Goddess of the Stars and the Sea

February 1 - the festival of Imbolc

2012-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

The Wheel of the Year focuses on the cycles of the seasonsand the natural rhythm of the earth. On February 1, the Wheel has turned to thefestival of Imbolc, also known as Candlemas.

Though winter still prevails, Imbolc shows us that spring isnot too far away. Imbolc heralds the approaching time where we can gather theinner peace and regeneration of our winter hibernation to utilize in the outermanifestation of our daily lives. The movement of the season is the outward birthfrom winter to springtime - the seed of spring is held within the womb of theearth. It is the lambing season, the birthing of baby lambs. The nameImbolc refers to the lactation of the lambs, the flow of life nourishing milkthat heralds the return of life affirming spring. During this time in England, theflower called the snowdrop peeks above ground and blooms delicate white petals.

snowdrops at Chalice Well garden

Imbolc is primarily celebrated as the festival of Brighid (alsocalled Briget or Bride), the triple goddess of poetry, smithcraft, and healing.Brighid has been venerated as a great goddess for centuries in England,Scotland, and Ireland. The Ancient Celts of Britain called upon the goddessBrighid to warm, heal, and inspire. Brighid reminds us to use her creative inspirationto guide our daily tasks, to be grateful for and tend the fire of the hearth thatwarms us, and to rely on nature’s herbs to help nourish and heal us.

In Ireland and Scotland, groups of young girls, symbolizingthe newness and maidenhood of Brighid, processed through the village streets carryinga corn sheath dolly from home to home. The dolly was presented to those withinthe homes who would honor her by decorating her with flowers, shells, stones, andribbons. When I lived in Glastonbury, I participated in creating a Brighiddolly which was processed around the ancient Brighid Slipper Chapel and thenlaid upon ‘Brighid’s bed’ alongside the other Brighid dolls from the two years prior –the mother and grandmother ancestry. My novel, The Keys to Remember, describes a fictionalized Imbolc processionin detail.

Another popular Imbolc custom was the making of Brighidcrosses to hang high in house and byre. These were crosses of atriskele shape, to symbolize the three fold nature of Brighid. The crosses weremade of rushes or braided straw. Rushes were traditionally laid down in thebirthing place as they carry the symbol of new life. Today, Brighid crosses areoften made with white and red yarn.

The goddess Brighid later became known as the Christian SaintBrigit. Imbolc, dedicated to the light-bearing qualities of Brighid, was renamedCandlemas. Candlemas was Christianized as the feast of the purification of theVirgin Mary, and was celebrated as a festival of lights. Candles burnt duringCandlemas kept away storms, demons, and other evils. In this Christian version,Brigit was the foster mother of Christ and the midwife at Christ’s birth. Assuch, she was often invoked for her assistance at childbirth.

Legends say thatSaint Brigit was the daughter of a druid who had a vision that she would benamed after a great goddess. She was born at sunrise and she was reared on themilk of a special white cow with red ears, an animal often found in the CelticOtherworld. You can see a carved representation of Brighid and her totem cow onSt. Michael’s tower atop the Tor hill in Glastonbury, England. Also inGlastonbury is the famous St. Brigit’s mound, located in a field west of thetown. Supposedly, in centuries past, there was a Brigit nunnerythere. Some say it was earlier a convent dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

Saint Brigit founded a famous Christian abbey at Kildare,Ireland, in the heart of Leinster. There, in her convent, burned a perennialflame which became known as one of the three inextinguishable fires of Irishmonasteries. The candle is reported to have burnt perpetually from the 5^thto the 16^th centuries, with Saint Brigit’s nuns tending and guardingthe flame. The foundations of Saint Brigit’s fire temple where Brigit and hersisters tended the sacred flame still exist. Brigit's flame has now been rekindled and is being tended to. Many healing wells and springs arenamed after Saint Brigit/ the goddess Brighid. Nearby the abbey at Kildare, abouta mile away, stands a famous Saint Brigit Well.

Rituals for Imbolc:

1. Lighta white candle to honor the sacred perpetual flame of Brigit. Make a prayer for Brighid's flame to symbolically spark the divine luminousity inherant within you. Ask Brighid to inspire you in whatever project you may want help for in your life.

2. Pickdandelion leaves and eat them in your salad. This common weed, with theirgolden flower faces, remind us of the sun’s return.

3. Leave a red or white silk ribbon on your doorstep forBrighid to bless on the eve before Imbolc. The ribbon can then be used for healingpurposes.

4. Make your own Brighid’s cross – instructions can befound here

~Jodine Turner, visionary fiction and magical fantasy author. http://www.jodineturner.com

Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic now on Kindle. Plus enter to win my two book give-away!

2012-01-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic Book Two is now available in Kindle format.

To celebrate my award winning series I am excited to offer you an opportunity to win a copy of both Carry on the Flame books - Destiny's Call and Ultimate Magic. Through adventure and suspense filled story, my urban fantasy novels carry keys to how to embody love, how to unite your Sacred Lovers within, as well as magical meditation practices.

"The Love you desire is within."

Simply follow these 3 easy steps for your chance to win:

1. Go to my Twitter page here and 'follow' me.

2. Go to my Facebook Author Page here and 'like' the page.

3. Lastly, leave me your email address in the comment section below so I know how to contact you if you win! And please feel free to browse my blog articles and follow me here!

The winner of my book give-away will be randomly selected and will receive a copy of both books in their choice of paperback or e-book format (PDF - with easy instructions on how to download onto a Kindle). Contest ends February 6th, 2012.

I am happy to be offering my novels to one lucky winner and I truly appreciate your support! Good luck!

Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic

"The Ultimate Magic is Love"

Huntedby the police, stalked by a demonic Tracker conjured by her aunt, and torn fromeveryone she loves, Sharay struggles with the temptation to fight Phoebe’s darkpowers with her own. She must transform her fear and hatred for her aunt inorder to uncover the mystery held deep within her cells that will allow her tofulfill her destiny – a secret only she can discover. When separated fromGuethyn’s protection, Sharay continues on her Imram alone, in thisspellbinding conclusion to Carry on the Flame.

View Book Trailer.

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"If you have not yet discovered the magical and visionary work of Jodine Turner, now is the time."

~ Kathleen McGowan, International bestselling author

Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic

2011-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

"Visionary fiction speaks the language of the soul"

During this time of the upcoming full moon, my newest novel, Book Two of Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic just released. This is right on the heels of Book One of Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call receiving four awards, including being an award winning finalist in the USA Books 'Best Books of 2011' for New Age fiction.

Ultimage Magic is an urban fantasy, magical realism, visionary fiction novel for adults and young adults alike. It is fourth in the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series, and is an initiatory experience into the mysteries of the divine feminine in union with the divine masculine through visionary fiction.

“I am that which is at the end of all longing.
The love you desire is within.”

~The Goddess of the Stars and the Sea

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Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic Book Two

Born into a lineage of priestesses in modern day Glastonbury, England, Sharay is chosen by the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea to help humankind move through the fear and chaos of today’s world. To do so, she has to face her grief, loss, and her own dark side. Her way is blocked by her jealous Aunt Phoebe, who uses black magic against Sharay to steal her fortune and her magical powers. When Phoebe accuses her of insanity and murder, it’s the elder, eccentric wizard Dillon who sets Sharay on the Celtic ‘Imram,’ a quest designed to awaken her magical abilities as a priestess. And it’s Dillon’s grandson Guethyn who shows Sharay how to open her heart in the Beltaine Ritual, the ancient Celtic ceremony of sacred union.

Hunted by the police, stalked by a demonic Tracker conjured by her aunt, and torn from everyone she loves, Sharay struggles with the temptation to fight Phoebe’s dark powers with her own. She must transform her fear and hatred for her aunt in order to uncover the mystery held deep within her cells that will allow her to fulfill her destiny – a secret only she can discover. When separated from Guethyn’s protection, Sharay continues on her Imram alone, in this spellbinding conclusion to Carry on the Flame.

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You can view the book trailer here:

You can purchase Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic here.

Ultimate Magic has some wonderful endorsements so far:

This book is a revelation of deep spiritual truths that are the foundation for a new humanity based on love. It is a page turner with a profound message that might change your life.

~Tiziana DellaRovere, author and founder of Adorata, the spiritual path of Enlovement

If you feel you are not listening to your most authentic heart and want to, Sharay's bumpy journey is yours. If you have ever felt you have a calling or a mission in life that you resisted or if you are experiencing the challenges of stepping up to meet that call, Sharay's journey is yours.

~Alissa Lukara, author and founder of Transformational Writers

If you have not yet discovered the magical and visionary work of Jodine Turner, now is the time.

~ Kathleen McGowan, International bestselling author

This gripping tale of magic and adventure, set in both ancient and modern Britain, should appeal to lovers of Celtic fantasy everywhere!

~Mara Freeman, author and Director of the Avalon Mystery School

Carry on the Flame is an exciting read for modern day people who love the Divine Feminine; with intrigue, fighting the dark arts, and the challenges of facing a great destiny. This is a Goddess- inspired page turner you won't put down until the end.
~Kathy Jones, author, Priestess of Avalon Initiator and teacher.

Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call

I'd love your support if you would leave a review of my novels on Amazon.com. You can go here to do so, and thanks!

Elizabeth Cunningham, Red Robed Priestess: Interview Part 2

2011-12-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

Virtual Book Tour Stop for Red Robed Priestess

Interview by Jodine Turner

This is Part Two of my interview with the wonderful Elizabeth Cunningham, author of Red Robed Priestess, the fourth and final installment in the Maeve Chronicles. You will again also meet with Maeve, the series' main character and Celtic born Mary Magdalen.

In Part One we discovered the complicated relationship between Maeve and Queen Boudica; we learned how the politics of Maeve's time speak to our current world; we were privy to both Maeve and Elizabeth's wit and wisdom; we explored their relationship with Jesus; and for fellow authors - Elizabeth spoke about her inspiration for writing.

I know you will enjoy meeting with Elizabeth and Maeve again, in the continutation of their interview!

8. This question came from my writing group: How did you, Maeve, survive and cope with all of the horrendous, ruthless things that happened to you? Elizabeth – why does Maeve go through so much suffering?

Maeve—Just like any of us to whom life happens, I didn’t have much choice. As to how I survived and coped, I must give some credit to my eight mothers. They may have spoiled me, lovingly and foolishly deceived me, but I never had any doubt about my worth. I knew I was beloved. That makes a huge difference. I wish I could give everyone the strength that was given to me, the love that was lavished on me. I hope that reading my story does give people an imaginative experience of that kind of rock solid foundation.

For all I had eight mothers, I lacked a human father. When I found him, he turned all his self-hatred on me and tried to destroy me. I am not alone in this experience. And for women who have no loving father, it is hard to imagine one. Along comes King Bran, my foster father, all that a father could and should be. Elizabeth has heard from many women that the passages that describe my relationship with Bran have moved and helped heal them. That is the other key to survival. In a harsh, even ruthless world, open yourself to any kindness that is shown to you. When I was sold into prostitution, the kindness of my fellow whores gave me strength. After I was beaten and left in a cellar in Paulina’s house, a slave whose tongue had been ripped out went out of her way to salve my wounds.
That is how I not only survived but kept my soul intact. Receive kindness and show it!

Elizabeth--Maeve goes through so much suffering, because she is a human being. Her sufferings may seem extreme or exotic in their first century setting. But really, haven’t all or most of known heartbreak, loss, betrayal? People today are still being sold into prostitution. It may not be called by that name, but slavery still exists. Many, many people are exiled and homeless. Maeve is not the only one to have a child taken from her or to have an adolescent child run away. Many people are widowed tragically. And in many places in the world today people know the devastation of war and occupation.

Maeve does have both a hard life and an indomitable spirit. As she says in Magdalen Rising, when we are in the place of no hope, we can call on her and she will be with us. It is very moving to me to know that actual people have done just that. And Maeve has been there for them, not just in her story, but with them in their life.

"In a harsh, even ruthless world, open yourself to any kindness that is shown to you."

9. The combination of hip 21st century language and more ancient language in the novel worked so well. How did you choose to use that writing device? Did anyone along the way tell you to edit it out?

As I said before, she arrived as a 21st century character named Madge, and she always had quite a mouth on her and a very distinctive voice. It made sense to me to stay with that voice and for her to address her remarks to us, her 21st century audience. One of the premises of her story is that no one till now has been ready to hear it the way it really was. She’s been censored, even edited out. (See the deal she makes with Peter in Bright Dark Madonna). The novels were rejected by more than one person because of her in-your-face voice. I finally said to my agent, if that’s the reason for the rejection don’t even bother to tell me, because I am not changing her voice. Even my generally supportive current publisher wanted me to take out The Pentecostal Alley Blues that open Bright Dark Madonna. I refused. You can hear the recorded version of that song and others on my CD MaevenSong.

Also, since I don’t speak Celtic, Latin, Greek or Aramaic, and the English language did not exist in the first century, I saw no point in creating a faux archaic voice. Her voice and her unabashed conscious love of anachronism gave me great freedom and lots of room for humor.

"I finally said to my agent, if that’s the reason for the rejection don’t even bother to tell me, because I am not changing her voice."

10. Elizabeth, what is the form or manner of communication with you and Maeve? (is it dreams, meditations, muse, etc.) How did Maeve first come to you Elizabeth? Maeve, how did you choose Elizabeth to write about you?

Elizabeth--I have mentioned in Part 1 about how Maeve first came to me. We communicate the way any two close friends would. We talk, and sometimes we argue. It was not my intent that Jesus and Maeve would ever marry, and when it looked as though the story was heading in that direction, I said to her, “You can’t get married! You’ll ruin the archetype. We’re working with the holy whore here!” And she said, “What good is an archetype if you can’t explode it. Then it’s no better than a stereotype.” So she won. Although I am done with the writing, I still talk to her. Unlike my other friends, she is right there beside me if I am wakeful at 4:00 in the morning. Someone once said, a bit condescendingly, “Oh, so you have an imaginary friend.” Yes, I do. And i-madge-inary friend. For life.

Maeve—I chose Elizabeth to write about me, because she can write. She is passionate about her craft as a novelist, poet, and songwriter. She does me justice. Don’t get me—or her—started about channeling or automatic writing. That is not what we do. We have a dynamic, creative partnership. Yeah, like she says, we’re friends.

“What good is an archetype if you can’t explode it. Then it’s no better than a stereotype.”

11. Did you have any rejection letters from agents/publishers? How did you deal with them?

Many, many, many, many, many. More than I can possibly remember. How did I deal with them? Rage, cry, drink heavily. But I did not take them personally. I did not doubt the worth of my work.

12. Which is your favorite in the Maeve Chronicle series?

Ah, that is like asking a mother which is her favorite child. Each was my favorite while I was writing it. Last year in preparation for revising Red-Robed Priestess, I read the first three for the first time as a reader (ie not for editing or proofing). I was pleased to find them engaging and…well-written. I will say that when I read The Passion of Mary Magdalen, I was living Maeve’s life so completely it did not feel like reading. I had little sense of words on a page and a book in my hand, I was so inside the story. That is the book I felt I was born to write. I used to worry that I would die before completing it, and have to reincarnate to finish it. Everything I’ve written since then feels like extra credit. That said, I love the last two volumes as much as the first two and believe that with each book I have met new challenges and grown as a writer.

"That is the book I felt I was born to write." (about The Passion of Mary Magdalen)

13. How is it living with this material for 20 years?

It has been wonderful to have this other life with Maeve, to have two sets of memories. Hers are as real to me as my own. I miss writing the story so much, my eyes still well up when I answer that question, as they are right now. It is less than a year since the daily writing has been completed. I am still bereft as well as relieved and happy to have the whole story out in the world. It means everything to me to know that Maeve is alive and well in other people’s lives and imaginations.

14. What does Maeve say to women and lovers today? And Elizabeth, same question.

Maeve--Hearts are made to be broken, same as the husk of a seed splits for the plant to take root and grow. Risk your heart. Women, love whoever you love, love boldly, wisely, foolishly and never forget or surrender your sovereignty. Give your heart but not your freedom.

Elizabeth—A word of caution. Sometimes the one you love, the way Maeve loves Jesus, is not the one you with whom you share a domestic life or partnership. There are many different kinds of love and ways of loving and being a lover. Don’t get such a fixed idea about love that you miss what’s on offer.

Yes, I add my voice to Maeve’s about sovereignty. One way to keep your sovereignty is have things that you love to do—grow a garden, cook a meal, hike. Do not make your beloved your reason to live; do not make another person your job.

True lovers surrender not to each other but to the mystery.

Maeve-Yes!

"True lovers surrender not to each other but to the mystery."

15. Is there anything about Red Robed Priestess that either of you would like to say…maybe something ‘off the record’, or something not able to be included in the final draft?

Elizabeth-Have tissues ready.

Maeve-Things are not always what they seem then or now. When you are in the midst of sorrow and strife it is hard to see how it is woven into the pattern. Let’s end with a song Elizabeth wrote that is not in any of the books. It’s inspired by a passage from my old nemesis Paul of Tarsus:

All things work together for good
for those who love the mystery
the pain and the bliss
the lovely and the hideous
they are woven into the pattern
they are gathered into the river’s flow.
All things together for good
for those who live the mystery.

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I invite you to leave a comment below for either Elizabeth or Maeve. They'd love to hear from you!

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Purchase Red Robed Priestess.

To connect with Elizabeth and Maeve: www.passionofmarymagdalen.com Elizabeth and Maeve’s blog Elizabeth and Maeve’s Twitter Maeve’s personal Facebook page Elizabeth’s author page on Facebook www.highvalley.org

Bio:

Elizabeth Cunningham is the author of The Maeve Chronicles, a series of four novels featuring a Celtic Magdalen, including her latest, Red-Robed Priestess. The first three in the series are Magdalen Rising, Passion of Mary Magdalen, and Bright Dark Madonna.

Elizabeth is the direct descendant of nine generations of Episcopal priests. When she was not in church or school, she read fairytales and fantasy novels or wandered in the enchanted wood of an overgrown, abandoned estate next door to the rectory. Her religious background, the magic of fairytales, and the numinous experience of nature continue to inform her work. Cunningham also authored many individual books as well, such as The Wild Mother; The Return of the Goddess, a Divine Comedy; How to Spin Gold, a Woman’s Tale; Small Bird, and Wild Mercy, and a recently released album, MaevenSong.

Although Cunningham managed to avoid becoming an Episcopal priest, she graduated from The New Seminary in 1997 and was ordained as an interfaith minister and counselor. Both The Maeve Chronicles and her interfaith ministry express Cunningham’s profound desire to reconcile her Christian roots with her call to explore the divine feminine.

Since her ordination, Cunningham has been in private practice as a counselor and maintains that the reading and writing of novels has been has been as important to this work as her seminary training.

She is also the director of the Center at High Valley where she leads singing and poetry circles as well rituals celebrating the Celtic Cross Quarter Days. The mother of grown children, Cunningham lives with her husband in a sacred grove in New York State’s Hudson Valley.

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Jodine Turner is the author of the visionary fiction Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series, and author of this blog. Her newest novel, Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic released December 6, 2011.

Interview with the fabulous Elizabeth Cunningham, author of Red Robed Priestess

2011-12-02T00:30:00.000-08:00

Virtual Book Tour Stop for Red Robed Priestess

Interviewby Jodine Turner

I am delighted for the opportunity to interview Elizabeth Cunningham about her recently released novel in the Maeve Chronicles, called Red Robed Priestess. Elizabeth is a modern day Celtic Bard whose words flow like milk and honey. When I was reading Red Robed Priestess, my husband asked me why I was smiling. Two reasons – first, each word felt like nourishing soul food; second, there was Maeve’s dry wit, the kind that makes you laugh out loud.

Red Robed Priestess is the fourth and final installment in Maeve’s story, the life of Mary Magdalen. But be advised, Maeve is definitely not your mother’s Mary Magdalen, nor is she the Magdalen we meet in contemporary novels. Maeve is born of eight warrior witches in the Celtic Otherworld. She’s unabashedly honest. And unorthodox as well as fearless. Not so much the kind of fearless that stems from obligation or duty. It’s more the kind that is sourced in her unapologetic authenticity, as well as in her body. Her raw truth both inspires and scares me. Could I ever aspire to stand up for those I love the way she did? I certainly learned from her.

Not surprisingly, Elizabeth’s novel appealed to me, given that my own published novels incorporate Celtic tradition and lore, as well as the themes of embodied love that comes from the sacred union of the divine masculine and divine feminine within. But beyond these similar passions, Elizabeth and Maeve (hard to keep them apart in one sentence) will transport you to other worlds. To the Celtic Otherworld, to Roman occupied Britain, as well as to the world of deep emotion, and the complexity of human relationships. The world of love eternal. Be prepared for a poignant exploration of mother daughter bonds, and how you can find love in the most surprising people and circumstances.

So, here is the interview, Part 1, with both Elizabeth and Maeve, two fascinating and juicy women. As Maeve says in The Passion of Mary Magdalen: "Never apologize for mistaking a woman for a goddess."

For those readers of my blog who are also authors, Elizabeth shares some unique insights into her writing life. Enjoy! (You can read Part 2 of this interview on Friday, December 9).

1. How does the ‘political and emotional complexity’ of Red Robed Priestess speak to our times?

Maeve and the Celts of the British Isles were facing the end of the world as they knew it. I think this realization has come to many peoples in many different times. Born just after the Second World War, I often think of how the world must have looked to Europeans, especially to Jews, as that disaster took shape and spread from country to country.

We are now facing economic, environmental and political upheaval on a global scale. We don’t know how things will play out, but business and life will are not going on as usual, and change is inevitable and imperative. Like Maeve and her combrogos, our courage and character, individually and collectively are being put to the test.

There are differences, too. While the parallels are not exact, the United States today is the Empire in much the way Rome was in its day. In that sense, the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq are much more in the position of the Celtic tribes whose land was being occupied by a foreign power.

2. What inspired you for the relationship between Boudica and Maeve?

In Magdalen Rising, chronologically the first of The Maeve Chronicles, I hinted at the identity of Maeve’s firstborn child. Those who knew the story of the Boudica, the rebel queen who almost succeeded in destroying the Roman occupation of Britain, picked up that hint, and so I had to follow through in the fourth and final novel. I first heard of Boudica from my rather formidable mother-in-law, who could have led an army herself, no doubt. Born in South America, my mother-in-law claimed descent from Incan royalty. She spiffed up her son’s patrilineage by claiming Queen Boudica (whom she called by Boadicea) as his ancestress. The story of this heroic woman and her tragic fate took hold in my imagination long before I wrote The Maeve Chronicles. If my mother-in-law’s claim is true (big if) I am related to Boudica by marriage as well as through Maeve.

3. Where does your writing inspiration come from?

A good question and a hard one to answer. I was raised on stories: Bible stories, fairytales, the Narnia Books by CS Lewis. And I made up stories in my imagination before I could write. As I look back on my work, I can see I have always been seeking to marry things that other people might see as opposed: the human and the wild, the church and the heath, the one god with the many, with the goddess. I believe we are as much chosen by the stories as we choose them. Once you set out to be a storyteller or any kind of an artist, inspiration comes mainly because you show up for the work, day after day, whether you feel inspired or not. Then the Muse takes you seriously—and playfully!

"I believe we are as much chosen by the stories as we choose them."

4. I know you learned a lot from loving Jesus. What is the most important thing you learned from loving him?

Maeve-At the risk of being cheeky, (well, I’ve risked that before) I think someone should ask him what he learned from loving me! Much as I’d like to answer that, I’ll stick to the question. I learned patience. I had to wait for him for a long time. No sooner did we find each other than he took off again. I had to learn surrender—not to him, but to the mystery. Like all of us, I had illusions/delusions of control. I thought I could step in and whomp his fate upside the head, change it to my liking. And I couldn’t. I couldn’t change anyone’s fate. And yet within that fate, I also learned we have choice. The choice to be kind, the choice to be brave, the choice to forgive, the choice to share what we have with friends and with enemies.

Elizabeth-I am still learning. Writing The Maeve Chronicles is the way I found to love him, writing from the point of view of an outsider, someone who never was or would be a convert or a follower. Aspects of institutional Christianity and its history can be appalling and yet I am still moved by Jesus, his story, and his affect on people. He is real to me.

"I think someone should ask him (Jesus) what he learned from loving me (Maeve)!"

5. Maeve - What is the most important thing you learned from your time with your warrior witch mothers in the Celtic Otherworld that is important for us today?

My mothers had a now almost famous saying that “a story is true if it’s well told.” They—and my whole chronicles—make the case for poetic truth. In your time many people do not understand story. They take everything—especially the Bible—as literal truth, as fact. They confuse fact with truth. The people who first told the stories in the Bible had no such confusion. They knew that story is a way to connect with the divine mystery. It was the connection that mattered, the meaning. That is why there are four Gospels, not one!

That said, you could also say that my mothers were spin masters. There was an important truth about themselves and what they did, about me and who I am that they omitted and/or prettified. And that omission brought me and others to grief.
People need to think more about intent. My mothers’ intent was good but not very well-thought-out. They wanted to give me a sense of powerful and poetic paternity. And they did. In the end my actual father’s identity merged with that of my mythic father. But my mothers also had a hidden intent, to cover a rash and destructive act of their own.

What any Celt of my time will tell you is: words and stories are magical. They have the power to create and to destroy. People today need to take words more seriously. They need to restore story to its honored place and they need to stop knowingly and cynically repeating lies.

"...words and stories are magical"

6. Elizabeth, what drew you to Magdalen in the first place?

I did not have an ambition to write about Mary Magdalen, though of course she always intrigued me as she does many people. The character who became Maeve arrived when I had taken a break from writing, appearing first as a line-drawing, evolving quickly into a colorful cartoon character named Madge with fiery-neon orange hair. Soon she needed balloons for all her outrageous theological observations. I was enchanted with her and invited her to be in my next novel. She turned down all my proposals until, noticing the similar letters in Madge and Magdalen coupled with her very red hair, I asked if she would star in a novel about the Celtic Mary Magdalen. That’s the one, she agreed.

Madge, the contemporary incarnation of the character, is an unapologetic prostitute—her solution to an impecunious life in the arts. Although there is no evidence that Mary Magdalen was—or was not—a prostitute, I was intrigued by that perhaps unfounded legend just as others are outraged by it—perhaps because they are outraged by it. To me the Magdalen represents the divine incarnate as a woman. She bears all our cultural and historical projections and assumptions about female sexuality. I did not want to save her from her perhaps undeserved reputation. I wanted to explore the archetype of the whore—but with a twist, for my Magdalen is completely unrepentant!

"She bears all our cultural and historical projections and assumptions about female sexuality."

7. How do you, Elizabeth, integrate Magdalen with the Episcopal theology, with your long line of ancestry in the Episcopal priesthood – or not?

Mary Magdalen is part of Christian story and always has been. Whatever theories anyone has about her background and occupation, in all the Gospels she is a first witness, sometimes the first witness to the Resurrection. My father, as an Episcopal priest, was what is known as “low church” more towards the Protestant end of the spectrum, far from the Anglo-Catholic veneration of saints. So I only heard about Mary Magdalen in the Easter Gospel and the Virgin Mary at Christmas. Women were pretty much missing from the story. I departed from the Church years before I began writing The Maeve Chronicles and became a pagan priestess, though I have no orthodoxy in that realm either. I wrote about that shift in my novel The Return of the Goddess, A Divine Comedy.

As much as I felt at home as an earth-centered pagan, I could never turn my back on my roots. There are Christians who hate and fear pagans and pagans who hate and fear Christians. I could not join either camp. Long before I started The Maeve Chronicles I had a title in my mind that I thought might go with a poem: “A Witch’s Love Song to Christ.” In a way, that is what The Maeve Chronicles are—at least in part. What’s different about The Maeve Chronicles is that they are not his story through her eyes. It’s her story and he happens to be an important part of it. For the last two books he does not appear in person at all.

Theologically, I am very much a celebrant of the Incarnation. I love Jesus because he had feet and walked on the earth. I wanted to write the story of a divine incarnate woman who can walk with us through our own heartbreaking and magnificent experience of incarnation.

The Maeve Chronicles, in part “A Witch’s Love Song to Christ.”

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I invite you to leave a comment below for either Elizabeth or Maeve. They'd love to hear from you!

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Purchase Red Robed Priestess.

To connect with Elizabeth and Maeve: www.passionofmarymagdalen.com Elizabeth and Maeve’sblog Elizabeth and Maeve’s Twitter Maeve’s personal Facebook page Elizabeth’s author page on Facebook www.highvalley.org

Bio:

Elizabeth Cunningham is the author of The MaeveChronicles, a series of four novels featuring a Celtic Magdalen, including herlatest, Red-Robed Priestess. The first three in the series are Magdalen Rising, Passion of Mary Magdalen, and Bright Dark Madonna.

Elizabeth is the direct descendant of nine generations of Episcopal priests. When she was not in church or school, she read fairytales and fantasy novels or wandered in the enchanted wood of an overgrown, abandoned estate next door to the rectory. Her religious background, the magic of fairytales, and the numinous experience of nature continue to inform her work. Cunningham also authored many individualbooks as well, such as The Wild Mother; The Return of the Goddess, a Divine Comedy; How to Spin Gold, a Woman’s Tale; Small Bird, and Wild Mercy, and a recently released album, MaevenSong.

Although Cunningham managed to avoid becoming an Episcopal priest, she graduated from The New Seminary in 1997 and was ordained as an interfaith minister and counselor. Both The Maeve Chronicles and her interfaith ministry express Cunningham’s profound desire to reconcile her Christian roots with her call to explore the divine feminine.

Since her ordination, Cunningham has been in private practice as a counselor and maintains that the reading and writing of novels has been has been as important to this work as her seminary training.

She is also the director of the Center at High Valley where she leads singing and poetry circles as well rituals celebrating the Celtic Cross Quarter Days. The mother of grown children, Cunningham lives with her husband in a sacred grove in New York State’s Hudson Valley.

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Jodine Turner is the author of the visionary fiction Goddess of the Starsand the Sea series, and author of this blog. Her newest novel, Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic releasesDecember 2011.

Visionary Fiction: What is this fiction genre anyway? Part 4

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

This is Part 4, the final part in my Visionary Fiction series, describing this increasingly popular fiction genre. You can read Part 1 here, and Parts 3 & 4 in the posts immediately below.

Visionary Fiction speaks the language of the soul.

My own visionary fiction series is told through the eyes of the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea, and the priestesses of Her lineage. This ancient Goddess helps humanity during their cycles of spiritual evolution, those collective leaps in consciousness that occur throughout critical junctures in human history. Her priestesses confront personal and spiritual trials before they can don the mantle of their destiny and assist humankind through these cycles.

In the first novel of the trilogy, “The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis,” the priestess Geodran is entrusted to protect Atlantis' spiritual traditions from the degeneration of the once illuminated society, and go on to seed the world with Atlantean wisdom after the continent’s cataclysmic demise. In order to save her culture, as well as her life, Geodran must claim her own inner spiritual authority. Geodran's journey calls us to answer the question - are we inspired by our own inner truth to bring about change for the world, or do we align with the status quo and those who aspire to control and dominate?

In the award winning “The Keys to Remember,” the priestess Rhianna must preserve the lineage of the sacred feminine for posterity during a time when the feminine was savagely suppressed. She must learn that only by feeling your deepest pain can you truly open to love.

In the latest novel, a USA 2011 Best Books award winning finalist “Carry on the Flame:Destiny's Call,” the modern-day priestess Sharay must persevere through deceitful accusations that she’s criminally insane. She must face not only formidable outside forces, but her own grief, loss, and dark side in order to fulfill her destiny and make the spiritual leap that has been prophesied – the brilliant luminosity of embodied Divine Love. In Book Two of Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic, Sharay must meet the challenges of her calling to discover that the power of love, both human and divine, lies within her very cells - and is the ultimate magic to heal and transform not only herself, but the chaos of our present times.

In all three novels of the trilogy, the heroines face obstacles in the mundane world, where the full potential of metaphysical human abilities are not often acknowledged and certainly not commonplace. The characters must also journey through the portal where the mundane world ends and the enchanted Otherworld begins. There they must address the unique challenges this unseen world presents. The metaphysical tools and methods the characters use to meet these challenges are imbued in the story, woven into the fictional thread. The invitation for readers is to apply them in their own lives.

Visionary Fiction author, Monty Joynes, who wrote, among other books, “Conversations with God: the Making of the Movie,” says Visionary Fiction is a medium for metaphysical experience. I would add that it is a direct link to Spirit, a sort of Mystery School initiation for the reader. Whereas fiction uses story to touch the soul, Visionary Fiction speaks the language of the soul. It offers a vision of humanity as we dream it could be. At a time where our world is going through so much tumultuous change, we need more Visionary Fiction.

As with any good writing, Visionary Fiction requires you to be a word smith. You paint a verbal picture that offers a glimpse of the spaces in between the words. The spaces in between the plot, in between the drama. It is between the words that the metaphysical gem sits, and where inspiration dances. The spaces act as the passageway and portal to the visionary mystical experience for the reader. Therein they are admitted into a Universal Mystery School. The characters are merely the limina, Latin for threshold, into new views of reality. The Imram, the story, is the passport there.

What are your thoughts about visionary fiction? I invite you to send me a comment!

Visionary Fiction: What is this fiction genre anyway? Part 3

2011-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

This is a four part series describing the increasingly popular fiction genre of Visionary Fiction. (you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 immediately below this post.)

Visionary Fiction is like the legendary Celtic Imram, the soul's voyage. The drama and tension of the characters’ adventures is one layer of the tale. All of the usual elements of suspense, conflict, even romance and mystery, are interwoven in the plot. The other layer, deeper and more archetypal, is that mystical inner journey of spiritual awakening. In Visionary Fiction, esoteric wisdom is embedded in story so that the reader can actually experience it, instead of merely learning about it.

When written well, visionary Fiction does not proselytize, evangelize, coerce, or feel dogmatic. Often relegated to the genre of Fantasy, Inspiration, or Spirituality, it contains elements of all three. But the story line is generally more concerned with the protagonist’s internal experiences where non-logical methods – such as visions, dreams, psychic phenomena, past life remembrances, or forays into uncharted planes of existence – are the unique catalysts for radical shifts in perception. Characters explore alternative dimensions, sometimes willingly and sometimes not. They break from our everyday conditioned reality to glimpse a more enlightened doorway into unconventional perspectives.

It is a recent genre, and despite the fact there are not many Visionary Fiction novels out there, there is a rapidly growing interest in it. Take the world of priestesses and the sacred ancient sites of Glastonbury from Marion Zimmer Bradley’s “The Mists of Avalon”. Morgaine, the main character, is a priestess of the “Old Ways”, the ancient Goddess religions. The legend of King Arthur and the quest for the elusive Holy Grail – that divine receptacle of Love, Soul, and womb of the Sacred Feminine – is told through her unique perspective. Her personal and spiritual growth is an archetypal metaphor for our modern culture where there is a re-emerging interest in the Divine Feminine. This theme touched a collective yearning, something archetypally familiar, for millions of readers, and the novel became a Visionary Fiction classic.

James Redfield’s “The Celestine Prophecy,” while not a great literary work, clearly filled a need that reached main stream readership, selling over 20 million copies. It is a metaphysical adventure tale, a modern day thriller where governmental and church authorities pursue the hero as he undertakes an expedition to Peru in search of an ancient manuscript purported to hold nine spiritual insights. These insights serve to illuminate spiritual understanding as well as engaging the reader in a good tale. Mystical encounters and spiritual awakenings provide the raw material for the alchemy of the characters and reader alike.

Dan Millman’s “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior” is a Visionary Fiction best seller based on a true story, which also became a major motion picture. The main character, a college student and Olympic Gold hopeful in gymnastics, meets up with an enigmatic spiritual mentor, a contemporary Merlin disguised as a car mechanic. This teacher’s brand of mysticism and magic guide the hero to shatter his pre-conceived beliefs about strength, might, and victory. The world of the supernatural and the uncharted powers of the mind become fertile ground for the hero’s metamorphosis. His story becomes the quest that offers the potential of spiritual breakthroughs for the reader via the transformations he achieves.

(concluded in Part 4 on Monday)

Visionary Fiction: What is this fiction genre anyway? Part 2

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

The genre of visionary fiction is a journey of the soul.

I write fantasy, urban fantasy, magical realism, and paranormal romance. But I primarily write visionary fiction. It's not a genre that is as well known as, let's say, urban fantasy. But, it has a loyal following, and it is no longer meshed under fantasy headings. It is distinct and becoming increasingly popular. I want to help readers understand what visionary fiction is about, so I am writing a series of posts about the genre, in several parts. This is Part 2. You can read Part 1 here.

After my incident at the Chalice Well, Anna told me about her Irish born grandmother, Millie. She recounted her last visit with Millie, years ago, the cold and damp winter she turned thirteen – only months before her grandmother died. From her vivid descriptions, I could imagine Anna as a young teenager, almost felt as if I’d been on that visit with her.

Millie had lived in a small village in western Ireland, and owned an old stone cottage with a cozy inglenook. Anna spent many hours beside that hearth, wrapped snugly in a warm wool shawl, watching the flames lick the edges of the sweet smelling peat. Her grandmother would sit on the bench beside her, her craggy face illuminated, her gnarled hands wrapped around a mug of steaming black tea, often with “just a spot” of whiskey added. Anna would snuggle into the protective shoulder of her grandmother, never really minding the cold, because that was the winter her grandmother taught her how to “travel.”

Millie was a natural story teller, what her ancestors might have called a Bard. She regaled Anna with tales that sprang to life in the tiny, fire lit living room. Tales of the mighty heroes of ancient Ireland, the power of the land, and the Tuatha de Danaan, the early Gods and Goddesses of Ireland. Most of her stories had to do with the Celtic Imram.

The Imram was the mythical heroes’ quest, the adventurous travels taken by ship to reach the farthest islands in the western oceans, in search of treasures, healing, or immortality. But Imrams were no ordinary expedition to explore the promises of those distant shores. They were the extraordinary voyage of the soul. The islands the travelers visited were portals to the Otherworld, that numinous place of magic, mysticism, and paradise. Whereas their outer expeditions brought them to the edge of the known physical world, where they had to fight in order to survive, their inner voyage brought them to another sort of edge – one where they had the opportunity to evolve heightened levels of awareness. New spiritual realizations were gained and changes in consciousness occurred.

Through the tales of Anna’s grandmother, I came to see that my experience in Glastonbury was my Imram. And those startling images I’d seen as I sat quietly beside the Chalice Well were my initiation into major shifts in awareness. Several years later, those provocative images eventually married my creative Muse, and birthed the novels that became my Goddess of the Stars and the Sea Visionary Fiction trilogy.

(to be continued in 'Visionary Fiction Part 3', on Friday)

IMRAM

Visionary Fiction - What is this fiction genre anyway?

2011-11-14T10:41:00.001-08:00

I write fantasy, urban fantasy, magical realism, and paranormal romance. But I primarily write visionary fiction. It's not a genre that is as well known as, let's say, urban fantasy. But, it has a loyal following, and it is no longer meshed under fantasy headings. It is distinct and becoming increasingly popular. I want to help readers understand what visionary fiction is about, so I will be writing a series of posts about the genre, in several parts. This is Part One.

I learned about Visionary Fiction first hand. I was in my thirties when the magical town of Glastonbury England, where “The Mists of Avalon” was set, beckoned me. I answered the call to adventure, and moved to that ancient Isle of Avalon for nine months. Glastonbury had more in mind for me than adventure.

While living there, I would take a daily walk to the nearby Chalice Well. The well is an ancient holy spring, a pilgrimage site set amidst a garden of colorful English flowers, hawthorn shrubs, Rowan trees, and meandering paths. As I’d sit beside the bubbling springs, my mind would still its chatter, and my body would heave a sigh of relief. Early one morning in late spring, while in that relaxed state, an unbidden vision flashed in my mind’s eye. Vague images of robed women, seemingly from times long past, filled my thoughts. Over the course of the next hour, I watched them plant their gardens, and bake their bread. Saw how they’d treat the sick or injured who came to them for help. I heard them sing and chant. And, to my surprise and shock, I also saw them fall, defenseless, at the hands of raiding marauders. I heard their screams, felt their pain and terror rent my heart.

Once the images faded, I sat beside the well until the sun set behind the rounded hills. Unable to move or make sense of what I’d seen, I was gripped by the sadness the images evoked. If it weren’t for my budding friendship with Anna, the owner of a local bookstore, who knows what I would have done with this experience. Maybe I’d have written about it in my private journal, keeping my vision to myself, and never fashioned a story from it. But Anna and her eccentric grandmother forever changed that...

(continued in Part Two, next week)

Chalice Well: Glastonbury, England (the ancient Isle of Avalon)

Celebrating Samhain and Halloween

2011-10-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

October 31st marks one of the eight seasonal turning points on the Wheel of the Year, the festival called Samhain (pronounced sa-wen). Summer has exhaled and faded, and the nights lengthen. Leaves turn red, gold, and orange, and fall from the trees. The last of the harvest is gathered, and the remains of the crops are tilled back into the fields to nourish the soil for next year’s planting.

The Samhain passageway opens to winter, that dark half of the year where the earth slumbers and the seed gestates in the fertile richness. Beyond the Samhain doorway lies the deep cavern of the Earth Mother’s womb from which all that is intuitive, introspective, creative, and natural on this earth is birthed. The ancients considered this day as their ‘New Year’. They lit ritual bonfires to signify burning away the dross of the old year, finishing old business, and freeing the people from the worries of the past year. All hearth fires were put out and new fires lit from the great bonfires to symbolize this release and new beginnings.

Samhain comes from two words meaning summer’s end. The origin of Halloween lies in this ancient Celtic celebration. Hallow is an old word meaning holy or sacred; "een" is Scottish for evening. Thus Halloween means holy or sacred evening.

Samhain celebrates the mystical time when the usual barriers between our world and the Otherworld are thin, allowing contact between humans and the fairy folk as well as the spirits of the dead. The world of the seen and unseen realities come together and communicate. Candles are an important part of these mysteries. Brightly lit jack-o’-lanterns are echoes of the candle bearing spirit-guides that welcome back dead relatives for a short visit during Samhain.

In the seventh century, Samhain was Christianized. November 1st became known as All Saints’ Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead, the canonized saints. November 2nd was established as All Soul’s Day, where the loved ones who had passed on were remembered, prayed for, and honored. Thus, we 'hallow' and venerate the dead, and by doing so, acknowledge their energy which still flows through us.

Since the night before a festival was always the most important time (because the Celtic day actually began at night), the night before All Saints Day became All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs and customs intermingled, all intended to usher in the mysteries of this dark half of the seasons.

The colored leaves, cornstalks, and apples, that are so much a part of our modern Halloween decorations, are reminders of the autumn Samhain festival. Divination practices were customary. The modern day Halloween witch is a vestige of that time long ago when the older Wise Woman was revered instead of feared, and she was often turned to as an oracle, prophetess, and soothsayer.

This dark half of the year is presided over by the Divine Dark Mother. She is dark because of her rich fertility that transforms the old into the new, much like the winter months germinate the seed within the fecund black soil. The Dark Goddess helps us to strip away what no longer serves in readiness for rebirth into something better.

Traditional games played on Samhain often featured apples from the recent harvest, since at the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grows an apple tree which bears magical fruit. Celtic legends tell of heroes sailing the western sea to find this wondrous Otherworld, known in Britain as Avalon. The hearthside games of apple-bobbing reflect the journey across water to obtain the magic apple from Avalon.

Christian influence contributed its own unique traditions, such as trick or treating, which originally was collecting "soul cakes" on All Souls' Day. Since the window back into our world is opened on Samhain to those who had already passed, people would dress up in scary costumes to protect against evil spirits who might also cross the thin barriers between the worlds.

Simple Samhain commemorations:

Decorate with your kitchen with bowls of gourds and dried ears of corn and corn stalks.
Honor the earth’s bounty by baking your favorite recipe with the season’s last harvest: pumpkin, apples, or autumn squashes.
Roast your own pumpkin seeds from your freshly carved pumpkins. Mix them with a little olive oil and toss with seasonings like tamari, garlic salt, or cayenne.

Two Samhain Rituals:
Choose one ritual – or both!

1. Create a simple ancestor shrine. First, make a small altar. A nice cloth with a candle in a candle holder set atop the cloth will do fine. Since black onyx is the gemstone for Samhain, you might put a piece of black onyx on your altar if you have some. Place photos or keepsakes on your altar that remind you of those family, friends, or pets who have died. Honor them by speaking their name aloud. Contemplate the gifts they have given to you, and then speak those gifts aloud. Put your hands over your heart and offer them your love – it is the never-ending connection you will always have with them. Give thanks.

2. Samhain is the New Year, a time to reflect on the past year and finish any old business from the previous year. Have a piece of paper, a pen, matches, and a fireplace or fireproof bowl nearby. Take a few moments to go within, through meditation or prayer. Acknowledge the Dark Goddess of transformation who presides over this dark half of the year. Reflect on any old business you would like to finish at this time. It could be old habits, old emotional wounds or grudges, any work or creative projects you’d like to conclude – whatever old business you’d like to complete or transform. Take your piece of paper and write down your reflections. Light a fire in your fireplace, woodstove, or fireproof bowl, as a symbolic remnant of the Samhain great bonfires of yesteryear. Place the paper in the flames and allow it to burn, to represent the finishing of your old business. As the flames consume the paper, ask the Dark Mother to help you in the releasing, transformation, and completion of your old business. Give thanks.

Wheel of the Year

The union of the Muse and the Mess

2011-10-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've been in my writing group for seven years. They are my first line readers. I really want their frank critiques to help my manuscript grow into its best possibility. I can't imagine writing without their feedback. In our last writer's meeting, we pondered the question, "Who writes?" When we sit down at the computer, who is it that comes forward to create the dialogue, the scenes, the story, the creative wealth?

After considering what happens when I write, I arrived at this simple conclusion in answer to "Who writes?" - All of me. Not just the transcendent witness of my life, outside of me, up there, out of body, some perfect spirit self, total creative muse, or divine guidance. That feels horribly disconnected. Without my human messy self - my unwanted anger, pain, despair and struggle - none of my writing would touch the hearts or souls of my readers. It would be void and sterile, written 'about' rather than written to intimately experience.

Integrating my messy self with my muse, my passion, my divine guidance - now that is where the spark of creativity ignites. In that integration, the compost of the stuff of life is brought to perfected alchemy. Sentences shine, plot is engaging, characters have sensory depth and they grow from their conflict and tension. This can only be created from the union of the mess and the muse.

We can all turn the dross of our life experience into gold. As writers, this is much like the process of how characters achieve their goals through their transformational arc within a story. Characters don't start out perfect, without flaws. There would be no story there. Characters, as well as writers, start with struggles, pain, and obstacles to what they desire. If that is not part of the equation, there's not much point in telling the story now is there?

The muse without the compost of the mess is barren.

If you write (and we all do in some form or another), how would you answer the question, "Who writes?"

Autumn Equinox: Balance and Equilibrium

2011-09-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

TheWheel of the Year acknowledges the annual cycles of the seasons and the naturalrhythm of the earth. Recognizing our connection with earth cycles is key todeveloping embodied love.

Manyearth and land based spirituality and wisdom traditions, such as the practicesof the ancient Celtic people, celebrated the Wheel of the Year. Our ancestorsexperienced their lives intricately woven with earth’s seasons and tides. Theyheld awareness for the everyday ebb and flow of night and day, dusk and dawn.And they acknowledged the slower change of the seasons; verdant summer intofall’s harvest, fall into winter’s regeneration, winter into spring’s germination,and spring’s expansion into summer once more. These turning points wereconsidered strong magical portals. Opportunities to align with the energies ofnature and augment those energies mirrored within ourselves.

Thesenatural crossroads, the ‘in between’ periods, were celebrated withcolorful customs, rituals, storytelling, songs, music, and special seasonalfoods. The wisdom of the Wheel of the Year frees us from our modern linear,driven focus, and reminds us to treasure the physicality of our bodies and therich sensual gifts of the earth. The Wheel of the Year invites us to pay heedto the unhurried energy of our bodies, and to honor them as the divine withinmatter, for that is where the Divine Feminine resides. By participating inthese natural cycles, we can attune ourselves to the creative forces that flowthrough us, and learn how to harmonize them with the Earth.

The Celtic Wheelof the Year is marked by eight seasonal turning points. The upcoming seasonalchange, the Autumn Equinox, occurs September 23^rdat 2:05 am PDT.The Equinox is the point of the Wheel when there is perfect balance betweenlight and dark, where day and night are in equilibrium. There are equal hoursof daylight and night on this day, which expresses the harmony between theenergies of outward, physical manifestation and inward, intuitive, creativity.Nature’s sacred union. This symbolic balance of the rational and the intuitivewill exist for a moment, and then the forces of winter will slowly rise andtake over. Throughout autumn the land shows clear signs of this journey towardswinter where the earth directs its energies inward. Leaves turn color and birdsmigrate. During the Autumn Equinox we can prepare for when we, too, will gointo winter’s intuitive, regenerative state of inner contemplation.

The AutumnEquinox is also called the festival of Mabon, named for the ancient Celtic god,the child of light. Mabon is the second harvest, where we take stock of ouryield, ready for gathering. This is the Pagan Thanksgiving where we can offerappreciation and enjoy the fruits of our labors. It represents a time toconsider which aspects of our life we wish to preserve, and which we wouldprefer to transform.

Water is theelement of Autumn. Water indicates the realm of emotions and relationships.Autumn Equinox and its element of water urge us to go deeper and embrace ouremotions and the nourishing dark of our psyche with its mysterious teachings.Autumn asks us to honor the strengths that will sustain us through the coldwinter months. L

Suggestions forhow to celebrate the Autumn Equinox:

You cancommemorate the Autumn Equinox in small ways:

1. Enjoyseasonal fruits like pears and apples. Roast the fruits whole in a baking panfor 45 minutes at 350 degrees for a delicious autumn treat.

2. Peelan apple and sprinkle the peel with the balancing herb, thyme. Roll the peel upafter you sprinkle the thyme. Bake in a warm oven of 250 degrees for an hour orso, making sure to breathe in the combination of the sweet apple and the fresh,pungent thyme - it will help bring balance to your home and those who livethere. Once dried, the peel can be kept to hold in your hand whenever you needa little balance.

(from Cait Johnson, Witch in theKitchen)

Autumn EquinoxRitual:

3. Fill a smallbowl with water as a way to connect with autumn’s element. Set it on yourkitchen counter or on your altar. Gather colorful autumn leaves and surroundyour bowl with the leaves. Hold your bowl of water and name 3 people you arethankful for in your life. Pick up one of the brightly colored fall leaves, andas you float it in the water, name one thing you have learned or transformed inthe past year that has become a strength within you which will sustain youduring the winter months ahead.

Happy Autumn Equinox!

Wheel of the Year

Guest Post: 'Writing Essentials' with Morgen Bailey

2011-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to introduce you to the fabulous Morgen Bailey, writer extraordinaire, writing-related blogger, and host of the weekly Bailey’s Writing Tips audio podcast, as well as blog host to author interviews and spotlights. Morgen's fresh take on things, and her great sense of humor, make her a joy to read and listen to! She's agreed to do a guest post on what she considers are her best tips for authors. Thank you, Morgen!

Writing essentials

American science-fiction novelist Jerry Pournell is reported to have said “I think it takes about a million words to make a writer. I mean that you're going to throw away.” I started writing for fun six years ago and more seriously three years ago and with three NaNoWriMo novels, one and a half in between, part of a script, some poetry and loads of short stories under my belt I’m pretty sure I’ve reached that target. How much of them I’ve thrown away I couldn’t tell you but it’s only a fraction, and if like me, you’ve dabbled before really knuckling down, you’ll feel better for it. It’s all about practice. If someone sat you in front of a piano, would they expect you to play a concerto… would you expect that of yourself?

In my experience too many novice writers worry about finding their ‘voice’ and understanding their ‘craft’ early on. It can be a long journey, perhaps not as long as a million words, but as long as you write regularly (daily is the ideal but when does life afford that luxury?) you’ll get there… and here are a few basics to put in your suitcase:

· Probably the most used phrase when teaching writing is ‘show don’t tell’. If you have a character who is angry for some reason, saying ‘Andy was angry’ is a classic example of ‘tell’. Simply put, you’re not showing us how. If you wrote ‘Andy slammed his fist onto the table’ you are.

· Dialogue tags – it’s recommended that you can only go up to six pieces of dialogue (between no more than two people) without attributing it to someone. And there's nothing wrong with ‘said’. Don’t be tempted to look at your thesaurus and say ‘Andy postulated’. You could also avoid tags by another character saying “Oh Andy, that’s…” or in the description; ‘Andy laughed. “That’s…”

· Character names are important as we often get a sense of their personality by what they’re called. A Mavis is likely to be older than a Britney and would, usually, act differently. Avoid having names starting with the same letter; if you have a Todd talking to a Ted, the reader can easily get confused. Bill and Ted would be fine and as we know, they had a wonderful time back in the late 1980s.

· I’m a big fan of repetition… of not doing it. Unless it’s ‘the’, ‘and’ etc, a word should only be repeated if the second instance is to emphasise or clarify the first. For example, ‘Andy sat in the car. He beeped the horn of the car.’ You don’t need ‘of the car’ because we already know he’s in the car. If you said ‘Andy sat in the car. He beeped the horn and the car shook’ that would be fine because you’re clarifying that it’s the car and not the horn (because it’s the last object you mentioned) that’s shaking.

· Stephen King’s writing guide / autobiography ‘On writing’ has been the most suggested book in the interviews I’ve conducted. Amongst other things he’s notoriously against adverbs (‘ly’) and fair enough in, ‘completely dead’ you wouldn’t need the completely because dead says it all, and a character doesn’t need to be ‘sighing wearily’ because the sighing tells us enough, but adverbs are necessary in the right context. Again it’s all about clarification and fine-tuning.

· Every word has to count; does it move the story along or tell us about your characters? If not, the chances are it can be chopped.

· If you’re having trouble with a passage move on or leave it and return later with ‘fresh eyes’.

· Read. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your genre or not (one of my Monday nighters writes amazing sci-fi but has never read a word of it) but reading will help you see how a story is structured and balanced between dialogue and description; short sentences speed the pace, long passages slow it down.

· Join a writing group, get your work critiqued. Read your work out loud. It’s amazing what you’ll pick up when you hear it outside your head.

· Subscribe to writing magazines, go to workshops, literary festivals. If you really want to write immerse yourself in all things literary.

There are many more examples I could give you but all you need to remember is that it’s not about clever words (because that ends up becoming ‘purple prose’) but just getting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and having fun. When your characters take over (and they will) you’ll have the time of your life!

~Morgen Bailey

Morgen is foremost a writing-related blogger, but also hosts the weekly Bailey’s Writing Tips audio podcast, two in-person writing groups (based in Northampton, England), is the author of numerous short stories, four and a half novels (which she’s reworking for eBooks), articles (most recently for the NAWG Link magazine), has dabbled with poetry but admits that she doesn’t “get it”, and is a regular Radio Litopia contributor. She also belongs to two other local writing groups (one of which runs the annual HE Bates Short Story Competition) and when she’s not at her part-time day job, as a secretary, she writes, researches for her writing group, writes a bit more, is a British Red Cross volunteer and walks her dog (often while reading, writing or editing) and reads (though not as often as she’d like), oh and sometimes she writes. Everything she’s involved is detailed on her blog http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com.

Virtual Book Tour thank you!

2011-09-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

I appreciate all the great folks who stopped by to say hi during my Virtual Book Tour. I hope you enjoyed all the book excerpts, interviews, and book trailer to celebrate Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call.

Thank you Bels of TheBookishSnob for organizing my Book Tour. You are wonderful! And a thank you to all the fantastic blog tour hosts. Be sure to check out their blogsites, they are all an incredible group of readers and/or writers, interviewers, and reviewers.

Congratulations to Krysta Banco, my big Giveaway winner! Krysta will receive copies of all three novels in my Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series - Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call, The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis, and The Keys to Remember. Thank you for following my Book Tour, Krysta, and happy reading!

Hosting Blogs: (as well as the links in case you missed the book excerpts and interviews and would like to see them!)

The Bookish Snob – Book Excerpt / Giveaway http://thebookishsnob.blogspot.com/2011/09/carry-on-flame-blog-tour-with-jodine.html

eReading On The Cheap – Book Trailer / Giveaway http://ereadingonthecheap.com/?p=217

All Things Books – Book Excerpt / Giveaway

http://speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/carry-on-flame-by-jodine-turner-book.html

100 Stars Or Less – Interview / Giveaway http://100starsorless.blogspot.com/2011/08/blog-tour-giveaway-interview-with.html

Songs And Stories – Book Excerpt http://liedermadchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/carry-on-flame-blog-tour-book-excerpt.html

Coma Calm – Book Trailer / Giveaway http://comacalm.blogspot.com/2011/09/giveaway-carry-on-flame.html

The Wormhole – Interview / Giveaway http://wormyhole.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-tour-carry-on-flame-destiny-calls.html

Donna’s Blog Home – Interview http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-tour-carry-on-flame-author.html

Supernatural Bookworm – Book Excerpt http://angelgonemad.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-excerpt-carry-on-flame-destinys.html

The Musings of M.d Christie – Book Excerpt http://mdcwrites.blogspot.com/2011/08/carry-on-flame-excerpt.html

Big Giveaway!

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce my BIG - yes, really big - Giveaway for my blog stop on my Virtual Book Tour!

I am offering the following to a reader worldwide:

One e-book PDF edition of my new novel Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call

And if the winner lives within the United States (due to shipping costs), you will also receive:

My first two novels in the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series:

One print softcover copy of The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis
and

One print softcover copy of The Keys to Remember

Must be aged 15 or over to enter.

Entries close: September 12th, 2011 (winner chosen via random.org)

*I would love it if you forwarded this post to your friends. I could use lots of support!*

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post that includes your name, email address and country

And if you would support Carry on the Flame in the following ways, that would be great!

2. Tweet, blog, and/or Facebook this post http://www.visionaryfiction.blogspot.com/

3. Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/JodineTurner

4. 'Like" my author Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/JodineTurner.Author

5. Add Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call to your read list at Goodreads if you are a member
http://www.goodreads.com

Virtual Book Tour begins today

2011-08-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Within the womb of last night's dark moon,

a new beginning was made possible.

~Allison Rae

I'm celebrating the new beginning for Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call with a Virtual Book Tour. It's just like an old-fashioned book tour except it is hosted by book reviewers and book bloggers on the internet.

Here is the schedule for the next 10 days. I would love it if you would stop in and visit! There will be Giveaways of my book, book excerpts, interviews, and more. Hope to 'see you' there.

Aug 29 – The Musings of M.d Christie – Book Excerpt   http://mdcwrites.blogspot.com/

Aug 30 - 100 Stars Or Less – Interview / Giveaway   http://100starsorless.blogspot.com/

Aug 31 – Songs And Stories – Book Excerpt http://liedermadchen.blogspot.com/

Sept 1 – Coma Calm – Book Trailer / Giveaway http://comacalm.blogspot.com/

Sept 2 – The Wormhole – Interview / Giveaway http://wormyhole.blogspot.com/

Sept 3 – Donna’s Blog Home – Interview http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/

Sept 4 – The Bookish Snob – Book Excerpt / Giveaway http://thebookishsnob.blogspot.com/

Sept 5 – eReading On The Cheap – Book Trailer / Giveaway http://ereadingonthecheap.com/

Sept 6 – Supernatural Bookworm – Book Excerpt http://angelgonemad.blogspot.com/

Sept 7 – All Things Books – Book Excerpt / Giveaway
http://speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com/search/label/blog%20tours

Sept 8 – Author Site – Final stop, right here! Big Giveaway! Copies of my first two novels, The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis and The Keys to Remember, as well as the e-book of Carry on the Flame.

Also, my publishers put together a fun press release for Carry on the Flame. Check it out!

http://prlog.org/11639135

A book Blessing ceremony

2011-08-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love my writing group. We've been together for 7 years. Published authors, nearly published authors, and editors. At our recent one day writing retreat we took the day to, well, write of course. But
we also collaged our novels. I love the right brain exploration and the surprise of what wants to show up when I collage. I got a lot of inspiration for my next novel and was able to write the first
chapter that day. It was a day to nourish our muses. And of course we all contributed delicious food to nourish our bodies. But the highlight for me was the surprise gift of a book blessing ceremony from
my group.

My group led me to Ashland's Lithia Park for my book blessing. The park centers around a huge and swiftly flowing creek. Both creek banks are flanked by walking paths, trees, greenery, and brightly colored azaleas and rhodendrons. It's one of those magical places that I return to again and again to receive nature's rejuvenation. It works everytime, and no less so for this special occasion. We gathered beside the creek, at the foot of one of the many wooden bridges that criss-cross the creek. Everyone, including me, stated a blessing and intention for my novel Carry on the Flame. Each woman had a powerful and prophetic piece to offer. Among the many blessings were wishes for a far-reaching readership, for success on all the levels that were important to me, for joy in taking on a new identity with my third novel, and wishes that the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea's energy that permeates my novels would help humankind navigate our world's turbulence with love.

We crossed the bridge single file to symbolically step into sacred space for the continuation of the ceremony. I was handed a basket of stones and was instructed to take them, one at a time, name something I wanted to let go of, and release the stone along the path or creek. Since my book is about the transformations our destiny's require of us all, quite a few things came to mind! After tuning in more deeply, I chose to let go of things like self doubt, control, and worry. Those things that I wrestle with in writing as in life.

We crossed another bridge to symbolically enter what was called sanctified space. My group put a beautiful green velvet, beaded pillow on a picnic bench for me to sit on. A bowl of creek water infused with water from Glastonbury's Chalice Well and Spikenard essential oil was placed at my feet. One by one, my fellow authors washed and consecrated my feet for my authorship and book's journey. Sanctifying and blessing. They let me sit in silence alone to quietly embrace the special blessings the oils and foot washing represented.

I carried a candle and joined them where they waited for me across yet another bridge for the final part of the ritual. A park bench was adorned with soft, colorful cloths and flanked with more candles. Such
a beautiful throne to sit on. Our group facilitator read information gathered about the number 13 - August 13th being the birthdate of Carry on the Flame into the world. Far from being an unlucky
number, 13 has some extraordinary meanings. It is the number of months in a lunar cycle based calender; it signifies cleansing and purification; and it is the number associated with Mother Mary. This particular August 13th was also a full moon (in Aquarius - what an auspicious book birthdate). A group member presented me with two photos of the full moon as it processed across the nighttime sky. This fellow author was awakened from sleep with the urge to go outside and take these photographs, unaware that my book was being delivered at exactly that time.

To complete the ceremony, the group sang me a song. Putting my book title and themes to the tune of The Age of Aquarius, my writer friends turned chorus singers showed their awesome creativity yet again.

I cherish my writing group. And I can honestly say, the book blessing they gifted me with is something I will also cherish for the rest of my days. Thank you Shoshana, Alissa, Maggie, Lori, and Nancy.
You're the best.

photo by Alissa Lukara

2011-08-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

The lovely Morgen Bailey in the UK has just posted Part Two of her interview with me for Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call http://wp.me/p18Ztn-zh

And don't forget to leave a comment or question at http://urbanstars.com/ for a chance to win a Giveaway PDf copy of Carry on the Flame

2011-08-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Enter to win a free E-book giveaway of Carry on the Flame; Destiny's Call. There's an interview with me and the book trailer, too, on Urban Stars

Go to UrbanStars.com by clicking the following: http://t.co/cLKyDDw

Carry on the Flame: Destiny’s Call is now available

2011-08-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Carry on the Flame: Destiny’s Call Book One may be past its expected due date, but it is finally born into the world and is available as of today. It is the harvest time, the cycle of the seasons the ancient Celtic poeple called Lughnasadh – a time to reap the fruits of your labors of love. A perfect time for a book’s release into the world.

In Carry on the Flame: Destiny’s Call, humanity is in the midst of the greatest crisis in their evolution. Sharay is the one chosen to show the way forward and help humankind move through the fear and dark times of today’s world. Born into a lineage of priestesses in modern day Glastonbury, England, Sharay’s way is blocked by her jealous Aunt Phoebe, who uses black magic against her to steal her fortune and magical power. When Phoebe commits Sharay to a psychiatric ward and accuses her of murder, Sharay struggles with the temptation to fight Phoebe’s vengeance with her own. Through the ancient Celtic ceremony of Beltaine, Sharay experiences profound sacred union with the Welshman Guethyn, who shows her how to open her heart. But Sharay must learn to transform her hatred for her aunt in order to claim the mystery held deep within her cells that will allow her to fulfill her destiny and prove that the ultimate magic is the power of love.

You can watch my 1 minute book trailer video by clicking here.

You can purchase the book through Amazon by clicking here. The E-book version will be out shortly.

This newest novel in my Goddess of the Stars and the Seas series is a standalone read. Many of you who have read the previous books in the series, (The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis, or The Keys to Remember, which are both also standalone reads), will notice that my new novel has an entirely different book cover style. My publishers wanted to reach a younger adult audience in addition to adults. The cover reflects that. I’m told it’s like ‘gamer art’, Avatar-like. Who knew? I have to admit I’m excited that young adults will also read my novel with its timely parable about embodied love.

I love getting feedback. If you read my novel and like it, would you kindly give it a glowing rating on Amazon.com? I’d appreciate that; simply click here, then scroll down the book page until you see ‘Customer Reviews,’ and at the bottom of the reviews click the ‘add your own review’ button.

Book Two, Carry on the Flame: Ultimate Magic picks up where Destiny’s Call leaves off, and will release October 31, 2011.

Carry on the Flame - I'm expecting!

2011-08-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

When a woman is pregnant we say she is ‘expecting’. She looks forward to her due date, and as the end of her third trimester approaches, she may even cling to that due date like a life raft, eagerly awaiting her baby’s birth. She’s counting on that date!

I feel like a pregnant, past her due date mother. August 1st was the date my publisher assigned for the birth of my book into the world. While I wasn’t waiting for a baby, I was certainly awaiting the delivery of my creation. I was expecting! However, book distribution channels such as Amazon.com, etc., have their own schedules and timing. On a bigger scale, apparently the Goddess does, too.

So, while I was previously expecting, I am now surrendering. I give up trying to figure out exactly what day my novel will release. I surrender to a force that’s wiser than I am with regards to timing. No, this wiser force is not Amazon.com, although the matter is indeed in their hands – when they put my novel up live, it will then be available for purchase. The wiser force I am referring to here is the birth force, the creation force. The Goddess who was the inspiration for my novel series.

I apologize to all those who contacted me on August 1st, wanting to get a hold of Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call. I may be past my due date, but I am told it shouldn’t be too long before my newest novel is available. I will post as soon as it is. And this expectant author will humbly continue to surrender to that wiser timing.

The Celtic festival of Lughnasadh

2011-07-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

Lughnasadh

This is the name of the ancient Celtic festival of the harvest. It celebrated the season for gathering the fruits of one's labors; the corn, oats, and grains, and planted summer bounty.

The name is derived from Lugh (pronounced 'loo'), a Celtic deity of light and wisdom. At Lughnasadh, bread from the first harvest was eaten in thanks. It is a time for appreciating what has come to

fruition to nourish and sustain you. A time of Thanksgiving. Baking, sharing, and eating bread is a wonderful way to celebrate this holiday. Even though Lughnasadh occurs at the warmest time of the

year, it marks the time at which days become noticeably shorter and thus is considered the starting point of the autumn quarter of the year. So, this can also be a time to consider which aspects of your

life you wish to preserve and which you would prefer to discard.

One of my favorite scholars and authors on things Celtic is Mara Freeman. The following is excerpted and edited from her explanation of the festival of Lughnasadh.

The Celtic harvest festival on August 1st takes its name from the Irish god Lugh, one of the chief gods of the Tuatha De Danann, an early Irish race. Lugh dedicated this festival to his foster-mother, Tailtiu, the last queen of the Fir Bolg (an earlier Irish race), who died from exhaustion after clearing a great forest so that the land could be cultivated. When the men of Ireland gathered at her death-bed, she told them to hold funeral games in her honor. As long as they were held, she prophesied Ireland would not be without song. Tailtiu’s name is from Old Celtic Talantiu, "The Great One of the Earth," suggesting she may originally have been a personification of the land itself, like so many Irish goddesses. At this time of year the earth gives birth to her first fruits so that her children might live. In later times, the festival of Lughnasadh was christianized as Lammas, from the Anglo-Saxon, hlaf-mas, "Loaf-Mass."

To celebrate Lughnasadh, hugh sporting contests were held on the scale of an early Olympic Games. Artists and entertainers displayed their talents, traders came from far and wide to sell food, farm animals, fine crafts and clothing, and there was much storytelling, music, and high-spirited revelry. In some places, a woman—or an effigy of one—was crowned with summer flowers and seated on a throne, with garlands strewn at her feet. Dancers whirled around her, touching her garlands or pulling off a ribbon for good luck. In this way, perhaps, the ancient goddess of the harvest was still remembered with honor.

Throughout the centuries, the grandeur dwindled away, but all over Ireland, right up to the middle of this century, country-people have celebrated the harvest at revels, wakes, and fairs – and some still continue today in the liveliest manner. It was usually celebrated on the nearest Sunday to August 1st, so that a whole day could be set aside from work. Because Lughnasadh is a celebration of the new harvest, people cooked special ritual and festive meals. Below is a traditional recipe you can make today.

The Lughnasadh Bannock:

In Scotland, the first fruits were celebrated by the making of a 'bonnach lunastain' or Lunasdál bannock, or cake. In later times, the bannock was dedicated to Mary, whose feastday, La Feill Moire, falls on August 15th, two days later than the date of Lammas according to the old reckoning (and also the feast day of Mother Mary's Assumption in Christianity). A beautiful ceremony, which, no doubt, had pagan origins, attended the cutting of the grain (usually oats or bere.) In the early morning, the whole family, dressed in their best, went out to the fields to gather the grain for the ‘Moilean Moire,’ the ‘fatling of Mary.’ They laid the ears on a sunny rock to dry, husked them by hand, winnowed them in a fan, ground them in a quern, kneaded them on a sheepskin, and formed them into a bannock. A fire was kindled of rowan or another sacred wood to toast the bannock, then it was divided amongst the family, who sang a beautiful paean to Mother Mary while they circled the fire in a sunwise direction.

Here is a modern recipe you can try:

Pitcaithly Bannock
8 oz flour

4 oz butter
2 oz caster sugar
1oz chopped almonds
1oz mixed candied peel
Set oven to 325F/Gas 3. Grease a baking sheet. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar and butter and rub in to form a dough. Add the almonds and mix in the peel, making sure they are evenly distributed. Form into a thick round on a lightly floured surface and prick all over with a fork. Place on the sheet and bake for
about 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool and serve sliced thinly and buttered.

From: Country Cookery - Recipes from Wales by Sian Llewellyn.

Here is a really fantastic website that talks about all things Lughnasadh.
http://www.mythinglinks.org/Lammas.html

Mary Magdalene Feast day

2011-07-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today, July 22nd, is the Feast day of Mary Magdalene. She is an embodiment of the divine feminine. Not the prostitute of false legend. The Catholic Church declared her a repentant prostitute in the 6th century. In 1969 the Vatican reversed that proclamation. Nevertheless, the erroneous label oftentimes remains attached to Magdalene.

Early Christian writings , the apocryphal writings, reference Mary Magdalene - these are various early Christian writings proposed as additions to the New Testament but rejected as the major canons (the officially accepted books of the Bible). In these writings, Mary Magdalene is depicted as a leader, and the one whom Jesus loved above his other disciples. They call her the apostle of the apostles. Several Gnostic gospels, such as the Gospel of Mary written in the early 2nd century, reveal Magdalene as the one Jesus asks to teach the other disciples the unique knowledge he has imparted to her. The canonical Gospels of John and Mark report Magdalene as the first to discover the burial tomb of Jesus to be empty. She is the first to see him and to speak to him after he has risen. Recently discovered ancient literature has led to speculation that Magdalene was a specially instructed disciple who continued to proclaim Jesus' message after his death. There is also evidence that she was the cherished wife of Jesus, and mother to his children, a discovery that many find controversial despite the indications that this is so.

I have listed my favorite writings about Mary Magdalene below. Most are scholarly or research oriented. A few are fictionalized accounts of the recent findings about her. Of note are the works of Margaret Starbird. The information in her book The Woman with the Alabaster Jar transformed my life, and it also changed my husband after he read it. Margaret began this particular book with the intention of disproving the speculations about Mary Magdalene as the special apostle, and the wife of Jesus. Her research convinced her otherwise. Additionally, a wonderful website filled with information on Mary Magdalene can be found at aniwilliams.com. The south of France in particular and even the town of Glastonbury, England, are filled with the history and legend of Mary Magdalene.

On the Isle of Mull of Scotland, in the small village of Dervaig, there is a stained glass window in the Kilmore Church. It is said to be Mary Magdalene and Jesus. A pregnant Mary Magdalene.

Immediately below the stained glass, there is a Gospel text. It reads: "Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her". This statement was made by Christ, and refers to Mary Magdalene. It is found in the Gospel of Luke, ch.10, v.42.

Mary Magdalene - book titles worth looking into.
You may find some of your classic favorites…are there any you’d like to recommend and add to the list?

Holy Blood, Holy Grail - Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln
Mary Magdalene: Beyond the Myth - Esther De Boer
Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine - Bart D. Ehrman
The Magdalen Manuscript - Tom Kenyon and Judi Sion
The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle - Karen L. King
The Moon Under Her Feet – Clysta Kinstler (a novel)
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene - Jean-Yves LeLoup
The Secret Magdalene - Ki Longfellow (a novel)
I Remember Union: The Story of Mary Magdalene - Flo Aeveia Magdalena
St. Mary Magdalene - Tau Malachi
The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau - Jean Markale
The Expected One and The Book of Love - Kathleen McGowan (novels)
The Gospels of Mary: the Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene the Companion of Jesus - Marvin Meyer and Esther De Boer
The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail - Margaret Starbird
(Starbird has also written The Goddess in the Gospels and Magdalene's Lost Legacy and many more.)
The Underground Stream: Esoteric Tarot Revealed - Christine Payne-Towler (emphasis on Gnostic, Holy Blood, Magdalene themes)

Goddess Magic in Avalon: a ritual of re-membering

2011-07-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

My newest novel (releases August 1), Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call Book One, takes place in modern day Glastonbury, England. Glastonbury has also been known through the ages as the mythical Isle of Avalon, the Enchanted Isle, Ynis Witrin, and the Celtic Otherworld. It is indeed an enchanted land of rejuvenation and regeneration. Some even say the legendary King Arthur sleeps the peace of death there, waiting for the right time to return. With mystery and magic, Glastonbury calls out to many of us to re-member. To come together again and embrace the divine feminine, as well as the sacred feminine modalities that exist within all of us, man or woman. These include the qualities of being receptive to inner wisdom, authority, and guidance, but even more so the alchemical power of love inherent in our very cells. The Holy Grail. This is the divinity in matter; embodied love.

I was introduced to Glastonbury when I read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s classic novel The Mists of Avalon. I fell in love with Marion’s depiction of Avalon, particularly the holy well we now call Chalice Well. When I became ill in the 1990’s and was off work, I took the opportunity to move to England. I lived in Glastonbury for 13 months and quickly discovered that Glastonbury is no ordinary town in the Somerset plains of England. I invite you to explore the true nature of Glastonbury and its Chalice Well with me. It is Glastonbury’s heart that I most want to share with you.

This primordial wellspring has been venerated for eons. Its red tinged waters are not only curative but also considered potent transducers of the spiritual energy of the land. Legends have grown and have been forgotten over the centuries, each in their time claiming the fabled wellspring as their own. The most recent legend, two thousand years old, speaks of a chalice – Jeshua the Christ’s drinking cup from his Last Supper, the one used to collect his blood as he died on the cross. The chalice was said to be buried by the well, thus giving the wellspring its contemporary name of ‘Chalice Well.’ Christian accounts blended with the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages, to leave their mark on Glastonbury. King Arthur and his adored Guinevere were said to have been buried on the grounds of the nearby Glastonbury Abbey ruins located in the center of the town. Despite the romantic and Christian overlay, I feel the innate heart of Glastonbury belongs most to those who see and feel the Goddess present in the natural features of the land itself. (Kathy Jones, the local Goddess historian in Avalon, has authored many books on the subject of the Goddess in Glastonbury).

While living there and visiting the gardens nearly every day, I experienced inspiring dreams and waking visions. I studied the folklore and legend, and its sacro-magical knowledge. And during that time, I began to write my Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series about priestesses who had lived in Glastonbury, the ancient isle of Avalon, throughout its history. Because this land and its sacred sites captivated my heart, my soul, and my imagination, Glastonbury’s Chalice Well Gardens provides the setting for much of my new novel, Carry on the Flame.

Though I am back in the USA now, I remain entranced with these sacred sites of Avalon – not only the Chalice Well Gardens, but also the mysterious conical hill called by the Celtic name the ‘Tor.’ My Goddess of the Stars and the Sea novels are imbued with the transformative energy of the Goddess in this land. She is the evolutionary force of embodied love. And I believe love embodied is the way forward for humankind during the dark and troubling times of today’s world.

So, I invite you to explore Avalon and see what it ignites within you through my two minute video, Goddess Magic in Avalon: a ritual of re-membering. In the video you will ‘take a walk’ through these legendary gardens as well as the mysterious Tor hill, accompanied by the ancient call of my “Avalon Priestess” poem, and evocative music.

After you watch my video, please do let me know of your experiences and what it ignites within you. Please leave a comment here on my blog, or let me know your experiences via my Facebook author page, and feel free to share it with people you think would enjoy it, too.

Enjoy the ritual of this multi-sensory video experience!

If you create the space the muse will come

2011-07-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

I don’t write every day. I write most days. And I have written eight or more hours a day for days in a row when inspiration comes strongly. That creative inspiration can be all consuming...and I love that feeling, that passion, that juiciness!

I find this quote from Joseph Campbell crucial to the days I write:

“You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don't know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe
anybody, you don't know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative
incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.”

And this gem from Jan Phillips always inspires me:
I believe from her book entitled, "Marry Your Muse" c 2002

The Artist's Creed
I believe I am worth the time it takes to create
    whatever I feel called to create.

I believe that my work is worthy of its own space,
    which is worthy of the name Sacred.

I believe that, when I enter this space,
I have the right to work in silence, uninterrupted,
    for as long as I choose.

I believe that the moment I open myself to the gifts of the Muse,
       I open myself to the Source of All creation
   and become One With the Mother of Life Itself.

I believe that my work is joyful, useful and constantly changing,
flowing through me like a river with no beginning and no end.

I believe that what it is I am called to do will make itself known
    when I have made myself ready.

I believe that the time I spend creating my art is as precious
    as the time I spend giving to others.

I believe that what truly matters in the making of art
is not what the final piece looks like or sounds like,
    not what it is worth or not worth,
but what newness gets added to the universe
in the process of the piece itself becoming.

I believe that I am not alone in my attempts to create,
and that once I begin the work, settle into the strangeness,
the words will take shape, the form find life, and the spirit take flight.

I believe as the Muse gives to me, so does she deserve from me:
    faith, mindfulness and enduring commitment.

Mar - What are the origins of the word sea?

2011-07-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

My novels are part of the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea series. Though this Goddess's name, and the inspiration for the title of my book series came through inspiration, it seems this is no accident.The word sea has several language roots. Mar, mer, and mari all mean the sea. In Latin, the word mare means the sea. Think of all of the modern words derived from these roots - mermaid, marina, marine, to name a few. Now, put these word roots and their meanings together and you will find some fascinating legend and historical correlates.

+Mari is one of the most ancient names of the Goddess. It means Mother Sea.

+Stella Maria means Star of the Sea. It is the epithet of the goddesses Isis, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus, Mari-Anna, and the Virgin Mary

+In legend, Stella Maria's star was Venus or Sirius (I have also seen it as listed as the Pleiades, and that is the star formation featured in my novels).

+Stella Maria is often depicted as dressing in a blue robe with pearly foam edging.

+Mari-Anna also means Sea Goddess and Ishtar.

+Stella Maris is the title that first belonged to Ishtar. She was known as the Goddess of the Sea, Lady of Compassion, Provider, Protector, Regeneratrix, Keeper of the Mysteries, and the one who manifested as Magdalene.

+Mari-Ishtar anointed, or Christened, her doomed god Tammuz when he went to the underworld where he would rise again at her bidding. That is to say, she made him a Christed one. Anointing is symbolic of Sacred Marriage.

+The ancient title of the North Star was Stella Maris, Star of the sea, Star of love, Star of Compassion.

+The root of the name Mary means love, compassion, giving, flowing, and also sea.

The Tarot Star depicts stars that pour out the water of Life, revering the earth.

Tara means star (White Tara, Irish Tara).

What fascinating connections!

Goddess of the Stars and the Sea

from the book cover of The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis by Jodine Turner

Christal Banister artist.

2011-07-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

"Love is an infinite Sea whose skies are a bubble of foam.

Know that it is the waves of Love that turn the wheels of Heaven,

Without Love, nothing in the world would have life.

How is an inorganic thing transformed into a plant?

How are plants sacrificed to become rich with spirit?

How is spirit sacrificed to become Breath,

One scent is potent enough to make Mary pregnant?

Every single atom is drunk on this Perfection and runs towards It

And what does this running secretly say but " Glory be to God."

~Rumi (from Andrew Harvey "Light upon Light")

A beautiful poem. My Goddess of the Stars and the Sea novels resonate with its message.

I'll share the early meanings of the word 'sea' in my next post. It's quite fascinating!

Return of the Black Madonna - alchemy of the heart

2011-07-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Every archetype has its seasons. They come and go according to the deepest, often unconscious, needs of the psyche both personal and collective. Today the Black Madonna is returning." - Matthew Fox, "Return Of The Black Madonna," 2006

The Black Madonna, a centuries old icon, can be seen in churches throughout Europe and even in North America. She is the representation of the Divine Feminine as the Divine Mother of transformation. She holds human suffering in the alchemy of Her heart. She is in the trenches with humanity - loving, inspiring, nourishing, promoting growth and change in all of us. She is the divinity inherant in our bodies, in all physical matter.

I have visited the sites of many Black Madonnas - in France, Ireland, England, Italy. One of my favorite is the Black Madonna of Oropa, high in the mountains of northern Italy. See a photo of Her, and read more about her here:
http://www.interfaithmarianpilgrimages.com/pages/oropa.htm

free gift- Womb Meditation

2011-07-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

I’d like to offer you a free gift.

My Womb Meditation is an introduction to working with the power of your womb space, (the fire in your belly if you are a man), as a profound connection to the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea, the evolutionary force of embodied love. The therapeutic tones of the meditation’s background music resonate specifically with this intention.

Enjoy, and let me know how you like the meditation!

http://bit.ly/iE3spN

The lovely Morgen Bailey interviews Jodine

2011-06-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Morgen: Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Jodine: I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school and encouraged to do so by my teachers. Throughout my life I’ve trained in a number of areas in the health care field (Ph.D. nurse, therapist, health educator), but writing has always been my passion. When I became ill in the mid-1990s I took the opportunity to begin writing my novels. I moved to Glastonbury, England, for a year. It’s one of my favorite spots on the planet, a place I became fascinated with after reading Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon. I wanted to immerse myself in the energy there, and do research, because many of my novels are set in Glastonbury. My very first novel was published by Glastonbury Press.

The rest of the interview can be viewed here: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-jI

Authors bleed

2011-06-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked if I'd had rejections for my novels...and how did I handle them. This quote by Sports writer "Red Smith" says it - “There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”

My gosh yes, I’ve had my fair share of rejections (I shamelessly admit!). It’s part of the process. Sometimes they hurt, sometimes I feel misunderstood…but I always know I am being given feedback that is important to look at to help my writing craft. I’ve developed a thick skin. It’s necessary in this business. That doesn’t mean rejections don’t affect me. But this is such a highly subjective industry, and knowing that helps. When I found my niche, my readers, my publishers – those people who love and appreciate my work – well, then that just fills my heart with happiness and makes all the tears and upset worthwhile.

So, let it be known that authors do indeed bleed!

Evolution through women

2011-06-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

"Because women carry the baton of evolution, through the children they bear, into the next generation, Nature has designed their biology to reflect the critical importance of this role to the survival and evolution of the human race." Annie Meredith

I love this quote. It is about the phenomena of evolution, but it is an embodied perspective, not merely an abstract concept.

In my Goddess of the Stars and the Sea trilogy, the Goddess is the divine feminine force of evolution. She inspires humanity during the turbulent times that precede radical change.The evolution She assists with is that of embodied love. This is the evolution we are called to participate in today, for the sake of our present day as well as our future. It is about love changing how we (both men and women) respond to our world; love emanating from inside us out into our world, into our behaviours, into our interactions with others. Love that is deeply received and generously given. Love that can actually change the very cells of our body.

Embodied love is an evolution of both men and women, an evolution of the whole of humankind. Yet it is women who represent the physical embodiment of this force. As Annie says, nature has designed our biology to reflect this crucial evolutionary role.

Romance excerpt contest

2011-06-12T08:08:00.001-07:00

Sunday - contest entry day! Here is my romance scene snippet for the 'Love All Year Long' contest. The scene is excerpted from my Young Adult/Adult fantasy, magical realism novel, Carry on the Flame: Part One, Destiny's Call.

Setting:

Guethyn is sitting in a café in a small coastal village in Wales, U.K.

Okay, he reasoned with himself. First things first. He’d promised himself years ago to never again get involved in grandfather’s magic.

He could still taste Sharay’s lips. Moist, soft.

He shook his head. Refocused. He firmly recalled his vow to never again trust the Goddess he had been taught to revere when he was a small child.

He could still feel the eagerness of Sharay’s mouth when it met his.

He drank a mouthful of tea, sat up straighter. He’d felt betrayed by the Goddess, by the magic he’d learned as a child. He’d resolutely put that life behind him. It had never given his mother any peace, and his father had still died a tragic death.

He remembered the feel of Sharay’s silken, silver blond hair sliding through his fingers.

He held tightly onto his tea mug and took a steadying breath. Concentrate he told himself. As he’d grown older, he’d found another calling to take the place of the magical one he inherited from his mother and grandfather. He had studied hard at the university, plunged headfirst into the precise science of marine biology.

The memory of Sharay’s kiss flooded his body with heat. Roused him.

He slammed his tea mug down on the table, threw his napkin onto his lap, took a huge bite of his currant cake. It was stale, but he didn’t care.

No time for this nonsense, he murmured defiantly. He forced himself to continue to sort through things. He was close to getting his doctoral degree. It would be his in a few months. His life had made much more sense without the quest of the ancient Celtic Imram, without magic, without the Goddess’s rituals.

His imagination flicked back to an image of Sharay.

Her eyes gazed into his. Searching. Tender. Filled with the same desire he felt.

Guethyn swallowed the rest of the dry cake in one gulp, washed it down with more tea. He’d allowed himself a few relationships over the years, testing the boundaries of his heart. No one had come close to pushing its limits or holding him in captive fascination.

Until Sharay.

She pressed him up against his resolve to reject magic. She opened his heart in a way he had dreaded and, at the same time, always hoped for. Realization came quickly and it came as a shock. He couldn’t help, and couldn’t stop, his feelings for her. He didn’t want to. He was bound to her. There was a part of him that mysteriously knew he always had been. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, and exhaled sharply.

If Sharay came along with magic, along with the Goddess, well then so be it. Damn it.

Meet Sharay's love interest, Guethyn

2011-06-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Romance scene contest is coming this Sunday. In preparation, yesterday you met Sharay, the main character from my upcoming novel, Carry on the Flame. Now, let me introduce you to Guethyn, her romantic interest (that's putting it mildly!).

Guethyn Sulwyn is the grandson of the elder, eccentric wizard, Dillon. It's through Dillon that Guethyn meets Sharay. Guethyn is a university student in marine biology. He is passionate about his chosen career, and there's a lot at stake for him to finish his degree. He's tall, with shoulder length tawny colored hair, and clear blue eyes the color of the ocean he studies. Guethyn has a past he's running from. Meeting Sharay won't let him forget.

Guethyn is Welsh, born in the mystical mountains of Wales, the western coastal country of the United Kingdom. His name in Welsh means: Guethyn - dark skinned; Sulwyn - fair sun.

Meet Sharay and Guethyn together tomorrow!

Meet my main character - Sharay

2011-06-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

The romance excerpt contest I mentioned in my last post asks for novel snippets about love in its many forms. Romantic, yes, but inclusive of love that may be cozy, complicated, new, old, platonic, mysterious, tension filled, warm. I will post my scene this Sunday. First I 'd like you to meet Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call main character, Sharay.

Sharay has been chosen. But nobody told her.

Modern day Glastonbury, England holds the key to an ancient prophecy. It had been foretold that a young priestess would be born to help humankind through the dark turbulence before the birth of a golden era. Such are the times of today's world.

Sharay loses her parents in a car crash before she can be trained in the magical Celtic, Goddess tradition that will prepare her for her destiny. For the next seven years she lives under the guardianship of her weak-willed Uncle Larry and her undermining Aunt Phoebe. A powerful priestess in her own right, Phoebe is obsessed with desire for the wealth and power Sharay inherited. Embittered, she turns to Black Magic and uses it against Sharay.

Phoebe ruthlessly belittles Sharay’s spontaneous visions of the Goddess as crazy and misguided, causing Sharay to distrust and reject the Goddess. The only thing Sharay cherishes is the one memento of her parents she has been allowed to keep – a photograph of the three of them by the ocean.

When Sharay turns seventeen, Phoebe takes her to a psychiatrist who misinterprets Sharay’s visions of the Goddess as psychotic hallucinations and has her institutionalized. Alone and afraid, Sharay doubts herself and her magical abilities. Until she meets the eccentric elder wizard, Dillon...and his grandson, the mysterious and attractive Guethyn.

Romance scene

2011-06-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Gabriela at An Aspiring Writer's World blog has enlisted the help of agent Weronika Janczuk (of the Lynne C. Franklin Agency) to read love scene samples from completed manuscripts, decide on winners, and give great prizes! One of my love-scene excerpts will post to my blog on June 12. Enjoy!

They like me, they really like me!

2011-06-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did my happy dance when I got the phone call from Pacific Northwest Writers Association, telling me that my manuscript submission for my newest novel, Carry on the Flame: Destiny's Call (to be released August 1st) is a finalist in their annual contest for 2011. I danced a little jig around the living room with my husband, followed of course by our cats, who jumped and meowed beside us. The first words that popped into my head were Sally Field’s 1985 Oscar acceptance speech for Best Actress in “Places in the Heart.” She said, You like me, you really like me! (true quote – “I haven’t had an orthodox career, and I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!”) I felt a kinship with Sally Field’s words, even more so given the title of the movie that won the Oscar for her - "Places in the Heart." The theme of my novel is about the heart, about how love is the ultimate magic.

Being a finalist in a writers contest is by no means the equivalent of an Oscar…but wait a minute…an author is an artist, as an actor is an artist. And achievements are the honey dew in life, meant to be savored, are they not? So, I savor this.

As a matter of fact, there are some other Oscar acceptance speeches that I resonate with.

There is the one by Robin Williams, who was voted best supporting actor for Good Will Hunting in 1998. Robin said "Most of all I want to thank my father, up there, the man who, when I said I wanted to be an actor, he said, "Wonderful, just have a back up profession like welding.'" Okay, what author hasn't thought that or been told that? Well, maybe not quite a back up career as a welder, but you can fill in the blank.

I was touched by Shirley MacLaine's speech when she won Best Actress for the 1983 film "Terms of Endearment. "Films and life are like clay, waiting for us to mold it," she said. "And when you trust your own insides and that becomes achievement, it's a kind of principle that seems to me is at work with everyone. God bless that principle. God bless that potential that we all have for making anything possible if we think we deserve it." And then she added: "I deserve this."

So, taking my cue from Shirley - I deserve this. And this is my acceptance speech.

My Characters talk to me

2011-06-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Most authors know this phenomena. Most readers have heard authors speak of it. Our characters are alive, ever developing, always distinct in our minds. They talk to us. Tell us what they want to say, what they want to happen to them in our stories.

Often, as I lay in bed just about to fall asleep, I hear them. They’re insistent. I used to call it my inspiration, my muse, my creative juices. I learned it was really these lively characters talking to me.

I keep a pen and paper by my bed. No microphone or recording for me. Writing what I hear grounds it down, makes it real. I laugh because what often happens is the minute I put pen and paper aside and turn off the light, another wonderful tid-bit emerges. It happens again and again. Once the proverbial door is open, they all want their say. This can go on for an a half hour or more. After the first few minutes, I have learned to simply get up and go to my office to properly write things down, so I’m not swamped by small pieces of paper filled with clumsy scribbled notes.

In my newest novel, Carry on the Flame: Part one Destiny’s Call (to be released August 1, 2011), the main character is a young priestess in Glastonbury, England named Sharay. She’s haunted my near sleep state for a long time. After I finished my manuscript she was quiet, yet still there. With the novel's imminent release, her voice has become louder. She wants an interview with herself, a book trailer, maybe even a sequel. She doesn’t let me sleep.

Mary Magdalene - book titles worth looking into

2010-10-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the titles of some of my favorite books I recommend that deal with the Sacred Feminine, particularly as She is embodied by Mary Magdalene. You’ll find some of your classic favorites…are there any you’d like to recommend and add to the list?

Mary Magdalene

Holy Blood, Holy Grail - Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln

Mary Magdalene: Beyond the Myth - Esther De Boer

Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Constantine - Bart D. Ehrman

The Magdalen Manuscript - Tom Kenyon and Judi Sion

The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle - Karen L. King

The Moon Under Her Feet – Clysta Kinstler (a novel)

The Gospel of Mary Magdalene - Jean-Yves LeLoup

'The Secret Magdalene - Ki Longfellow (novel)

I Remember Union: The Story of Mary Magdalene - Flo Aeveia Magdalena

St. Mary Magdalene - Tau Malachi

The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau - Jean Markale

The Expected One and The Book of Love - Kathleen McGowan (novels)

The Gospels of Mary: the Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene the Companion of Jesus" - Marvin Meyer and Esther De Boer

The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail - Margaret Starbird

(Starbird has also written "The Goddess in the Gospels" and”Magdalene's Lost Legacy" and many more.)

The Underground Stream: Esoteric Tarot Revealed" - Christine Payne-Towler (emphasis on Gnostic, Holy Blood, Magdalene themes)

2010-10-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

I read a quote from Anais Nin. And I copied it down because it intrigued me. "The role of the writer is not to say what all can say but what we are unable to say."

The next day I found another fascinating perspective on authors in an article in the New York Sunday Times, October 2, 2010, by Michael Cunningham, entitled "Found in Translation." He speaks of how an author's finished manuscript is but a rough translation of the novel we'd intended to write. He says our novels are a "cathedral made of fire."

I had to ask myself - is my novel a cathedral made of fire? I hope to God someone thinks it is. And that it expresses, as Anais Nin says, what we as humans are normally unable to articulate. That was certainly my intention. And even though my novel's pages were rewritten so many times I can't even count, its essence and its message remains.

So, maybe there are several ways I could have said what I was inspired to say in my novels. And several ways to allow a translators freedom. whether it be a literal translation or a reader's interpretation. I'm no longer striving for perfection. Simply a cathedral made of fire.

Divine Feminine novels

2008-01-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

Visionary Fiction is a genre of writing that tells a metaphysical tale. Readers can get a first hand experience of spiritual insight through the challenges the characters face and their ultimate resolution. The story acts as a gateway to the Divine.

Divine Feminine visionary fiction deals specifically with themes of sacred feminine energy. Not the sexual gender we call female, but rather, the energy of the feminine principal. This energy includes the qualities of receptivity, intuition, cooperation, inner focus, presence, beingness vs. doing, power with vs. power over, and living in the present moment. It is about the divinity inherent in all matter – the sacred feminine.