Have you ever felt judged by someone? Can you remember that pain of feeling misunderstood? Cast out? And separate? Usually the people in judgement don’t know the whole story. They don’t know the truth of who we are or what we’ve been through. And usually the people who judge, are themselves in some kind of pain.  I imagine you can relate to that truly awful feeling, especially if you identify as highly sensitive. It’s enough to make one want to attack back, or worse, go into hiding or shame.  I’ve been thinking of Mary Magdalene this week, as her Feast day approaches. Eight years ago Pope Francis declared July 22 as a Feast Day for Mary Magdalene, honoring her role in Jesus’ life as “The Apostle of the Apostles.” Many of you may know of her as she was named by the Catholic Church long ago - as a prostitute or whore. She was judged, and as what happened to many powerful women, her name was dragged through the mud. But the truth is she was an absolute equal to Jesus in his ministry. There came a time, in the first few centuries that the Bible was changed, and stories of powerful women were taken out of it. And the Church didn’t want people to think that Jesus was human - that he had a beloved, instead they wanted to portray him as this divine being that could only be accessed through the Church. That way they could keep the power. So any stories depicting Jesus as a partner, a beloved, a lover and husband to Mary, were removed. Powerful women were seen as a threat in her time. Women were mysterious - they carried the gifts of new life inside their bodies, it was something men were not capable of, or even fully understood.  When women joined together the men felt even more threatened (what is more powerful than a coven of women woven together by the same beliefs?)  So whether it was conscious/intentional or not, the women were systematically shamed.  First they shut down their power center - their womb - by shaming their sexuality.  Then their menstrual cycle was seen as dirty, a burden or a curse.  Bearing children, and giving birth was seen as a punishment.  The women were deemed inferior. A woman was confined to the home.  And sadly, when a woman shuts down in her womb center, she often shuts down her voice.  I believe Mary knew one day though that her name would be restored, that one day thousands of women would awaken and carry on her legacy, of being powerful and embracing that power, as teachers, guides, healers and claiming their place as part of a larger movement. I believe she knew one day these women would reclaim the power of their menstrual cycle… The holiness of conception, pregnancy and birth… And through healing, would find their voice.  But not only that, I believe that she also holds the codes of forgiveness.  She reminds us to feel all the pain of the past, and to release judgement of others, even when we feel judged.  To remember that those who are causing pain are also in deep pain themselves.  I believe she had compassion for those who shamed her, dragged her name through the mud, even for those who wanted to persecute and kill her.  There’s so much we can learn from Mary, and her embodiment. I wanted to share one of the audio lessons in my program, The Way of the Priestess about her. This weekend, let’s honor Mary, her sacred teachings and all she embodied. Listen to this recording to learn more about the practice of feeling our pain, a forgiveness process, seeing sexuality as sacred, our bodies as temples and how to embody a consciousness of abundance. Learn more about these practices in Mercedes Kirkel's channeled book, Mary Magdalene Beckons. Below I’m including some of the podcasts we devoted to spreading her truth and message as well as information regarding the 2024-2025 Way of the Priestess Initiation Program. With love, Meredith --- 016 | Mysteries of Mary Magdalene with Faye Wylder Listen here 046 | Channeling Mary Mag