Warrior Priestess
Articles

Courtesy of the 2MASS Project, 2001.

What did Jesus Say ? 

With all the passion surrounding Jesus's teachings and their impact on our views of the Middle East - perhaps its time to explore the "real" meaning behind Jesus's words.   

Cultural Creatives - Living Between Stories  

Learn more about this growing demographic.

Something About Mary

Have you noticed?   Mary's back - and everyone seems to be talking about her.

Her popularity speaks to a stirring deep within our collective unconscious.  The soul of our culture is calling for us to rediscover her image and symbology.  Mary represents kindness, loving compassion, and femininity.   She's back to free the feminine aspect within us all - men and women alike. But, which Mary are we talking about?  And, does it really matter?

According to Stephan Hoeller, there seems to be a "muddle of Marys" in the New Testament.  There's Jesus' mother Mary, Mary of Magdala (aka Mary Magdalene), Mary of Bethany (Lazarus' sister), and even a Mary called "the other Mary." 

Further legends have Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and a black (Nubian) Egyptian Mary traveling to the south of France - spreading the teachings of Jesus.  Mary appears to have been a very popular name back in those times.

We do know that from about the 4th Century A.D. onward, all of the earlier representations of the divine feminine in the West became eclipsed by the veneration of the Virgin Mary.  And, by the Middle Ages, a large "cult of Mary" had spread throughout Europe. 

According to Henry Adams, nearly every great church built during the 12th and 13th Centuries -at Paris, Rheims, Amiens, Chartres, etc. - belonged to Mary (Virgin Mary/Mother of God/Queen of Heaven).  She was revered for her mercy and forgiveness - as opposed to judgment and retribution.

Fast forward to the current (and recent) best-selling fictional accounts of Mary Magdalene.   Although they may be a great read - there seems to be little historical basis for these new revelations about this Mary.

The upside to this popularity of Mary mythology is that it will ultimately lead people to explore the evidence that does exist - especially with regard to Mary Magdalene.  She's often been associated with the "repentant prostitute" image or archetype - however, this couldn't be farther from the truth.

In recently published (1955) Coptic editions of important Gnostic texts - which include The Gospel of Mary - one discovers that Mary Magdalene was actually a carrier of the great mystical Gnosis tradition - and a close disciple of Jesus. 

It appears that this association ultimately led to her (and these texts) becoming an object of denigration by the orthodox forces in the early Christian church - starting in the 1st Century A.D.  

It took about three centuries for the Old Testament/superiority of men over women/faith-based salvation and redemption perspective to gain the upper hand.   And, look where its gotten us.

Its time to look at Mary with new eyes and resurrect her true symbology - kindness, compassion, and femininity. 

Now more than ever.

You've come a long way, baby. 

Sources: 

Lectures by the Rev. Rosalyn Bruyere and Stephan Hoeller.

"Mont Saint Michel and Chartres" by Henry Adams.  Project Gutenberg offers a free e-book (2003) download.

Also, check out the recently published "The Gnostic Bible." (2003)

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Galileo's Middle Finger

The digitus infamis.

A symbolic gesture preserved for posterity?

While traveling through Italy in the 70's, I visited Firenze's Institute and Museum of the History of Science.  In the exhibit honoring Galileo, I noticed this artifact.  (Yes, its his middle finger.) I had to laugh.  Was this a message from beyond the grave?  To those who once condemned him? Galileo was part of the Scientific Renaissance.  A time when a great infusion of creative energy was being channeled into scientific breakthroughs.

Galileo's scientific contributions changed our view of the world.  His explorations lead to many discoveries - including the invention of the microscope, the improvement of the telescope, and the discovery of the moons of Jupiter.     

However, in spite of his success - he was ultimately tried for heresy, condemned, and sent into exile.  As a defender of Copernican Astronomy (which states that the sun, and not the earth, is the center of our solar system) - Galileo came up against the doctrine of the Church.  He spent the last years of his life blind and in declining health.  His middle finger was ultimately wrested from his body as his remains were being moved to their present location.

Fast forward to the present.  We find ourselves living in an age when the creative sparks are again igniting all manner of scientific discovery.  And as before, we find ourselves coming up against the dictates of the church.  Whether its in stem cell research or birth control - we're again faced with the prospect of being held hostage by narrow worldviews.

But, keep the faith.  Amazing insights are continuing to expand our understanding of our quantum universe.   We're moving toward the discovery of a revolutionary framework that will unify our scientific and mystical realities.  Let's keep our eyes on the horizon.  A new day is dawning.

For more info. on Galileo and the Institute
and Museum of the History of Science, click on their logo below. 

Update: Pope John Paul II Pardons Galileo.

Reanimating the Archetype

The Warrior Priestess is an archetype - one of many goddess archetypes.   Archetypes exist (whether acknowledged or suppressed) in all of us - men and women alike.  They're the foundation for all our thinking, feelings, and behavior patterns.

According to Jungian psychology, an archetype is an inherited pattern of thought or symbolic imagery derived from the past collective experience and present in the individual unconscious.

And what of our past collective experience? What did it contain?  What's reflected out there - and what's being held in the shadows?

We've lived too long out-of-balance.  The creation of a new global consciousness requires that our feminine archetypes are awakened (in us all) - and restored to full consciousness.

Source for definition: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.

A Historical Perspective

Whenever I hear references made to Greece being the cradle of our civilization - or when someone mentions the European Renaissance ushering in our modern era - I'm reminded of another part of our history. A part that's almost never mentioned.

Considering our current trajectory - toward a possible global meltdown - we may want to consider what we've kept hidden in our collective shadow.

There was a time long ago when feminine wisdom was supported - the Goddess was revered.  Her wisdom was taught to men and women in the mystery school traditions throughout the ancient world.  And these matriarchal cultures flourished for countless millennia.  (Matriarchally-based cultures worshipped the Mother Goddess as the supreme deity.  Women weren't always the rulers.) 

Beginning around 1200 B.C. (and continuing to about 800 B.C.) Greece was overrun by barbarian warriors who brought with them their new patriarchal vision.  And so began the suppression and co-optation of the goddess religions in Greece.

The assault on the feminine continued through Roman times and during the early Christian era.  And, then we had 500+ years of gynocide during the Inquisition (beginning in the 12th Century) and the witchcraft persecutions.  Millions of women were put to death - and it was sanctioned by the Church.

This is the backdrop to our march toward civilization.  Many were left behind.  Its part of our collective past experience - and yes, its mostly held in our shadows.  No wonder women and men are so reticent about re-discovering the feminine.

Source: "The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom, and Power," Barbara Walker, HarperSanFrancisco, 1985. 

Archeological Evidence

In her book, "Warrior Women," Jeannine Davis-Kimball, Ph.D. outlines the archeological evidence of a vast cross-cultural exchange that stretched from Central Asia to Ireland (from around 6000 B.C. to the early centuries A.D.).

She discovered that there were powerful woman warriors and warrior priestesses throughout these cultures.  They were the keepers of the wisdom associated with the Mother Goddess.

At one site she describes how

ritual swords and daggers were magnificently emblazoned with a gold profusion of parading winged horses and snow leopards, Trees of Life. . .

Given their incredible wealth of gold and icons emblazoned with supernatural power, it takes little imagination to realize that these warrior priestesses had attained authority.

Dr. Davis-Kimball also provides evidence that underscores the great shift that occurred with the rise of patriarchal influence.  She found indications of women being purged from positions of power and influence. Anything to do with the Great Goddess was subsumed by the new patriarchal reality.

Source: pg. 237, "Warrior Women," Jeannine Davis-Kimball, Ph.D., Warner Books, Inc., NY, NY, 2002.  

Tapihritsa
Noble Protector of Beings

With compassion - contemplating the benefit of beings.

Learn more about the Tibetan Bön culture and teachings at The Ligmincha Institute.

UCLA Study On
Friendship Among Women

Whose Problem Is It Anyway ?

I'm learning a great "self secret" about the nature of my mind and my problems. 

Most of us spend our entire lives thinking about how to solve our problems.  We waste countless hours actively engaged in conversations about our problems with ourselves, our friends, our therapists, or just about anyone who will listen.   But, we still have problems.  We're all still suffering. 

Although suffering is useful in that it shakes us up and makes us question our reality - there is a path to freedom.  Consider this insight offered by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche at a recent retreat.

Our problems should be like shooting stars moving across the sky - there for a moment and gone the next.  We, on the other hand, experience wisdom like a shooting star - with our problems coming on steadily.

According to the Bön Dzogchen meditative tradition of Tibet, our thoughts arise from a clear empty space within us - and then vanish back into that emptiness.  Our essence is primordially pure and clear, like a crystal.  This is the true nature of our mind.  And, the wisest part of us knows this.

When confronted with a problem, try asking who is the one doing the looking?  Who is the one that's seeing the problem?  Obviously not the wisest part of us.   The "wrong" person is actually doing the looking - and we're very attached to that person.  In fact,  we're empowering that person - and as a result, we empower our problems - instead of letting them vanish quickly back into the emptiness.

Rinpoche also suggested that we question the popular practice of analyzing our inner child.  In the end, all we've managed to do is change our crying inner child into a smiling one.  But, there's still an inner child who's doing the looking.  Why not have our inner wise person do the looking?

This is but an introduction to a simple and yet profound way of shifting our perception of reality.  Try it out when you're faced with a problem.  Ask yourself who's seeing this as a problem?  Who's holding onto this problem?

I'm now asking myself who is saying that this is easier said than done?   Who is looking at this way of questioning as yet another problem?

You can learn more about the Tibetan Bön teachings at The Ligmincha Institute. 

In the Protection of
the Falcon God

Horus, Temple at Edfu, Egypt

Crone Be Gone

Let's find a better word. . .for who we are becoming.

Whenever the word “crone” is used to describe an elder woman, I get an uneasy feeling.  No matter how many well-meaning writers have attempted to weave a more positive connotation - my gut still protests.

The word “crone” comes to us from the Middle Ages - from the Old North French word “carogne” that was used between 900 and 1400 AD.  It was a term of abuse for a cantankerous or withered woman.  And, for many of us, it still carries that vibration.

Our language reflects our perceptions.  The word “crone” is archetypal (its energy pattern is derived from our past collective experience and it's present in our individual unconscious).  Even though we attempt to give it a modern day spin, we may still be under its spell.  I can almost hear it whispering that a woman with power is something to be feared and marginalized.

At first, I thought "wise woman" might be an acceptable alternative.  But, even that doesn't convey the potency of who I am becoming.

I'll keep searching with an open mind.

Source:  The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright© 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

The Age of Transition

Everything is speeding up. Are you feeling overwhelmed?

Its like trying to swim ahead of a great wave that's about to break over you.

Ancient wisdom tells us that we're experiencing a shift in the zodiacal rhythm. We're caught up in the great confusion that occurs when one astrological age is coming to an end - and another begins.  We're moving through the end of the Piscean Age and into the Age of Aquarius.

There is a difference in rhythm.  Time is accelerating.  Our bodies can feel the shift - but, our minds lack the necessary data to guide the way.  This lack of information and our reliance on our minds for solutions is the cause of much of our suffering.

We're being called to adapt.  To ride this wave of change. But how?

The anecdote: Move beyond the cerebral. Look within yourself.  Awaken your higher consciousness.  Find your inner truth.

Source: "Journey Into the Light," Isha Schwaller de Lubicz, Inner Traditions International, Rochester, VT, 1960.

Daybreak through the
Kiosk of Trajan

Island of Philae, Upper Egypt

Still waiting for the Age of Aquarius?

Didn't it dawn in the Sixties?  Bringing with it a world of peace and understanding?  Instead we seem to be mired in everything we were trying to escape.

Before losing hope, let's consult our great cosmic clock.  It takes approximately 26,000 years for the vernal equinox to move through all 12 constellations.   By dividing 26,000 years by the number of constellations (12) - we can conclude that it takes 2,160 years to traverse one sign of the zodiac.  Add to this the fact that constellations lack clear boundaries - and we're left with a bit of ambiguity.

Many astrologers are therefore using 2100-2150 A.D. as the timeframe for our move into the Age of Aquarius.   So, we've got a little time for some conscious evolution.   If we're up to it.

The Piscean Age, with its symbol of twin fish swimming in opposite directions, represents our dualistic approach to reality.  We've been learning a lot about the polarities of good/evil, right/wrong, god/human, male/female, science/religion, etc.

However, many of our mystical traditions have long understood that this notion of duality is a construct of the mind - and not the true nature of reality.  It fosters a shepard and his flock mentality (which is actually a holdover from the Age of Aries) - reinforcing a blind, unquestioning faith - and a dependence on spiritual and political leaders.

The symbol for Aquarius is the Water bearer - pouring water (divine wisdom) down to the masses.  It includes an understanding that each end of the polarity (good/evil, etc.) is actually a complementary pole on a larger continuum.

One pole cannot be denied at the expense of the other.  The human and divine polarities are within us all.  God is part of us.  Therefore, we can no longer look to our religious leaders, politicians, or even our physicians for our truth - we must look within.

Are we ready for that responsibility?

Source: "Precession and the Zodiac," article available on Astro.com.   Notions on dual nature of mind taken from teachings of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Ligmincha.org.