St Mary Magdalene Read online

  One evening he went into a cave to pray, meditate, and contemplate the mysteries of heaven. He drew a circle and sat within it. Inwardly, he chanted the Great Name of God. Suddenly, an angel from the order of Kerubim' appeared at the mouth of the cave to stand guard, and a light shone from the back of the cave, as though a door to paradise had opened. In the light, Jeremiah glimpsed the image of Adam Ha-Rishon, the first human being. He beheld this person of Light become a man and woman of Light, and it was a beautiful and glorious vision of perfection. Then, behind the man and woman of Light, the supernal archangel Metatron2 appeared, and fire and light filled the cave. A heavenly voice proclaimed, "Look! The Anointed is coming and will soon arrive, and in the body of the Anointed a new creation shall come into being!"

  With these words, the true form of Metatron was revealed to Jeremiah. Hearing these words and seeing the awesome glory of the archangel, his soul leapt out of his body, as though at the time of death. A great host of angels carried his soul in ascent through the seven heavens, from one to the other, as though through chambers of a palace of lights. In his heart he cleaved to the Holy One, undistracted by any lesser glory. He was taken up in Divine rapture to the threshold of the Supernal Abode and there was met by the spirits of Elijah and Enoch,' from whom it is said he received secret teachings. Then the vision of the throne of the Holy One appeared. A great luminous assembly of righteous spirits and holy angels of countless orders appeared gathered around the throne, and Jeremiah gazed into the countenance of the One-Who-Sits-Upon-the-Throne. From the heart of the Holy One upon the throne, who is the image and likeness of the glory of Yahweh Elohim,4 a great light emanated, and it became a man and woman of Light, the image of Christ the Logos and Christ the Sophia.

  A great procession formed, escorting the twins of Light in descent through the heavens and realms in between, as they made their way to earth, in which the soul of Jeremiah was caught up. A heavenly voice said to Jeremiah, 'Bear witness to the Great Seth,' the Anointed, and the mysteries of what shall come to pass!" So it was that the soul of Jeremiah was drawn in descent with the Light-presence and witnessed the Light-presence transform to assume the appropriate appearance, resembling the beings dwelling in each dominion through which the Anointed passed. He witnessed the gestures and heard the words by which the way was opened, and knew inwardly the mysteries of the coming of the Human One into the world. He saw the man of Light enter into the world and the woman of light enter into the world after him. Then the heavenly voice said, "And so it shall come to pass; and so it is done!" All good spirits and heavenly hosts rejoiced and gave thanks and praise before the presence of Yahweh,' above and below.

  The soul of the prophet was returned to his body, although he lay as though dead until daybreak. When he arose, he gave praise and thanks unto the Holy One of Being, and sang and danced with great joy in the presence of the Lord. The Spirit of Yahweh was upon Jeremiah and led him to the town of Magdal,7 to the family into which the Holy Bride would be born. The mother of Our Lady believed the man of God, for she had heard of the wonders he performed, and she rejoiced in her heart. However, when the father of Our Lady heard the prophecy of a holy and anointed child, he assumed a son like King David was to be born to him, and he lusted after the wealth and power that would some day come to him. Jeremiah blessed the mother of Our Lady but did not correct the assumptions of her father, nor did he bless him. Then Jeremiah departed and went his way, knowing his soul fulfilled in bearing witness to the coming of the Messiah. Shortly thereafter Jeremiah died; his life's mission was complete and there was a greater blessing in store for him. For it is said that his soul swiftly reincarnated to be a disciple to the Anointed, and many say it was as St. Philip that he returned, one of the disciples faithful to Our Lady.

  When it came to pass that his wife gave birth to a daughter and not a son, Mary's father was angry and cursed the Lord, believing the man of God a deceiver. On that very day, he decided to find a wealthy man to marry her, with the intent of sending her far away as soon as she came of age. For he thought to himself, "Even a daughter can be a boon!" He would never come to know the holy soul living in his midst, for his mind was of the world and his heart was hardened. Yet, the mother of Mary believed her daughter was a holy person, although she would not speak what was in her heart; neither when the time came would she protect her daughter. For as much as she felt her daughter was holy, she too was a woman of the world and loved things of the world. Thus, she believed a marriage to a wealthy man would be in her daughter's best interests.

  The Prophet Who Was Slain

  It is said that the archangel Gabriel8 appeared to another prophet of the time to disclose mysteries of the coming of the Messiah. First, Gabriel spoke of the mysteries of the Bridegroom; then he began to speak the mysteries of the Holy Bride. When the prophet heard of a holy woman, he thought Gabriel was a demon deceiving him and he called upon the name of the Lord to banish and destroy the deceiving spirit.

  When the prophet did this, Gabriel transformed into a great dragon and devoured the prophet, for it was the prophet who was the deceiver and who refused to receive the Wisdom of God. This we know from a disciple of the prophet who witnessed the event and was touched in the head thereafter, but whom later the Holy Bride would heal.

  The Old Woman

  An old woman of the town of Magdal saw a vision of the birth of the Holy Bride, and she rejoiced in the beauty and perfection of womanhood she beheld. From that day on, she held the Holy Bride close in her heart. She dreamed many dreams, saw many visions, and experienced visitations by holy angels. The people of the town thought the old woman had gone mad and paid her no mind. When she died, she was taken in joy by the angel of Sophia, for she had grown wise.

  The Vision of Miriam's Well

  A woman in Judea, who was a known prophetess, saw that Mother Mary, the Mother of Yeshua, would rediscover Miriam's well.9 Legend says that, when the prophetess Miriam died, a great angel hid the well on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In her vision, this holy woman saw Mary find it.

  This woman knew Mother Mary and she spoke her vision to her. When Mary heard it she said, "The water of the well will be my son, and the well will be his bride." It was by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Mary said this. Both women rejoiced together and gave praise and thanks in the presence of the Lord, the Holy Shekinah.10 It was on account of this that Mary recognized her daughter-in-law when they met, for from that day she dreamt of her.

  Women's Intuition

  When Mary Magdalene was in her mother's womb, many women recounted dreams and visions after coming around her. Often women would say to her mother, "Your child is going to be special," while others would say, "The child in your womb is a holy soul." Mary's mother felt this was true, for while Mary was in her womb, she, too, dreamed heavenly dreams and, in her dreams, experienced the visita tion of angels. Yet, truly, Mary's mother did not know what to make of all of this, for she had never been inclined to the spiritual world. She was uplifted and experienced joy in her pregnancy, and she welcomed her daughter with great affection. Many say she was conflicted all of her life regarding Mary. For she could not dismiss her spiritual experiences and yet neither could she fully accept them. Thus it was a troubling in her soul all the days of her life. In truth, her soul was not of the lofty grade of Mother Mary. She had a soul of admixture; therefore, she could not fully know her daughter as Mother Mary knew her son. Indeed! The matrix through which Mary entered into the world was very different than the matrix through which Yeshua ' enteredblessed be the Bride in her strength to overcome!

  Pagan Seers

  There were many in the holy land who received prophecy about the coming of the Anointed. There were also seers in foreign lands who saw visions of the Anointed and the coming of the Bride. In the new land to which Magdalene would later travel after the events of the Gospel came to pass, many holy women saw visions of the Anointed and Holy Bride. Because they were pagan and worshipped the Great Goddess, they b
elieved she was the incarnation of the Goddess. Therefore, they prophesied of a great holy women and goddess who would come among them and who would teach them a new way of the Mother. For this reason, many years later, when St. Mary Magdalene came among them with her son, bearing the presence and power of Christ the Sophia, she was swiftly received among these people. All along, they were expecting a Light-bearer in a female form, and the Divine Mother was already known and accepted by them to some degree. These people were said to have lived in what has become known as southern France.

  Visions of the Young Maiden

  A young girl was experiencing dreams and visions of the Bride. She beheld a woman of light passing through realms of shadows and shades and down into the abodes of Gehenna, from one gate to another, down into the deepest pit of darkness. There, she beheld the Holy One slain. She wondered at what she saw and questioned the Spirit of the Lord, saying, "How can this be, that so bright a light shall fall into so great a darkness?" The Mother Spirit answered her, saying, "So it is with the human ones. All are souls of Light and are bound to a great and terrible darkness. So it is that God's Wisdom shall enter and become as they are to enlighten and liberate them. God's Word shall enter and take up Wisdom, that all might be set free. Unless Sophia drew near, how should it be that any might receive God's Word? Is it not she who sees and hears, touches, tastes, and smells, and therefore knows by way of him and he by way of she? From the beginning, it has been ordained, for she has led the involution of souls and he shall lead the evolution. Yet, she shall be the fruition of all, having come into the depths so as to know the heights." Being a sister of the Holy Bride, the young girl understood the Holy Spirit and received comfort from her. Blessed be She-Who-Understands, for she is as our Holy Mother.

  The Annunciation of the Bride's Birth

  Gabriel went to Mother Mary and announced the conception of Lord Yeshua, he who was conceived by the love of Joseph and Mary. It is said that the Holy One of Being also sent Gabriel to the mother of Mary Magdalene, but she was neither able to see nor to hear the archangel because she was blind and deaf and dumb to the spiritual world until the holy soul of the Bride was fully in her womb. So it is with mothers and their children, some are in harmony and some are in opposition, and it all transpires in the Great Mother.

  The Mother's Inspiration

  Mother Mary visited Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and it is said that the prophet leapt in the womb of Elizabeth when his disciple, who would become the Messiah, drew near. The Holy Mother also sought to visit the mother of the Bride and she set out to do so, for the Holy Spirit revealed the lights of the Gospel to her. Yet, along the way, a great angel with a sword appeared to Mary and asked her, "Mother of Righteousness, what are you doing?" She said, "Archangel, you know. I am going to meet the mother of my daughter, even as I have met with the mother of my twin son. It is ordained that I should know all of my children." The angel then said to her, "Yes, Blessed Mother, what you say is true, but until it is time, the Light and Fire cannot be mingled, and the Queen of Heaven ought not be brought into a house of darkness, sorrow, and suffering. You must turn back and let your daughter come to you, where you dwell, as it is ordained." So the Mother turned back and never went to see the mother of the Bride, for Mary lived surrendered to the Holy One of Being and knew well the wisdom of God the Mother.

  Notes

  1. Literally, "strong ones."

  2. An archangel associated with Enoch in legend, and is said to be set above all angels.

  3. Two characters from the Old Testament said to have ascended without experiencing death; also personifications of the spirit of the prophets and spirit of the initiates, respectively.

  4. Typically translated "Lord God," indicates masculine and feminine aspects of God.

  5. By esoteric implication, Seth means the "Light of the Cross."

  6. Literally, "That Which Was, Is and Forever Shall Be."

  7. Hence the name "Mary Magdalene"; Mary of Magdal.

  8. Literally, "the strength of God"; archangel associated with the moon and the elements of water.

  9. According to legend, this well was said to magically appear wherever the Israelites wandered in the wilderness of the desert and was connected to magical powers attributed to the prophetess Miriam.

  10. A Hebrew term for the feminine presence and power of God, often called the "Consort of God" in Kabbalah.

  11. Aramaic for "Jesus," the meaning of the name is "Yahweh delivers."

  The Eve of Birth

  't. Mary of Magdal was born on the eve of the Holy Shahbat,' coming forth from her mother's womb just as the sun set in the gate of the west, at the time when the Tzaddikim2 were out welcoming the Queen of the Shabbat.3 Though none who were in the house where she was born had eyes to see the luminous assembly gathered within and around the house, there was a holy man praying in an orchard who beheld a great fire and Light come upon the earth, and he knew the Supernal Kingdom had come. Because it was the Shabbat, however, he could not travel, but he tended to the Shabbat as a faithful lover of the Beloved. Needless to say, the holy man was filled with great joy and expectation and pondered the meaning of what he had seen.

  That night, when he was with his wife alone and honoring the Holy Shekinah with her, he had a vision of the Queen of Heaven and her Daughter,4 yet he saw a great divide between them. He told his wife what he had seen. Like him, she was bewildered. She also had seen a vision, but what she saw was Eve and Liliths and the great divide between them. She shared her vision with him, and he was even more startled.

  At midnight, as was his custom, he arose from his bed, but on this occasion he had not slept, for as much as he was filled with joy, he was also filled with fear and trembling. It was as though his whole body was on fire. Thus, he sought to unify the Great Name,6 one letter to another, and kept vigil until the time of morning prayer. When the sun rose on the day of Shabbat, another vision came to him of the Anointed in whom the Queen of Heaven was joined with the Bride and a Great Light shining in the world. So it was that, at each time of prayer, the Divine vision progressed, until at the close of the Shahbat he glimpsed the world to come.

  Now, the man had his heart set on going to find the place where the Queen of the Shabbat had blessed the world. Yet once the Shabbat passed, for the life of him he could not intuit the place and the Spirit would not show him. He said to his wife, "We have glimpsed the Eternal Shabbat," and she agreed with him. She said to him, "Yes, for I saw Eve and Lilith united, and Eve restored to her place, and all souls gathered once again into the body of the Human One, all a single one."

  Although neither wise men nor prophets came to the birth of the Holy Bride, there is no doubt many holy men and women perceived signs and wonders on that Shabbat. It is by grace that this story has come down to us. As it turns out, this righteous man and woman conceived a child on that Shabbat eve and she was among the women disciples of Yeshua and Mary. Some say that she was Salome,8 the wise one.

  Disturbance of the Archons

  The Bridegroom was invisible to the archons,9 but the Bride was visible. Therefore, when the Bride was born, the archons were greatly disturbed. They feared their dominion of the world would soon come to an end. Thus, on the eve of the Bride's birth, they blinded everyone who was near. The archons hardened the heart of her father and dimmed the wits of her mother so that Mary might be cast out under their dominion and her holy soul might not enter into her. Indeed! They sought to steal the power of her soul unto themselves, so that the Soul of the World and the Light of humanity would be their own. Because they were bound to the demiurgos,10 they did not know that they served the Holy One in secret as they laid their plans and began their pursuit of Sophia. In fact, she was a distraction to them; for in pursuit of her, they did not see Logos taking root in the world and thus did nothing to stop the Divine plan until it was too late.

  It has always been this way since humankind has walked in the world. The demiurgos and archons cloud the minds of
human beings so that they cannot see the divinity within themselves and remain as beasts of the field, driven by hidden spiritual forces. Many speak of the dangers of Satan," the great adversary, but the greater danger is the demiurgos and archons, whose influence is not so easily recognized as is true evil and darkness. So from the eve of her birth, the archons stalked the Holy Bride, seeking to defile and dominate her.

  Beauty Concealing the Soul

  Even as a little baby, St. Mary Magdalene was beautiful, and her intense beauty only increased as she grew from year to year toward maturity. Everyone who saw her loved her, men and women alike, because of her amazing appearance. Her complexion and form were flawless. Her olive-tone skin set off her green eyes, so that they shined like emeralds. If anyone became caught up in her gaze, they could not look away until she broke off her glance. Although gazing into her eyes and experiencing her enchanting charm, no one could see past her beauty into her heart, mind, and soul, in which there was a far greater beauty and glory. This was her plight, that no one could see her and no one knew her. Inwardly, she was alone and could not be herself. She was an object of desire. The grief and pain of this imprisonment haunted her throughout her youth and early life.

  The Family Interest

  Mary's father was a wealthy merchant and trader. In those days, a beautiful daughter was a great boon, for the giving of a daughter in marriage was the way contracts and treaties were sealed between men of different families, tribes, and lands. Seeing the beauty of Mary, from early on he planned her marriage to a wealthy Jewish trader living in Babylon. He made certain Mary was well educated and learned proper etiquette, as well as all the crafts of a good wife and everything that would be pleasing to a powerful and wealthy man. Although, indeed, he knew he would have to provide a dowry, he also knew it was an investment that would return to him a hundredfold or more.