The Magdalene Mystique - The Path Inward

The Friday group reading The Secrets of Mary Magdalene was lively in its study of Chapter 2. We want to include you in our conversation so below you will find quotes from the book we spontaneously selected to discuss. Also you will find some thoughts and questions that came up in our conversation. If you are keeping up with us in the reading, if not but have a view you want to express, I hope you will enter into our on-line conversation.

Our discussion from The Secrets of Mary Magdalene (Chapter 2 “Embracing the Traditions of Women and the Sacred”) centered upon the following:

From When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone:
Quote: ‘The archaeological artifacts suggest that in all the Neolithic and early Chalcolithic societies the Divine Ancestress, generally referred to by most writers as the Mother Goddess, was revered as the supreme deity.”

Discussion: There was doubt among members of the community as to the validity of this claim. More importantly it was felt that within our Magdalene Communty we are trying to avoid the exclusivity of one gender.

From “Sex n the Temple,” an interview with Nancy Qualis-Corbett:

Quote: “The sacred prostitue, perhaps an initiate, could experience the fullness of womanhood, her feminine nature awakened to life. The element of divine love now resided in her.”

Discussion: Questions came forth from the community such as

“Was the “sacred prostitute” a man-made concept?

Would an initiate or goddess even want to experience “the fullness of womanhood, her feminine nature awakened to life” this way?

Shouldn’t we stop including the name of Mary Magdalene when the word prostitution comes up?

What is the relationship between goddess worship and the worship of the Magdalene Community?

From : “Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Union,” an Interview with Margaret Starbird

Quote: “In Luke, the women seem to be demoted from active participants in the movement to “ministering to/providing for them out of their goods.”

Discussion: We centered our conversation about the meaning of “from their means” and although the gosepls seem to add that phrase causally, we might be looking at the backbone and strength of the survival of the movement.

Let us hear from you. Many blessings of peace for this week. margaret starbirdmerlin stonesacred prostitutemary magdalene