Open every day
of the year
Daily prayer service
at noon
St Margaret's Chapel
and the Magdalene Almshouses
About the Magdalene
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Mary Magdalene has several variations to her name. She also has many variations attached to her story. As many books have been written about her, none of which cover everything, the best we can do here is dip our toes in the water. I hope that what you find here leads you to explore further, discover her, and enable you to develop your own relationship with her.
As the first to encounter the risen Christ, Mary Magdalene is recognised as fundamental to Christianity. She was the Apostle to the Apostles, the first Apostle, a venerated position. Unlike the male disciples she did not run and hide during the Crucifixion, but remained with Jesus, with his mother and Salome, during his suffering, even though their lives may have been in danger. She was faithful and courageous, never betrayed or denied him, and showed her devotion by her intention to anoint him after death (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:9-13, Luke 24:1-10, John 20:1-18). Some call her the true founder of Christianity (ref. 4).
From here it becomes more contentious. Was it this Mary who anointed Jesus with spikenard? If so, was this done with the authority of a priest? As 'Christos' is Greek for 'The Anointed One', this was no small event. At this particular moment her authority as such was not disputed: she was criticised only for using very expensive oil - it is later she was dismissed (Mark 14:3-4 and 16:11, John 12:3 and ref. 5 below).
It was Mary Magdalene who had seven demons cast from her (Mark 16:9, Luke 8:2). Scholars have discussed the meaning behind this. Some possibilities include mental health issues, the seven deadly sins, the seven climates (ref. 5), the seven steps to spiritual perfection in alchemy and the seven pillars of Wisdom (ref. 7). Whatever your view, it seems that Mary Magdalene was healed of all faults borne of past hurts, freed of the need to take out this pain on others and, in future, enabled to act with compassion and without fear. This may explain why she was able to attend Jesus throughout his Crucifixion ordeal and beyond, with devotion and courage.
The Magdalene is described as being loved by Jesus (John 11:5) and, in texts found at Nag Hammadi, as being loved more than the other disciples (refs. 5 and 6). In the Gospel of Philip, the nature of Divine Union is discussed, together with the need for equality and balance between the Divine Masculine and Feminine, and the need to create harmony of being in the individual, in relationships, in society and in creation, by balancing Action and Word with Wisdom, for a person to become fully human. It is clearly suggested that Mary Magdalene represented that balance, that she knew the All (ref. 9). She was the Beloved, alluding to her embodiment of Wisdom, as referred to in The Wisdom of Solomon, and The Song of Songs, where Wisdom is called 'Her' and 'My Dove' (ref. 8). It is notable that the dove is a recognised symbol for the Holy Spirit (ref. 2), which is passed between two people in the sharing of breath when 'kissed on the mouth' (ref. 6). A kiss on the mouth and nard are referred to in the Song of Songs (ref. 8).
The Gospel of Philip has added weight to centuries of old stories and religious arguments over whether Mary Magdalene and Jesus were married, and had at least one child. In particular, The Golden Legend by the Blessed James, Archbishop of Voragine (ref. 1), where the Magdalene travels to the South of France with their daughter Sarah and others. Here, and in other parts of Europe, her cult is bound with that of the Black Madonna, associated with the Sophianic tradition (ref. 7), and with the Black Goddess. Christians and pagans may feel uncomfortable with this juxtaposition but arguably, it is no more controversial than calling the day of Resurrection, Easter, after Eostre/Ostara (ref. 3). Mary Magdalene became the bride of God, connecting her story to Isis and the Shekinah. Bear in mind the Hebrew/Egyptian political and spiritual inheritance, which included New Testament dissidents fleeing to Egypt when necessary. Being black and beautiful is also stated in The Song of Songs (ref. 8).
There is much symbolism in art depicting Mary Magdalene, some of which is reflected in the shrine room in the almshouses. Note the wild roses in the foreground of the icon. These are specific to Mary Magdalene, 'sub rosa', the number five, five petals, roses, their colour and their thorns (ref. 2). They also show the perfection found in the divinely-created, rather than in man's attempts to improve on perfection by creating hybrids, while losing something of their essence in the process, Action without Wisdom?
The Roman Catholic Church decided in 1969 that Mary Magdalene was never a prostitute (ref. 4). If, then, she didn't fall, she must have been pushed. Often, when a woman is called whore, it is because others are afraid of her power. For example, it has been known for a woman in high office to be accused of sleeping her way there, to undermine her authority. The trouble is, mud sticks. I'll leave you to decide why she was labelled a prostitute, but as is so often the case good has come out of it. St Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of lepers, both actual and social. She is the support and refuge of the persecuted, victimised, exploited, marginalised and scapegoated. The saint gives strength to the powerless, her power coming from truth, purity, faithfulness, courage, grace and unconditional love. She is attainable to many, she is the role model who has been missing for so long. None of us are ever likely to be a Virgin Mother, but women and men can become what Mary Magdalene became, if we recognise and heal our own pain. We can then seek harmony and balance by reuniting the feminine and masculine aspects of ourselves. We may then walk this world with compassion, courage and wisdom.
By creating peace within ourselves, we can create peace in our world.
Lindsey Paton April 2006
1. Begg, E. (1996) The Cult of the Black Virgin, Penguin Books: London
2. Cirlot J. E. (1984) A Dictionary of Symbols, Routledge and Kegan Paul: London and Henley
3. Gallager A-M (2002) The Way of the Goddess, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.: London
4. Haskins S. (2005) Mary Magdalen - The Essential Story, Random House: London
5. Leloup J-Y (2002) The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Inner Traditions: Rochester USA
6. Leloup J-Y (2004) The Gospel of Philip Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the Gnosis of Sacred Union, Inner Traditions: Rochester USA
7. Matthews C. (2001) Sophia - Goddess of Wisdom, Bride of God, Wheaton: USA
8. The Holy Bible - NRSV with Apocrypha (1995) Oxford University Press: Oxford
St Margaret's Chapel and Almshouses