Sophianic Witchcraft and the Wise Witch Tarot Spread ⋆ Angelorum Tarot

It’s been a strange start to 2024 for me and it is difficult to put into words exactly what is happening. But I’ll use the words I said to my husband the other day: It feels like I finally remember who I am. So, it’s strange in a good way. I finally know the name of the path I’m on. Sophianic Witchcraft is not a religion but it is a path.

Holy Sophia
Tenets of Sophianic Witchcraft
The Wise Witch Tarot Spread
Sample Reading with the Goddess of Love Tarot

Toward the end of 2022, I decided to dedicate myself to Mother Mary. I went through the 33-day self-dedication that Catholics use. As it turns out, this was exactly what I needed to do to face my religious wounding. It was being serious about my self-dedication that started the process of re-traumatisation, reopening the religious wound and helping me finally heal from Religious Trauma Syndrome.

2022 wasn’t the first time I felt called to Mother Mary. The first time I heard her was in 2017. This was around the time Doreen Virtue converted to Evangelical Christianity and said that we were all going to hell. It’s not easy for those who never suffered from RTS to understand how traumatising that was for some of us.

I had been involved with the Evangelical church (‘saved’ at 17) and later on my journey with the Catholic church as a convert at age 24. I ditched both for spiritual freedom in my 30s. It was not long after that I came to view Doreen Virtue as a safe teacher on my new path. She was not my only teacher but I think she was probably one of the main influencers. To say that I felt betrayed by her is an understatement.

Holy Sophia

I was in my 30s when Spirit revealed to me that I was here in service to the Divine Feminine. That was 20 years ago and I only now feel that I am beginning to grasp what this means. It certainly doesn’t mean serving the Divine Feminine exclusively. I firmly believe that there is only one Source of all there is. This is what I used to refer to as God. Sadly, I often got the pregender God-Source confused with the patriarchal image of the ‘Sky Daddy.’

To be in service to the Divine Feminine means to champion a more embodied and magical form of spirituality. I like the term Enrealment that the author Jeff Brown uses. It means using the gifts that are our birthright as humans, our gifts of intuition and magick. There are as many ways to serve the Divine Feminine as there are individuals. There are no dogmas or any one lineage you must belong to.

The Gnostics describe the Divine Feminine as Sophia (wisdom). They recognise many aspects of her as do I. To me, she primarily appears as Mother Mary. But it’s important to understand that she predates all religious concepts and titles.

The irony is, of course, that the Bible mentions Holy Sophia (Wisdom). However, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, they refuse to recognise her divinity, seeing her as a mere allegory for the wisdom of… you guessed it, the Sky Daddy. This is hilarious since pretty much everything else is interpreted in a literal way when it ought not to be.

10 Tenets of Sophianic Witchcraft

Honouring Wisdom: Sophianic witchcraft emphasises honouring wisdom in all its forms, drawing inspiration from the Divine Feminine as a source of knowledge and understanding.
Nature Connection: Practitioners of Sophianic witchcraft maintain a deep connection with nature, viewing the natural world as a reflection of Sophia.
Sacred Feminine: Central to Sophianic witchcraft is the recognition and veneration of the sacred feminine aspect of the divine, often embodied by Sophia, Isis, Mother Mary or Mary Magdalene.
Mystical Exploration: This path involves an emphasis on mystical exploration, seeking to connect with the divine through meditation, prayer, ritual, and other forms of embodied spiritual practice.
Divine Union: Practitioners seek to experience a union with the divine, through the integration of masculine and feminine energies within themselves.
Alchemical Work: Sophianic witchcraft incorporates alchemical principles, aiming to transmute the self and the environment through spiritual and magical practices.
Empowerment of Women: There is a focus on empowering women within the tradition, embracing their innate wisdom, strength, and spiritual potential.
Herbal and Earth Magic: The use of herbal medicine, anointing oils, crystals and natural elements holds significant importance in Sophianic witchcraft.
Seeking Gnosis: Practitioners seek gnosis, or direct experiential knowledge of the divine, viewing it as essential to their spiritual evolution and understanding.
Spiritual Liberation: Sophianic witchcraft ultimately aims for spiritual liberation and enlightenment, viewing the journey as one of personal transformation and transcendence.

The Wise Witch Tarot Spread

Remembering Who You Are
- This card represents the current state of self-awareness and connection to your true essence as you serve the Divine Feminine.
Healing from Religious Trauma
- This card signifies the opportunity for continued healing and resolution from past religious wounding, in this life or past lives.
Divine Feminine Role Model
- This card reveals the guiding energy or figure from the Divine Feminine pantheon who offers wisdom and inspiration on your path. Feel free to ask for a clear sign if you think you know who it might be but are not quite sure.
Embracing Wisdom in Practice
- This card signifies how to integrate honour and reverence for wisdom into your daily spiritual practice and interactions.
Union of Masculine and Feminine Energies
- This card illuminates the current state of balance and integration between masculine and feminine energies within yourself and the universe.
Path to Spiritual Liberation
- This card guides you on the journey towards spiritual liberation and shows what you need to release or surrender now (read with card 4)
Soul Alchemy
- This card offers insights into the spiritual alchemy required for personal evolution (read with card 5)

Sample Reading with the Goddess of Love Tarot

Remembering who you are – 10 of Cups: This Mars in Pisces energy card resonates with my Natal Mars in Pisces in the 9th House. Mars in Pisces signifies the Spirit Warrior aspect of my being.
Healing from religious trauma – Lust (trad. Strength): What didn’t kill me did indeed make me stronger and now I get to pass it on.
Divine Feminine role model – The Moon (Hathor): The Moon Goddess, Shekinah, Queen of Magic and all Angels. Hathor and Mother Mary both reflect the nurturing, compassionate aspect of Her.
Embracing wisdom in practice – The Chariot: This Cancer energy card is all about daily discipline. I know what to do; I just have to keep doing it. I can trust my inner guidance.
Union of masculine and feminine – The Void (trad. The Fool): Trust and a return to innocence will achieve this.
Path to liberation – Judgement: Offering all to the Goddess of Love. She must be the focus of my daily spiritual practice (card 4).
Soul Alchemy – Queen of Pentacles: “I trust my magick, I trust my wild nature, and I trust the wisdom and pleasure of my body.” (from the Goddess of Love Tarot Guidebook)