Youwill need the book,St.Mary Magdalene by Tau Malachi, (published January 2006)
Introduction Lesson (scroll down)
Cycle 1: Prophetic Revelations of the BridesBirth
Cycle 2: The Birth, Youth, and Early Life ofthe Bride
Cycle 3: The Union of the Bride&Yeshua
Cycle 4: The Holy Bride & theMysteries
Cycle 5: The Sacred Circle of theBride
Cycle 6: The Secret Gospel of Saint MaryMagdalene
A Disclaimer of Sorts: As ArchdiakonissaMagdala-Sophia and I were designing these lessons, we discussed the elementsof the book, and of Gnosticism, that we don’t agree with. We don’tagree MM was ever a whore, selling sex for money. Her being a prostitutehas long since been debunked and finally admitted by the Church. Ofcourse, all along the Gospels were clear she wasn’t a whore, since they nevermention, nor even imply it! But tradition is hard to buck, and themodern Gnostics fell for the whore aspect, unfortunately, even though ancientGnostics never did. Since modern Gnostics have MM as a prostitute,Tau Malachi as a modern-day Gnostic priest and bishop (a Tau) also includesthe prostitute myth. Unfortunately.
However. This is still a great, downright awesome, book. I was tellingMagdala-Sophia how inspiring just reading the questions are! I ampersonally amazed at how most anything Malachi writes resonates with me. I remember when this book first came out in early 2006, several OMMmembers got copies. Presvytera Ember said, oh, we’ve got to incorporatethis into our Order’s study program. Everyone else agreed, such isthe caliber (and beauty) of this work.
While Magdala Priestess Noor was also loving the book, she was at the sametime having a cow (Hathor the Egyptian cow goddess, no doubt) about the sexismlurking therein. She disapproves of terms like “the perfect pregnancy”and the idea that Magdalene was “fallen,” while Jesus was of the Light cometo elevate MM above her lowly station. Noor, like many others, doesnot like modern Gnosticism’s insistence Magdalene was aprostitute. Whoredom is something she got stuck with centuries afterher lifetime with Yeshua, and modern Gnostics thought they should try towork with it. They painted as positive a light as they could on it. Wellactually, being a Temple Prostitute would have been better than a privatewhore just doing it for the money, in my opinion. Wonder why the modernGnostics didn’t choose the Temple Prostitute “sacred whore” route to answerthe Prostitution question? Too bad. But also inaccurate. If onlythey would have just read the gospels!
Modern Gnostics also add “goddess” Lilith to Magdalene’s myth. TheLilith thing wasn’t something Magdalene was stuck with, but does representthe dark side of Woman, the Kali aspect, Jungian shadow, you know –feminine independence and survival instinct. The presence of Lilithin Magdalene’s story also assists the demon connection, since Lilith wascalled the mother of all demons and Magdalene was called a demoniac. Ipersonally don’t believe the Mary-Magdalene-was-possessed crap either, butthat’s a different argument the Gnostics didn’t create. Modern Gnosticsgrafted demoness Lilith into their myth of Magdalene, and the whole prostitutejunk, probably because it makes a great metaphorical teaching story. Theywanted “bad guys” and the “fallen nature” of humans to identify with anduse for teaching. We can’t accept all of modern (nor ancient) Gnosticismlock, stock and baggage. Too much of it is not historical. Wishwe could, but so it is. There is no one religious belief system wefeel comfortable accepting every bit of. That’s why we’re here in the mysteryschool, studying, contemplating, pondering, and always listening toour inner-resonance meter. We are forming our own spiritualsystem. No dogma, no set of facts cast in stone. Ain’t it greatto have freedom of religion…
Introduction Lesson
The Oral Tradition
Please read Part One of the Introduction and answer the following questions. Send to the Abbey Councilwith Malachi StMM Intro in the subject line.
1. St. Mary Magdalene appeared to the author wearing what color thatis also most associated with her?
2. What is another word for the Living Sophia?
3. T/F The Gnostic legends of Mary Magdalene are historically factual?
4. The Gnostic legends are akin to ___________ _____________ or ________________________ through which knowledge, understanding and wisdom might bebrought froth from within oneself.
5. In the end, what we believe or disbelieve, as a spiritual personmust be shaped by what?
The Sophian Tradition of GnosticChristianity
Please read Part Two of the Introduction and answer the following Questions. Send to the Abbey Councilwith Malachi StMM Intro B in the subject line.
1. T / F The Gnostic view of Christ is similar or the same as allother orthodox and fundamental forms of Christianity.
2. In the Gnostic view, Yeshua was born with a lofty soul. Was hehuman?
3. Who Christed Yeshua?
4. What is salvation through Gnosis?
5. T / F Christos or the Light-presence isnot isolated to Yeshua, but is within each of us, equally.
6. In the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas we are told that Thomas isthe “twin” of the Living Yeshua. Does this mean he was his brother? Why orWhy not.
7. Who is the first Christed woman?
8. T / F In the Sophian perspective, the life-power is equal in bothmen and women.
9. From what does the Light of the Christos flow?
10. From the love-play of Yeshua and Mary Magdalene
11. T / F Both the Logos and Sophia need each other in order to becomplete.
Questions by Archdiakonissa Magdala-Sophia aka MaryEllen Stover(Mariyel)
