A bit of personal information
I was born in Yorkshire (UK) to a professional family (lawyer and doctor). I was educated at a Quaker school in York. Now after studying many different paths, if someone asks, I call myself a Zen Christian. I am a follower of the teachings of Jesus and his Gospel, including the message spread by St Paul and the Apostles. The Zen aspect is that I also follow the Zen path, which I call My Way Zen.
Santa Maria
For me, I include St Mary, the mother of Jesus as an Apostle. She was at the pentecostal meeting after the resurrection when the Spirit of Truth was first broadcast on this planet (Note 1). This event has had a major impact on many religious traditions, including Roman catholicism (which gives prominence to Peter and his version of the message). Simon Peter to give him his full name, was a charismatic teacher. He also had a male orientated perspective (which was very common at that time). At an extreme, this can lead to the False Father God matrix. In this modern age, I feel we need to balance the male and female sides of God. One of the many examples of this is the Marian tradition.
Marian tradition
This tradition emphasises the feminine side of the equation . From St Anne (the grandmother of Jesus), through St Mary and Mary Magdalene.
Many years ago I was inspired by the amazing Andrew Harvey to dive deep into both the male and the female aspects of the teachings of Jesus and the biblical story, including the gospels of Philip and Thomas. I attended Andrew Harvey's course the Advanced Christ path (now called Rediscover the Christ Path on the Shift network)
I tuned into a greater understanding of the female archetype: Mother of God as the Cosmic Queen of Heaven. Gaia as a living being that has birthed Humanity. The Mother of all life on this planet (Pacha mama). My first big experience of this was in Chartres Cathedral and the Lady of the Pillar:
The Madonna (on the left) has a black patina which has since been removed in the 2017 controversial restoration program. The black madonna has been transformed into white.
In order to feel the power of the Lady of the Pillar, you need to spend time in her presence, in Chartres Cathedral, meditating on her and her message of peace and love. Tourists can come and go, but those that are called, will feel it. The same is true of La Moreneta in Montserrat.
Today I am packing up and getting ready to head to Monistrol. My first return visit to the Abbey will be on the 8th March. Feeling really blessed to be at this place at this time.
Note 1
A full explanation of the Bestowal of the Spirit of Truth and the sermon given by Peter in the temple can be seen here in paper 194 of the Urantia Book.
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