Info on
Painting at right:http://www.abcgallery.com/G/goes/goes6.html
Mary Magdalene either is pregnant or she is holding an “implied” invisiblemystery baby here! St. Margaret is standing on top of the dragon shefamously subdued and MM is holding her alabaster jar. St. Margaret seemsto be looking at MM’s gown — at her pregnant belly (or at an implied babyin MM’s arms). MM’s gown is gold brocade, a symbol for the lost bride anddaughter of Tsion in the Old Testament.
The woman and little girl shown at the bottom of the painting are the donors/ patrons whose family paid the painter or donated to the church where itis displayed (it’s the right panel of an altar, oil on wood). It was a commonpractice in those days to paint noble donors right into a painting with theirpatron or favorite saints. This mother and daughter are named Maria and Margarita(Mary and Margaret) so we can see why they wanted to be painted with theseparticular women saints.
LESSON NINE: THE HOLY NAME OF MARY
Read chapter nine and answer the following questions, sending to theAbbey Council with subject line: “MLL9 from ___________ (your magikal name)”
1. T/F Devotion to Mary Magdalene gradually grew to its height in the12th century.
2. Who are the two fish of the zodiac sign Pisces?
3. What number represents the name Mariam?
4. What does the number 192 mean?
5. Why is this significant?
6. What number associates Mary Magdalene with Sophia?
7. What are some of the associations and designations of the number7?
8. What astrological sign represents the Great Goddess?
9. Which Mary is understood to be preeminent in the Gospels?
10. What situation in the Gospels points out that Mary of Bethany wasYeshua’s wife? (See John 11.)
11. T/F Mary was called “the Magdalene” because she was from Magdala.
12. What does ‘magdala” mean?
13. What scripture verses refer to Magdal-eder?
14. Why would the writers of the Gospels downplay Jesus’s family?
15. What culture developed the resurrection prototype seen in the storyof Yeshua and Mary Magdalene?
16. Why does Paul ignore the stories of the Magdelene that the Gospelauthors include?
17. What does the number 153 indicate? Mention at least 5 things.
18. In ancient geometry, the vesica piscis shape was recognized asthe ________ or __________ of all other geometric forms.
19. In the early Christian story, the roles of _______ and ________were separate.
20. T/F Acknowledging Mary Magdalene as the bride of Yeshua would demoteMary Theotokos (the mother of Yeshua).
Questions by Deborah Diakonissa
