Sanctuary of the Magdalene

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October 20225

October 2, 2025 by Admin

roses

October Affirmation: I open to the power and love of the Sacred Feminine within me.

We continue our soul’s journey through the Major Arcana of the Tarot with an exploration of the energy of the Sacred Feminine. One of the interesting characteristics of the Major Arcana is the polarities of the masculine and feminine energies that are manifested not only between these energies but within them. There are two separate but related arcana for each of these polarities. We will dive into the masculine next month, but now we have the invitation to open our hearts to the Divine Feminine within us.

In the traditional tarot, the two archetypes for the feminine energy are the High Priestess and the Empress. If we look to Christian sources, we see Mary Magdalene and Mother Mary, both named Mary but very different energies. Mother Mary is symbolized by a pink rose; Mary Magdalene by a red rose. Mother Mary is the traditional energy of Quan Yin; the energy of receiving and accepting, embracing and compassion. This is the womb where we all begin our journey into physical existence. This energy has often been characterized as passive but as anyone who has given birth will tell you, there is nothing passive about the gestation and birthing process! This is a gentle strength and power. In the Inner Child cards, the Empress becomes Mother Goose laying the golden egg.

The power of the High Priestess is much more assertive. She is a leader and a teacher, as manifested by Mary Magdalene and in the Inner Child Cards as the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella. This feminine energy is out in the world creating change, teaching her wisdom and supporting those in need. So we have a balance of inner and outer within the feminine, even though the feminine has often been restricted to the passive, receptive inner world. Each of us has this balanced potential within us just as each of us carries both masculine and feminine energy. We will journey on to the masculine next month. For now, take a moment of reflect on how you interact with your inner feminine. How do you receive her wisdom and manifest it outwardly into the world?

Invocation of the Cosmic Mother

O Great Mother, Divine Feminine,
Birther of the cosmos, lover unto Spirit,
Creatrix of all matter and queen of all worlds
And those without; we call you to us in this hour.
We are your children; hear our call.
We are the daughters and sons of your divine union,
The flesh of your passion for life.
You, who lay with Spirit, our Father,
In the beginning, and brought us forth
From the blessed union of Spirit and Matter;
We are your children, the sons and daughters
Of your flesh and heart, and we remember your touch
And the fragrance of your essence, and we long for you.
Come to our heart and gift us the remembering.
Come to our minds and open our genius.
Enlighten us with your presence.
Draw back the veils that we might see,
And hearken the doors to open,
That beauty and ecstasy may live
In our homes and hearts more fully.
This is our hour of greatest need.
We call you, through fire and water;
Through earth and wind;
Through all that bears your name.
We call your lineages and all your names.
Come unto us. Come into us. So be it.

~~~ Judi Sion

Those who love you don't clip ou wings. They add another feather so yu can fly even higher.

Filed Under: Daily Refelections

September 2025

September 3, 2025 by Admin

September Affirmation: I celebrate the magic of the Universe and I manifest the magic that is within me.

As we continue our journey of the soul through the Major Arcana, our next stop is traditionally called the Magician. In the Inner Child cards this card brings us the energy of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. Here we encounter the power of manifestation that lies within each of us. The story of Aladdin reminds us that our words and even our thoughts can create the reality that surrounds us in both positive and negative ways.

Take a moment now to go within your sacred heart space and imagine that you are Aladdin holding a magic lamp. Rubbing the lamp brings forth a genie that is ready to grant you three wishes. What would you wish for if you knew beyond a doubt that these wishes would come true? The magic lamp is a symbol of the illumined mind that is overlighted by a genie, representing the powers of the spiritual world and the “genius” potential in the child of every one of us. The word genius comes from Latin and literally means “to be inhabited by a genie.” Note that at this very early stage of the soul’s journey the inspiration and power of the “genie” is external, coming from outside of us. At this stage our soul has yet to discover the magician who dwells within us.

The words we speak, the thoughts we project to the world, are our magic wands. They are more powerful than we realize. As an innocent child, our soul begins to taste this power and learn the lessons of the world, sometimes the hard way. Like learning that a hot stove can burn, we discover that harsh words can hurt and negative thoughts will manifest as trouble in our lives and the world. When we focus on what we most desire for ourselves and our loved ones, we begin to understand the magic within us. “Open Seseme!” We are the magician!

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought
will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path
we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path,
we must think over and over the kind of thoughts
we wish to dominate our lives.”
~~~~~ Henry David Thoreau

Holy Shikinah, your pillar of fire turns our darkness into the brightness of day and leads us out of the wilderness, even though we have no map to guide us. May we have such trust and faith in your empowering Presence that miracles become every day occurrences. Through the fire of your Spirit within us may we discover our own power to create and manifest what we desire. Teach us to use this power wisely for the healing and transformation of our despairing world. So it is.

Filed Under: Daily Refelections

August 2025

August 8, 2025 by Admin

August Affirmation: I am a child of the Universe.
Light and Love flow through me as I travel my chosen path.

The Major Arcana of the Tarot have often been described as a map of the soul’s journey. Today we’ll begin an exploration of that journey. Each month we’ll dive deeply into the symbolic meaning of one of the Major Arcana, beginning with the very first one, the Fool.  However, calling this card the Fool is truly a misnomer. That is the traditional name but the energy of this beginning is not what we usually define as “foolish”, but child-like innocence. Throughout this journey I will be relying on the insights of two non-traditional decks, the Voyager deck by James Wanless and the Inner Child Cards by Isha and Mark Lerner.

The Inner Child Cards begins this journey with Little Red Riding Hood, so take a moment now to return to your childhood and this fairy tale. Imagine yourself as Little Red Riding Hood, or Little Red Cap as she is called an older version. Note that this is feminine energy and as the soul, she begins her adventure on the physical plane with much innocence, excitement and curiosity. She has much to learn and a great deal of growth is waiting for her. As the story unwinds we see that the soul is very protected even when temptation and danger threaten her in her naivete. She is fearless because she has never encountered the power of the dark forces of the world. Red is the color of fire and will, overcoming obstacles. Little Red Cap is lured away from her chosen path by the Big Bad Wolf, who represents the unintegrated aspects of our human consciousness. Little Red Cap can be seen to represent the entire major Arcana because she embodies the child spirit within who is traveling the illumined road of higher consciousness. Welcome to the adventure of Life! Have fun! Enjoy and learn! Let the magic and joy of laughter fill your days. Feel the wonder of life all around you.

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is awaiting us. . .The old skin has to be shed before the new one is to come.”

Joseph Campbell

Source of All Being, you draw us to you as your beloved children. When we face obstacles we cannot surmount, when we encounter challenges we cannot solve alone, help us to remember that you are always there for us, a well of energy and inspiration that will never run dry. Remind us that life is a journey that often requires more from us than we think possible. Do the impossible through us, O God, and expand the envelope of our vision so we may reach beyond our limits to the stars. So it is.

Filed Under: Daily Refelections

July 2025

July 2, 2025 by Admin

July Affirmation: I celebrate my freedom to be my true Self and live in the Light.

There is a wonderful story about the sculptor Michelangelo who saw the sculpture waiting, already complete, in the uncut stone. His job, he maintained, was simply to carve away the excess to reveal the beauty trapped within. We are very much like that stone and as we empower ourselves as potters and sculptors, we release the true beauty that lies within each one of us.

To do that we first need to ground ourselves into the physical plane and affirm that this is good. I return to my tarot cards, the Voyager deck, for insights into this journey. Our first card is the Woman of Worlds. Worlds is the earth suit in this deck and this feminine energy is all about preserving and nurturing. As we explore who we truly are, we need to affirm the good of our physical environment, nurturing and caring for our beloved Mother Earth. Our true Self is interconnected with our Mother and we can only be truly free when we honor her and preserve her health and well-being as our own.

Our second card is the major arcana of Fortune, or the Wheel of Fortune. This powerful energy comes to remind us that fortune is not just about money or financial stability, but most importantly it is about abundance in all its myriad forms. True freedom comes when we recognize the countless blessings of the Universe and live our lives in gratitude. This energy also brings the reality of the wheel of karma, not in any negative or restrictive way, but the simple realization that we are what we speak and manifest in the world. Recognizing and owning that is our responsibility as free beings of Light.

Our last card is another major arcana, Balance, or Justice in traditional tarot. As we think of the scales of Libra, the scales of Justice, we recognize that true freedom for ourselves comes with the responsibility for others. We are not alone. We are interconnected beings. As we discover more of our True selves we affirm that our sense of who we are and the center of our world depends on that interconnection. As it has been said so eloquently “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing each other.” (Luciano De Cresenzo)

Almighty God, you created us in Joy and in Freedom, and your Divine Will is that we continue to live as free men and women. Forgive us when we bind ourselves with limitations and restrictions that implant seeds of death, not life, in our world. Gift us with the courage to walk our path without fear in the freedom of your Divine Guidance. We know and affirm that you are within us and that you walk beside us, but you do not control us, you do not dictate our beliefs or our lives. Your Way is the open door of Freedom, not the restricted box of limitation. Thank you, God, for entrusting us with such a wondrous gift. May we use it wisely and with discretion, and never forget the Source of our freedom. So it is.

Filed Under: Blue Moon, Daily Refelections

June 2025

June 1, 2025 by Admin

June Affirmation: I bloom where I am planted and live in the Light.

Greetings of Love and Light,
One of the greatest paradoxes of this season is that the longest day brings the return of the journey to the shortest. As we celebrate the light and warmth of the Summer Solstice sun, we acknowledge that the days will now grow shorter as the darkness increases. Can we welcome this cycle of balance and rebirth? The darkness is not to be feared nor is the light something to cling to. We honor the circle of Life and affirm that everything is in Divine Order, whether outward appearances confirm this or not.

If we cling to the past, no matter how good it feels or how inviting it looks, the changes of the present become a threat and a cause for fear. It’s difficult to welcome change when the present seems exactly where we want to be, which is why Source brings discomfort. We’re pushed, shoved, kicked out of our comfort zones! We let go because we have no choice. Our foundation is crumbling under us. We’re birthing something new even if it’s yet undefined. So we trust and we let go of the past and our old life. We become a new seed planted in new ground, waiting for the summer sun and rains to warm us and nurture us and bless us with growth. 

As you bask in the warmth of these long summer days, I encourage you to find some quiet time to breathe and reflect on the path ahead. Ask yourself: “Have I answered my deepest calling?” And what is that calling, that purpose? What kind of seed are you? What kind of flower or vegetable are you becoming? Find your Self, find your True Purpose, and you will find your true Home. 

May you breathe in the beauty of summer with its power of transformation.
May this beauty permeate all that feels un-beautiful in you.
May you seek and find spaces of repose during these summer months.
May these moments refresh and restore the tired places within you.
May you be open to times of celebration and recreation
that are so much a part of summer.
May you find happiness in these times of play and leisure.
May you see the wonders of summer’s colors.
May these colors delight you and entice you into contemplation and joy.
May you feel the energy of summer rains penetrating thirsty gardens,
golf courses, lawns, and farmlands.
May these rains remind you that your inner thirst needs quenching.
May your inner self be refreshed, restored, and renewed.
May you savor the fresh produce that comes to your table
and enjoy the fruits of summer’s bounty.
May you find shelter when the stormy skies of summer threaten your safety.
May the God of summer lead us to amazing discoveries
as we travel the inner roads of our soul as well.


~ From The Circle of Life by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr 

Filed Under: Daily Refelections

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Welcome to Sanctuary of the Magdalene

We are living in an absolutely critical time in human history. Each one of us has the opportunity and the responsibility to step up and make a difference in the best way we possibly can. Welcome to a journey of Light and Truth for all those who seek the Way. May the door of your sacred heart open to the Spirit of Love as you seek your own Holy Grail and may your journey be blessed.

Sanctuary of the Magdalene

Rev. Mother Maryesah Karelon, Director
4310 Leisure Lane, Apt. D304
Kalamazoo, MI 49006

Our Mission Statement

The Sanctuary of the Magdalene is a non-denominational organization dedicated to spiritual wholeness through the union of the Sacred Feminine and Masculine energies within our bodies and throughout the world.

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