture: Gnostic (early centuries CE)   Domain: Divine wisdom, the fall and return to the source

Sophia ("Wisdom") is a central figure in Gnostic cosmology, an emanation of the divine whose error or overreach in some tellings leads to the flawed creation of the material world (often through the being Yaldabaoth), and whose eventual redemption and reunification with the divine source is a major theme across different Gnostic texts and schools.

Associations

Divine wisdom, error and its redemption, the return to unity with the source.

Ways people honor her (modern)

• Study Gnostic texts such as those in the Nag Hammadi library directly, rather than only secondhand summaries
• Reflect on a mistake that ultimately led toward greater understanding
• Keep a white candle as a wisdom-focused altar token
• Approach the many different, sometimes contradictory Gnostic schools with awareness that "Gnosticism" wasn't one single unified religion

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.