Mary Magdalene Preaches the Good News in Marseilles
Posted by Joan Norton at 5/31/2009 4:53 AM 
Categories: The Magdalene Rosary
Tags: Mary Magdalene 14 Steps To Awaken the Sacred Feminine Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene Magdalene Rosary
Categories: The Magdalene Rosary
Tags: Mary Magdalene 14 Steps To Awaken the Sacred Feminine Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene Magdalene Rosary
She had gone her "night sea journey", she had made her "trip to the underworld" of death and personal devestation, she had "crossed the great waters", she had journeyed in a boat with no oars. She had escaped death,she had retreated under protection, she had birthed his child. They had together saved their family, the dear ones who knew him best, and now they had arrived at another great new unknown. .
She had to find her own strength, her own internal strength to communicate what she knew. I like this picture of Mary Magdalene preaching because she's standing in the middle of four trees, a quaternity of wisdom protection in itself.
She has on a gold dress, more indicative of the position she's in now, that of "one who has Wisdom". It may have been bridal brocade in other scenes, but here I think the gold is a color of spiritual maturity. Gold light (vibrationally) is said to ask of it's recipients that they rise to their highest spiritual potential. She's not in a church building, she's in the church of Mother Nature. A variety of kinds of people are listening to her, both women and men, but she seems to be accompanied mainly by women and a child. Her own? We don't know. But it seems very natural to the life of women to be accompanied by mothers, sisters, and children. There are two men in the background going away from her, not able to listen and learn from the Sacred Feminine. They must not have understood Jesus' message.
In the archetypal story pattern often called the Wounded Healer, a person undergoes sickness or terror or a confrontation with their own inner demons (unconsciousness) and if they make it through in a return to health, they have a story to share. By sharing the story of their own personal encounter with death and destruction and of finding their way to a better and healthier way to live, they help others to do the same. It most often involves a new spiritual perspective, greater understanding of the meaning of life. It's never an academic process, never an intellectual process. It's a lived, experiential journey which is hard fought and hard won. The Wounded One becomes the Healed One and has wisdom to give about how the healing happened. That's why the 12 Step Programs work so brilliantly, it's "just folks" sharing the way it's been and the wisdoms they've found along the way. To me, this is the way of the Sacred Feminine and why we see Mary Magdalene preaching in the middle of four trees. I'd say she's sharing.
It reminds me once again of women's (and the feminine heart in men) instinct to "tend and befriend" in a tough time. It's why I wanted to experiment with a Magdalene Circle. I wanted to share lives with other women, using Magdalene's stories as guide. And I also think it's why the Mary Magdalene as Bride and Beloved story hasn't emerged from academic circles, from the head. It's a heart story and the wisdom of the heart is a shared thing, not a taught thing. You can't teach it, in fact.
There's a story about a very brilliant young man coming to see Carl Jung, wanting to study with him. Dr. Jung told him to go to medical school (8 more years) and then come back and see him. He knew the boy needed to gain some wisdom and only time and experience could give it. Maybe the 8 years was more important than the medical school training.
That's also why I don't gravitate to the Apostle of the Apostles story which would give Mary Magdalene the role of "best little student in the world". It's an academic role . The Eastern Orthodox Church took her in that direction and I like alot of the artwork, and yet, she always looks so stiff in those paintings. In Magdalene Circles we like to talk about important spiritual truths but we're not stiff about it. We're just sharing.
Mary Magdalene lived it and then she shared it.
Thank you Joan,
For this very enlightening perspective. It rounds things up in a very beautiful way, and I understand about 'sharing' rather than 'teaching,' much more gentle approach and bound to find more success.
I'm not sure if I've ever heard the phrase "wounded healer," I must have, but I do understand how that works. If we survive our pain, and rise up beyond it into freedom, we naturally want to 'share'.
And yes, I feel that our Mary as "Apostle to the Apostles" is really limited, kind of like being just the lower edge of her being and ministry. The whole 'garment' is a full array: from to red to green to gold, and all of her mysteries inbetween... Beloved Bride, Holy Mother, Sacred Healer, Lady of Wisdom, and more...always more.
This was a lovely post that you shared, for my morning wakeup! Thank you!
Love, Jennifer
"The Holy Book of Mary Magdalene"
The Path of the Grail Steward"
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Hi, You always have good poetry. I like the way you describe Magdalene's "full array "of garments, that gives the concept a wonderful visual image and symbol. I think that phrase will seep into my usage now.... I hope some of mine will do the same for you.
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Hi Joan,
Have to join with Jennifer's note about her morning wake up: for myself it is usually your blog, coffee (with heavy cream!) and CNN. But learned so much today. I have read so many times in the the scriptures about "the four corners of the earth" as a unifying phrase.. was just thinking maybe the artist who painted the four trees around the Magdelene was envisioning her ministry to go that far. And there is no doubt the trees were an optical of her "safe" status that everyone had to be mindful of when she was preaching. However, the lady sitting in front of the painting has me concerned. Her dress is "so"red and her hat looks crooked almost like exposing a wound.... But the "wounded healer" is talked about in Margaret's work dating from pre-christian pagan myths to dark to middle age story and tales..something like when the wounded king is healed the entire land is healed. (If she could chime in, she would probably set us all straight pretty fast!!)But I remember reading about it in her work....And the beautiful experimental journey of our hearts, intuitions,senses, etc. we are all on can only transform us if we share with others what we know and have learned.. There is a saying in the south where this applies; "It's time to "get with it!!" ...blessing..sheila..: )
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Hi Sheila,
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Hi Joan,
Some further information,even if we had known it before but need reminding, is given explanation to KATIA ROMANOFF on her christian blog by MARGARET STARBIRD. Margaret gives us legendary information about sarah, and offers several points of view that other historians have had.. then other bloggers respond: very interesting read especially about gypsy history in souther France (Gaul), and the landing of the boat with no oars in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer where the festival of sarah is held.. blessings...: ....Katia's Esoteric Christianity Blog
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Hi Shela, Thanks for reminding others about Katia's blog. She's also at Northern Way school of esoteric Christianity where she does spiritual training programs for becoming a minister. Wouldn't it be great to have a whole new generation of ministers who are "heretics"? Katia also moderates the GoddessChristians discussion forum at YahooGroups, which is lively and wanders all over the spectrum of interesting material about Christianity and Goddess. I heard Jean Shinoda Bolen (Goddesses in Everywoman, Close to the Bone, Crossing To Avalon, Crones Don't Whine, etc.) describe herself recently as an "EpiscoPagan".
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