Growing up, I was taught that “God” is infinite (without limit), omnipresent (present everywhere, at all times), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and unconditionally loving. One teaching went to far as to define “God” simply and profoundly as love (1 Jn 4:16).

And yet, everywhere I look, even (especially) within the Church that taught me about God, I find human beings limiting “God.” 

• “Sure God is unconditionally loving…..unless or except when…”
• “God loves you without condition, but if you disobey God, you will be condemned to eternal damnation.”
• “God is infinite, except when it comes to those things “not explicitly handed down by the magisterium.”
• “God is everywhere at all times, except in those who don’t believe in Christ.”
• “God is all-powerful, except when it comes to “Satan” or “Lucifer.”

What!?

I am continually amazed at all the ways in which human beings limit their “God.” It seems instead of coming to know the Divine, they are creating “God” in their own image:  jealous, fickle, wrathful, vengeful, judgmental, hateful, prejudice, racist, etc.

As many know, I’ve had my own run-ins with those seeking to limit God.  The local self-appointed inquisition and the Church bishop and chancellor who supported them, for example, who determined that Reiki “is witchcraft and sorcery and the work of the devil.” Their work of limiting God was then furthered by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops when they issued a prohibition against Reiki. 

If God is all-powerful, then how can anything limit God’s ability to provide healing and comfort to those in need? Is God’s healing, comfort, or grace limited to only that which is handed down by the Catholic Church? Does God only work through those devoted to a very narrow interpretation of Catholic teaching?

I have questions!!

The Reiki thing happened years ago, and I do what Love calls me to do want anyway, but the limiting of God continues.  Just the other day I ran across an article on a popular Catholic website that proclaimed the evils of the Enneagram!  The Enneagram?  A tool I learned through my CATHOLIC ministry training and which is taught and used by Jesuit and Franciscan spiritual directors?  The Enneagram?! 

The Enneagram (for those who don’t know) is a popular temperament profile used in both spiritual direction and transpersonal psychology.  It is a tool that helps us to identify the lens through which we view our life experiences and the compulsions that might have arisen out of our own woundedness related to this lens.  The Enneagram then provides practical tools for healing and transforming the wounds that cause said compulsions so that we might live out of our essential/original nature. 

I have found the Enneagram to be a critical tool in the transformational work I do with my clients and students.  And yet, according to this guy, Catholics (especially) SHOULD NOT use the Enneagram as it might lead them down the path of evil – specifically the evil of eastern practices.

Not Eastern Practices! Gasp!

So now other culture’s traditions are not only “evil,” but are more powerful than “GOD???”

If I wasn’t a woman of reason, I might find myself confused. Instead, I find the answer to this quandary quite simple…an answer that has been given to us by the very guy who called God LOVE:

He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

(1 Jn 4:8)

Those who find themselves limiting God apparently don’t know God. I find that to be very sad.

How big is your “God?”

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The Temple of the Magdalene (aka Authentic Freedom Academy) is firmly rooted in the four pillars of:

• Spirituality
• Science
• Psychology
• Education

The Temple of the Magdalene is founded on the belief that pillars are not meant to contain or control but are intended to uplift while providing ongoing encouragement and support. It is a model based on empowerment, not on oppression.

Psychology – specifically Human Development

The primary focus of the Temple of the Magdalene is to provide education, resources, and tools which support human beings in becoming self-actualized. Self-actualization, a term first coined by Kurt Goldstein and then popularized by Abraham Maslow, is a process by which human beings are compelled toward reaching their full potential.  Maslow defined self-actualization as:

            Self-actualization (also referred to as self-realization or self-cultivation) can be described as the complete realization of one’s potential as manifest in peak experiences which involve the full development of one’s abilities and appreciation for life. (Maslow, 1962)

Self-actualized people know:

• Who they are.
• How they are uniquely gifted.
• How they are called to live out those gifts for the sake of their own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world.

Furthermore, self-actualized people have found a deep sense of inner contentment, along with a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. Becoming self-actualized is the ultimate fulfillment of the human journey.

Spirituality

Spirituality is inherent in every person. Each one of us is driven by an invisible force that compels us to seek meaning and purpose in our lives. Connecting with this invisible force (however we define or identify that force) helps us to access inner guidance, knowledge, understanding, contentment, and peace. The Temple of the Magdalene supports the unique spiritual journey and spiritual development of each individual by providing tools and practices that are universal and free of doctrine or dogma.  Here western and eastern contemplative practices meet, providing a path consistent with our increasingly wholistic and secular world.  Instead of experiencing these practices through the lens of division, we find union in an open dialog and exploration of all the ways in which human beings have nurtured this inherent yearning to explore mystery. In this way, we are empowered to discover our own truth along with the path of our highest good.

Science

History has shown us the endurance of spiritual/contemplative practices including mindfulness, meditation, silence, and contemplation, and the benefits experienced by those dedicated to these practices. With recent advances in science, specifically neurobiology, we can now see the proof of what before were only theories based on subjective observation.  Through the science of such pioneers as Zinn, Davidson, and Newberg, the Temple of the Magdalene has found validation and support for our methods.

Education

With training in adult education, developmental psychology, spiritual formation, and project-based learning, Lauri Ann Lumby, founder, and spiritual director of the Temple of the Magdalene, has created an experiential learning model that is adaptable to the individual learning style and temperament of each participant. One-on-one support provides the additional resources that guarantee that the individual needs of each client and student are met and their formative desires fulfilled.

Putting it All Together

Through a solid foundation built upon the four pillars of psychology, spirituality, science and education, The Temple of the Magdalene provides a comprehensive approach to the process of human development.  Self-actualization is supported through our online classes, workshops, books, community gatherings and one-on-one support. 

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I beheld a vision of the Ancient One entombed upon her throne.

Just then a voice cried out to me from the heavens:

“Behold the Ancient One,

The Queen of Heaven,

The Mother of All.

See how She quakes and trembles

over the evils of humanity –

over all the destruction they have wrought upon this earth.

Observe how She is breaking free of her imprisonment –

readying to rise again.

She is coming on wings of fire.

But who can endure her coming?

She is like a refiner’s fire

purifying humanity of its impurities

until only the good remains.

Who can stand when She appears?

Who or what will remain?

Those who have survived the test

and who have chosen the Way of Love,

are those, who with Her guidance and support,

shall create the world anew.

Copyright Lauri Ann Lumby

Welcoming the Adversary

Live Event with Lauri Ann Lumby

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Via ZOOM

(event content will be recorded for those unable to attend live)

only $26.00

Join Lauri Ann Lumby as she breaks open the ancient mysteries related to the adversary – the natural inner force that has been corrupted into an external demon that should be feared. Even the ancient names given to this helpful and benevolent force have been appropriated by those who seek to manipulate others through fear, intimidation, and threats of eternal damnation.

• Discover the ancient names given to the adversary and their true meanings.
• Understand the natural cycle of spiritual growth including necessary times of resistance characterized by temptation, doubt, confusion, and difficulty.
• Learn to approach the adversary as advocate.
• Release resistance through practices of welcome.

Through this two-hour workshop, you will be empowered to set aside the “devil” you know and find power in working with the natural inner force that ensures our growth.

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Online training in two parts with Lauri Ann Lumby

Two six-week sessions

Monday’s 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Live via ZOOM*

Session One: May 2 – June 13, 2022 (no class on Memorial Day)

Session Two: July 11 – August 15, 2022

Beyond Division- Creating a New World through the Practice of Radical Oneness invites you to be part of the movement to end division so that we can rebuild our world anew.

Division separates humanity into dualistic categories including sex, race, nationality, religion, gender, orientation, class, political party, and more. Division creates sides, and privileges one over another. Division is at the center of every conflict between human beings and the cause of every war.

We have been conditioned to believe division is inevitable and necessary – but what if it’s not?  What if instead of a world defined by division, rife with conflict, hatred, violence, and war, we could create a different world?  What if we could move beyond the division we’ve been taught, and choose differently? 

Beyond Division – Creating a New World through the Practice of Radical Oneness, explores these questions and offers a solution.  This solution is part of our collective memory and has been thoroughly articulate by the greatest wisdom teachers among us.

Through exploration of these Universal Oneness Teachings** you will be empowered to create a whole new world for yourself – one that starts within and then finds its expression in your everyday reality.

Part One

Week One:     Oneness

• Reclaiming humanity’s original nature

Week Two:    Judgement

• Transcending the source of division

Week Three: Celebrating Diversity

• Changing our way of perceiving differences
• Union through curiosity and understanding                 

Week Four:   The Fullness of Human Potential

• Discovering and harnessing the fullness of our capacity as humans

Week Five:    Woundedness

• Healing separation through personal responsibility
• Forgiveness of self and others
• What does forgiveness really mean?

Week Six:       True Compassion

• Understanding compassion as an expression of self-love
• Determining healthy boundaries

Part Two

Week One:     Turning Hierarchy on its Head

• Privileging the disenfranchised
• Working toward “all being equal”

Week Two:    Thriving in Oneness

• Species as “pack”
• Ancient Indigenous culture
• All for all

Week Three: Enough

• Beyond Capitalism
• Communal culture

Week Four:   Scarcity Consciousness

• Attachment, greed, and gluttony
• Money and other resources

Week Five:    Inner Authority

• Collective leadership
• Consensus management

Week 6:          Oneness Practices

• Oneness starts with you
• Practices for cultivating Oneness
• Alchemy – as within/so without

*Content will be recorded for those unable to attend live.

**The Oneness Teachings we will focus on are those modeled, practiced, taught, and embodied by Jesus of Nazareth which he then passed on to Mary, called Magdalene. Mary, who fully embodied these teachings, and was then ordained by Jesus to continue these teachings in his stead.  These Oneness Teachings are free of doctrine and transcend any perceived religious connotation.

Tuition:       $149.00 per 6-week session or purchase both sessions in advance for $269.00.

Part 1 participants may register for Part 2 within their course portal. A discount for Part 2 will be offered for those completing the Part 1 training.