Mary Magdalene didn’t follow Jesus blindly—she walked the path with conscious love. This post explores the mystical idea of the “wedding garment” and how we, too, can weave one through practice, presence, and transformation.
A wedding garment as a metaphor for Presence reminds me very much of one of my favorite books: “Wine of the Mystic: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, A Spiritual Interpretation,” by Paramahansa Yogananda. Omar’s praise of wine & love “are merely the thoroughly established metaphors of Sufism; the wine is the joy of the spirit, & the love is the rapturous devotion to God…”.
lol. I had this book on my list to read for months. I've read two of Yoganada's other books. I finally went to Amazon and read the reviews and the synopsis and decided I'd pass on this one. Then, literally, the first comment I see on Substack after that is this one and at the same time, Gary Wright's "Love is Alive" was playing in the background, which was inspired (along with "Dream Weaver") in part by his discovery of Yogananda's writings and poetry, particularly the phrase "weaver of dreams" in God! God! God!. In any case, this is obviously a synchronicity so it looks like I'll be reading this book.
Re: “Wine of the Mystic,” it’s a beautiful book worth reading, but save it for when you can take your time with it. Omar Khayyam’s poetry is lovely on its own, but there are Yogananda’s interesting interpretations, illustrations, even Persian calligraphy & page decorations. Of course Yogananda’s best book is the classic “Autobiography of a Yogi,” one of my favorite books.
Thank you. Yes, Autobiography of a Yogi was the first one I read by him and highlighted so many passages. What’s interesting is while reading it is when I learned “Dream Weaver” the song was inspired by Yogananda’s writing. I was reading it and that song came on and though we’ve heard that song since it came out, my wife said, “what’s that song about anyway?” So I asked perplexity, and almost fell out of my chair. My wife said, “what?” And she was amazed as I that I was reading his book at the very moment she asked. I keep being redirected to his work.
As I understand it, Magdalene's power lies in her unwavering presence, forged through practice (prayer, surrender, embracing mystery) & weaving an inner resilience, it is soul, to stay present, soften, and act from love.
Magdalene didn’t follow Jesus around like a groupie—she practiced Presence until she became what he was. That kind of power doesn’t come from titles or temples. It’s forged in the furnace of stillness, surrender, and refusing to flinch when love costs something.
Susan, that quote is pure gold. The kind you don’t measure in ounces, but in awakenings.
What a gift to stumble across that reminder right as the Magdalene post found you. Oneness recognizing itself through the veil of two—sounds like love showed up right on time.
My wedding garment was the opposite of conscious love - raised as the grandaughter of a Lutheran minister, I wore my mother's wedding gown & married my Jewish boyfriend, a gambling & coke addict, me an active alcoholic/anorexic drug addict - a drunk mayor officiated since we couldn't find a rabbi would perform an interfaith wedding. We wrote a beautiful ceremony & the love was real but so were our addictions & we divorced 2 years later. I was blessed to live long enuf to get clean & sober 4 yrs later & he was the first person i called to make amends to. Forgiveness can be the most tender unexpected undeserved lifesaving thing in the world.
That happening was the beginning of decades of miracles that give me a tiny speck of hope that I can even come close to Magdalene's wedding garment of conscious love.
As intangible & impossible as it seems sometimes, I will not stop trying. After all, I got sober. I didn't do that. A power greater than me did.
Dear Hollow Girl, your writing is powerful and I wanted to tell you that just before reading Virgin Monk Boy's amazing piece above, I read something else from another writer that might also speak to you in the place of darkness you write so searingly about. Sharing in case it offers another glimmer of light and peace: https://substack.com/@michellcclark
I’ve been sending this to the many women in my life with whom I’ve been walking this path, each creating our own while also joining together and moving outward into new and connecting spirals over the last 58 years of my life (starting, for me, when I was 23).
I am so thankful for this journey and for your explanation of the Magdalene Rebellion described here.
Serene Susan, what a beautiful lineage of spirals you’ve been weaving. Fifty-eight years of sacred footsteps, each one echoing with memory and courage.
The Magdalene Rebellion was never a solo act. It lives because of women like you who carry it forward. Quietly. Fiercely. Together.
Thank you for walking, for sharing, and for helping others rise with you.
I love the idea that no one is immune from grace if our hearts are ready!
Amanda, yes. Grace isn’t picky. It doesn’t wait for perfection. It rushes in the moment a heart cracks open, even a little.
The readiness is the doorway. The love was always there.
A wedding garment as a metaphor for Presence reminds me very much of one of my favorite books: “Wine of the Mystic: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, A Spiritual Interpretation,” by Paramahansa Yogananda. Omar’s praise of wine & love “are merely the thoroughly established metaphors of Sufism; the wine is the joy of the spirit, & the love is the rapturous devotion to God…”.
Ah yes, the old wine flask of divine Presence. Omar drank deep and laughed at the clerics while doing it.
Yogananda saw it too: the real intoxication isn’t in the cup—it’s in seeing what’s pouring it.
The Wedding Garment is cut from the same cloth. Not fabric. Frequency.
Blessings on your mystic thirst, Karen. May the next sip dissolve the sipper.
. . . seeing what’s pouring in — That’s how I first read it. That works too.
lol. I had this book on my list to read for months. I've read two of Yoganada's other books. I finally went to Amazon and read the reviews and the synopsis and decided I'd pass on this one. Then, literally, the first comment I see on Substack after that is this one and at the same time, Gary Wright's "Love is Alive" was playing in the background, which was inspired (along with "Dream Weaver") in part by his discovery of Yogananda's writings and poetry, particularly the phrase "weaver of dreams" in God! God! God!. In any case, this is obviously a synchronicity so it looks like I'll be reading this book.
Clinsights, that’s the holy algorithm at work—spirit edition.
You tried to skip it, and the cosmos queued up a soundtrack, dropped a Substack post, and whispered, “Nice try.”
When Yogananda shows up with Gary Wright in stereo, it’s not a coincidence. It’s a cosmic nudge with rhythm.
Sounds like the book found you.
Re: “Wine of the Mystic,” it’s a beautiful book worth reading, but save it for when you can take your time with it. Omar Khayyam’s poetry is lovely on its own, but there are Yogananda’s interesting interpretations, illustrations, even Persian calligraphy & page decorations. Of course Yogananda’s best book is the classic “Autobiography of a Yogi,” one of my favorite books.
Thank you. Yes, Autobiography of a Yogi was the first one I read by him and highlighted so many passages. What’s interesting is while reading it is when I learned “Dream Weaver” the song was inspired by Yogananda’s writing. I was reading it and that song came on and though we’ve heard that song since it came out, my wife said, “what’s that song about anyway?” So I asked perplexity, and almost fell out of my chair. My wife said, “what?” And she was amazed as I that I was reading his book at the very moment she asked. I keep being redirected to his work.
Contemplative writing....!
As I understand it, Magdalene's power lies in her unwavering presence, forged through practice (prayer, surrender, embracing mystery) & weaving an inner resilience, it is soul, to stay present, soften, and act from love.
Thank you for this 🙏
VedicSoul, you get it.
Magdalene didn’t follow Jesus around like a groupie—she practiced Presence until she became what he was. That kind of power doesn’t come from titles or temples. It’s forged in the furnace of stillness, surrender, and refusing to flinch when love costs something.
Thank you for seeing her clearly.
As an after thought, I feel she is almost a mystic...
Yes... Almost
🙏🙏
My mouth is agape at the beauty of this. Absolutely stunning. And incredibly healing.
Stephanie, thank you. If beauty cracked something open and healing slipped through, then the words did more than talk—they touched.
That’s the Magdalene way.
I came across an old screen grab a few minutes ago about love.
“The consciousness in you and the consciousness in me, apparently two, really one, seek unity and that is love.”
Susan, that quote is pure gold. The kind you don’t measure in ounces, but in awakenings.
What a gift to stumble across that reminder right as the Magdalene post found you. Oneness recognizing itself through the veil of two—sounds like love showed up right on time.
I love that love always shows up right on time.
Thanks . . . my dear, creative monk.
My wedding garment was the opposite of conscious love - raised as the grandaughter of a Lutheran minister, I wore my mother's wedding gown & married my Jewish boyfriend, a gambling & coke addict, me an active alcoholic/anorexic drug addict - a drunk mayor officiated since we couldn't find a rabbi would perform an interfaith wedding. We wrote a beautiful ceremony & the love was real but so were our addictions & we divorced 2 years later. I was blessed to live long enuf to get clean & sober 4 yrs later & he was the first person i called to make amends to. Forgiveness can be the most tender unexpected undeserved lifesaving thing in the world.
That happening was the beginning of decades of miracles that give me a tiny speck of hope that I can even come close to Magdalene's wedding garment of conscious love.
As intangible & impossible as it seems sometimes, I will not stop trying. After all, I got sober. I didn't do that. A power greater than me did.
Reading this is part of that power. 🙏❤️🔥
Beth Ann, that was the wedding garment.
Not the dress.
The courage to survive it.
The phone call.
The amends.
The hope that won’t quit.
Magdalene didn’t arrive by being pure.
She arrived by staying. Just like you.
You didn’t fail.
You transformed.
That speck of hope is the garment now.
Such beauty in your words.
Sandra, thank you. If there’s beauty in the words, it’s only because they remembered where they came from.
Grateful we’re walking this path of remembrance together.
Thank you for this beautiful moment of synchronicity. I needed this today. The darkness is total. I am open in it. Never before have I known this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thehollowgirl/p/passive?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=5sydws
Dear Hollow Girl, your writing is powerful and I wanted to tell you that just before reading Virgin Monk Boy's amazing piece above, I read something else from another writer that might also speak to you in the place of darkness you write so searingly about. Sharing in case it offers another glimmer of light and peace: https://substack.com/@michellcclark
Thank you so much for thinking of me and I will be reading this later today. Any light and help on this journey is most welcome. ♥️
I’ve been sending this to the many women in my life with whom I’ve been walking this path, each creating our own while also joining together and moving outward into new and connecting spirals over the last 58 years of my life (starting, for me, when I was 23).
I am so thankful for this journey and for your explanation of the Magdalene Rebellion described here.
Serene Susan, what a beautiful lineage of spirals you’ve been weaving. Fifty-eight years of sacred footsteps, each one echoing with memory and courage.
The Magdalene Rebellion was never a solo act. It lives because of women like you who carry it forward. Quietly. Fiercely. Together.
Thank you for walking, for sharing, and for helping others rise with you.
Thank you, it is good to be heard and such a gift to hear you with each message you send .