Was Shrovetide Suppose To Be Happy?
Posted by Joan Norton at 2/5/2010 6:46 AM 
Categories: The Magdalene Rosary, Seasonal festivals, Starting A Magdalene Circle
Tags: Candlemas. Brigit's Day 14 Steps To Awaken the Sacred Feminine Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene
Categories: The Magdalene Rosary, Seasonal festivals, Starting A Magdalene Circle
Tags: Candlemas. Brigit's Day 14 Steps To Awaken the Sacred Feminine Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene
It is emotionally uplifting into the joyful realms to celebrate as many seasonal holidays as possible. And it's probably good to keep our collective minds off destruction. Not to be ignorant but to purposefully place our consciousness in emotional forward movement into the New Creation we want, as balance to the work we do. One way to do that is to recognize and celebrate spiritual holidays. I listened to Jean Shinoda Bolen on Karen Tate's "Voices of the Sacred Feminine" online radio show and she was talking about women finding a sense of "assignment" to help the world. And she is always saying that it's good to have a spiritual center to our circles. I find the rhythm of seasonal holidays helpful in emotionally supporting myself to work hard on my "assignment".
First I was surprised that the earlier traditional date for recognition of Brigit's Day is February 13. Then I was surprised that Shrovetide was said to be the best time for marrying, which is pretty opposite from a confession day. It makes Valentine's Day more of a continuation of the Brigit's Day/Candlemas season of newness and celebration of the spark of life in the cycle of renewal which the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene represents. The whole 40 days of Lent is more likely the 40 day seasonal recognition of their Sacred Marriage. The archetypal patterns of natural life which are underneath Christianity live it that way. What a spoiler it was when the hierarchical form of Christianity came in and said that early spring is the time for confession and fasting and preparation for death instead of marriage, the way it should be. 
"Nest at Brigit, Egg at Shrove, Chick at Easter" is the folk saying that describes what our instinctual natures are doing during this season. I think it's a pity that we bundle up all the instincts and let them out just on one Valentine's Day of recognition of Love. If we understand that the anti-woman form of Christianity worked to deny woman's instinctual nature, then it's really up to us to let it flourish again by celebrating more seasonal rituals which are joyful. It is so much within the natural spirit of women, and the inner feminine in everyone, to feel joy and to express it through celebration. "Cakes for the Queen of Heaven" is such a great phrase in its recognition of our desire for joy.
We have Mary Magdalene in beautiful dresses with delicate embroidery and pearls and long flowing hair to look at, and she is easily the spring maiden in our inner eyes. It must have been difficult for earlier peoples to confine her and lose the exuberance of the Springtime Magdalene.
It's helpful to remember that the ones who committed pen to paper and chose the exact wording of the Gospels, chose the words "Maria h Magdalhnh" to name her, giving her the title which meant that she was to be thought of as above, bigger, greater, MORE. The "hnh" was also used to identify Athena, the local Goddess for the Greek speaking audience that the Gospels were written for. In describing Mary Magdalene as Goddess in the Gospel stories of a Sacred Couple, she was to be understood as representing all phases of the feminine spirit as reflected in the seasonal life we all live. She wears different clothing and tells a different part of her story at each seasonal phase of inner life and the earth's life. Picturing her in clothes reflecting the consciousness of each season is a shorthand way to talk about the various realities of the feminine spirit. Seeing Mary Magdalene in a green dress that's rich brocade is saying that she represents the abundance and continual potential of our Earth and our inner being. She is readying herself to be the Bride, the Sacred Feminine in intentional alliance with the Sacred Masculine's best self.
One of the earlier customs associated with the post-Candlemas Shrovetide time of the year was "walking the land" with a prospective bridegroom to take stock of what he had to offer his bride. I just like that phrase... "walk the land"..... and I want it to be part of how I celebrate the season of the Sacred Marriage. For a woman to ask "what have I aligned myself with" is a good idea. Do I have the inner fortitude and physical capability to carry out my inspirations? If the answer is yes, then it's time to celebrate. I've walked my land and I see that it is good.
If you'd like to hear Jean Bolen talk about having an "assignment" to help the world and why having a spiritual circle of support changes the world, here's the interview on "Voices of the Sacred Feminine" with Karen Tate. Click here to listen Scroll down to the January 27 edition of the show.
Starting a circle with a spiritual center works in alignment with all other non-hierarchical modes of living in the world in a way which will undermine patriarchial power.
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