spirit of wisdom

"Wisdom is the principle thing; Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor when you embrace her.
She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you...
...Keep her, for she is your life." proverbs 4:7-14

I've been reading The Shack - a book a lot of people told me about so i'm sure you've heard of it too. If you haven't, you should read it. It's an interesting fiction/theology/action/good book on a man's dealings with pain and God. I'm enjoying it completely - Almost done, but I'm taking my time with it.
Anyway - there is this part where the character actually talks to the Spirit of Wisdom found in Proverbs. I've always been fascinated with the Spirit of wisdom described in detail by Solomon for a whole 9 chapters of Proverbs. In the past I studied a little bit but found I have more questions than answers (which is a good thing).

Here are some of my questions:
- Is there an ACTUAL Spirit of Wisdom? Or is it more of a metaphor about God's wisdom? I've heard both...
- What does it ACTUALLY mean to "fear the Lord"? (ie. "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" pro 9:10 and "the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him..." ps 25:14)
- Wisdom is really the principle thing? It's my life? All the things you man desire cannot compare with her?
- Why is wisdom feminine?
- Do I have wisdom? Have I inclined my ear and applied my heart to understanding? Have I sought her enough? How can I get wisdom for real?
- Is there more to wisdom than just being smart? Scripture says it's something we can seek and get but how does that actually transfer? And does it?

I think I'm going to dive into studying it more during my time at the house of prayer this month. I leave on Friday night and return July 2nd. In between there is my trip to Iceland and my 26th birthday....which is a whole other topic.