MondaySchool: Missing Pieces
Week of June 9, 2025
I. Word / Image / Idea
Practicality
“To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity and trust. It is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically.”
Henry David Thoreau, from Walden
Missing pieces
A marble head is all that survives of this acrolithic statue—a type of sculpture that was assembled from several different materials. The sculptor of this figure carved the parts of the body that represented exposed flesh (head, arms, and feet) from marble, and then attached these to a body made out of another material, probably wood. Acrolithic sculpture was produced most frequently in the Greek colonies in South Italy, where fine white marble had to be imported and was therefore very expensive. This figure’s head is intact with hollow eye sockets and cuttings for the attachment of auxiliary features. The ears are roughly shaped with the lobes drilled for separately made earrings. Cuttings on this head help reconstruct the statue's original appearance. A large hole at the front center on the top surface of the head is for the attachment of a helmet. Six smaller holes drilled around the hairline may have supported locks of hair. The addition of a bronze helmet, a typical attribute of the goddess Athena, would have hidden the fact that the top of the head was cut off. The rectangular cutting over each temple once supported the raised cheekpieces of the helmet.
a slow surge of protest
From “A Rose by Any Other Name,” The Dove in the Stone: Finding the Sacred in the Commonplace, by Alice O. Howell (Wheaton: Quest Books, 1988).
No matter what our religion or lack thereof, if we live in the Western world we are psychically affected by the mythology surrounding us, because it affects us socially and culturally, as well. (A simple example would be the Christmas shopping season.) The mythology of the Holy Trinity which was shaped in the fifth century AD has affected us subtly but profoundly. That removing of the feminine from the Godhead was as illogical as declaring the world to be all yang without yin and, as Jung has shown, whenever an excessive attitude is consciously identified with, the opposite is constellated in the unconscious. If only we could understand and remember this; if only the fundamentalists of all the religions in the world could grasp this, we might make a smoother transition into the era to come. Jung pointed out that through an excessive identification of masculine, extroverted ego intellect with virtuous righteousness, goodness, and light, the feminine and darkness (i.e. “the devil”) became constellated in the Western unconscious.
[ … ]
But in the last thirty years, a change has been taking place, a slow surge of protest led by a new generation of men and women. If you are reading these words, you are probably one of them. It is a healthy sign. Women are crying out, less in anger now than at the beginning, but still in a quest for recognition of their contribution towards healing the world. The perilous state of the earth’s ecology is awakening us all to the absolute necessity to change our ways. As Jung put it, “The entire world hangs on the thin thread of man’s psyche.” The enemy is not nature, but mankind.
II. Reflection / Prompts / Prayer
missing does not mean lost
What is being awakened in you? Away from the constant distractions, pressures, and noise of life, can you perceive what is dawning?
Consider why this might be happening right now in your life. In what part? Your work, relationships, creative life, physical health, something else? I believe that what is being called up within us is ready to find its way to the surface.
But with this kind of joyful expression in our life we also must be prepared to address the places within ourselves that call out to be healed in order for this next iteration to be realized.
There is no need to “do” anything about it, per se, but there is a door we must open. The door to reclaiming this sacred balance of masculine and feminine within ourselves. The absolute hardest part is being brave enough to open the inner door, and grant our sacred ‘Yes’ to change.
How? By confronting the reality of our society has so radically suppressed the Feminine for so many centuries that we have lost touch with our nature. We have become so cynical of what the Feminine represents: wisdom, knowing, and the light of our understanding.
Why are we so threatened by our goodness? Do not be afraid of Sophia, but be curious about her nature. Come into relationship with your own “Better Half”: where does your own psyche call for re-unification, balance, and wholeness between yang and yin?
It is my sense that the places within our collective that are calling to be healed reflect this ancient rupture with the Feminine. The place to start? Your very own heart. Just open the door to Wisdom, and see what magic will grace your pathway.
Prompts for contemplation
Take a quiet moment to contemplate the following questions:
What is my current relationship with Wisdom?
Why would Sophia be entering my awareness at this time?
Why is she interested in grabbing my attention?
What is awakening for you at this time in your life?
How is connecting with the Feminine Divine vital to your awakening?
A prayer for awakening
Beloved Sophia: I pray that you may awaken in me a renewed hope, clarity, and understanding of how to navigate the world at this challenging time. I pray for guidance, open-heartedness, and illumination as I walk the steps of each day. I offer thanks for this great, good gift of life, for my mind, hands, and heart, and for my in-dwelling divine sense that leads me to the north-star of Love.
Amen.
III. Tarot Reading for the Week Ahead
Question for this week:
How may we rekindle our relationship with Holy Wisdom in a) life, b) art, and c) work?
LIFE: Temperance (XIV)
Spirit and Matter are connected. It may not always seem that way, but they are always in communion, always in relationship. Seek to balance these aspects in ways that illuminate (sun-crown) your awareness of this relationship, and offer a welcome–and much-needed–higher perspective (red wings). One last thing… See that bud amongst the irises? It’s preparing to bloom, but it's not yet time. It is unconcerned. Remember that we all know exactly how to grow, and how to be.
ART: VIII of Cups
The artist is turning away from the other cups: they are not hers. She did all the things that she thought she was supposed to do, and now she must look within (moon) to see the steps that will guide her to the one cup, the only one she needs: one cup of sufficiency, all the goodness that she really needs. But she has a choice to keep sipping from other people’s cups, or seek her own.
WORK: V of Swords
Are you the defeater, or the defeated? Are you holding onto your wins as prizes, or identifying with your losses? The wind is kicking up here: either way, this situation is going to shift. Ask yourself: what am I holding on to that is causing this disturbance? Do I want to fight anymore? What exactly am I fighting for? How can I nurture a win-win situation?
Hope you have a beautiful week. 💗
Love,
Allison
Thank you for reading.
My writing explores the (tricky!) process of realizing the true outlet for your creative Self in the world—what I call The Pathway of Creative Individuation. This includes developing your Creative Intelligence (CQ), building a bridge between inner and outer worlds, and crafting intentional life, art, and work.
I love to help brilliant, thoughtful, and courageous people realize the creative vocation they are seeking (but don’t yet know where to look). Learn more at allisonmondel.com