40 Days with Mary Magdalene and the Mystics
March 2- April 10, 2022
Imagine what might shift in our collective psyches if rather than following the path of the men who denied, abandoned and betrayed Jesus, Holy Week would be experienced from the Biblical persepective of the women who were closest to Jesus: Mary Magdalene and her companions?
The Bible tells is that Jesus was anointed and prepared for his death by a woman. He is companioned every step of the way on his journey to the cross by Mary Magdalene as she leads a community of other women of courage who remain steadfast in compassion until his dying breath. While the male disciples have fled and hid, Mary Magdalene cradles his broken body in her arms when he is taken down from the cross. She arrives on Easter to anoint his body at the tomb. And then, she is the first to witness the Resurrection-- whereby she is commissioned by Jesus himself to go and preach a message of hope to the other disciples. She becomes the Teacher of Teachers, the Apostle to the Apostles, the First Witness- indeed, the First Christian.
How might it change your life to imagine standing steadfast in courage and compassion as you witness the suffering of the world but find the courage and conviction to share your heart's truth and affirm that joy is still possible? This is the Magdalene pathway that mystics across the centuries, from Julian of Norwich to St Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux have followed in their own inner awakening.
Mary Magdalene by Barohona Possollo
In this forty day series that will guide you from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday, you will come to know the story of Mary Magdalene and the way she has emboldened the hearts of those who claim her as their mystic mother. Beginning with the texts of the Bible itself, we will come to know Mary Magdalene as the loyal and faithful witness present in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We will then explore the Gospel of Thomas, a very early Christian text rediscovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945, where Jesus says he himself will lead Mary to become Anthropos, a word that means "Fully Human". We will dive into the Gospel of Mary, where Mary is revealed as a spiritual teacher the other disciples turn to when beset by fear and confusion, and how her message urges us to return to the roots of goodness and to find Christ in the depths of the silence of our own hearts.
Mary Magdalene and the Myrrhbearers, Orthodox Icon
We will discover how Mary Magdalene has inspired centuries of artists, poets and composers as we learn her symbols and feast on the astonishing beauty of works created in her name, and we will learn about spiritual practices and liturgical rituals of Early and Medieval Christians that can awaken our own spiritual connections and imagination.
Monastery of St. Michel du Var: Mary Magdalene and Saints
Each week will have a rhythm:
You will receive four email posts plus one video each week with essays and images to tell the story of one aspect of Mary Magdalene, woven with bibliographical references and links to listen to music and learn more if you want to dive more deeply. On Saturday (the traditional Jewish Sabbath), we invite you to journal on the questions presented during the week and explore on your own one of the creative practices you will be introduced to through Kayleen's video recordings of "Lent with the Mystics". On Sunday evening ( 7-8 pm PST- also recorded to watch later if you cannot join us), you are invited to subnite your questions to Kayleen in advance for her to address . This will be followed by Compline, a 30 minute contemplative service where we will learn a chant of Hildegard of Bingen and then explore lectio divina through short passages from the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Thomas and end with singing one of the great Gregorian chants for Lent, Ave Regina Caelorum. Each week will also have the opportuity to gather at an online Convivium guided by Harmony Harrison, a time to share your own reflections in small break out groups with other pilgrims.
The 40 Days with Mary Magdalene and the Mystics Program includes:
- 22 written posts of art, history, scriptural study and prayer with musical links- each only about 15 minutes to read, but with resources for a lifetime of exploration
-6 Zoom Compline Services weaving together the music of Hildegard of Bingen, Gregorian and Taize chant with guided meditations on the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary (filmed if you cannot attend live)
-5 weekly "Convivium" gatherings to share your reflections with others
- 6 video recordings of "Lent with the Mystics" to introduce you to spiritual practices that awaken your imagination.
Forty Days with Mary Magdalene and the Mystics is available on a sliding scale. Choose the amount that is right for you based on your circumstances.
$200.00: Patron (self + scholarship for another)
$120.00: Standard tuition
$80.00: Reduced tuition for those in financial need
$40.00: Scholarship rate. For those needing scholarships, all we ask is that you send a letter of gratitude to the patron underwriting your scholarship which we will forward anonymously. Just email us at mythicafoundation@gmail.com and we will be happy to connect you with an anonymous donor.
Want to dive even deeper? This program is also available as a special Complete Package that includes a Writing with Magdalene workshop with poet Harmony Harrison and a Soul Collage/Dialoguing with Magdalene Workshop with artist Sue Ellen Parkinson for $220.00
Mary Magdalene by Sue Ellen Parkinson
Past participants in Kayleen's Magdalene series have lauded this as a "life changing, mindblowing experience that will ignite your own inner creative fire and offer you a lifetime of inspiration" and " a profoundly moving and healing journey".
Won't you walk towards Easter with us as part of a global online community as we "turn our hearts to the Good" ?