Magdalene Musings

The Face of the Beloved

2011-06-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

I would never have known the face of the Beloved,

Had I not spent so much time in the dark.

‘Twas thru the nights spent clinging to His hand

That I learned the feel of His touch.

“Twas thru the years of straining, listening for His voice

That I learned the sound of His call.

Oh, dark night, an enemy me thought,

Rich treasures you award.

I would not know the face of my Beloved

Had I not spent so much time in the dark.

Uncertainty

2009-04-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

Oh, Uncertainty, my lover, my friend,
What a partner you are.

Dancing with you, stepping on my toes,
Bumping into one another, twirling in opposite directions.

How fitted we are each for the other
Neither knowing the left from the right.

Our dance--so amusing to those who look on.
Which way are they going?

Only God knows!

Where Wisdom Dwells

2009-02-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

Can you allow the voice of wisdom to speak through you?
Can you open your heart to hear her song?

Do you look to others to know the truth?
Do you not see the answers in the mirror of your soul?

Wisdom longs to speak through you.
She desires to dwell in you.

Others must find wisdom for themselves.
Let her truth find root in your being.

No Matter

2008-11-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

No matter that I am a woman
and that makes me less than human in the eyes of some;
No matter that my story will go mostly untold.;
No matter that the stories
are all of men that surrounded Jesus;
No matter that the religious institutions
don’t allow women to teach;
No matter that the relationship
of greatest importance is not spoken of;

No matter for the truth
is written indelibly in the hearts of women
throughout all ages and all times.
No matter for the love of God
surpasses all prejudices, all history, and all slights.
No matter for the record stands in the heavens
as to the truth of All That Is.
No matter for day by day
our lives can testify to greater truths.

The Longing of the Heart

2008-08-10T12:36:00.001-07:00

What is the longing of the heart?
Except to be known,
To be filled with love,
And to love?

What is the breadth of the spirit?
The heights to which it can soar?
The extent to which it can expand?

Infinite. Eternal.
Dying but to be reborn.
Ending but to begin again.
Ceaseless ebb and flow,
As the waves of the ocean.
Galaxies spinning into eternity.

Dance With Spirit

2008-07-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

It is dark and all is quiet.
All I can hear is the beating of my own heart,
the quietness of my breath,
and a rustle of wind in the branches overhead.
I try to sit quietly
as I anticipate the arrival of the Beloved.
Beautiful thoughts of love
fill my mind and warm my heart
as I think of the joy that the Spirit brings.

There is a feeling of warmth
and then I am in the presence of the Divine.
Ah, my whole heart is filled.
The air is fragrant with the smell of summer.
Roses give off their scent as a gift.
All nature sighs with rapture
as a sense of oneness permeates everything.

Communion, intimacy, wholeness, and healing—
all are gifts brought and exchanged.
Devotion, love, warmth, and insight—
the intimate dance steps of Spirit and matter.
The breath of life is intermingled—
the mortal with the Divine.
Oh, I am loved,
nourished, cherished, and restored.

Listen With Ears That Have A Heart

2008-07-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Along the dusty footpaths we walk,
Past the craggy trees and windblown knolls.
Mystery stalks our path,
Unknown answers, untried ways.
Which direction will we turn?
Which pathways will we trod?

Destiny calls us to try something new,
Tradition beckons, ‘stay the course’.
Imagination tickles our nose,
Fear catches in our throat.
‘Hither, hither’ a whisper calls.
Hesitant, we wonder, ‘Do we go on?’

Fate has called us.
Our ancestors have prepared us.
Wisdom desires that we hear.
Nature cries out, hoping we respond.
‘Listen, Listen with ears that have a heart.’
‘Listen. Listen with ears that have a heart.’

The Sanctuary of Silence

2008-06-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

The dusk settles like a shroud under the willow trees.

Listening, I nestle into the silence, covered as by a warm blanket.
In the quiet a symphony plays, it is the music of my soul.

Hushed, I dare to breathe lest I miss a note of its beauty.
Hovering, the wind whispers in my ear.
Dew kisses my cheeks and the wet grass washes my travel worn feet.

The silence sings in harmony, one note in tune with another.
Images, like birds glide and dive before my eyes.
Mystery unfolds like an ancient rite, and I am breathless,
Taken in wonder at the dance of the Eternal.

The Soul's Longing

2008-05-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

A sweet fragrance wafts through the door of my heart,
Calling me, enticing me to investigate.

What messages of beauty are there for me?
Beguiling, seducing me with mystery?

Angelic, heavenly, Spirit-filled longing,
Windows into the portals of infinity.

Lovely, fragrant, eternal, growing—
A seed dies bursting into expansiveness.

My soul grows into a sense of knowing
There is so much more yet to be.

Letting Go

2008-05-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

It seems that to move forward,
one always has to be letting go.
Letting go of old ideas,
old limitations,
old ways of thinking,
old ways of feeling,
old ways of being.

Letting go of stuff, things, possessions.
Clearing out. Spring cleaning.
Dusting off.
Putting away.
Moving beyond.

At the same time,
honoring all that has been,
holding nothing in resentment,
forgiving, releasing.

Like the ocean waves
with their rhythm and tides,
moving in and moving out.

Come Grow Wise With Me, The Best Is Yet To Be

2008-04-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

As my skin softens and my wrinkles deepen,
May the wisdom
Of my experience
Be seen in my face.

May my eyes grow softer
And be filled with a great knowing.
May they reflect the love
That fills my soul.

May my countenance embody the depth
Of all the emotions
That have shaped my life—
The good and bad,
The happy and sad,
And everything in between that
Has created the beauty of who
I am ever becoming.

May the joy of the dance of life
Be a light that shines from me
And give hope to all who travel this path
Of aging to saging.

The Voice of the Beloved

2008-03-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

It was the worst morning of her life.
Exhausted, grief-stricken,
and alone.
Her beloved has been executed.
The one on whom her whole life has depended
is gone.
The one who had given her hope
when all hope was lost,
that gave meaning and purpose
where there had been none,
the one who was everything in the world to her,
dead.

She stumbles to the tomb.
It is empty.
She can see nothing but loss.
Frightened, grasping,
and weak
she turns and is met by a man.
Questioning,
she pours out her story.
Stopped by the call of her name,
she is transformed.
Clarity, wisdom,
purpose, meaning,
joy, belief,
understanding,
and healing
are carried in that one word
and all becomes clear.

Darkness to light,
fragmented to whole,
opaque to clear—
all are accomplished with the call of her name.
Mary.
The Beloved speaks to her soul
and knowing is accomplished within her.

The Appeal Of Mary's Life

2008-03-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

The life of Mary Magdalene has generated much interest.

One of the reasons

I believe that it holds such broad appeal

is that she was the recipient of unconditional love.

The scriptures record

that she was cleansed of “seven demons”.

Her story is one of total, unconditional healing.

There are many myths and stories

about whether she was an immoral woman

or whether in fact she was the perfect apostle.

I believe that we can safely

hold both ambiguous ideas in mind at the same time.

In fact, her legacy almost requires that we do.

Don’t we all hold within ourselves

the sense of great inadequacy

and at the same time such great potential?

Her life seems to encapsulate both of these conditions.

She therefore represents our own longings and desires

for unconditional love,

healing,

and wholeness.

We see her as the be-loved of the Beloved.

She represents the Bride.

The Christos Sophia.

Metaphorically, we are all the Bride of the Beloved.

As a representative of the Divine Feminine,

she also represents the wounded feminine within creation.

As she is once again noticed

and appreciated within ourselves,

it helps to restore and heal the feminine within All.

As we grow in our own healing,

the desire to give of what we have received

also grows within us.

We become channels

of the same love that has made us whole.

If you feel the pull of the Magdalene energy,

which I believe we all do at some point,

you are feeling the pull of unconditional love

and desire to be filled with it

and to share it with others.

There are many other qualities that she embodies.

The conversation will grow

as you contribute your own sense of what this means.

Esther--Wisdom's Voice

2008-03-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

Esther was a young Jewish girl

who was living as a captive in ancient Babylon.

She had lost her parents

and was looked over by her uncle, Mordecai.

Eventually, she was recruited

to be in a beauty pageant for the king,

as he was looking for a new queen.

Evidently, she was quite beautiful

because she was selected as the new queen.

She never revealed to the foreign king that she was Jewish.

As the story unfolds,

we find that she and her people are condemned to die

because of the jealousy

of one of the king’s dignitaries of her uncle.

She puts her life on the line

to skillfully expose the plot of the evil Haman

and her people are delivered.

It is the basis for the Jewish holy day of Purim.

Courage to risk the disapproval of the king,

courage to face the unknown,

courage to live in a heathen palace

were all demonstrated by the young Esther.

She represents the face of Wisdom—the Divine Feminine.

By relying on the power and wisdom of the Spirit

she was able to move through her fear

and the unknown

and become the vehicle for healing and protection

for a whole nation.

She represents the path that we may all follow

in moving through this life beyond our fear and challenges.

By asking for Wisdom

to be a part of our daily life

we may be assured that the Spirit will live through us.

We will receive healing,

not only for ourselves,

but will also bring healing to the world.

Healing Spaces

2008-03-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Living in our hectic world

we need a healing space in which to grow.

Many times we don’t heal because our space

does not protect us from negativity and fear.

As long as we live in an environment

that is hostile to our healing,

we stay stuck.

Workspaces, relationship spaces, spiritual spaces,

and home spaces

are all an important part of our journey here on this earth.

We have a lot of power in choosing

and shaping our spaces,

but we often times pretend that we don’t.

When we deny that we have chosen

and created our spaces,

we give our power away.

Do you live in a healing space?

If you don’t, you will sense it on some level.

You will have a great yearning for something

that maybe you can’t put your finger on.

You might spend a lot of time convincing yourself

that you love your space.

If you don’t have a good workspace

or relationship space

or spiritual space

you may be afraid to do anything about it.

Maybe your religious beliefs have convinced you

that you can’t change your space.

One of the fundamental spiritual principles in God’s universe

is free choice.

When we find that something is not working for us,

we have the freedom to move on to a different choice.

There are always consequences for our choices,

but we are always free

to make changes.

This is the key, the secret,

to moving forward on the spiritual path and to healing.

We have to be willing to change

what is not working for us.

We have to listen to the still,

small voice of Spirit

and be willing to act on her promptings.

Our happiness and wholeness are indicators

of the quality of our environment.

We must learn to listen carefully

and follow the joyful path of Wisdom’s voice.

Divine Healing

2008-03-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

Love is so powerful that it possesses healing properties.

It is a powerful energy.

We experience healing from the healing power of God’s love.

This was the basis for the miracles of Jesus.

The power of love flowed through his heart

and as people reached out to him for help

the healing compassion of God’s love performed a miracle.

We think of miracles as events that are out of the ordinary

and yet we are all familiar with love.

What we are not so familiar with

is love so great and so powerful

that sickness and darkness flee from its presence.

Love heals.

It is the basis for all healing and all miracles.

It is Divine Magic.

Although we may not posses the power of God’s love,

we can learn to be vehicles for healing love.

When we open our hearts to our Creator

and when we volunteer to be used for a channel of love,

God will begin to work through our lives

to bring love and healing to others.

Our job is to keep our hearts open towards God

and towards others so that we won’t let our own unloving thoughts

or behaviors block this channel of healing love to the world.

This is why our spiritual practice

and remaining in active service to others is so important.

They both keep us connected to our purpose

and mission to be a vehicle of healing love to the world.

As Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 13, the love chapter,

we may possess all manner of spiritual gifts,

but if we do not have love,

the others are pretty much useless—just a clanging gong

—a noise in the world.

Religion, when devoid of healing love is just that

—a whole lot of noise and commotion.

To revitalize your own experience with God,

seek to know love,

to be filled with love,

and to share love.

You are then on the path of becoming a Divine healer.

Love Inspires

2008-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

What are you afraid of?

Fear stops us from doing many things.

Oftentimes we are worried,

or afraid of what other people will think of us.

When we worry too much about what others think,

we are trapped by fear.

Sometimes we are afraid of change.

We don’t want to do something new or different

because we are afraid that it won’t work out.

We would rather stay stuck in our current problems

than to face the fear of the unknown.

Sometimes we are afraid of failure.

We don’t want to face the consequences

if our endeavors don’t turn out as we hope and plan

and so we never begin.

Fear prevents us from experiencing a larger life.

Fear is a thief and robber.

Fear shuts out love.

Fear keeps us stuck.

Fear imprisons us in a cell of our own making.

Mary’s anointing the feet of Jesus

is a story of courage and moving beyond fear

—fear of what others thought,

fear of doing something radically different,

and fear to be misunderstood and to fail.

It is a story of radical courage and strength

and it was made possible because of love and devotion.

The same is true today.

We may move beyond our fears when we are motivated by love.

Love for God inspires us,

fills us,

and moves us forward.

Love will take you places nothing else ever can or will.

A Bountiful Harvest

2008-02-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

It is harvest time in our world.

What that means to you will vary depending on your belief system.

To me it means that it is time for the words and works

of Jesus to come to fruition,

it is time for the Kingdom of God to manifest in our lives.

Jesus spoke of a middle way of being in the world.

His words and works spoke of balance and equality.

He spoke against the domination society

that he lived in and tried to awaken within people

a desire to learn a new way of being and doing.

The domination culture that he lived in

was one that had been taken over by the Romans.

It was an oppressive culture

and there were a few who had much

and many who had little.

The kingdom that Jesus spoke of

was one where everyone had enough.

Jesus was not so much interested in material equality

as he was in spiritual equality.

He taught that if you sought spiritual enlightenment

that everything else would follow in its path.

He taught that all people,

male or female,

slave or free,

had access to the teachings of the Spirit.

The domination culture of today

is one of materialism and of doing.

We are too busy to take time to stop

and learn of spiritual things.

We are victims to our over-commitments

and rushing about.

For the kingdom of God to manifest in our lives today,

we have to learn to be still

and learn about our spiritual nature

and of God’s plan for our lives and our planet.

Mary sat and learned at the feet of Jesus.

He called this the better part.

Let’s take a page from the lesson book of Mary and Jesus

and make time for the Kingdom of God in our own lives.

It will bring about a bountiful harvest.

Women in Ministry

2008-02-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

In conservative circles,

the ordination of women into ministry is still a hot topic.

Some of the world’s major religions still exclude women

from serving in this capacity.

If Jesus were here today

how do you suppose he would view the issue?

It seems that there were a lot of women involved in his ministry

here on earth.

Ironic isn’t it?

One of the things that Christ accomplished in his life

was to build a bridge back to God that had been lost

because of man’s fall.

This fall resulted in an imbalance between men and women.

Part of what Christ was doing in his earthly ministry

was to re-establish equality between men and women.

He did this by example.

Women played a major role in his ministry.

It is the subsequent record of scripture that fails to speak

more about the role of women.

The person entrusted with the resurrection story was a woman.

We discover through the Gnostic Gospels

that were written during a similar time period

to the canonical gospels

but were subsequently lost,

that the male disciples still had a difficult time overcoming

their cultural biases towards women

and that they found it difficult to believe that Jesus

had entrusted important truths to a woman.

So, here we are 2000 years later, arguing over the same things.

When are we going to truly listen to the Master’s words

and begin to follow the essence of his teachings?

At the heart of Christ’s teachings

is the theme that each person is a precious child of God.

One is not more important than another.

No gender is superior, no race is better than another,

and every soul is gifted to serve in a unique way.

The heart of Christ’s message is love.

Let’s put the heart back into the body of believers.

Begin At Jesus' Feet

2008-02-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

Isn’t it interesting that religion is so much like it used to be?
I think about the time of Jesus
and the way the church was then.
It is very similar today. In fact, it is almost exactly the same.
People dress differently now.
They drive cars instead of ride donkeys. They mostly ride rather than walk.
And folks in general have a lot more stuff.
But the attitudes are remarkably familiar.

This is especially true within conservative circles
that pride themselves in their knowledge and beliefs.
The religious teachers at the time of Christ
felt that they knew exactly what the Messiah would look like when he came.
He stood right in front of their faces,
and they accused him of being the Devil.
Today, religious leaders talk a lot about Christ,
but if he were to come to their church, they would eventually throw him out
thinking that he was a spiritualist
in league with Satan.

Jesus performed miracles 2000 years ago,
but there were many who were never healed
because they didn’t trust where his power came from.
Today, almost no one is healed or is able to heal others
because they do not trust that the Spirit can still do mighty things today.

Isn’t it interesting that we have learned so little?
Perhaps sitting at the feet of Jesus
with the humble mind of a beginner is a good place to start.
Nothing else is really very important.

If Mary Were Alive Today

2008-02-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

If Mary were alive today, what would she be like?

Would we love her the way we think we do?

The scriptures record her as a very real woman

with a very real past.

I’m not so sure she’d be at the top of everyone’s social list.

Don’t get me wrong,

I think it’s lovely that people like her now;

it’s just that I’m not so sure they loved her then

as much as we do now.

Women weren’t particularly thought of that highly anyway.

In fact, there were probably many reasons

that she didn’t quite fit inside the parameters

of the roles of women of her day

And she was, more likely than not,

left out more often than included.

Of course, we never treat women that way today.

We have grown, have we not—beyond

jumping to conclusions and making judgments?

Today we understand that life is a journey

and that our many experiences prepare us to serve in the world.

We allow all people latitude on their journey

And we practice grace in our relationships with others.

Well, in lieu of accomplishing total acceptance

at least we honor those who are dead,

like saints and such.

So if Mary were alive today,

I wonder how she might see the world

and how we might treat her?

Perhaps we might use our love for her

and our understanding of her life

to learn how to love and accept others.

In reality, what we love about Mary

is that she represents us all.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Completely whole.

Fully loved.