While researching genealogies in my previous working life I came across a death certificate for my grandfather (FF) which indicated that his mother was named Mary Magdalene. This was a wonderful surprise as I have always been interested in the life and story of Mary Magdalene and I in reading this I wondered about my great grandmother’s life and if the name she carried had impacted her.
According to history, Mary Magdalene was Mary of Magdala, a city in Galilee, located in the northernmost region of ancient Palestine (now northern Israel). According to the Bible, she was one of the earliest followers of Jesus of Nazareth, travelled with him, witnessed his Crucifixion and was one of the first people to learn of his Resurrection.
Over the centuries, everyone from early church leaders and scholars to novelists and filmmakers have revised and elaborated on the story of Mary Magdalene. On one hand, they downplayed her importance by claiming she was a prostitute, a ruined woman who repented and was saved by Christ’s teachings. On the other, some early Christian texts depicted Mary Magdalene as not just a mere follower, but Jesus’s trusted companion—which some interpreted to mean his wife. [1]
Recently I came across a book by Ishtara Ammuna Rose entitled Mary Magdalene : The Way of the Rose. The theme of ‘roses’ has always been prominent in my adult life, especially at important initiations or rituals and the connection between the familial name Mary Magdalene and the Rose felt quite profound.
The book explores what it calls “the way of the rose teachings” and the calling for female empowerment, not only as a struggle for equality, where women have had to become like men, but into an awakening towards embracing a more authentic whole femininity.
Recently in my healings the theme of imbalanced solar energy (male yang), which is characterized by domination, competition, constant striving and over achievement and the neglect of the more feminine (moon or lunar) aspects of wisdom and intuition have been highlighted.
Regardless of gender within each of us, man or woman, is contained both male and female essence, or if you like, it can be called sun and moon, yang and yin. Therefore the way of the rose is not about gender but about the female ways, the way of the Divine feminine within both men and women.
Current world political leaders are clearly demonstrating this imbalance of yang energy with distorted qualities such as competitiveness, jealousy, narcissism, aggression and so on being displayed.
COVID-19 has brought about an enforced rebalancing, embracing and honouring of the moon qualities such as rest, going within, inner wisdom and relearning of our connection to nature and the natural rhythm and cycles of which we are a part. Particularly the lunar womb cycles, which is why I have decided to create a monthly support group to honour our place within these cycles, which in turn will help heal ourselves and hopefully the mess that a patriarchal world has created.
[1] https://www.history.com/news/mary-magdalene-jesus-wife-prostitute-saint