The Full Pink Moon is happening this weekend - alongside a solar flare AND the Christian festival of Easter.
This Full Moon is in Libra - the scale. A wonderful gift from our Creator that reminds us to shine a light on both sides of every situation. Weigh your options and your responses carefully…
Should I stay or should I go? I will be singing this gem from The Clash all weekend!
Gather your journaling tools and invest some time with these journal prompts.
If you have time, set up your space with a candle and/or incense. Take 3 cleansing breaths to center your thoughts. I love Meggan Watterson’s guided breathwork here.
What new things/people did I let into my life this last month?
How do they make me feel?
I am proud of myself for stepping into my power when _____________.
A beautiful blessing to speak out loud:
‘Every moment, I walk into my dream life. I surrender to the road and the process. I release all energy that no longer serves me or my highest purpose. I rejoice in the freedom as I distance myself from energies that no longer match my highest vibration. I am grateful for the lessons learned in my past challenges and now call in abundance and positivity for the month ahead.”
Beloved, be sure to set out your water vessels, baubles, journals, pens, skincare, and other creative items to charge under the divine moonbeams!
In honor of the Easter aspect of this weekend, along with my love of rituals and passion for telling the story of Mary Magdalene to anyone who will listen - this post is also dedicated to her and the Red Egg.
This weekend, disciples of Jesus - those who truly, deeply follow The Way he taught while walking this planet - celebrate the resurrection. It is a weekend filled with reflection and celebration of miracles and a reminder that the same power that conquered the grave is also inside each of us… on Earth and it is in Heaven.
Over the years, I uncover more and more about Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala. Since I was a young girl, she has always had a special place in my heart. I can remember the joy I felt when the pastor would read that SHE was the first one Jesus showed himself to after the resurrection! A woman! Mary is mentioned 12 times in the New Testament - making her the second most mentioned woman, after Mary of Nazareth.
I voraciously consume books about her life, including my favorites "Mary Magdalene Revealed" by Meggan Watterson and Dr. Karen King's The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle. There is also a chapter dedicated to her in Sophie Bashford’s book “You Are A Goddess”. Molly and I talk about her on Spill the Tea ALL THE TIME. You can catch some of those episodes here.
As I confidently step into embracing and becoming a feminist theologian (which means I read and engage with Scripture through the eyes of a woman) I am constantly in awe of the stories hidden from me - until now. While researching Mary Magdalene's life and other female disciples - I’ve learned so many stories left out of the formalized Christian Bible by the Nicean Council - comprised of men on a mission to conquer and control.
For instance, unlike other women in the Bible, Mary of Magdala is not identified in relation to another person; she is not anyone’s mother, wife, or sister. Instead, she is called Mary of Magdala, a title that implies some prominence in the city, a center of commercial fishing on the northwest bank of the Sea of Galilee. She left her home to follow Jesus, and it is believed she was among several well-off, independent women who financially supported Jesus’ ministry.
It is thrilling learning the other side of the story - the half not represented in the books the religious leaders chose to represent the stories and teachings. I finally feel that longing in my heart is being filled. It is indescribable.
I think a lot about Mary Magdalene and how during this last week, her Koinonos (Greek word for companion) and Rabonni (teacher) was arrested, tortured, and crucified for His beliefs by political and church leaders. Her beloved Jesus walked this planet showing everyone living and those not yet conceived The Way. I imagine how they must have looked at one another with so much love and longing and deep suffering... it’s heartbreaking and so divinely beautiful - all in one. It was Mary’s deep abiding love for Jesus that kept her standing there at the foot of the cross, weeping and grief-stricken until her koinonos took his final breath. It was the heartbreaking pain of loss that drove her to his tomb at the first light of day in order to anoint his body.
She is the person to whom Jesus first appeared on Easter Sunday morning.
She was the very first witness of the Resurrection.
It was Mary, a woman, who went and told the Apostles that Jesus had risen from the dead; for this, she is called "Apostle to the Apostles". In the Gospel of Philip we read “The Lord,” he says, “loved Mary more than the disciples and he often kissed her on the mouth …” And Peter said, “Sister, we know that the Lord has loved you differently from other women. ‘he said to you, which you remember and we do not know about … […] Is it possible that the Lord has spoken with a woman about secrets we do not know about? […] he really chose and preferred to us?“
She clearly held a special place in Jesus’ heart and soul.
I've also learned how she continued her mission as an evangelist, contemplative, and divine mystic in the heart of the early Christian movement. Yes, a woman was preaching, although you would never know it sitting in most church services still today. (hard eye roll)
According to tradition, after Jesus' Ascension into heaven, Mary Magdalene boldly presented herself to Emperor Tiberius Caesar in Rome to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, with a white egg in hand to illustrate her message. “Christ is risen,” she said. “New life rising from a sealed tomb, just as new life rises from a sealed egg.”
The emperor mocked her and said Jesus had no more risen than the egg in her hand was red. Immediately, the egg turned red as a sign from God to illustrate the truth of her message. The Emperor then heeded her complaints about Pilate condemning an innocent man to death and had Pilate removed from Jerusalem under imperial displeasure.
Thus, why we color eggs!
This weekend, I will be dyeing eggs red in the traditional Greek way - with onion skins. I will lovingly wrap them with herbs before submerging them. You can see from the image of the ones I made last year here how stunning they are. They truly take my breath away.
You can join me if you wish. Direction here.
I will close with this soulful plea.
Please do your own research on what you have been taught. Do not abdicate this powerful act to others. Mary’s story teaches us exactly why this is so important. It is believed that in such a misogynistic, patriarchal society, the decline of Mary of Magdala’s reputation as an Apostle and leader likely started shortly after her death. However, it wasn’t until centuries later that her transformation from a woman of means, Yeshua’s koinonos, and a founding member of “The Church” to a penitent prostitute was sealed. On 9/14/1591, Pope Gregory the Great gave a homily in Rome that pronounced that Mary Magdalene, Luke’s unnamed sinner, and Mary of Bethany were, indeed, the same person. THIS IS FALSE. Please please please stop repeating this untruth. Shake off the shame if you have repeated it and DO BETTER by her and Jesus going forward.
Pick up a copy of Mary Magdalene Revealed.
Read Mary’s Gospel.
Get to know the woman Jesus taught alongside and loved.
I pray this inspires you to dig deeper into the traditions you carry forward each year.
xxoo,
