Mary Magdalene's Festival Day July 22
Posted by Joan Norton at 7/4/2009 6:32 AM 
Categories: Mary Magdalene Feast Day
Tags: Mary Magdalene 14 Steps To Awaken the Sacred Feminine Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene
Categories: Mary Magdalene Feast Day
Tags: Mary Magdalene 14 Steps To Awaken the Sacred Feminine Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene
Women who search their own family history and women who search our cultural history are familiar with such moments as this. I've talked about mine before, when I went back, back, back looking for my Callahans in America's beginning and came upon Thomas whose wife was only known as "Mrs." with no name of her own. I stared at the census paper and felt something. I felt a little empty before alot of other feelings came flowing in, feelings of frustration and disappointment. I had wanted very much to know her story during those interesting American times, but there was no way to follow her. It was as if her life counted for nothing.
I had the same moment yesterday when I was looking for historical Mary Magdalene Feast Day lore. This is nothing new, it was just my moment of it. I was enjoying seeing that early celebrations of Mary Magdalene's Feast Day included marriage symbolism such as creating your own healing oil blends "for the marital bed". Rose, sandlewood, and Ylang Ylang, of course. In liturgy for that very important day, churches were recommended to choose passages about Mary Magdalene , one of them being Proverbs 31:10-31 about "the competent wife". We've learned over and over from Margaret Starbird's work that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were early on identified with The Song of Songs, which is the latest version of the perennial love song poetry of God/Goddess couples. But what happened to her when the Protestent Reformation came about and the authorities didn't want all those saints in their services?
Here comes my "moment". I learned that Mary Magdalene was the only biblical woman in the original Book of Common Prayer, put together in 1549 when the Reformation was happening. Jesus' mother was there only in the context of other stories, but Mary Magdalene was celebrated by herself and for herself. By herself and for herself. She had her July 22 Feast Day celebration with prayers, readings, customs, and church services dedicated to her. She was the only women of whom this was true. There was Jesus, and there was Mary Magdalene. She had been celebrated this way in the English speaking world for eight centuries. Three years later in the Book of Common Prayer she was gone, no mention of her as the most prominent woman in Christianity, the "First Lady" . She was simply disappeared, taken off the shelf and and off the calendar, her July 22 Feast Day no longer existed for the Protestent churches. She was in the official story and then she was simply taken out of the official story. End of story. That was my "moment", my sobering moment of realizing one more time how easy it has been to disappear the Sacred Feminine from the story. Just write her out. But of course, she's not a character in a story, she's God as much as Jesus is God and human beings can't just decide it isn't so.
It's nice to get the Bride of the Bridegroom back on the calendar. What will be your ways of noting this sacred day? Plant something, sew something, cook something, love something.....I'm quite sure those will reverberate with the Sacred Feminine. I had a nice synchronicity happen for me for that day. I was on Cynthia Jordan's internet radio show and she decided to start an on-air Magdalene Circle and set the date for July 22...... and she didn't know it was Magdalene's Festival Day ! I love to feel the hand of the divine. On the following Sunday I'm participating in a small ceremony and liturgy given by Jennifer Reif, author of The Holy Book of Mary Magdalene . Her book may very well be the new Book of Common Prayer for including the Sacred Feminine in christian worshipful celebration. And as if that isn't enough nurturance for my soul, the Sunday before her feast day I'm going to Karen Tate's Birthday Tea for Isis and Magdalene. Karen is the author of Walking An Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth . A few years ago Karen began including me and my Mary Magdalene story in her annual recognition of the Great Goddess Isis because, of course, the Isis festival is in July. We recognize that goddess was always folded into previous goddess worship patterns.
So, feast your eyes on her for her feast day. Fill your senses with the joyful earth, for whom she speaks. Love one another in the web of divinity which we are.
Hi Joan,
When I read your words, "feast your eyes on her for her feast day. Fill your senses with the joyful earth, for whom she speaks. Love one another in the web of divinity which we are," I thought, how perfectly beautiful are Joan's words. And I got to thinking that while male scribes took our Mary out of the story, today many female "scribes" are alive and well, and are returning her to her rightful place! Hosanna!
Love, Jen
"The Holy Book of Mary Magdalene"
www.demeter.spiritualitea.net
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Hi Jen, Thank you... and thank you for being one of the vessels for the words of the divine feminine in sacred union with us all. xoJoan
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Hi, Joan,
In your book 14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine you wrote, "Breathe... Exile is over. The Magdalene returns within women everywhere." Today I feel the truth of that. This past week or two has really shown Her to be in many women's hearts, but especially today I feel her presence. I just read your blog and listened to Cynthia Jordan interview you and describe the reaction your book and interview were receiving in the radio chat room. And now to know that there will be a on-air Magdalene Circle that, serendipitously starts on Magdalene's Feast Day, makes me feel joyous. I join Jennifer in her Hosannas! Thank you, Joan.
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Thank you! I hope that hearing an on-air Magdalene Circle will encourage people to try one with friends. It's informal and people-oriented, a time for sharing one's own spiritual journeying. That's what carries "the big story" forward... each of us being attuned to our own spiritual story. In Growing Up Without the Goddess you demonstrated that the power of caring enough about your own inner realm will bring forth the spiritual help unique to you. Spiritual circles are a way to find one's own unique spiritual connection..... xoJoan
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I found this interesting until I read that 'Mary Magdalene was as much God as Jesus!'
I think not!
I don't know of any branch of the christian church which would support that view. do you?
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Hi Mary, Thanks for reading and commenting. We might ponder "what is the feminine face of God?" What is the Sacred Feminine if not God? There are churches which now use non-gendered language in their liturgy so that we can dispel the idea that God is a man and not a woman (symbolically...knowing of course that God is a Mystery we've yet to fathom) If you wanted to express the belief that God is also a sacred feminine, how would you do it? Would you make it a figure that is less important than Jesus? That wouldn't convey the partnership of masculine-feminine energy which God surely is. It's only by showing the loving story of a sacred and divine couple that we can understand God as both.
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Ever heard of the Shekinah? It is the female aspect of God. We were made in God's image....male and female. But Jesus is THE lamb that was slain. He is the Messiah, the Mashiach, the one and only. Mary Magdalene, who I am named after, could have been Jesus' wife. Maybe that was the wedding at Cana. But nothing is said about it Biblically. Still, Jesus is married to the church. We are the bride. Mary loved Jesus and so do I. The female, nurturing, feeding, warming, caring part of mankind is to me, most beautiful. I celebrate Mary Magdalene and her unending love for her Lord. She sat and listened. She heard. She let the Word breed in her and reproduce ideas and thoughts and glorious, beautiful bounty. When I get to heaven, I want to meet and become dear friends with Mary, beloved of my heart.
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Hello Joan,
It was lovely to have met you at the Isis and Mary Magdalene Salon and Tea this last Sunday. I desire to honor Mary Magdalene's birthday today. It's meant to be. I came across this site, (and it is yours!) just as I finished reading Sisterhood of the Dove and I feel called to a knowledge this day and Honor the Goddess in the Name of Mary Magdalene aka Miriyam. I am under the vibration of Isis and Miriyam.
Blessed Be,
Rosalba Fontanez
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Hi Rosalba, Thank you for being with us here in this big , wide Magdalene Circle.... it was nice to talk with you and learn about the teachings you're drawn to. Yes, Glorious Magdlene! How wonderful is her day today. Margaret Starbird and I will be creating a Magdalene Circle for anyone to listen to today at www.blogtalk.com/cynthiaradio at 12-2. It'll be podcast afterwards at that site.
Thanks for commenting and I hope we hear from you again. xoJoan
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Mary has been in the background to long.Im writing a book on her I hope to be finished with in the next couple months.The church OR the rock as he was to be call have done nothing but LIE.
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Great.... we need more books...looking forward to yours. Thanks for being a part of the conversation. xoJoan
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Dear Joan,
Thank you for your wonderful article. I appreciate so much the work you and Margaret Starbird do in assisting the rise of the Divine Feminine and the restoration of the Magdalene to her rightful place in history. I saw you mentioned Cynthia Jordan's radio show on which I'll have the honor of appearing this July 22. While I know our good friend Myra was the catalyst, I suspect you might have had a hand in making that happen. If so, thank you. And thanks for your continuing work.
Love,
René Barnett
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Dear Rene,
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Yes, of course, I do remember our meeting, and I look forward to speaking again next week. Your support of Bloodline was so important and so much appreciated, Joan. We are in this together! Love, René
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Dear Joan,
I am happy to have found your site in celebration of Mary Magdalene. I am wondering if you are aware of any celebrations on July 22nd in the New York area this year.
Thank you,
Patricia
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Hi Patricia,
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