She is known in many ways, most notably, for me, as apostle to the apostles. Today is her day, a day in Catholic terms, to consider the mercy of the Christ. To consider and repent one’s sins.

I don’t go in for sin, per se, instead seeing everything as also containing its opposite. Everything being a continuum of what is. And the teachings from Her gospels also dispel the now traditional meaning of sin. Instead, Yeshua defined it as ignorance of one’s true nature. Ignorance literally means without knowing. You can see how this not knowing could result in the sorts of behaviors Christians think of as sinful. And how Mary of Magdala is conflated with the prostitute at the well.

Cynthia Bourgeault writes in her beautiful book, Understanding Mary Magdalene about the seven sins” cast out from Magdalene by Yeshua as referring to what yogis refer to as the chakras or energy centers, which Yeshua purified in Her to bring Her to Knowing.

This Gnosis is a heady concept–or maybe more to the point an embodied concept. For to Know oneself is to be completely hooked up, at home, all lights on as bodymindspirit.

There’s a whole ‘nother post on the Biblical use of knowing–the garden, the tree–that points to this embodied knowing as sinful. But that’s for another day or another blogger.

Mercy is my interest here. Today, nearly a week since the fires in Washington blazed a path to this valley, we’re getting some relief. We had rain today, more than the usual summer rain that seems to evaporate before it hits the ground but shy of torrents. And no lightning, thankfully. Seventy-five percent humidity. The smoke here up Twisp River Road lifting.

I unpacked the rest of my valuables from the trunk of my car. The handmade mosaic table made by my beloved that I use for my altar. My small collection of art and photographs. I reassembled my altar and lit all the candles and some incense and bowed myself in prayer for this Mercy. To be whole. To be home. To be so blessed.

Mary of Magdala. Apostle to the Apostles. Beloved of the Christ. One in a long line of incarnations of the Divine feminine. In Carnate–in the flesh. God in the flesh. In the body. Thank You all who have come into this human Being to show us the way to Knowing.