Dare You!

I dare you to step into your full grace, full power, full potential, full glory and beauty, to express all your talent, no matter what pressures you have in your daily survival.  It doesn't matter whether anyone ever see's or hears your creative expression, what is important is that you express it, for it is the key to our very existance.  Without creativity, we are as good as dead.  That special sacred flow of the pencil to create an image or words, on paper, of that which we feel in our souls.  Techniques do not matter, it is a natura flow of energy, something we all did for many hours as children, therefore, we can see, that is holds great importance to us, for lest we be like children, we cannot enter the Kingdom.  We hold ourselves back in so many ways, and think that being 'cool' is to be unexpressive, to not show one's feelings and emotions.  That to be angry is 'wrong', to be depressed or sad is a 'sickness', and that only people who are 'good' or 'talented' at art, writing or singing should be expressing themselves, because otherwise we will be 'seen' as something less than perfect by the world?!  It is terrifying for some people to open up and let their voices be heard. The modern world tells us we should do botox so our faces show no emotion, since emotion will 'ruin' our faces with laugh and grief lines.  We are given the royal families, politicians, church leaders and entertainers as our role models for society. 

So what does Mary Magdalene have to offer us in our modern era?  We have deduced that she was not a prostitute as church leaders fed us for the past 2,000 years..... did you know that the Catholic Church made an 'apology' for their wrong doing to her name, back in the 50's? It was a tiny article, 2 paragraphs long, hidden in the middle of a church paper that was sent out, and unless you read it then, which is unlikely, you will never know that the church admitted it made a mistake by calling her a whore all these years, and that in fact she was not a prostitute, but a disciple.  Should have been front page news as far as i'm concerned!  "WOMAN WRONGED FOR CENTURIES" being the title.....

Mary, also known as Mariamne, or affectionately Marjan, was a devout woman.  She fasted, prayed and took vows of silence for three decades of her life.  She birthed 3 children to Jesus, one girl and two boys, who became the backbone for the stories of the Holy Grail mysteries.  She dedicated her life to sharing what she had learned with all and sunder.  Later in her life, living in Southern France, she founded many churches and became a leader of the new movement which was sweeping through the Western world.  She healed the sick, taught love of God, took people into retreats and fasted intensively with crowds there, to induce a state of trance through prayer.  She was a wealthy woman, and dedicated her life to those in need, becaming a leader in her own right.  She was known to have gone to Rome, where she fought publically with Peter and Paul who were changing the teachings to suit their preaching efforts.  Paul was doing a great job of making new disciples, but he told them that they didn't need to follow Sabbath, and other 'Jewish" laws, Mariamne's argument was "the commandments given are for all man-kind, not only Jewish brothers and sisters, therefore they must follow, just as we must".  Paul defied her.  Hence we have a Christian nation not following one of the basic laws that God gave us "thou must keep the Sabbath holy".  Sabbath was never on a Sunday.... it was always sundown to sundown Friday - Saturday.  The Sabbath is important for us alone, God doesn't 'need' anything from us, He is perfect, complete and fulfilled in allways.  He gave us this law, so that we might have time away from the stresses and strains of survival, and spend quiet quality time with family, thereby keepingthe families intact and whole.  Each Friday night as I light my Sabbath candles, I am so grateful for the space it creates in my family home.  To have no movies for a night, no phone calls, no driving, no shopping, no computers, or socializing.  It is holy indeed for it creates space and peace for contemplation.

The church has been founded on a lifestyle which has no trace or semblance of how Jesus and his followers actually lived and taught. There was no reverance expected or demanded by the disciples, no fancy costumes, or long winded rituals, no places of worship were built wherein people would pour forth all their hard earned money, so that Bishops and Cardinals could govern palaces of great opulence.  The people have been mislead. 

The simple life that Jesus, Magdalene and the disciples lived, was simple.  No expensive robes, or jewels, no fancy hats, cathedrals or lengthy surmons on our evil doings.  Rather, they taught to love one another and to love God, so that we could live a spiritually inwardly focused life.  They gave techniques by which one could attain the Kingdom, such as intensive fasting for extensive periods of time, to purify the mind and body of worms which cause one to think ill thoughts of others, and desire luxurious things to taste and drink.  They never drank wine, nor smoked, nor indulged their senses in extravancies.  They ate a vegetarian diet (they did not eat fish, or meat as church would have you believe!), they donned the simplest of cloths, and let go of all external trappings of wealth, despite, themselves, being Kings, Queens and Princes by royal birth.  Taking their disciples into the cathedral of natures own opulent halls, where they would fast, pray and take vows of silence, as together, they would gain great insights and experience love for God. 

Pracitcal Application for the Week:

Start taking note of where you live in extravagance.  What 'things' are you addicted to, that you 'can't live without' on a daily or weekly basis.  Write them down.  Are you excessive with food, drink and sex?  Do you over shop, and have too many things, such that your house and cupboards overflow with items that are for the most part un-used.  Yet, still shop for more?  Are you addicted to coffee, cell phones, texting, browsing the net, porn, recreational drugs, food?  Where do you spend money and time on things for yourself to make yourself 'externally' feel better, yet internally no change is happening?  At least the internal beauty regime should be equal to the time spent in the outside world nourishing and beautifying the external body and senses.  Is prayer a part of your daily life?  If so, is it something you do ritually, like you 'have to do it', or is it a deep spiritual inner movement done with a heart full of reverence and devotion?  What is the purpose of prayer and fasting?  What is the Kingdom that we have been told to search for?  Where is it, and how can we attain it?

These are some of the things I will discuss in next weeks blog spot!  Blessings to you my dear brothers and sisters.... together we must journey inward..... so mote it be...

What Happened to Mary Magdalene contd.... Part II

What Happened to Mary Magdalene? Part II

So how did the Roman's manage to change the true story of Magdalene's life and lineage, and for what reasons did they go to such great lengths to wipe her name and lineage from the face of the world?

Peter was known to be jealous of Magdalene, along with a handful of Peter's 'followers', who felt women should be seen and not heard.  Jesus would often correct Cephas (Peter) publically for his narrowmindedness, and remind him that we are all created equal in the eys of God.  There is no us and them. 

After the crucifixion, there was mayhem.  Most of the discipes went into deep hiding to avoid possible capture and death.  Jesus' brother James created the Church of Jerusalem.  It was he who then became the head of Jesus' movement for 40 years, before he too was publicly stoned to death by the horribly threatened robed men of Sanhedrin.  Magdalene was ushered out of Jerusalem, by Joseph of Arimathea along with their closest confidants and friends.  Mother Mary and her daugher Salome were among them.  Mary's youngest son Jude stayed with James to run the church.  After some time, it became apparent that they were all unsafe, as the robed men of Sanhedrin, the Judean council of the main Jewish Temple, were after the followers of Jesus, to bring them to silence, permanently. 

Since Jesus' body went missing on that fateful Sunday, the Sanhedrin became extremely nervous, for it would appear to public opinion, that they had made the mistake of indeed killing the long awaited Messiah!  Why?  Because, their scripture dictated that the Messach who was coming, would die and rise on the 3rd day.  But it was two messiah's who both Roman's and Jew's alike were waiting for, not just one.  Most popular belief is that John The Baptist is the other Messiah, who was also killed, but since his head was decapitated, would not rise again.  However, in the book I am scribing all will be revealed.

The Royal Family were moved to Scetis outside of Alexandria (Egypt) in the mountain regions where a group of Essenes lived, called Theraputae.  They were known for their liberalism, and they accepted women and children into their communities as equal, unlike the Essene brotherhoods.  Magdalene was pregnant at the crucifixion.  The evidence is in the bathing of Jesus' feet just 2 weeks before Passover, then by the end of the week he was arrested.  This would be the second time Magdalene publically oiled and washed Jesus' feet. 

In ancient Judean tradition, a woman would bathe and anoint the husbands feet once in September.  Then if in Spring time she was with child, the ritual would be done again, and the marriage would be considered consummated.  If no child was being carried, the couple would refrain from intimacy until September again, when they would once again try for a child.  If by Springtime, the woman was still without child, then the husband could take another wife, as she would be considered barren. 

Magdalene did this ritual twice.  Therefore she was with child, for surely, this ritual would never have happened a second time, any other way, due to the uber strict adherence to Judean laws.  Magdalene's child would be seen as a threat to the Sanhedrin and anyone trying to claim the lineage of the Messiah for themselves (like Peter, Paul and eventually Rome).

Her name would have to be taken out of the history books forever, inorder to satisfy the greed of the men who wanted the power forever in their own hands.  Women were burned, tortured, hung and publicly flogged for 2,000 years after Magdalene's lifetime, just for having red hair (a possible sign of Magdalene's lineage), or having the power of healing in their hands, or even simple knowlege of herbs.  Women could be stoned to death just for having a twinkle in their eye.  It is the most shameful massacre in history, as over 40 million women and children worldwide were killed in the name of "Christ"!  Hard to believe!

So women adapted and learned not to shine, not to use their powers, they disconnected themselves from creativity, from nature, from the Goddess and ultimately from themselves.  It was a survival mechanism.  Still to this day, women's DNA reels in this disfunction that the Church brought upon the whole female race, calling us all whores if we didn't submit to their rule and authority.

Meanwhile, religion was being run globally by the men, and wars ensued.  The Massacre of the Cathars in Southern France on that fateful day Friday the 13th (which is why Friday 13th is still to this day conidered unlucky!), was again, another attempt to wipe out the bloodline lineage of the Messiah, Magdalene and along with it, the true story. 

So what can we learn from Magdalene's story?  How can we create a change in us, in the world, and with one another, as a society, given the understandings of how history lessons were 'fed' to us, by a corrupt lineage of lies?

To be continued......

Practcal Application for the Week: 

See where you have allowed 'society' or group pressure to conform your true self. 

What areas of your life are you afraid of being fully expressed in, without hindrance?

Free yourself, pray for mercy and heal yourself.  Be more honest with yourself, be who you want to be, dress how you love to dress, do what you love to do, say how you really feel!  Speak and live honestly, and be fearless.  This is our birthright.

For we are, all of us, created beautiful, powerful, creative and full of unique wonder. 

 

What Happened to Mary Magdalene?

Artwork by Krishna Rose (copyright 2010)

What Happened to Mary Magdalene?

Why all the sudden interest in Mary Magdalene?  Who was she?  Who is she?  Why is she such a key factor in our current movement towards a feminine divine centered worship? 

Mary Magdalene is a fascinating person in history.  Whether she was the wife of Jesus or not is not the real issue at hand.  Whether she birthed children that created the worlds Kings, Queens and Popes of today, is not even the reason for her speciality.  What makes her special is her story.  I became fascinated by Magdalene after reading Kathleen McGowan's amazing book "The Expected One".  What a read!  My interest in her all these years later has not waned, but rather, increased.  Not merely because she is a woman whose story has many people confused, but because through her we can understand our own femininity and struggle with power.  She was never a prostitute as the Church would have you believe.  There is no documented evidence of this anywhere.  In fact she was a Princess in the line of Benjamin, she was sister to Martha and Lazarus, and was a very wealthy woman in her own right.  She became a principle leader and figurehead in the early Jesus movement, funding all the their tours and retreats that they gave everywhere they went.  The church 300 years later decided to name her "whore' inorder to belittle her station and ruin her pure reputation as the apostle to the apostles.  In fact she was a teacher in her own right, who led the group for many years to come, after the Crucifixon as well as before.  Jesus would often ask her to preach and heal.  It was her who taught Jesus how to heal the blind with dirt and spit from the hands.  The washing of the mans feet and anointing with oil in the ancient world, was a Judaic ritual for engagement and wedding vows.  There is no other reason a woman would ever be allowed to wash and anoint a mans feet, unless she was with his child.  This set apart, her story is interesting since it seems through her life, the current male insitutional religions in the world, have maintained a thoroughly masculine focused dogmatic approach to spirituality.  It is a rare religion that balances the devotion to God, with mention of a Goddess at all.  The hidden aspect of Judaic culture is God / Goddess worship, and is similar in it's essence to the ancient teachings from Vedic Culture, of which Hinduism is an off-shoot.  Goddesses were as much a part of the worlds culture for thousands of years, before Christianity founded be Rome, came along.  The Pagans, Celts, Native Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Vedic Indians (and Hindu's), Buddhist, Jews, Romans, Greeks..... all of them worshipped Goddesses openly.  So what happened?  How did it all begin that the word Goddess was alikened to heresy and would be worthy of good hanging or burning in most cases?

In my next blog, I will explain........

Blessed be,

Krishna Rose