To say this week has been intense would be a profound understatement. This morning is the first in many days that I feel somewhat human. Based on reports from the field, I’m not the only one.
Collectively, we have been cast into the depths of the patriarchal wound. Patriarchal wounding began the day humanity set aside THE MOTHER in favor of the punitive father where both the Holy Feminine and Holy Masculine were deprived of their power in favor of the toxic human.
The toxic human seeks after power – no matter the cost. People of all genders are guilty of this toxicity and it is this toxicity that has caused the destruction of our planet and all the ‘isms known to humankind. Toxic humanity gains its power through fear, manipulation, guilt and shame. Toxic humanity will be the death of our species if we don’t do the work of transforming it.
Transformation of toxic humanity is exactly what many of us were cast into this past week. For many, this work of transformation began through our own triggering event – experiences that caused us to feel powerless, disappointed, despairing, devastated, or angry due to actions brought forth through another acting out the patriarchal paradigm. We can be assured that when our triggering results in an inner devastation (for example) that feels disproportionate to the event, that we are being invited to not only transmute this wound for ourselves, but for the collective.
In my own deep dive I found myself alternating between writhing in agony and raging at the injustice. Fortunately the Universe knew I would be called to this and sent me several significant supports. Most noteworthy was a deep encounter with THE MOTHER.
THE MOTHER is the source of all that is. She is the primordial Creatrix and how Source was recognized and honored before the patriarchy captured humanity’s devotion. The Mother is black, representing the VOID/DARKNESS out of which all creation emerges – The Mother’s womb, and black to represent the geographic seat of humanity’s origin. In the spiritual tradition of my primary teachers, The Mother is known as The Shekinah.
Reclaiming THE MOTHER is one of the ways in which we can restore humanity to its original nature as loving, caring, and peaceful creatures living in harmony with the earth and one another. Archaeology supports the idea of a time when humanity lived as one, and the common spirituality of the tribes who lived in this way, was recognition and honor of The Mother. The Mother predates humanity’s creation of hierarchical gods and goddesses along with all the religions that divide. SHE simply is.
I can’t describe exactly how this happened, but accepting and embracing The Mother has completely transformed my experience of The Divine. No longer is the patriarchal father whispering shame, guilt, or threats of punishment in my ears. Instead, I find myself resting in the comfortable abundance and safety of The Mother’s womb. Here I’m reminded that all our needs are being abundantly provided by The Mother, and there’s nothing we need to do to get those needs met. In the same way that it is true for a babe in its mother’s womb, the nourishment, support, love, protection, and peace we all need is simply given to us by virtue of our connection with Source and this nourishment and support comes unbidden and in exactly the way that we need it for our soul’s wellbeing.
Embracing The Mother supports the transformation of the patriarchal wound within us while creating a ripple effect that begins to transform the patriarchal wound within humanity. It’s not something we can make happen, however. The Mother will come to us in our own unique way and as we are ready to receive her. We can, however, prepare for her arrival by identifying the patriarchal wounds within us and begin the work of transmuting them so we can create room for The Mother’s appearance.
Mary Magdalene speaks to all of humanity about the current state of our consciousness revolution. We are at a time of swift endings and great new beginnings. We are observing the crucifixion and death of all that has been built on fear, power and control, as we are ushering in the second coming of humanity – the birth of the age of love and a joining together in unity consciousness. She invites us all to step forth out of the tombs we have created for ourselves which have been made of our hesitation and fear and into the love we were meant to be.
My dear sisters and brothers,
Thank you for joining with me in celebration of Resurrection. Two thousand years ago, I stood at the entrance of the tomb into which we had laid my Beloved, Yeshua and beheld the miracle and the truth of resurrection. Whether you believe in the literal truth of Yeshua dying and rising from the dead, or prefer to think of it more as a mystical or metaphorical event, it matters not. Yeshua proved to all that fear (death) has no power over the original nature of the human soul which is LOVE. Yeshua showed us, through his own example that the path to resurrection (freedom and love) was in conquering death (fear).
Yeshua was a normal man who discovered the keys to transcending the inherent suffering of the human experience – how to move beyond the fear, perceived separation, false perceptions and ego attachments that are the cause of human suffering and toward the peace, love and joy that are our original nature. In this state of peace, we are whole and we know that we are One – within ourselves, with our Divine Source, with each other and with all of creation. This is the truth that Yeshua promised would set us free. The resurrection was proof that what Yeshua taught was true. He then ordained me, Mary, given the title Magdalene, to share the message of the resurrection with the other disciples and with all who would listen.
Today, we commemorate the proof of LOVE – that fear/death has no power over the LOVE which made us and which is our true origin as unique expressions of our Mother/Father God. We are the Divine seeking its expression in the world. As such, we were meant, not to live in separation, but as ONE HUMAN RACE working toward the goal of love for the common good of the all. When we come to know this sense of Oneness within ourselves, all separation falls away – we are no longer separated by gender, race, nation, religion, politics, sexual orientation, or by any of the infinite number of ways in which human beings, living in fear, create separation between ourselves and our fellow human beings. We are one species, one world, one universe. When we know this truth, we work for no other purpose except for peace and harmony between, not only all human beings, but all of creation. We live as ONE, partaking of the great abundance of this Mother Earth, working to ensure that the needs of all are met – not just the needs of a powerful (fearful) few.
This is the time we have all been waiting for. It is here. Now. Our children have spoken and that which has been built on fear, power and control is in the midst of its own self-destruction. Very soon (in this moment), Love will reign. This is the Second Coming Yeshua promised – not that which has been spoken of by those who have misunderstood Yeshua’s words. Yeshua will not descend upon us in a fiery cloud. Instead, the Second Coming is when the Christ (the Divine spark of Love that has lain dormant in humanity since the moment we chose separation over love), is awakened and born in each and every one of us. You might call this heralded time Ascension, Enlightenment, Nirvana, the Death of the Kali Yuga, the Kingdom of God, the New Age, the Age of Aquarius. The name matters not. What matters is that you/we are all awakening to the Unconditional Love that we are and that we were born to know in the midst of the human experience. It is here. It is now.
As this is the Second Coming of the Christ, it is also the Second Coming of the Magdalene, for I am the Christ. Unlike my Beloved who ascended to the plane of Divine Oneness, I have remained with you my sisters and brothers. Present with you throughout these millennia, hidden away in the secret, mystical, contemplative, shamanic, esoteric, magical traditions of the West and in the East. Speaking and whispering into the hearts of the mystics. Reaching into the consciousness of your prophets, activists and holy people. I am the voice of Wisdom. I am the Sophia. I am the Great and Dark Mother, awakening you out of your complacency and into the Light. I am compelling you to seek love, to demand peace, to work for justice. I have been with you, silently guiding you through the truth that dwells deep in your heart – the place where you know what is right and good and merciful for the all. I have never left you, but have remained until what Yeshua envisioned came to pass. The time has come. The time is now. This is what we celebrate on this Resurrection Day…not the rising of Yeshua from the death….but YOUR rising from the dead! Awake my sisters and brothers. Come forth out of your tombs. Accept your calling to be vessels of the Divine, turning our world from fear into love.
In honor of today’s Easter celebration, I’m sharing an excerpt from the Gospel of Mary (Magdalene). In Mary’s gospel we see the full extent of how she counselled and taught the other disciples. She was their teacher after Jesus’ death.
“Impose no law
other than that which I have witnessed.
Do not add more laws to those given in the Torah,
lest you become bound by them.”
Having said all this, he (Jesus) departed.
The disciples were in sorrow,
shedding many tears, and saying:
“How are we to go among the unbelievers
and announce the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man?
They did not spare his life,
so why should they spare ours?”
Then Mary arose,
embraced them all, and began to speak to her brothers:
“Do not remain in sorrow and doubt,
for his Grace will guide you and comfort you.
Instead, let us praise his greatness,
for he has prepared us for this.
He is calling upon us to become fully human (Anthropos).”
Thus Mary turned their hearts toward the Good,
and they began to discuss the meaning of the Teacher’s words.
In this lesson, we explore the four gospel accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus. When read side-by-side, what immediately becomes obvious is how much these four accounts differ from one another. Did an angel appear first, or Jesus? Did Jesus appear at all or did the disciples only witness an “angel” and an empty tomb? If Jesus did show himself, to whom did he appear – Mary Magdalene alone, Mary in the company of other women, Peter and/or the unnamed disciple?
First Witness
Modern-day scripture scholars have helped us to understand the marked differences between the four gospels, not just in the disparity between the resurrection accounts, but in all that differs from one gospel to the next. A few bullet points to help us understand this disparity:
In the first three centuries after Jesus’ death, hundreds of communities developed around his teachings, each led by one of the original disciples (with the exception of St. Paul) or others who closely followed Jesus, and their subsequent followers.
Each of these communities had their own version of the Jesus story and his teachings.
These stories were not written down until 30-70 years after Jesus’ death. These writing were derived from oral tradition first (think of the telephone game) and it is unlikely that they are first-hand accounts.
These stories were written by a specific author, speaking to a specific audience, desiring to make a specific point. For example, the gospel of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience and attempts to prove, through the use of Hebrew scripture references, that Jesus was the foretold and promised Messiah.
The literary genre of the gospels is unique unto its self, yet is consistent with the Jewish practice of Midrash – an interpretive and reflective narrative meant to plumb the deeper spiritual meaning within a religious text or teaching. In other words, the gospels were never meant to be taken as literal truth.
Only four of these hundreds of communities’ versions of the Jesus story made the “cut” and were included in what we now know as The Bible. This decision was first asserted by Irenaeus in the second century because these specific books supported the political agenda of the emerging Church. This decision was verified in the fourth century after Christianity was named the official religion of the Roman Empire, because these writings supported the political agenda of the Roman Emperor, Constantine.
Many of the stories contained within the books that “made the cut” were redacted (altered) to fit the specific agenda of the emerging Church, first, and later, the Roman Empire (more on this when we discuss the gospel of John).
The bottom line is that we have no way of knowing the literal truth of any of the gospels, only that they communicate stories that were handed down for many years before they were written down by specific people for a specific audience, based on what they remembered or, more likely, what they wanted their audience to believe about Jesus, his life, and his teachings. That is not to say, however, that the gospels do not contain deep and profound truths – especially when we extract the gospel stories from the doctrine that has been developed around then, bringing them into our own prayer, and allowing God to reveal the truths contained within the stories that are personally relevant to us in our own journeys.
Teacher
Beyond our own personal reflections on the gospels, there are a few things we may be able to surmise from the texts, especially for our current purpose of understanding what might really have taken place during the events surrounding Jesus’ resurrection.
In each and every gospel account, Mary Magdalene is named as one who is witness to the resurrection. The same cannot be said of any other “named” witness.
Scripture scholars further highlight this point in noting that Mary is named. Scholarly consensus holds that for a woman to have been named, she must have had a central and critical role in the story of Jesus (remember, women had no personal value within the culture of first-century Palestine). Mary is named in every gospel account of the resurrection, including that portrayed in the Gospel of Mary Magdalene (one of those that didn’t make the cut).
Beyond being named in scripture as witness to the resurrection, Tradition has always honored Mary Magdalene as first witness to the resurrection, so much so that in the very early Church, Mary was identified as “Apostle to the Apostles,” for this is what she was.
“But what about Peter?” we might ask. He is named in both the gospel of Luke and the gospel of John. There is an easy explanation for Peter being named in Luke’s gospel. Scripture scholars tell us it is unlikely that the author of Luke was a direct follower of Jesus. Instead, Luke was most likely a follower of St. Paul, who actually never met Jesus personally. Paul (as Saul of Tarsus) was initially a persecutor of the followers of Jesus, himself ordering the stoning of St. Stephen, the first martyr. Paul later had some sort of mystical experience through which he encountered the risen Christ and then became a champion for the Jesus cause. Paul likely gained his knowledge of the Jesus story from Peter and the other male disciples who presided over the first Christian community in Jerusalem, long after Mary Magdalene left the scene (more on that in the next lesson). By this time, it is likely that the Petrine (Peter) agenda had already been cemented within the Jerusalem community. Because Mary played such an integral part in the resurrection experience, she could not be omitted altogether, but her role was easily downplayed by having Peter, himself, witness to the empty tomb.
Then there is the gospel of John. John’s gospel is markedly different from any of the other gospels and seems to be of a genre unto itself – a gospel that is a theological reflection on the first 100 years of the Jesus movement and on some of the traditions, rituals, and practices that had already become part of the emerging Christian tradition. While one of the later gospels written, John’s gospel also possesses parts of the Mary Magdalene tradition that are not present (or are downplayed) in the other gospels including the Wedding at Cana, the story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well and the Anointing at Bethany. In regards to the story of the resurrection, John’s gospel presents a study in contrasts. First, Mary goes to the tomb. She then runs to tell Peter, who comes to the tomb to see that it is empty. After Peter (and the unnamed disciple) departs Mary sticks around and has a direct and personal encounter with Jesus, who then tells her to go tell the other disciples.
Mystic
John 20: 1-18
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
The conflicting information in this gospel has confounded me for years, until I brought this reading into deep prayer and meditation. Through this approach, the answer became glaringly obvious. The gospel of John contains two separate stories of the resurrection account – one in which Mary is the witness, another where Peter is given privilege. It is my personal belief that the passage regarding Peter was inserted into the Mary story to suit the later Christian Church (second – third century) who sought to put forth a decidedly patriarchal and hierarchical agenda and who had already designated Peter (in tradition if not in fact) leader of the early Church and the first Pope (Historically, Peter never acted in any role similar to that of Pope. There is also doubt as to whether or not he actually made it as far as Rome). Within this agenda, there can be no room for a woman who was obviously commissioned to a leadership role by none other than Jesus, himself. But, don’t take my word for it. Go back and re-read the resurrection account from John – first including the text highlighted in red, then without that portion of the text, and then decide for yourself.
The Magdalene Priestess Training with Lauri Ann Lumby:
has its roots in the original teachings of Jesus* which Mary, called Magdalene fully embodied and was then ordained by Jesus to go out and teach others. These are the teachings which support people in becoming self-actualized, fully embodying their inherent Divinity within the human experience.
This training is unlike any other Magdalene training as it is deeply rooted in canonical and non-canonical scripture, scholarship, contemplative practice, and developmental psychology. The Magdalene Priestess Training with Lauri Ann Lumby provides the resources, support, and tools through which you will become fully sovereign in your unique giftedness and calling and empowered to live that out for the sake of your own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world.
Format: 50 weeks of coursework plus 5 one-on-one sessions with Lauri Ann Lumby, OM, OPM,MATS, course creator and facilitator.
With TexASS and FloriDUH leading the charge, the United States is once again having to confront the reality of a very vocal minority seeking to control what information and knowledge children have access to in the public areas of libraries and schools.
In a recent study, it was determined that TexASS has banned more than 800 books in 22 school districts, closely followed by FloriDUH at 566 books banned across 21 districts. As an advocate of our constitutional right to freedom of speech (which to me implies freedom to read what I want), and as one who believes the decision to monitor a child’s reading lies in the hands of the parents, I am vehemently against banning books. Furthermore, history has shown us that banning books is a tool of fascism, albeit an ineffective means of control.
That being said, I am proud to be an author whose books have been banned! WHY? Because the first thing thinking adults do when we learn of a book that’s been banned, is to go out and buy, and then read it! We want to know what the fuss is about, while also giving the finger to those who attempt to control our access to information.
To my knowledge, my books have not been banned by any school districts or libraries. Instead, they have been condemned and therefore banned by the Catholic Church! Could there possibly be a better endorsement than to have one’s book banned by the great and powerful Catholic Church!? As a recovering Catholic, I consider this to be the best of all possible endorsements.
The presiding bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, for example, once told a friend and colleague that all of my books and anything I have created is forbidden to be used in his diocese. I laughed when I learned of this. Then I wept for my friend who had spent a year attempting to get permission to teach myAuthentic Freedom curriculum at her local parish. The bishop strung her along for a year before dropping this bomb. Apparently, the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her parish priest as a child wasn’t enough of a trauma. The bishop decided to heap on a bit more. (IMO, there’s a special place in hell for men like this!)
If the Church is willing to ban Authentic Freedom (a phrase inspired by Pope John Paul II himself!) for challenging the concept of original sin and providing people with the tools (inspired by the Catholic Contemplative tradition) to be free of the fears and compulsions that keep them from knowing they are LOVE, then you can bet they have banned my novel, Song of the Beloved – the Gospel According to Mary Magdalene.
Song of the Beloved shares the fictional (based in canonical and non-canonical scripture) story of Mary, called Magdalene, and places her in her rightful role as devoted student, companion, and partner to Jesus (yep – that Jesus!). Mary, once healed of her childhood trauma, is depicted as an eager learner, and empowered leader in her own right, and the one Jesus ordained to continue his ministry. I may have also suggested that they might have been married and (ahem) had sex. Yeah….the Church would definitely ban this book if they’d read it.
Then there’s Only One – the Secret Teachings of Mary Magdalene, which among other things, proposes that Mary, called Magdalene may have had a hand in facilitating Jesus’ resurrection – as Jesus had done in raising Lazarus. Definitely blasphemy!
Finally, there is Christouch. Christouch is my response to the United States Council of Catholic Bishop’s prohibition statement against Reiki. This prohibition was executed directly in response to my work (and other Catholic women like me) as a Reiki practitioner and inspired by the local diocese’s decision to lead the charge. In Christouch, I lay out the scriptural foundations of healing in the way that Jesus did, and the command he issued to his apostles to go out and heal. Christouch further provides a protocol for embracing that call to be a vessel of God’s healing and the foundational knowledge to further that calling. Christouch directly confronts the Catholic Church’s contention that only priests can be a vessel of healing through the laying on of hands. To this I say: READ YOUR SCRIPTURE!
In short, I believe we are gifted with a brain to reason and discern our own truth and to exercise that truth regardless of what institutional authorities might suggest otherwise. In my case, I say, “go ahead and ban my books, it just makes people want to read them.”
Lauri Ann Lumby
is a writer, author, educator, and mentor who has supported individuals in their journey toward self-actualization for over twenty-five years. Out of the Shadows is Lauri’s most recent and eleventh published work.
You can reach Lauri directly at lauri@lauriannlumby.com.
We cannot look to Mary Magdalene as an example of Divine Feminine power without giving honor to Jesus – the man who supported her in becoming self-actualized and who then ordained her to share her gifts in the world. Jesus became self-actualized and sought to teach others how to achieve self-actualization. Moving beyond doctrine, Jesus and his teachings provide a model of psychological and spiritual development through which we are empowered to become self-actualized and through which we are able to be freed of the obstacles which prevent us from reaching our full potential as human beings.
Two thousand years ago Jesus died and rose from the dead. Just as quickly as he rose, the patriarchy killed him again. The patriarchy killed Jesus when they:
Changed his message –
From love to fear.
From Oneness to separation.
From an unconditionally loving God to one who condemns.
From peace and harmony to conflict and war (in his name!)
From a community that treats all human beings as equal, governed by collaboration and cooperation to one rooted in white, male privilege; governed by fear, power and control.
From welcoming all to the table to only those who believe as we want them to believe and who are “in good standing.”
From a movement within Judaism to a new and separate religion.
2000 years ago, Jesus died and rose from the dead. And 2000 years ago, the patriarchy killed him. I now want to share my part in supporting the movement of reclaiming Jesus, and Mary Magdalene with him, as authentic models for self-actualization and teachers of the means of getting there by offering you this excerpt from my novel, Song of the Beloved – the Gospel According to Mary Magdalene:
On the morning after the Sabbath, I awoke before dawn in the same way that I had every day after Jesus healed me and raised me from the death in which I had existed. Upon waking, I expected to feel nothing but the numbness of the days past. I expected to desire nothing but to roll over and return to the world of sleep. Instead, I felt the urge to resume my ordinary routine of morning meditation in the garden. I arose and proceeded into the garden to the bench I had shared with Jesus every morning for the past three years. I approached the bench and lovingly ran my hand over its marble seat recalling what Jesus and I had shared in this sacred space. The grief of this loss suddenly overtook me and I collapsed on the ground as my tears splattered over our bench.
As I knelt beside the bench weeping with head in hands, I felt a faint shift in the air around me. I lifted my head slightly to see if perhaps Lazarus had come out to join me. As I looked up, my heart leaped into my throat and ceased beating. My beloved Jesus stood there before me. I rubbed my eyes to make sure it was not some trick of the rising sun, but there he was as real as he had been all those past times in prayer and even more so, he stood before me in flesh and blood.
I stood and reached out to embrace him, to feel his skin on my cheek, and he opened his arms to return my embrace. We had held each other for but a moment, when Jesus gently pulled away. He took my face in his hands, lightly kissed me on the lips and said, “Mary, I am with you always, even until the end of time and it is time for you to come into your own power, to embrace your own Christhood. In this, I must ascend. And, you must not cling to me so that you too may rise. You must go to my brothers in Jerusalem to let them know I have risen and you must explain to them its meaning.” With that he kissed me again on the mouth. “Mary, be empowered in the flame of the Shekinah, God’s Holy Spirit.” He departed from my sight as quickly and as silently as he had arrived.
I stood there in silent wonder. Even death had no power over my beloved. As sure as he had been here just one week ago, he stood before me again. I felt his touch, the brush of his lips on mine, the comfort of his embrace. Just as suddenly, he was gone. I inhaled deeply in the hopes of comprehending this experience and the cock crowed. I remembered Simon’s denial of Jesus and was provoked by Jesus’ words, “Go to my brothers in Jerusalem.” I ran into the house to be greeted by Martha, Salome and Lazarus’ sleepy faces. “I have seen the Lord. He is risen just as he said he would.” I ran to each of them in turn, took their hands in mine, and looked into their eyes, “It is true. He has conquered death. He came to me in the garden. He is risen!” As I relayed the message to their open minds and hearts, they were able to see the truth as I had witnessed it. As a group we embraced in celebration. “We must go to Jerusalem! Jesus instructed me to tell his brothers there that he has been raised from the dead.” We immediately departed for Jerusalem where we knew the Galilean disciples stayed in hiding.
Through the Order of the Magdalene Priesthood Training, we hope to restore women and men to their rightful place within Jesus’ vision for humanity as empowered individuals fully living out both their Divine and Human natures as love. The Magdalene Priest and Priestess Training continues the work of Mary, called “Magdalene” as ordained by Christ by empowering you to live out the fullness of your unique giftedness – both for the sake of your own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world.
50 weeks of coursework
5 individual online courses at your own pace
Facilitated interactive discussion
Magdalene Activation
Magdalene Ordination
plus 5 one-on-one sessions with Lauri Ann Lumby.
The Order of Magdalene Priestess Training
has its roots in the original teachings of Jesus* which Mary, called Magdalene fully understood and which were then formalized into the meditation, contemplation and service practices of Western Monasticism, specifically those favored in Benedictine, Franciscan, and Ignatian spirituality.
Included Coursework (if you have taken any of these courses, contact Lauri to have your course fee applied):
The purpose of this course is to reveal and share in the deeper and hidden truths about the Magdalene and her time with Jesus; including her roles as student, initiate, co-equal partner, wife, facilitator and witness to the resurrection, and the one sent to continue Jesus’ mission of being love in the world. Participants are empowered through the course to reclaim their own Divine Feminine and are activated to be a vessel of Divine Love in the world.
Discover your own unique gifts—the gifts you have been given to experience meaning and purpose in your life and through which you will find fulfillment for yourself and in service to the betterment of the world.
Learn the seven core fears that prevent you from being your most magnificent and fulfilled self, along with proven tools for moving through and overcoming those fears.
Learn and apply the Aramaic Prayer of Jesus as a powerful tool for moving through the fears and inner obstacles for living your truth and fulfilling your life purpose.
Exploring the Enneagram as a tool for self-empowerment and as a resource for balancing your fear-based perceptions and behaviors, ultimately harnessing your Soul’s purpose as a reformer, helper, achiever, muse, sage, strategist, enthusiast, champion or peacemaker.
Beyond the trappings of pop-culture commercialization, the Kabbalah is an ancient and sacred system of mysticism firmly rooted in Judaism, whose origins may truly precede the culture which embraced and then formalized it. Like the mystical beliefs and contemplative practices of Christianity, the Kabbalah has been guarded for centuries by those who could comprehend and responsibly employ her teachings and practices. The Kabbalah is at once a theology (a study of and discussion about the Divine), a cosmology (an articulation of how the universe is ordered), and a developmental psychology (the study of human nature and how to support its development). The purpose of the Kabbalah is to support us in coming to know ourselves through our intimate understanding of and relationship with the Divine and to support us in becoming our most authentic selves. In this, the Kabbalah is at once a guide and a tool.
Unfortunately, human beings have twisted the meaning of the Kabbalah as something to use for their own personal gain – to get what they want by using the Kabbalah as a tool of magic. This was and has never been the intention of the Kabbalah. While the Kabbalah can be thought of as a system of and for the purpose of magic, this is true only when we understand how magic is defined in the authentic Kabbalistic system. The magic brought about through the proper study of and engagement with the Kabbalah is Union – Union with the Divine, Union with ourselves, Union with each other and Union with all of creation. In this, our true Divine nature becomes fully embodied and fully engaged in our human form. The earthly goal of the Kabbalah is Malkuth – what Jesus referred to as “the Kingdom of God.”
Kingdom of God, however, is an error in translation. Being feminine in form, Malkuth can more accurately be described as the Queendom of God – or more accurately, The Bride. The fulfillment of the Kabbalah is the revelation of the ineffable Source (Keter) through The Bride (Malkuth). It is only in knowing and embodying The Bride that the Source can be known and fulfilled. In the passion play lived out through Jesus and Mary Magdalene, Jesus was the Son (Tiferet) and Mary Magdalene was the Bride.
Mary Magdalene and her beloved Jesus provide the archetypal examples of the fulfillment of the Kabbalah. Through diligent study of the Kabbalah and applying its principles in their lives, they ascended beyond the ignorance of the human condition to discover their true, Divine nature. They then brought that Divine nature into their human experience through the process of descent. Through the process of descent, they faced their demons, unhealed wounds, past traumas, unacknowledged fears and societal conditioning so that they could fully embody LOVE, thereby fulfilling the mission and purpose of their Soul. Mary Magdalene and Jesus both became fully Divine and fully Human which is the goal of the Kabbalistic process.
Learn more about the Kabbalah and its connection with the Magdalene through these courses. Click on the image to learn more and enroll.
13 Lessons including “Putting on the Red” final ritual
Created and facilitated by Lauri Ann Lumby, OM, OPM, MATS
Mary Magdalene and the Path of the Holy Bride provides an opportunity to discover, learn and embody the path completed by Mary Magdalene in becoming the Holy Bride.** The Holy Bride is the fulfillment of the journey of merging with and embodying the Divine – both for our own sake and in service to the betterment of the world.
Explored through the lens of the Divine Feminine and gathering from traditional and gnostic scripture in partnership with the Jewish mystical tradition of the Kabbalah, you will learn the path that Mary Magdalene followed in becoming the Holy Bride. Like Mary, you will discover the deepest secrets hidden within these sacred texts of becoming The Holy Bride and you will be given the resources, tools and support to need to grow in that journey of becoming.
Course Outline:
Week One: Introduction to the Course
Week Two: Mother of the Living
Week Three: The Sophian Mysteries
Week Four: Immaculately Conceived
Week Five: Logos
Week Six: Full of Grace
Week Seven: The Fierce Mother
Week Eight: The Holy of Holies
Week Nine: The Bridal Chamber
Week Ten: The Dark Mother
Week Eleven: The Shekinah
Week Twelve: The Holy Bride
Week Thirteen: Putting on the Red
**Contrary to popular belief, the Holy Bride has nothing do with the human construct of marriage or sexual union.
Lauri Ann Lumby 