"Shekinah means "presence of God" and relates to the feminine aspect of the Holy Trinity. It is the energy that sanctifies from within the dimension of matter or the Holy Spirit. Shekinah is the visible manifestation of the divine presence. One place within the Old Testament it appeared as the cloud that followed the children of Isreal in the desert."
Songs of Light
An Explanation
Kythera Ann
THE HOLY SHEKINAH SPIRIT
Among the Hebrews one of the traditional names of God is the Shekinah, and, interestingly, it is a feminine gender noun. Many Hebrews saw her as the mother or feminine aspect of God. The early scribes (later called rabbis) added Shekinah in biblical verses where the verb shakhan is used in relation to God. Shakhan literally means "to dwell" or "to live with", or even "to pitch one's tent." The Shekinah means the God-Who-Dwells-Within, and developed primarily after the destruction of the Temple of Solomon in 587 BCE, especially as it proffered hope to a people lost in bitter exile. To console an Israel in Diaspora, the comforting, forgiving and loyal presence of the Shekinah emerged. In the Talmud it says: "They were exiled to Babylon, the Shekinah with them. They were exiled to Egypt, the Shekinah with them." And, it says in Lamentations 1, 5, "Her children are gone into captivity," and immediately after (1,6), "From Zion her splendour is departed." (Note the use of "her" for God and "splendour" is also one of the ways to describe the Shekinah). Other terms referring to the Shekinah are "the glory" and "radiance", and she was the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites through the Sinai wilderness. She is also closely related to the Sophia tradition in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) in Proverbs and other books. Sophia (a Greek feminine noun) is the Wisdom aspect of God. As a Wisdom Teacher Jesus was very closely related to the Sophia Tradition.
The Shekinah eventually became an interchangeable term with the Holy Spirit in both Judaism and Christianity. She is often pictured as a bird or dove. In Christianity the Holy Spirit is seen as the Advocate, Guide and Comforter (John 14:16-26 and Acts 9:31), and we can clearly see the Judaic origins of this tradition. There is even a more direct connection to the Hebrew tradition of the Shekinah, as St. Paul, the former Pharisee, stresses the indwelling nature of the Holy Spirit throughout his famous passage in Romans 8: "But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you." (Romans 8:8) There is even a universalist tradition in some Hebrew Midrash writings: "I call heaven and earth to witness that whether it be Gentile or Israelite, man or woman, slave or handmaid, according to the deeds which he does, so will the Holy Spirit rest upon him." This is reminiscent of John's report of Jesus' statements to Nicodemus, when Jesus said: "The wind [Spirit] blows where it chooses . . . " (John 3:8), that is, the Holy Spirit will serve all peoples, not just Christians or Jews. Paul also offers a similar notion in Galatians 3:28: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave and free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." And, it is well-established that both Paul and John frequently equated Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit as seen in the Romans 8 passages and the Paraclete passages of John 14-16.
Call upon her for comfort, for advise, for blessing, and for guidance. She will only respond in love and radiant light.
THE DEDICATED LIFE
O man of earth! canst thou say
"I am ready, God;
I dedicated by life to Thee?
Use my life as Thou wouldst see,
A benefit that it shall be
To my fellow man.
May my eyes see for Thee
The pain expressed in the urchin's face,
Distress upon the wayward's brow.
Use my feet, O Father God!
That I may walk in paths on earth
As Thou wouldst have me walk,
That I may carry
Thy message of Light, Thy message of Life,
To man who in darkness dwells.
Use my hands, O Father God!
To reach to them who need Thy help,
To bestow Thy blessings and to receive
Only that, O Lord of Hosts! only that
Which comes from Thee.
Take my Life and let it be
Dedicated unto Thee."
The Wisdom of Solomon
Shekinah is the Supreme Spirit
devoted to the good of all people . . .
She shines bright in the bloom of ignorance;
She is unfading;
She is easily seen by those who love Her;
easily found by those who look for Her,
And quickly does She come to those who seek Her help.
One who rises early, intent on finding Her, will not grow weary of the quest--
For one day he will find Her seated in his own heart.
To set all one's thoughts on Her is true wisdom,
And to be ever aware of Her is the sure way to perfect peace.
For Shekinah Herself goes about in search of those who are worthy of Her.
With every step She comes to guide them;
in every thought She comes to meet them . . .
The true beginning of spiritual life is the desire to know Shekinah.
A desire to know Her brings one to love Her.
Loving Her enables one to follow her will.
Following Her will is the sure path of immortality.
And immortality is oneness with God.
So the desire to know Shekinah leads to God
and His Kingdom - - a never-fading Kingdom.
With all your thrones and scepters you may rule the world for a while,
But take hold of Shekinah and you will rule the world forever.
The Wisdom of Solomon (50 BCE)
was written by an unknown Jewish sage living in Alexandria.
By custom, however, it is ascribed to King Solomon (10th century BCE).
Shekinah is spelled several ways but has the same meaning . . . just makes research that more interesting. Hebrew is a beautiful language, which I do not read or speak, with so much spiritual meaning to each of the 22 glyphs. I found the following information in a book, went to the trouble to write it down, but neglected to remember the source. I will find it again one day. However, the following is very interesting:
Shekinah
Shechinah
Shekhinah
Hebrew: "Divine Presence." Literally: "dwelling."
- The term used to symbolize God's spirit and omnipresence, and another way of referring to God without using His Name (Adonai).
- The actual dazzling, radiant, shining Presence of the Lord Himself.
The Shekinah was said to have appeared to Moses in the burning bush. The Shekinah also descended in the pillar of smoke that guided the Israelites through the desert. The Shekinah rested on Mount Sinai when the Ten Commandments were given to the children of Israel.
The Talmud teaches that the Shekinah is everywhere. Observing Jews say the Shekinah descends each Friday at sunset to transform each Jewish home during the Sabbath.
Shekinah a.k.a. the Hebrew Shachan, Schechinah, Matrona, etc. ("to reside") - the cabalistic feminine aspect of God, a.k.a. the Holy Bride; the female manifestation of God in man, the divine indwelling (inwohnung). The phrase "the Shekinah rests" means "God dwells." The glory that emanates from God. In her male aspect, she manifests as Metatron and, according to Rabbi Johanan in Midrash Rabba, Michael is her glory.
Shekinah serves as an intermediary between man and God. She rules the conception of children, and protects the sexuality and sanctity of marriage. She is the Holy Spirit, the Cosmic Mother, and the third member of the Holy Trinity, a.k.a. the gnostic Epinoia. She is currently in exile on Earth, because of Adam's sin, and all good acts help to hasten her return to Heaven, the true purpose of the Torah. She only unites with her husband at midnight of the Sabbath Eve, making this the holiest and most perfect time for a physical union between a man and his wife, as she will be watching over and blessing them.
Cabalistically, Shekinah is the tenth sephira, Malkut, a.k.a. the Queen. In The Zohar, where it places her as a resident of the twelve holy chariots and a member of the twelve Hayyoth, she is said to have created the world. The Zohar also says that she is a messenger from on high who was called as an angel to appear before both Moses and Jacob. This same source names her as "the way of the Tree of Life" and the "angels of the Lord."
Thank you for visiting my web site. I am a seeker on a spiritual path to enlightenment and learning about the divine feminine. This is a work of love and will constantly be undergoing changes as I learn. One of the most important things I believe we need to learn is that life is not a destination, life is a journey. This journey follows the path of our choosing.
As you explore this web site, you will notice that I am not supporting any particular religious dogma. I am a Protestant, which encompasses a great deal. I am not, however, attempting to convert anyone to my beliefs. God gave us free will. I am a spiritual person, a child of God, and believe we are all members of one spiritual family and the One God.
Thank you for joining my personal journey.
Lady Elizabeth
It is only by grace that we are here on this planet.
~~~ Thomas Kinkade ~~
Life is what we make it. Always has been, always will be.
~~~Grandma Moses~~~
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Thank you for this beautiful award.
It is a humbling experience.
Shekinah created and maintained by Lady Elizabeth
Shekinah image created and © Jonathon Earl Bowser
Web set designed by Moon and Back Graphics
Shekinah is hosted by Elysium Gates
