Magdalene Emerging:
A 22 Day Online Program on Mary Magdalene
with Kayleen Asbo, Ph.D
Beginning Again on January 22, 2021
available on a sliding scale donation
Photo by Thomas Dodd
Throughout almost two thousand years , Mary Magdalene has been a figure who has inspired, consoled and strengthened individuals in times of deep distress. Her archetypal image is the essence of spiritual maturity. A devoted and wise disciple , she was capable of both bearing witness to profound suffering and charged to proclaim new life , hope and possibilities to a fearful world.
Over and over throughout history, the mystics across the centuries have drawn courage and empowerment from this figure of towering spiritual wisdom. She is needed now more than ever to teach us how to find our own voices of strength and compassion, to claim our own wholeness and inner knowing.
In this 22 Day series that has been called "a profound revelation of hope and inspiration" Kayleen Asbo, Ph.D will introduce you to history, art and music that will nourish your heart and imagination and ignite your own creativity.
The Biblical texts are very clear that Mary Magdalene was a faithful and devoted disciple of Jesus who stands at the heart of the story of Holy Week. She is named by all the Gospel writers as both a courageous witness to the crucifixion and the first witness to the resurrection, chosen by Christ to deliver his message of hope to his other disciples. Yet over the centuries, the image of Mary Magdalene as the “Apostle to the Apostles” (her first title) was erased and replaced by other images that have no Biblical basis: penitent sinner, prostitute, adulteress. How and why did this happen?
This series will explore Mary Magdalene as she appears in the Biblical stories and how she was confused with other historical figures like Mary of Egypt over time. We will examine Mary Magdalene’s role in other early Christian texts that were rediscovered in Egypt in the 20th century, including texts like The Gospel of Thomas and The Gospel of Philip that were found in Nag Hammadi. Also introduced will be two other Gospels written in her name: The Gospel of Mary and The Gospel of The Beloved Companion. You’ll learn about the extraordinary inspiration Mary Magdalene has offered across time for saints like St. Francis , Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Sienna . You'll discover how she was a muse for poets like Rainier Maria Rilke and artists like Caravaggio, Vermeer and Rodin. Included in the series will be astonishingly beautiful artworks across the centuries, and a discussion of how she has been reimagined in our own time by contemporary painters and authors like Dan Brown in The DaVinci Code and Kathleen McGowan in The Expected One. We’ll also explore Mary Magdalene from a Jungian Depth Psychology perspective as an archetype of wholeness and integration, a disciple who represents the journey of becoming fully human and spiritually mature.
At the end of the 22 day series, you will have a host of contemplative practices to explore, with a set of prayers, images and journaling questions to continue your own spiritual journey. We will gather together live on zoom February 12 at 11 am PST to share as a global community of fellow pilgrims our experiences, insights and reflections.
Please choose your level of contribution through the drop down menu and then click the yellow "Buy Now:" paypal button.
Choose your level of contribution:
$150.00: Patron/Donor
$100.00: Basic Tuition
$75.00: Needing assistance
$25.00: Scholarship Rate
If you are one of the few lucky ones in the world who has not been utterly financially devastated by the recent circumstances, please consider buying this series for someone who has been, or underwriting a scholarship for a person in need.
Scholarship students: we ask that in lieu of the basic enrollment fee, you contribute to bringing Mary Magdalene to our world. One way is to contribute posts to our Facebook page. We are open , interested and excited to hear about other ways you might imagine to be a part of creating increased awareness about her story. Let us know your ideas!
Thank you. We are so glad - no matter what your level of contribution- that you will be a part of this emerging Magdalene community.
Included are:
- An Image of the Day, drawn from both centuries of great masters and modern masterpieces from new artists
- Video and audio links to music from eleven centuries
- Stories and pictures of Pilgrimage to Magdalene Sites
- A Dictionary of Symbols to help you identify Magdalene in art museums
- Lessons in the history of how (and why) her mythology evolved
- Questions for journaling and developing a personal relationship with this Archetypal Figure
- Poetry from such writers as Rainer Maria Rilke about Magdalene
- An introduction to the Early Christian gospels and stories of Magdalene that did not make it into the Bible
Please fill out the registration form with your name and the email address you would like this series sent to and complete your purchase by clicking the yellow "Buy Now" button to purchase through Paypal.
If you are in extreme economic distress, we do offer scholarships. Please describe your situation and how you will help to bring Mary Magdalene's story to the world.
Kayleen Asbo, Ph.D wrote her doctoral dissertation on Passion and Paradox: Mary Magdalene in Myth, History, Art and Culture. A scholar, musician, poet and spiritual director, Dr. Asbo has been on the faculties of the Pacifica Graduate Institute, UC Berkeley and Dominican University and has lectured on Mary Magdalene at Oxford University in England, the Assisi Institute of Depth Psychology in Italy, at Chartres Cathedral in France, the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and throughout the world for spiritual centers, churches and psychological organizations. She was the cultural historian for the San Francisco Opera's production of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and will be offering a virtual pilgrimage in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene this summer for Ubiquity University. She is a core faculty member for the Veriditas Labyrinth Organization.
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Saint Mary Magdalene by Fr. Robert Lentz, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
Choose your level of contribution
In these changes of momentous change, we are offering this on a pay-what-you-can level Please choose your level of contribution in the paypal drop down menu above. If you are one of the few lucky ones in the world who is not financially devastated by the recent circumstances, please consider buying this series for someone who has been, or underwriting a scholarship for a person in need. Thank you. |
Mary Magdalene and the Healing Circle by Sue Ellen Parkinson