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Plastic, glass, quartz, wood and seed all glimmer in the hands of Mary’s devotees. They kneel before church altars, home altars, or walk with the beads silently running through their fingers hidden deep within their pockets. Lips moving so silently and ever so slightly. Their faces hold tears of sorrow, fears, joys, petitions, thanksgivings and praises. Counting each decade they are remembering and listening. Seekers of ancient wisdoms and answers for today’s needs.

To enter this ancient circle you must first meet Mary. She stands before you as Virgin, Mother and Queen of Heaven. She has many faces and titles but She is the one Mother of All Nations. You must walk among the ancient sacred grottos where Mary has chosen to appear to give prophetic wisdom to Her children. They are places called Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje. She comes bringing messages of conversion, turning your heart to Her and love for all. She tells us to see the Divine in nature and each other. She offers Her blessings and guidance to those willing to become Her children. She promises peace if we only join Her by opening our hearts. She offers us a place, a home under Her mantle of protection. She calls us by name because we have been Her children since the beginning and will be with Her always. She waits for our answer to Her call. Like all good mothers She waits nearby as we make our choices in this world. She enters the realm of Hell to save Her children from the condemning sentences of the Church Fathers.

In these sacred places, She brings healing springs and signs to the hard of heart. She stands with Her arms wide open to gather and embrace all who call Her Mother. She warns of the ways of hatred and division and foretells of future consequences if we continue to choose those behaviors. She continues to call us today in Medjugorje even though we choose to ignore Her Motherly advice. She chastises the Patriarchal Church system that tries to test and control Her apparitions. They demand signs and compliance with church doctrine and She continues to refuse their request. She continues to deliver Her message to all Her children even those who sit outside their doors. The ones they have forgotten and walled out because their faces don’t match the portrait of the righteous painted by the Church. She reminds them of who Her son came for. It was the weak, the unclean, those left outside the walls of the temple including women and children. All of the Divine’s forgotten ones.

She tells us to know Her, and Her Heart, we need to feel Her beads between our fingers and learn Her ancient mantra and explore Her ancient mysteries:

A child who lived as a Temple Virgin weaving the golden curtains that surrounded the seat of God. She was given to Joseph when She came into Her womanhood and was no longer allowed to serve in the temple branded unclean and a temptation.

She was greeted by the Angel, Gabriel, as “full of grace”. Telling Her that She, a virgin, would be the Mother of God. She knew that this could mean Her death. Either by the hands of Her community which condemned women to stoning for having sexual relations outside of marriage, or by Her spiritual community who believed that God would never soil Himself by becoming human, or by child birth itself. She stopped and asked the question; how this could be. She then turned and faced the Divine saying, “yes”.

She then sought out the elder wise women of Her tribe, Elizabeth. There She found Her cousin, who was well past her childbearing years, expecting a son. A messenger of Her son’s coming. Both women received the gift of prophesy which was a dangerous gift for women to hold. A gift that could mean both their deaths.

These are only the first two of Her fifteen mysteries that travel Her fifty beads. Are we as brave as She?! Could we stand at the feet of the Divine and say “yes” knowing that it could mean our death?! Give birth to a son who will bring a message disrupting the very faith that Her community held to be the only truth?! Can we place our hand in Hers to walk our spiritual path?! Can we even stand to look further into Her heart and eyes to hear the rest of Her wisdom?! Is She the voice of the Ancient Mother that has been hidden within the walls of Catholicism and Orthodoxy only to be found by Her daughters today?!

Do you wish to meet Mary? If so call Jumping Water and register your interest in a workshop called Meeting Mary. If there is enough interest I will host a day workshop to finish our journey and if there are only a few pilgrims on this way I will introduce you to resources to further your journey with Her.

Daughter of the Great Mother, Mary

Deborah

Reading fiction is one of the top loves of my life. There is nothing more wonderful than getting caught up in a story to the point of forgetting yourself. I have always believed, also, that you can learn just as much from fiction as from non-fiction. I sat down recently and tried to pick out the books that have had the biggest impact on me for one reason or another. Some of them made me think, some made me laugh, some made me cry, and some even made me squirm. So this month , inspired by www.bookcrossing.com, I thought I would share some of those books. If you are a book lover and haven’t checked out the above site, you are in for a treat. I am planning on releasing the first book on my list in the near future so be on the lookout!

The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

This book is truly my favorite book of all time. I have never read a book that imparted so many pearls of wisdom and I would often find myself covered in goosebumps as I read. Alice Walker’s writing is amazing. She gave me new insights into reincarnation and why hating someone for their gender or race is ludicrous. I am planning on rereading this book before releasing it for someone else to enjoy.

Dark Sister by Graham Joyce

This book is on my list because I believe it is the only fictional rendition of witchcraft that hasn’t disappointed me in some way. I discovered this writer when I read The Tooth Fairy, a very dark take on that childhood figure, on a whim. Maggie, the heroine, discovers an old diary in her house and begins to discover she has powers she never knew of. With the help of an herbalist and an old woman, she learns the ways of magick but must also deal with her Dark Sister, who threatens to destroy those she loves.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Wicked is just pure mind candy…for those times when you want to be a deep thinker. The book is the story of the Wizard of Oz told from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West. You will never be able to see Dorothy and Toto in the same way after reading this book.

The Wooden Sea by Jonathan Carroll

Jonathan Carroll is a wonderful for writer for those who like to go to the dark side occasionally. His stories deal with supernatural events happening to ordinary people. In most of his books there really aren’t any happy endings. Ambivalent at times, but never outright happy. In this novel, Frannie McCabe the local police chief suddenly finds himself in unfamiliar territory as strange events begin to happen around him. The strangest of all of these may be meeting his younger self. This book is very hard to describe as are all of Carroll’s books but they are well worth a read.

The Red Tent By Anita Diamant

When I started this book, I literally could not put it down. I believe this is a must read for all women. It is the story of Dinah from the book of Genesis told from her point of view.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

It was hard to pick out just one of Kingsolvers books as I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. I picked this book because I believe it is her most hopeful and lighthearted. This book follows several different people who have one thing in common, a bond with nature. She writes beautiful descriptions of the natural world.

Daughter of the Shining Isle by Elizabeth Cunningham

Yes, I have already sung the praises of Elizabeth Cunningham but I’m going to do it again anyway. I feel that this book is one of her most comical books. I have to admit that when I started reading it I was a little put off with that aspect of the book. However, as I got more into the book I realized that this approach fits the heroine very well. Imagine that Mary Magdalene was actually Celtic and was raised on an island inhabited only by women. It only gets better from there!

Beloved by Toni Morrison

This is by far the best ghost story I have ever read! Toni Morrison not only has the ability to write exquisite stories but she also knows how to pull out your heart and squeeze. I have always found her work both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

What can you say about this book? It’s a classic! Without it we would never have heard the word “grok”.

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

It has been awhile since I read this book but the list would not complete without Erdrich. She is a major voice in Native American culture.

Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins

Ah, Tom Robbins…the scared clown. When reading a Tom Robbins book you must set aside a lot of time because you find yourself rereading sentences over and over. His writing is that amazing! This book was his first and has always been my favorite for its take on organized religion. It dares to ask the question, if you could prove a religion wrong would people stop believing?

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is another writer that I had trouble choosing just one book. She has a way with magical realism, when magic becomes a part of everyday life. If your only exposure to this novel has been the movie, I encourage you to read the book.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

This book, like the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, shows the damage that can be done by missionaries. This book, however, takes a much more sympathetic view. It is the story of a Jesuit priest who leads a mission to a planet on which music has been heard from Earth. This book is truly powerful.