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| Being raised Roman Catholic meant that the first impression I have of the Magdalene is that of a "fallen woman", a prostitute. I think we all know now that Mary Magdalene was on the receiving end of a smear campaign conducted by the Vatican. Why is this? No one knows for sure, but there has been much speculation, especially over the past few years surrounding the book and movie The DaVinci Code. The Catholic Church has officially recanted the reformed prostitute role as of Vatican II, but is not ready to embrace the idea that Mary was the wife of Jesus. Some have suggested that Jesus, as a Rabbi, would have been required to have been married. The same people have suggested that Mary Magdalene has been called his "companion" in the gospels. Mary is mentioned in all four Gospels. She supported Jesus’ mission financially and was present at the Crucifixion. She was also the first to witness the Risen Christ. There have been many books published in the wake of "The DaVinci Code" success that deals with the story of Mary of Magdala and Jesus, or Yeshua. These stories address the version of the story that has Mary traveling to Egypt and then on to France after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. In one of these books, "The Expected One" by Kathleen McGowan, claims Mary was first married to John the Baptist until his unfortunate beheading. Supposedly they were married at the famous wedding at Cana. Being John’s closest male kin, Jesus then married Mary Magdalene and raised John and Mary’s son. Jesus and Mary Magdalene went on to have a daughter, Sarah-Tamar, and Mary was pregnant with their son, Yeshua-David, at the crucifixion. The author claims that she is a direct descendent of Jesus and Mary Magdalene through the Sarah-Tamar line. She researched the book in the Carcassonne region in the south of France, where Mary is revered and worshiped. She has been linked with Sophia, Isis, and Inanna. It has been suggested by some that she is Sophia come to Earth to unite with the divine Jesus. Sophia is believed to be the female half of the Divine. |
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| Her feast day is July 22nd, which is quite an event in France where it is known as La Fete de La Magdalene. During this feast day parade the supposed head of Mary Magdalene is paraded through the streets. In the Carcassonne area in the south of France, there are many places dedicated to the Magdalene and the Goddess Isis. Above an area deep in the Earth where an ancient temple is dedicated to Isis, lies the Tour Magdala and a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. There is also the fishing village Les Saints Maries de la Mer, where Mary supposedly landed by boat when she first arrived in France. The Magdalene cave is located across from Rennes le Chateau, whose people revere the Magdalene. The cave is where she was said to have spent her last days. Montsegur, the Cathar castle, where thousands were burned alive by the Catholic Church for practicing, what they believe to be the true teachings of Jesus. The places go on and on and on. |
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What do you believe?
I found a multitude of societies devoted to worshiping Mary Magdalene. One that I found, the Order of Mary the Magdala, has a plethora of creeds and prayers in honor of her.
The Creed of the Magdal-eder Mysteries for the Magdalene Rosary 1st: Mary Magdalene meets Yeshua for the first time, Her Soul-Mate and Spiritual Equal 5th: The Birth of Sarah/Sarai (Mary and Yeshua’s daughter) |
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Sorrowful Mysteries 2nd: Mary Magdalene stands beneath the cross |
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Glorious Mysteries
1st: First Witness of the Resurrection 2nd: Yeshua sends Mary Magdalene out to preach as an Apostle 3rd: Mary Magdalene becomes Grandmother to the Kings and Queens of France 4th: Mary Magdalene ascends to sit at the Left Hand of Yeshua 5th: The Divine Daughter, Hagia Sophia, eclipsed for centuries, comes into Fullness. |
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Ritual for Mary Magdalene
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| Ritual for Menarche from Diane Stein’s "Casting the Circle". After reading about the millions of people around the world who are supposed offspring of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, I think it appropriate that Mary Magdalene be considered a Mother Goddess to all women. What better time to celebrate this than at a woman’s first menstrual cycle. So, the following is taken from Stein’s book. Decorate the altar for this ritual in red and white, red for blood, menstruation and the Mother aspect, and white for innocence and the Maiden Goddess. Use red and white candles and flowers, crystals on the altar and a red cloth in the center of the circle for the girl to sit on. Have a moon necklace for her, a red stone or clear crystal, or a pendant shaped like the moon or a Goddess aspect. The girl wears a crown of red flowers in her hair. |
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Candles - red and white Flowers - red and white (red roses for the Magdalene) Incense - myrtlewood Moon pendant or crystal for the girl Bowl of corn meal Oils for self blessing |
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| Light candles - on altar and at each of the elements and spirit. Purify Cast Circle/Invoke amazon Goddesses. Earth - Changing Woman, Goddess of women’s bodies Air - Athene, Goddess of action and women’s wisdom Fire - Pele, Goddess of youth’s love and passions Water - Yemaya, Goddess of women’s blood and the sea Spirit - Hathor, Goddess of the moon and women’s moontimes. Invocation by the High Priestess - "We are here to celebrate (name of girl), who has now become a woman. We welcome her into women’s mysteries and the sisterhood. Women come into their full power in their moontimes, and (name) has begun her knowledge of that power." Body of ritual - Go around the circle. Each woman sings the girl’s name and a welcome for her or uses her name as a chant. Go around the circle. Each woman talks about her own menarche, what it was like, what it meant, how things are different now. (Make it funny, make it not too long for each woman to speak, make it positive.) The girl talks about her own first blood next. The high priestess takes the girl’s moon necklace from the altar, handing it to the first woman in the circle. Pass it around the circle, each woman holding the pendant and sharing a secret of being a woman and a blessing for the girl. The girl’s mother puts the pendant on the girl and talks about her own daughter’s growing up, and what it means for both of them. If others have gifts for her, they speak next and give them to her. The girl reads the "Daughter Chant" below, then talks about what being a woman means to her.
Daughter Chant Watch over me. May it be beautiful before me. The high priestess or the girl’s mother talks briefly about responsibility - she can have a child now, be sexual with men or women. Talk about how to take care of herself (birth control, safe sex, etc.). Passion is an act of the Goddess, but use free will and balance, it’s not a power to take lightly. Talk about how the girl’s body will change, is changing, what to do for cramps, etc. The girl’s mother walks her to each of the four elements and spirit and presents her as a new woman. The high priestess touches the girl’s third eye with corn meal or oil and blesses her as a woman in the name of the Goddess of each element. Self-blessing - Ask the girl to lead it and all to participate. |
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Bibliography
Books Websites |
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