There has always been a hidden pathway that brings forth Sacred Union. This profoundly rich work belongs to the legacy and lineage of the Grail Lineage. Those who are part of this lineage know that this infinite mystery lies dormant inside each and every one of us, and our work is to remember and reveal.

There is a seed within us that contains the “living memory” of a mysterious doorway that leads two lovers into their original state of creation, where they were as One, before their separation … The men and women who follow this path are known as the Carriers of the Flame.   Not only is it a doorway where lovers ecstatically merge into, it is also a dimension where the heat and breath of God can be tangibly felt. 

In the ancient scriptures, we are told that God has also become separated into two parts, one masculine and one feminine (we will go more into this later on). This is the process of Sacred Union where two lovers on earth merge into One, in addition to the full reunion of God the Father with God the Mother. We are also told that when God experiences the fullness of his reunion with the Mother, there is an almighty blessing that is bestowed upon the two human beings in rapturous union. This explosion of orgasmic Light from their Creator brings forth the fullness of their soul union potential.  

To enter through this doorway, we have to become lovers with a capital “L.” Lovers of life, beauty, music, art, the mystery, and above all, Lovers of Love. In essence, we are being called to merge into Sacred Union with our beloved Twin Souls. Throughout the ages, Sacred Union has been known by many other names such as Hieros Gamos in Christianity, Yab-Yum in Tibetan Buddhism, Sacred Marriage in the Kabbalah, and some ways, Tantra in Hinduism.  

As we look back in history, we catch glimpses of this Sacred Union rapture, and no doubt experience waves of envy as we face the emptiness within our own lives today. Where is the passion of long ago? What is this drunken love that the Persian poet, Rumi, speaks of? How did King Solomon become filled with the spirit of eternal wisdom after spending one lunar cycle with the Queen of Sheba? What is this story of God the Feminine (Sophia), painfully choosing to leave heaven in order to save her children on earth, and the fiery longing of God (The Logos) to find and reunite with her? How come the ancients knew of this story and covered all their temples with images to symbolize the reunion of the masculine and feminine? If we are made in God’s image, then it stands to reason that God is both male and female.  It that case, God is two.

Take that a step further and we come full circle. Sacred Union is the alchemical process that reunites Twin Souls in the coalescence of God.   The Egyptian and Gnostic scriptures as well as Sufi poetry allows us to experience God in a fresh, new way. And as we read more, the more we understand that their God was very different to the one that is etched into the fabric of our psyches. Their God is full of longing, yearning, and rapture to dance and play with its human creation. It longs and aches for us, as much as we long and ache for it. Their God is sensual, rich, and touchable, their God is both feminine and masculine, and even wilder still, their God comes alive inside of them making its presence known in an undeniable way.   Then it became clear. Sacred Union can only ever be experienced if one carries within the love, surrender, and openness to the fullness of life in all its expressions.

It is this “love” that is the energy, fuel, and movement that catalyses the energies that will explode our sense of consciousness from the confines of being human to that of being ecstatically and intimately ‘in love’ with our Creator and its creation.   When you love with all of your existence there is no fear, no limits, and no such thing as boundaries. When you crack open the shell of being human, there is a wealth of energy that can be unshackled and harnessed for something far greater than merely existing.  For maybe the first time - like virgins - we touch and taste the original desire our Creator has carried in its heart; it’s longing for our true purpose.  

Take just a moment if you will to contemplate this notion of a masculine God longing, aching, and yearning to reunite with its feminine essence inside our heart, body. and soul. We will be going into much more detail over this Gnostic teaching throughout the pages of this book. So, it’s essential for you to begin to sit with this now and start to feel these energies of longing, gratitude and rapture within you now.   The ways and means of truly unifying with not only your Twin Soul, but with the fullness of God are becoming known to us. Within this journey we discover countless forms of higher states of union, the higher we go the subtler the experience.  Once you surrender to the inherent pull to come together then you realize that you have just tapped into the greatest forces ever known. Like giant cosmic magnets, their power lies within their destiny to reunite in Sacred Union.

On my personal journey, I was called to find a way to piece the puzzle back together. By any means necessary I had to rediscover that process.  Upon this realization, I made a vow that I would rediscover the Path of Sacred Union in my lifetime.   And that is what you now hold in your hands today.   I knew that Sacred Union was not a mystical meditation or yogic state. My soul endlessly reminded me of how this experience happens inside the body and becomes part of the fabric of one’s day-to-day life. That somehow we have to awaken these energies inside of our body, as everything exists within us. Only through this awakening process will we recognize and remember our Twin Soul, the one with whom it is our destiny to reunite with.   I was being led to create a picture, a map, and a process:

  • First, you prepare - Sacred Work
  • Second, you meet – The Glance (Nazar)
  • Third, you initiate – The Kiss (Nashakh)

Following the principles of the three-fold flame, (the power of three used in all alchemy) I knew that the foundation stones of Sacred Union would involve the uniting and merging of Love, Power, and Wisdom through sexuality, the heart, and consciousness. It must be reinstated here that this ritualistic process weaves together the very fabric of one’s Being, hence it can only ever be done with your Twin Soul (more about that in the next chapter).  This is not a process to achieve great sex, a romantic love affair, or how to gain cosmic powers.  This is an ancient alchemical ritual that forever alters your existence.    

Scattered throughout the stories of Sacred Union we occasionally find pieces of treasure that begin to make some sense to our human way of understanding.  These are the nuggets that I have spent my life searching for. There is a part in The Pistis Sophia where we learn that Sophia (feminine aspect of God) has lost her sight since falling to earth and that she can not see The Logos (masculine aspect of God) standing before her.  The only way that she knows it’s him, is by her ability to feel. This is a very important clue. You shall know your Twin Soul (Beloved) by the way he/she makes you feel.  There will be a quality of deep trust, brother/sister love, passion, longing, gratitude and unspeakable happiness.

The Beloved is an inexhaustible force of love that is absolutely destined to reunite with you in exquisite totality.  It will not, and cannot falter as it ravishes the very idea of entering into the fabric of your life. Death does not stop this process. The moment you dedicate your life in devotion to know this love, it comes. The very mystery of whispering this “yes” to Sacred Union sets the wheels in motion for the Beloved to appear and dance with you.   To open the doorway of the Beloved and into the fathomless dimensions of love and unspeakable communion with our Creator, there is an initiation of our birthright that will allow us to step into the fullness of our authentic glory.

Ancient and Modern Examples Throughout all ancient texts and poetry and many modern-day films, there are two patterns that stands out so clearly above all the rest.  First, is how the twinned lovers become almost overnight, great kings and queens, rulers of abundant and prosperous civilizations and/or creators of some wondrous breakthrough in our human story. Second, it is the women who are well-versed and know how to perform Sacred Union. It is almost as if there is a secret lineage of sister High Priestesses that have carried the flame alive within their teachings…I call these beings the Carriers of the Flame, an ancient Priestesshood. Let us look at some of the historical examples of human beings that have entered into mystical union to see whether we can spot any further patterns and clues about Sacred Union.    

King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba The best-known historical example of such a sacred marriage is between King Solomon and Queen Sheba. The Queen of Sheba travelled from her homeland to meet Solomon, to perform the Hieros Gamos (another name for Sacred Union) with him, otherwise known as being together in the Bridal Chamber. She had heard of King Solomon and was ‘moved’ by the very mention of his name. Upon seeing one another, they both knew that they were Twin Souls. The Queen of Sheba could never marry Solomon, as they were rulers of different lands, and in those days you married within your own kingdom. She was, however, a high priestess and knew the rites and rituals of Hieros Gamos. She was able to spend one lunar cycle with Solomon before having to return to her homeland. Once the Queen left, King Solomon then became the legendary King who was renowned for his wisdom. It was as a result of Sacred Union that King Solomon was initiated into the next quantum level of his destiny. In the basking glory of their union, King Solomon wrote his most famous poem, The Song of Songs to the Queen of Sheba. This poem is one of hundreds of attempts to capture the essence of his eternal love for his soul half and sister-bride.  

Isis and Osiris In The Passion of Isis and Osiris, a book written by Jean Houston - an internationally renowned philosopher, psychologist, and explorer of world myth - we get to read how Isis and Osiris seek reunion within each one of us. In ancient Egypt, the marriage between Isis and Osiris was considered the Sacred Union of heaven and earth, of yin and yang, of the feminine and the masculine principles.   In the story of Isis and Osiris, we learn that it was Isis that was able to put Osiris back together again after being torn apart and scattered into pieces by his evil brother Set. When at last all the parts had been assembled, Isis made Osiris into the first Egyptian mummy. She then used her powerful magic powers to breathe new life into Osiris, and in doing so she was able to conceive the child Horus. After this Osiris became in time the King of the Land of the Dead, while Horus fought against his uncle Set and won his father’s throne and became the Living King of Egypt. During the time of Isis and Osiris the fall of Egypt occurred.  

El and Asherah In the ancient Hebrew Bible, we learn of El and Asherah, the names of our heavenly Father and Mother (God in its masculine and feminine principles). It was the desire of El and Asherah to experience their great and holy love in a more expressive physical form and to share that blessing with all the children they would create. For the very first time we hear how the Divine ritual of Sacred Union was created.  Like the Sophia and The Logos, El and Asherah longed for all of their creations to carry their inexhaustible love within them.  For this was their light and their power. They desired for the whole of creation to be alive and vibrating with their ‘longing’ to merge. Therefore they created an alchemical ritualistic process where the essence of El and Asherah entered into the man and woman with whom full permission was being not only granted, but wholeheartedly sought.  

Sophia and The Logos In The Pistis Sophia, a Gnostic text, we discover a similar story of The Sophia and The Logos, names for the masculine and feminine aspects of God, longing to discover and merge together again here on Earth.  In this book, we learn that Sophia chose to leave heaven as she could feel the pain and suffering of all her children on earth.  She felt that she could come to earth, make her children know her love and return back to heaven before God the father would notice.   What happened and was not planned for, was what we call “the fall.” Sophia became trapped on earth because of the enormity of density that had built up, and suddenly she lost her way back home. God the father did not know where Sophia had gone and over time fell into a painful depression. In the end he decided to create “The Logos” the Light of God’s Love, and send him forth to seek out Sophia. In this study we come to understand that the Sophia and The Logos have been seeking one another since the beginning of time, and until each and every one of us falls into ecstatic union with God, they will not stop being magnetized towards one another.  

Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene The most recent historical couple to enter into Sacred Union is Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. In the hidden gospels of Mary Magdalene, Phillip, and Thomas we discover passages which clearly state that Jesus and Mary were married, and on their wedding day they entered into Hieros Gamos, or the Bridal Chamber.   It was because of their mystical union that Jesus Christ was able to live through the crucifixion. We also see that Mary did not leave the side of Jesus throughout the whole of the Good Friday ordeal and that she was present for every twist and turn that unfolded. Like Isis, she administered the death rites, and prepared his body for the resurrection. Throughout the pages of The Gospel of Phillip we learn that it was Mary Magdalene who received the majority of Christ’s apparitions and mystical teachings once he was resurrected.   And so we see a pattern forming – the emergence of a lineage of sister Priestesses, the true meaning of resurrection, ever-lasting life, and a love that is truly eternal and continuous. Osiris, El, King Solomon, The Logos, and Jesus Christ all became architects of our known universe. Their Queens knew how to perform the Hieros Gamos and the alchemical ways to harness the powers to perform the rites of resurrection.  In addition, there was almost always a great fall of a corrupt civilization along with huge geographical changes across the planet that took place once these Twin Souls merged in Sacred Union.  

When we look at our culture’s modern-day examples of Beloveds in Sacred Union we see similar patterns playing out, with exactly the same outcome.   Neo and Trinity from The Matrix witnessed the fall of the “Land of the Machines,” Neo met his maker and Trinity brought him back to life. With Aragorn and Arwen from Lord of the Rings, we witness as Arwen surrenders her immortality to be with Aragorn. Together they witness the fall of Mordor, and Aragorn becomes the greatest King the world had ever known. Together they rule Middle Earth, and their reign was often referred to as the time of the golden years.  

Lastly, we’ll look at the example of Leonidas and Gorgo from the film 300. Again, we see a similar storyline of the fall of the Persian Empire in the Battle of Thermopylae. King Leonidas of Sparta possessed the greatest strength ever known to man and became immortal, even through death by victory. All to which he stated would never have been possible without Queen Gorgo at his side. In this story we see a King and Queen ruling side-by-side in equality for the very first time in ancient Greek culture. And no real surprise here, Sparta was the most powerful, abundant, and powerful empire Greece had ever known. Still to this day, the Spartan army commands huge recognition for the role they played in classical Greek culture.  

Through this research, I have come to realize that there is in fact only one story that keeps repeating itself on earth. Whether it’s written in our history books, religious texts, magical rituals, or personified in epic movies, it is the story of longing to joyfully merge with our Twin Soul, whilst still here, in the body. Is this the work of Sophia and The Logos?  Is this El and Asherah playing out their Divine plan of reuniting in human form?   There is only “one” way to find out, and that is to experience it for ourselves. 

Fortunately we can not read about this and expect to have the answers. The mystery of this subject lies woven directly into coming together in the fullness of the ritual. Your answers live inside of you.   Understanding and experiencing Sacred Union is critical to our world on both a micro and macro level.  In all of the examples that exist, there always a building up of tension, unrest, and disharmony upon the planet right before the Twin Souls unite. The birth of their union allows all that was corrupt to be destroyed and for new civilizations to be formed. Nothing of ignorance could bear to stand in the light of their Love.   Our time on earth is nearing a similar upheaval. We, as a species, are being invited, or rather urged to enter into Sacred Union on a massive level.   It is not, however, merely one couple that will save the world this time - it must be many…  

My question is, will it be you and your Beloved?

Taken from Sacred Sexual Union: The Alchemy of Love, Power and Wisdom (Anaiya Sophia, 2012)

Anaiya Sophia

About the Author

Aletheia Sophia (also published under the name of Anaiya Sophia) is a Châtelaine, Living Grail and Author/Whisperer of Heart Opening Wisdom. She once taught workshops throughout the world and was best known for the creation of Sacred Body Awakening. Now, you will always find her at home in the French Pyrenees where she has taken on an almighty project – the restoration of an old Catholic summer house into an educational wisdom hub, temple, animal sanctuary and place of grace.

Known for showing up as a trailblazing resource of unapologetic truth and transparent courage, her heart is both fierce and tender.  She carries an oral message that stirs the remembrance of a continuous lineage with the Feminine Principle that throughout the centuries has preserved its spiritual dignity, without the need for permission or recognition from any other source.

Her books include:

  • Open your Heart with Kundalini Yoga (Harper Collins, 2002)
  • Mini Size Me (Lulu, 2005)
  • Pilgrimage of Love (Lulu, 2010)
  • Womb Wisdom (Inner Traditions, 2011)
  • Sacred Sexual Union (Inner Traditions, 2013)
  • The Rose Knight. Part I: Sophia (Lulu, 2014)
  • Sacred Relationships (Inner Traditions, 2015)
  • Fierce Feminine Rising (Inner Traditions, 2020)
  • The Grail King. Part II: Logos (Lulu, 2022)

Aletheia lives in the Cathar region of Southern France with her beloved husband Pete Wilson. Together they run Les Contes, a bed-and-breakfast at the base of Montsegur where individuals, families and large groups can come and stay.  Les Contes is a truly extraordinary place, with a bountiful healing presence.

Aletheia is able to conduct Baptism, Marriage, Divorce and Death Ceremonies as there is a Chapel and Spring on-site.