Beyond institutional condemnation and pop-culture mythology are the documented truths of Mary, called Magdalene. Combining scholarly exegesis with deep contemplative practice, the truths of the Magdalene are revealed: the foremost among Jesus’ disciples who most fully embodied his teachings and was then called to continue Jesus’ mission of Love – catalyzing and then supporting the evolution of human consciousness – calling forth and supporting humans in becoming fully self-actualized – knowing who they are, what their unique gifts are and how they are called to share those gifts in the world for the sake of their own fulfillment and in support of the betterment of our world.
During this Live Event, we will be taking a deep dive into scriptural evidence related to Mary Magdalene of an in-depth protocol and process for supporting human development that Jesus revealed to Mary and that she went on to share with others. Integrating ancient psychology with spiritual practice, this process supported individuals in transforming the inner obstacles to Love so that they might become “fully human” – what today we would refer to as self-realized or self-actualized. Lauri then presents a streamlined, modern interpretation of this protocol that she has come to call “Authentic Freedom.” making this process accessible to a diverse and modern audience.
This past week, Donald Trump won the Iowa caucus. My initial reaction was WTFingF? My second thought was a deep disgust for those who voted for him (not that the other candidates are any better). My third thought was a memory – a memory of when he won the presidential vote in 2016. My first response then was complete and total shock. For a day I processed the sense of being betrayed by the American people. Then, I went into deep prayer and pleaded with the Universe to help me understand the meaning of Trump’s victory. The answer from the Universe was immediate – a visceral replaying of the scene from the Ten Commandment’s movie when the angel of death passes through Egypt. I was then told directly, “Donald Trump is playing the role of the Angel of Death – that which passes through, ushering in the death of all that no longer serves.”
Understanding all the lies, corruption, and evil that lay hidden in our nation, I could accept that perspective. Trump’s presidency proved this out – pulling away the veil of all that lay hidden behind the façade of American culture and governance – corporate greed, racism, xenophobia, sexism, misogyny, bigotry, government corruption, etc. etc. etc. The effects of those four years have been far-reaching, traumatic, disgusting, and repulsive. That was just the beginning.
Behind and beneath the surface, the Trump machine continues. The evils that he espouses and embodies churns beneath the surface, while he seemingly avoids any consequence for his criminal actions, likewise those who claim him to be their messiah.
There can be no doubt that Donald Trump is either evil or stupid – the willing pawn of powerbrokers manipulating him from behind the scenes, deeply entrenched with all those who believe as he believes. Fearful, hateful, willfully ignorant people who see themselves in Donald Trump and visa versa. To think of another four years of Donald Trump as president, supporting and advocating for evil, admittedly fills me with terror and dread.
In this, I am reminded that angels can also be demons:
Demons Walking Among Us
There are indeed demons among us –
Broken, wounded humans stubbornly rooted in fear –
Ignorant of, yet defined by their wounds –
The effect coming out sideways.
Tentacles of manipulation attempting to control
through guilt and shame-based insults and projections of blame.
“You’re the cause of my discontent.”
When called out for their behaviors
or boundaries set,
lashing out with escalating shrieks.
Becoming slithering shadows or terror and intensifying attacks.
Giving away their power while simultaneously fighting to get it back.
Feeling powerless.
Feigning Power.
A counterfeit.
Bullying.
Fawning.
Flattering.
Demeaning.
Condemning with their own condemnation.
Never once accepting responsibility
or holding themselves accountable to their own wounds.
These are the demons who walk among us.
It’s impossible to help or heal them
for it is in an eternal state of victimhood that they are fed.
Whether he proves victorious or not, I am aware of the deep corruption and evil in our culture that needs to be exposed so that it can be healed, and that perhaps until the sources of racism and bigotry and fully exposed they cannot be transformed. I just hope it’s not through Trump that this healing needs to come about. As it relates to the (very real) possibility of another Trump presidency, I am hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
Online courses to support you in confronting demons:
As we approach the gateway between 2023 and the new year, I can’t help but reflect. Looking back on 2023, it seems that for me, this was a year of letting go. These are the things I released in 2023:
A few more toxic relationships.
Begging, wishing, and pleading for other peoples’ time and attention.
The idea that my mission or purpose are anything other than simply being myself – what ever and no matter what I’m doing.
The belief that what I do in the world defines me or that I am defined by my work.
The hope that my work in the world would garner attention, notoriety, fame, or wealth.
The wish for a love outside of myself. If I can’t love myself, then there is nothing outside of me that will make me feel loved.
Goal setting: What’s the point of setting goals when the universe is in charge anyway!?
The last remnants of the illusion that I am in any way, shape, or form, the master or creator of my destiny.
Time spent giving my attention (and money) to any outside perceived authorities. If I cannot discern my own truth, or face life as it comes to me, I am doomed!
The desire to convince anyone of anything ever.
Giving a shit about anything that human beings do to themselves. Go ahead, be the source of your own extinction – I can no longer care because caring puts me into the trap of thinking I can change it. Humans have been destroying themselves for 10,000 years. My little self is not going to change that. Accepting human beings as their self-destructive selves and getting the fuck out of their way, gives me peace.
Wishing for change. All we have is THIS PRESENT MOMENT. Be at peace with that!
Taking responsibility for other people’s shit or the solving of that shit. Sure, I’m happy to share some tools with you – but YOU HAVE TO USE THEM! Also, my prayers are not going to enact some sort of miracle or divine intervention for a situation you chose yourself, or is part of the plan for your life. Stop giving me that much power along with the weight of your expectations. Instead – DO SOMETHING to change or heal yourself!
Believing that I am an asshole for setting boundaries. I’ve learned that the more we (especially as women) stand up for ourselves, our safety, and our needs, the more the world hates us. Go ahead, hate me…..I DO NOT CARE!
The idea that I have anything to teach anyone or that I, in fact, know a single damn thing. In the vast mystery of the universe, how can I know anything? (though if you state something about Mary Magdalene as fact without supporting scholarly evidence, I will call you out – because I’m that asshole.)
Finally, years ago I gave up new year’s resolutions and for these many years I’ve maintained that letting go. What I will do is continue being a broken, flawed, fragile, vulnerable, wounded, sometimes angry and self-righteous, presence of love in the world.
Co-Dependency has been defined in many ways. At the most basic level, co-dependency is based on the false premise that it is our job to make other people happy and that if we do not, they will no longer love us. After our spiritual awakening and as we move toward self-actualization, we come to recognize the patterns of co-dependency that are prevalent in our lives and are invited to heal these patterns.
Identifying Co-Dependency
There are a wide range of behaviors that fit within the cycle of co-dependency and we are all affected in different ways proportionate to our conditioning. Below are a few examples of co-dependent behaviors and attitudes. Healing begins by identifying what of these behaviors are present within us:
An exaggerated sense of responsibility for the happiness of others.
Taking care of the needs of others before taking care of ourselves.
A tendency to do more than our share, all of the time.
A sense of guilt when asserting ourselves.
Difficulty in setting boundaries.
A disproportionate need for approval and recognition.
Recognizing the Causes of Co-Dependency
After identifying patterns of co-dependency, it is often helpful to understand what causes these behaviors. First and foremost is the understanding that co-dependency is learned. We are not born co-dependent, it is a pattern of behavior that is taught to us by our culture first, then our parents, teachers, ministers and peers. We are trained to be co-dependent by the societal expectations that it is our job to make other people happy, that somehow their unhappiness is our fault, and that another person’s needs are of more value than our own. From the perspective of spiritual healing, the root cause of co-dependency is the false believe that love exists outside of us and that we have to earn this love and that if we do not make others (mom, dad, God, our teachers, etc.) happy that they will withdraw their love from us.
Co-Dependency Takes Two
Co-dependency always happens between two (or more) people. There is the “triggerer” and the “triggered.” The triggerer acts in a way that tugs at another, prompting them to react to the other person’s actions. An example might be a partner who reacts in violent ways to not getting their way – perhaps a project they are working on isn’t going their way and they start screaming and yelling out of frustration. The triggered then reacts – running to the “rescue” of the triggerer, in attempt to “fix it” so their partner can be happy. Another example might be a peer who remarks negatively about the way you dress which prompts you to change your whole style in an attempt to gain that peer’s approval.
Acknowledge When We Are Triggered
The triggering that drives us toward co-dependent behaviors is subtle. In the early stages of healing from co-dependency, this triggering is often unrecognizable. We don’t see it because it is so familiar. The cycle of co-dependency has become a part of how we function. Healing co-dependency requires that we recognize when we are triggered to reach out to another in an effort to make them happy or to gain approval. For many, this “reaching out” is experienced in a very physical way, such as in a sensation in the center of one’s gut that feels like energy pulling at and away from them. Others might feel it as a constriction in the neck or shoulder muscles. The way the trigger is experienced is unique from individual to individual and the path to healing co-dependency begins by identifying how these sensations are felt in our own bodies and then acknowledging when these sensations are being triggered.
Standing in Our Own Power
When we feel the physical sensation of being triggered, the next step is to STOP that energy from leaving our body and pulling us toward the person we are tempted to “make happy.” This step is the sheer force of will that allows us to STAY PUT instead of running to another’s rescue or after another person’s approval. Standing in our own power also helps us to recognize that we are not the cause of another person’s unhappiness. One practice that has proven helpful is the mantra, “It’s their stuff, not mine.” When we feel triggered by another’s behavior, instead of following the thread of co-dependency, we stand still, holding our energy into ourselves while chanting this mantra. This helps us to put a halt to this pattern of co-dependency, leaving the other party responsible for their own happiness – where this responsibility lies in the first place.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
The above are five steps toward healing co-dependency. To truly be free of this conditioned behavior, we have to follow the above steps over and over and over again. As in all things, practice makes perfect and the more we tend to our own journey of healing co-dependency, the more we are truly free of these debilitating practices.
For further support in healing from co-dependency, consider a private session with Lauri Ann Lumby. Email lauri@lauriannlumby.com to schedule your session. Also check out Lauri’s book Happily Ever After – The Transformational Journey from “you complete me” to Beloved Partnership. Available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.
In this week’s gathering of the Magdalene Membership community, we explored the question, “What is on the other side of the end?” Taking inspiration from Isaiah 64, we dove deep into our own experiences of endings and what came after? Or rather, how did we survive them?
Isaiah 64, penned not by the prophet Isaiah himself, but by a disciple of his teachings, identified by scholars as “Third Isaiah,” unveils the confusion, heartache, and sense of hopelessness and lack of direction experienced by the Hebrews as they were released from their exile in Babylon and were returning to Israel. The home they had once known had been destroyed. The temple had been torn down, obliterating all they thought they had known of their “God” and their relationship to “Him.” The beliefs and practices that had been the center of their existence were no longer. The slate they were left with was blank and they were forced to be present to unknowing, unbelieving and the feeling of having no guidance to draw from.
Third Isaiah gives expression to all the many layers of bewilderment and in doing so, affirms and validates the experience of the Hebrews while attempting to give them hope in the possibility of something not yet known.
In short, Third Isaiah reminds the Hebrews that in the no-thing (Ain-Sof)
is limitless potential.
When the end has come and we are left with nothing, we can be certain that there will be something on the other side of the end. Getting to that other side, however, is everything but easy! In order to get to the other side of the end, we first have to be willing to let go. Not just “let IT go,” we have to LET IT ALL GO. We have to let go of our attachment to everything we thought we knew, thought we believed, and hoped for of our life before the end. We have to let go so much that there is literally nothing left – including (especially) our need to control.
As we are letting go, we have to grieve. We must grieve every loss, every old belief, every past relationship, every goal and every hope. In the grieving, we are supporting ourselves in healing from the loss and inner sense of betrayal that happens as we approach the end. Further, grief allows us to continue our emptying.
We must be fully empty, and fully immersed in the VOID before we can begin to receive anything new. In order to be immersed in the VOID, however, we first have to move through the sheer terror that comes with the VOID – and this is no easy feat!
As it turns out, our greatest fear is not of death,
but of the possibility that after life there is NOTHING.
This is the fear we encounter as we approach the void. When we allow ourselves to be fully present to that terror, we find comfort in the state of nothingness. It only in finding this comfort that we can begin to be open to something new.
This is what the Hebrews experienced in their return from exile. In being present with the no-thing, they began to be open to the Mystery revealing itself and to simply being present with what is in this moment. This is where we too are invited when facing the many endings of our lives – learning to be present to what is and simply being present to the mystery of life. This alone, we eventually discover, is really all there is, and it is enough.
It’s one thing to know about the teachings of Jesus. It is another thing to embody them.
For centuries, institutional religion has placed an almost exclusive emphasis on knowing about Jesus, about scripture, and about the teachings of the religion to which one belongs, while ignoring what Jesus himself modelled.
Knowing about something is limited to intellectual knowledge alone. One might be able to pass a written test on what Jesus said and taught. But can they live it?
More importantly, can they live it without having to be told, or because they’ve been threatened with damnation if they don’t. Actions that arise out of fear of threat, or because an outside perceived authority told us to are neither authentic nor sincere.
Embodiment transcends the limitations of doctrine and interpretations that have been handed down by an outside perceived authority. Embodiment clears the way for Love (God) to speak directly to our hearts, and in the way that is unique to each of us. Here we are able to access and live from the place of our own truth – not that which has been handed down by some outside perceived authority.
Jesus’ teachings were never meant to be intellectualized. His words were not meant to be blindly memorized and then spit out as proof that one is good at memorization. Instead, Jesus’ teachings were meant to be embodied in the same what that he embodied them.
Embodiment moves beyond the acquiring of knowledge, to the application of the teachings such that we are profoundly changed. In moving beyond knowledge to embodiment, we move away from the person that we were with our limited beliefs, conditioned fears, and unhealed wounds, and more and more toward Love. Love, in this instance is not an intellectual knowledge of, or idea about love. Instead, it is living as Love because we have turned Jesus’ teachings inward and have come to know, as Jesus did, ourselves as Love.
In the embodiment of Love, we move through life differently. We act, not because we are told or expected to, but because this is what Love wants from us. In embodiment, Love simply arises out of us naturally and without effort, because it is who we are and who we are meant to be.
How are you supporting yourself in being the embodiment of Love?
Supporting Embodiment
All of the online courses and trainings with Lauri Ann Lumby support you in embodiment. Utilizing mindfulness and creativity practices, you are supporting in moving beyond sheer knowledge, through transformation, and into the embodiment of each lesson. Check out the menu tabs above to learn more.
As much as Jesus’ teachings have been convoluted by institutional religion, I still consider Jesus to be my teacher, and find profound guidance and wisdom in his words – especially when understood through the lenses of scholarship and Love.
Scholarship provides us with knowledge of the times in which Jesus was living, the social and political environment in which he found himself, and the context in which the authors of scripture were writing. We cannot even begin to understand scripture without sound scholarship.
Love, as we understand it here, is our Source, our Cause, our Purpose, and our Mission – that which some have called God. When we allow ourselves to be fully open to Source/Love, we can see beyond the human constructs and conditioning that have turned Jesus’ words into the cause of division, prejudice, hatred, and pride.
The author of the Book of Proverbs was correct in acknowledging that “pride goeth before the fall (Prov 16:18).” It has been said that pride is the cause of our separation from God. More accurately, perhaps, we can understand pride as being that which has caused us to forget that we are Love, and in this forgetting, perceiving ourselves as being separate/rejected/forgotten by God. We might also understand pride as being the natural consequence of choosing the human condition and that it is out of pride that our original core spiritual wound arises, and it is out of that wound that all of our fears have arisen (See Authentic Freedom – Claiming a Life of Contentment and Joy for a deeper discussion on this).
Regardless of how we understand pride and its origin, the consequence remains the same. Pride is an obstacle to our knowledge and embodiment of Love.
Jesus spoke often of pride as an obstacle. Over and over and over, he admonished those in positions of perceived authority for their prideful behaviors. He called them out for drawing attention to themselves, lauding their religious or charitable actions, taking the seats of honor at banquets, putting themselves ahead of or over others, and for all the ways in which they made themselves appear special or better than others.
In contrast to Jesus’ warnings against prideful behaviors, he celebrated humility and acknowledged it as the greatest of human virtues. Over and over again, Jesus notes that “the last will be first,” meaning that it will be the humble who will remember their true nature, live as Love, and experience the contentment, peace, and joy that comes with that knowledge.
Jesus didn’t just preach humility. He embodied it. As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians:
Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Phil: 2: 6-8
Through Jesus’ spiritual journey, he came to understand himself as One with God and sought to support his companions in coming to understand the same truth. Remembering this Oneness is the “source of eternal life” and the “Kingdom of God” as Jesus explained.
Equality with God, however, was NOT something Jesus considered of himself, neither did he lead anyone down a path through which they might consider themselves equal to God. Instead, Jesus preached humility – the characteristics of which he described in detail through his teachings and provided by his example – echoed here by St. Paul.
Therefore, if Love is our intention, then humility must be our action.
In the Apocrapha of James (Nag Hammadi Library), Jesus makes a distinction between those who accompany him and those who pursue (follow) him:
“Instead of accompanying me, you pursued me.” – Jesus
Those who pursue (follow) are those Jesus identifies as:
Listening but not hearing.
Preaching but not living it out.
Memorizing but not embodying.
Chasing after Jesus as the cause of salvation without first being saved within themselves.
In this Jesus is calling out a kind of co-dependency among those who pursue rather than accompany – looking for an outside perceived authority to do the work of salvation for them.
In contrast, those who accompany Jesus, are known for:
Coming to know the Love that they are in Union with Source – as Jesus himself did.
Hearing Jesus’ teachings and applying them in their everyday lives.
Applying these teachings and in doing so, being transformed through the healing of separation and the return to Oneness.
Embodying Jesus’ teachings such that they understand that they are their own source of salvation.
Achieving the salvation that can only come from within, as Jesus taught.
Being that salvation in the world through the embodiment of Love such that others are inspired to discover and deepen that love within themselves.
Understanding that salvation is only the beginning of the journey. It is being salvation that the purpose of our lives is fulfilled.
We are all pursuers at some point in our journey, but the ultimate goal, as it relates to Jesus, is to accompany him on that journey of inner salvation, and then being that salvation in the world so that others too might know the fullness of Love that they are and be that Love in the world.
PS: We don’t have to call ourselves Christian or proclaim Jesus Christ as “our personal Lord and savior” to apply his teachings, thus embodying our original nature as Love. The Love about which Jesus spoke is universal and meant for everyone regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or nationality.
We find ourselves at a fragile time in our human history where violence and hatred seems to be more palpable and troubling. Please enjoy this FREE recording of the weekly spiritual service that I provide for the Order of the Magdalene Membership Community.
To learn more about our membership community and services provided there, please go HERE.
This morning I received an email from a dear friend. In her email she shared a news video of the October 30th “Not in Our Name” protest at Grand Central Station in New York City calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war against Palestine. Most of those attending were Jewish Americans speaking out against the war, asking for an immediate ceasefire and demanding freedom for Palestine. As American citizens, they condemned the use of US tax dollars in support of the war and implored the US government to stop its complicit participation in the ongoing oppression of Palestine, including the murder of thousands of innocent people. (Watch video HERE).
This is how Love calls us!
Love calls us to look beyond human made dividers such as religion, race, nationality, gender, orientation, and belief to seek out the path of compassion, peace, and justice.
Love calls us to bear witness to genocide, hatred, and injustice, and to speak on Love’s behalf.
Love calls us to listen deeply to the voices of the oppressed and to be their voice in the places where they are unable.
Love calls us to see beyond the pride of nationalism so that we might work together for the cause of peace and justice that seeks to support the dignity of all.
Love calls us to risk ridicule and condemnation from those who want us to remain silent.
Love calls us to see and point out the evils before us and to hold the purveyors of evil accountable – even (especially) when the purveyors are our own elected officials.
Love calls us to move beyond any conditioning that may have attempted to cast “the other” in the role of “enemy,” and to seek instead, the Love that dwells within all.
The protest at New York’s Grand Central Station is the perfect example of how Love speaks and the power of Love speaking. Jewish Americans speaking out against the oppression of Palestine and the violence being inflicted upon the innocent at the hands of the Israeli government. Jewish Americans speaking out against the US’s complicit participation in the oppression and genocide of Palestinians. Jewish American taking a stand for Love and calling for the freedom of those that another wants them to call enemy. Jewish Americans saying, “NOT IN OUR NAME.” Jewish Americans acknowledging that being pro-Palestine does not make one anti-Semitic.
Lauri Ann Lumby 