Mary Magdalene

Who was Mary Magdalene?

Mary Magdalene holds a central place in my spiritual life and research. Through deep respect and my practice as an intuitive voice channel, I explore questions of love, spiritual authority, and how we meet ourselves in daily life.

The story we inherited

Magdalene first comes into people’s awareness as a red cloaked figure at the foot of the cross, weeping. We are told, by Christian dogma, that she is crying for her sins, for those of the flesh, and for all of humanity. We are told she was a sinner who became an avid follower of Jesus Christ. For many people, the rest of her story was largely forgotten, while in later portrayals she appears semi-naked and holds the church’s symbol of penance.

The perception of her has changed over time, being fashioned again and again to suit the needs of the Christian church. The manuscript containing the Gospel of Mary came to light in 1896; the Nag Hammadi collection of Gnostic texts was discovered separately in 1945. The figure that emerges drastically contrasts what we were taught as children, and the narrative of her over the ages.

Companion, protector, guide and teacher

Spiritual interpretation
The narrative that follows reflects the spiritual lineage I explore. Specific details of sacred partnership, family and temple ministry belong to that interpretation, rather than established historical biography.

First, Magdalene emerges as the companion of the Savior, whose name in his life was Yeshua. In this account, she was a wealthy daughter of a businessman. With this upbringing she was able to fund Yeshua’s ministry. Raised in Magdala, by the Sea of Galilee, she would later leave her comfortable home for a life on the road with her sacred partner. On that journey, she gained the title Mary Magdalene, understood here symbolically as Woman of the Watch Tower, or Lighthouse.

Simply put, she stood watch over the flock of Yeshua’s disciples as a protector, guide, and teacher.

Sacred ministry

Before it was time to begin her divine ministry with Yeshua, she was welcomed into many temples to learn and teach. During this time, she learned how to work with the body from conception to death, honoring the entire process as Sacred. This included what we might now call training as a death doula, and sacred anointing ceremonies, which enabled her to become a transformational guide.

The Way of Love

In honor of her ministry, she chose to separate from two of the three of her children for their safety. As a result, Magdalene and her daughter with other true disciples, were guided to Southern France to continue their mission. Over the next 30 or so years, she ministered across what is now modern Spain, France and Italy, teaching the Way of Love and changing souls for the good. Centuries later, I find spiritual resonance with these teachings in the community remembered as the Cathars.

The Cathars were made up of ‘Good Men’ and ‘Good Women’ who practiced in the Faith of Love. They looked upon all fellow humans as holy and with compassion. They became the healers of their communities, what we can understand as being a true ‘Good Samaritan’.

Persecution and remembrance

Tragically, during the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) and the persecutions that followed, the Cathars were targeted and their communities were devastated. In the spiritual lineage described here, that suppression also represents an effort to silence Magdalene’s voice and eradicate the teachings. Much of the surviving documentation was written by their opponents, including inquisitors, although some Cathar texts also survive. Books, artwork, and lives were lost.

The time returns

Guilhem Bélibaste, remembered as the last known Cathar spiritual minister in Occitania, was burned at the stake in 1321. A prophecy later attributed to him speaks of a return after 700 years. To me, this means the teachings of Magdalene and the Way of Love being brought forward again. In August 2021, I felt—as many others have described—a surge of Magdalene’s energy. I can attest: the time has returned!

Sources & context

The spiritual narrative reflects the lineage I explore.

Albigensian Crusade chronology · Surviving Cathar texts · Gospel of Mary manuscript context