Mary Magdalene Festival 2015
Dr. Kayleen Asbo was the featured presenter at The Many Faces of Mary Magdalene festival.
Brigid’s Place held The Many Faces of Mary Magdalene, a monumental, first-ever, month-long festival at Christ Church Cathedral and The Jung Center during the month of July. The festival included lectures, workshops, and a month-long art show in the Cloister Gallery at Christ Church Cathedral.
For centuries, Mary Magdalene has been portrayed as the penitent sinner or as a weeping woman scorned in the western world because of a homily given by Pope Gregory in 591 C.E. This vision of Mary belies her true identity, and The Many Faces of Mary Magdalene set out to reshape the legacy of Mary Magdalene and tell her true story. Through works of original art, historical scholarship, spiritual practices, and dynamic teaching, a contemporary vision of the Magdalene emerged.
An important component of the Festival was the Art Exhibit displaying twenty-four original pieces from artists around the nation. Each piece presented a different version of Mary Magdalene. All showed a woman of great wisdom and power.
Internationally renowned lecturer Dr. Kayleen Asbo, cultural historian, musician, writer and teacher, led an astounding two day presentation. Dr. Asbo has been a guest lecturer and presenter at Oxford University in England, the Assisi Institute of Depth Psychology Conference in Italy, and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley among many other prestigious institutions. She presents a fascinating account of Mary Magdalene, combining a scholarly approach clothed in mysticism. Brigid’s Place will partner with The Jung Center for the Thursday night presentation.
The Rev. Betty Adam, founder of Brigid’s Place and author of The Magdalene Mystique: Living the Spirituality of Mary Today, believes that The Gospel of Mary - a historical document that was found in a Cairo marketplace in 1896 - has significant implications for spiritual seekers hungry for a new kind of spirituality today. She says, "Written in the early part of the second century in the framework of an ancient world, the Gospel Mary Magdalene is a Gospel of our deepest roots, filled with fresh insights for us today. It offers a Jesus who teaches that nature is good and that our true nature is rooted in the Good, a Jesus who greets his disciples with his peace and boldly instructs his disciples to 'acquire my peace within yourselves.' It’s this teaching to turn inward into peace that is so remarkable. It’s a call to come home to our shared humanity and divinity. Grounded in our original Good, we can develop the peace by starting with ourselves."
Brigid's Place is a 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Non-Profit Organization. Brigid's Place provides education, dialogue and celebrations to foster women's spiritual and personal transformation.