Mary Magdalene and the Garden of Mystics:
A forty day journey towards Easter through art, history, music, contemplative practice and online community
February 22- April 2, 2023
Imagine what might shift in our collective psyches if our journey towards Holy Week could be experienced from the Biblical persepective of the women who were closest to Jesus: Mary Magdalene and her companions? How might your own spiritual life be deepened by connecting to the mystical thread of the contemplative tradition that traces its roots back to her?
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.
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Monastery of St. Michel du Var: Mary Magdalene and Saints
The rhythm of each week:
You will receive five email posts or videos 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 three Saturdays from 10:30 am - Noon PST (February 25, March 4 and April 1) we invite you to gather for the Mystic Garden and Convivium, a live zoom sharing session where Kayleen will offer a teaching on "The Garden Path of Virtues" described by John Cassian and Dante before turning to more contemporary examples of the Virtues of Compassion,Resilience and Transformation: Brother Roger of Taize, John Newton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Josephine Baker and Etty Hillesum. We will follow this with a half hour discussion in small break out groups to share our questions and responses from the week's reflections.
On Sunday evening ( 5-6 pm PST- also recorded to watch later if you cannot join us), we will share in Compline, a 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. After a period of silent meditation, we will sing Taize and other chants together and conclude with singing one of the great Gregorian Marion antiphons for Lent, Ave Regina Caelorum.
Our Live Zoom Sessions are as follows (all times are PST): These will also be recordeed for later streaming if you are unable to join us:
Wed February 22, 10:00 am- 11:30 PST: Ash Wednesday with Mary Magdalene
Sat February 25, 10:30 AM- Noon: John Cassian, Dante and the Garden of Virtues
Sun February 26, 5-6 pm : Sunday Vespers with Robin O’Brien
March 4, 10:30 am: Garden of Virtues: Harriet Beecher Stowe and John Newton
March 5, 5 pm: Sunday Vespers
March 11, 9 am- 10 am: Convivium: Community Discussion
March 12, 5 pm: Sunday Vespers
March 16, 10:30 am- Noon: Montsegur Day (webinar)
March 19, 5 pm: Sunday Vespers
March 26: Sunday Vespers
April 1: Garden of Virtues, 10:30 am-Noon: Closing Circle
April 2: Palm Sunday Compline, 5 pm
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 led by Robin O'Brien with guided meditations by Kayleen Asbo on the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary (filmed if you cannot attend live)
- Three 90 minute Saturday zoom classes with Kayleen Asbo on John Cassian, Dante and the Garden of Virtues, 10:30am- Noon PST, filmed if you cannot join live
- Bonus video material on Mary Magdalene and the Mystic Tradition
- Opening and closing sessions of ritual for Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, folllowed by an opportunity to share your reflections with pilgrims from around the world in small break out groups
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.
$300.00: Patron (self + partial scholarship for another)
$220.00: Standard tuition
$120.00: 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.
Mary Magdalene by Sue Ellen Parkinson
Past participants in Mythica'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".
Will you walk towards Easter with us as part of a global online community as we "turn our hearts to the Good" ?