The Mystery of Shekinah

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

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." 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

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, and we can clearly see the Judaic origins of this tradition

Call upon her for comfort, for advise, for blessing, and for guidance. She will only respond in love and radiant light.

Shekinah is also called Asherah, the 'Queen of Heaven', the consort of god and is equivalent to Nuit, Isis and her manifestations Asnat, Astarte, Ashtaroth, Ishtar and Esther. The 'Book Of Esther' in the old testament includes descriptions of the fertility rites and sacred marriages of Asherah, whilst the Song of Solomon was composed in her honour.