CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS ~ A Memory

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS ~ A Memory

It was the eve before Christmas as I recall.
It was past Midnight and I was ready to fall.
The toys were all in place under the tree
I groaned aching to be in bed and free.
There was no Daddy to help me
Not even with trimming the tree.
He was off fighting a war that was not right
And I was alone this sacred night.
One last look before I climbed into bed
Then it hit me like a ton of lead.
The stockings were yet to be filled!
With aching limbs, myself I willed.

Down came three empty stockings hung near the toys
I reminded myself of past years of joys.
I remembered my Mother had done the same
For me, my sister, my brother and I felt a twinge of shame.
If she could do it, so can I.
With memories of Christmases gone by,
I began filling the stockings with a happy glint in my eye.
First came an apple, an orange to stimulate the taste buds,
Perhaps I could add each a box of Milk Duds.
Second a noisy toy or nuts to crack with sweetmeats for the taking.
Walnuts, of course to stimulate their hearing.
Ah, something to touch such as these soft pair of socks.
There have been times when I felt like giving them rocks.

Now something shiny and nice to look at
To stimulate their vision so they wouldn't be blind as a bat.
I opened the bag of Hershey's Kisses wrapped in foil
Each wrapped in shiny silver as a coil.
The fifth item and the last must be something to smell
A small bar of soap for each shaped as a bell.
As I cleared away all my clutter,
I thought I heard a voice mutter
Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.
`
The above is based on a tradition I inherited from my Mother regarding items that go inside a Christmas stocking and the importance of each item. During the period I am writing about, my sons' father was away in Vietnam.

The items that go into the Christmas stocking has an ancient meaning as each item represents one of the five senses and these are to stimulate the senses of taste, smell, touch, hearing, and sight.

THE GREATEST HOAX

THE GREATEST HOAX
…Deception and lies

The greatest hoax perpetuated on humanity has created wars, murders, subterfuge and an enslavement of a large majority of the masses. Being a retired minister of Divine Science, I have studied the Bible and have also done extensive research. What I have learned is astounding and shocking. There will be those who will describe me as a charlatan perhaps; however, the information is more real than what is in our 'so-called' biblical scholars who continue to base their information on recycled ignorance.

In May 2008 the staff of Rene Barnett and Bruce Burgess, producer and director of the documentary Bloodline, contacted me and asked me to interview them on the Blog Talk radio show I had at the time, and sent me a video of their documentary. This was a most interesting documentary and I highly recommend it. This interview is archived on my inactive radio show. The primary man in the documentary is Ben Hammott, who became enamored with the Church of Mary Magdalene at Rennes-le-Chateau and the priest Saunière from viewing a BBC documentary regarding this subject. He set about deciphering the clues that Saunière left in the church and discovered a tomb. Step-by-step the viewer is shown Hammott's journey of a great discovery.

Having researched Rennes le Chateau extensively when I was writing my books Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls and Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy, I was well aware of the vast number of treasure seekers and read numerous books on this as well as the Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene. I visited Rennes le Chateau and the Languedoc region in 2001 and returned home with a desire to know more. I knew there had to be more than what was known at the time. I pondered why a figure of a demon or devil called Asmodeus was at the entrance of the church and why there was a sign over the church entrance stating Terribilis est locus iste and generally translated as This place is terrible.

Even though there have been many interpretations of the paintings and decorations of this church, none of the researchers gave what I call a valid translation or found Saunière's treasure. Ben Hammott had a dedicated tenacity to search and find the secret. This led him to the discovery of bottles containing these clues, which he had to decipher. In his book, Lost Tomb of the Knights Templar: A Tomb; A Treasure; A Great Secret, Hammott deciphered the clues Saunière had left in the bottles. On page 316 of Hammott's book begins the deciphered statements of Saunière.

Saunière found a tomb with a mummified body covered by a tattered shroud with the Knights Templar symbol of a red cross. Saunière realized that this was the body of Jesus Christ from the crucifixion marks on the body. He realized that the Catholic Church knew the story and that Christianity was based on a lie. This is explosive information.

Hammott writes that Saunière decided to preserve his information and thus we have a renovated church created by Saunière with his clues for future seekers. Hammott's discovery of another message is apparently documents of the Knights Templar giving information that they discovered the body of Jesus under the Temple in Jerusalem and brought it back to France (Gaul) and reburied in this tomb.

Ben Hammott discovered a tomb, however the mummified corpse in it was not covered by a tattered shroud, but a seemingly intact shroud. This body has no crucifixion scars. Are there two tombs? Is one of Jesus and the second the body of Mary Magdalene? Ah mystery! In the tomb, Hammott found a possibly anointing jar and a cup that could be the wedding cup of Mary Magdalene and Jesus.

If this is so, then it does indicate the duplicity of the Vatican—the cover-up and lies over the centuries. I now perceive that the demon Asmodeus represents the Catholic Church and the phrase This place is terrible refers to religion.

Ben Hammott's book of 680 pages is never boring. Writing with humor and with photos, he has documented his journey of discovery and the DNA testing of the body in addition to the artifacts found in the tomb. From Andre Douzet's book Saunière's Model andd the Secret of Rennes-le-Chateau, he writes There is very little difference between Galilee, Galicia and 'Gaule', the area of France and England. Douzett writes that one could say that "Gallile" can be read as "en galles il est," in Gallie (Gaule) he is." This indicates that there are those who think Jesus came to France.

Can the general public accept this? Probably not. The Church has over the centuries coerced, plunder, murdered, burned at the stake, tortured, warred, and above all lied. Was there ever a Paul, formerly called Saul? What else is to be uncovered? When I was writing my first Magdalene book, I came across a very interesting quote that Pope Leo X (1475-1521) supposedly said: It has served us well, this myth of Christ. I have often wondered why there are no factual historical documents that include Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Too many researchers depend on the Bible as true documentation and nothing could be further from the truth.

During my research for my book, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, I was led to the Jewish Roman historian Josephus' Jewish Antiquities. Josephus is quoted widely by scholars writing about Jesus and his life. In the translation I read, there was no mention of Jesus or Mary Magdalene. I thought this was odd. A few months later, I again went to a translation of Josephus' Jewish Antiquities. In this version of Jewish Antiquities 18.3.3 there is a short paragraph regarding Jesus. It is possible that this paragraph was added later.

I also discovered the books written by Ralph Ellis who has done extensive research into the Bible and ancient history, especially that of ancient Egypt. In Ellis' book Jesus, Last of the Pharaohs, chapter VII, titled The Evangelist, pages 220-221, he writes about the evangelist named Paul formerly called Saul—the author of the Book of Acts, which is his autobiography. Ellis also researched Josephus' own autobiography and found amazing coincidences between Josephus and Paul/Saul. The events of their lives are primarily identical, so much so that it is obvious that Josephus and Paul/Saul is the same person. It was the writings of Paul/Saul that named Jesus as Christ. It could be that Josephus admired Jesus whom he would have heard of in Jerusalem and created the character of Paul.

Josephus was a turncoat as an undercover spy for the Romans. When the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed its temple, Josephus, a Jew was taken to Rome and given Roman citizenship. While living in Rome, he began his writing. Even though Josephus' creation was a hoax, it is not the greatest one—or perhaps his was the beginning of the greatest hoax perpetuated by the Vatican in order to control the people and their minds. Today the Vatican is extremely wealthy and the papal palace filled with priceless objects. It is all about power. It is time the truth be revealed to those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. We are living in the era of revelations.

For further information, go to Ben Hammott's website:
http://www.benhammott.com/sauniere-bookplate.html

THE LOST SYMBOL – LOST OR OBSCURED?

Symbols are prevalent all over the world and in my research, I have concluded that the majority of people have no idea of what ancient symbolism is. There is much hoopdela about Dan Brown's soon to be released "The Lost Symbol." It sounds enticing and the cover of the book is available for anyone to view. Supposedly, Brown has said that the symbol is buried in the cover of the book. On July 7, 2009, this cover was released on MSNBC and according to Jen Brown who wrote for MSNBC, the symbol on the cover is: "The jacket also prominently features a wax seal, inside of which is a double-headed Phoenix, the No. 33, and the Latin phrase, "Ordo ae Chao," which translates to "Order from Chaos." These elements are tied to secret societies throughout history. The seal is set against a background of symbols -- among them characters from the zodiac and alchemy -- all suggesting ancient time and beliefs." What Brown does not mention is that the No. 33 is set within a triad. Of them all, the triad is the most important symbol.

Having studied with Ramtha for over 20 years, I have learned the meaning of the triad. It really is not a secret. One only has to go to his book "A Beginner's Guide to Creating Reality," and in the back of the book is a drawing of the ancient triad with its meanings. The triad is a symbol of the journey from our origin into mass. I recommend this book for anyone who is curious about the triad, the brain and much, much more. It could be said that it is a book about discovery of self, or the purpose of self.

The triad or triangle has been passed down over the eons. Christianity adopted it as the symbol for the Father/Son and Holy Ghost with the Son being Jesus, which is a mis-interpretation with the original intent obscured.

Getting back to the cover of Brown's book, I have not delved too much into the Masonic meaning of 33 however there are 33 degrees or levels of Masonry and the human spine has 33 segments. The rise of one's spiritual energy has to move through all 33 segments to reach the Crown seal also called chakra and thus move into Christhood.

The two-headed phoenix represents the two-sided aspect of the human, i.e. the personality versus the spiritual. The phoenix rising out of the ashes is a symbol of the death of the personality and a rebirth. It could also represent reincarnation.

The phoenix was used by the U.S. Founding Fathers instead of the eagle. William Bramley writes in his book Gods of Eden: "The phoenix was adopted by the Founding Fathers for use on the reverse of the first official seal of the United States after a design proposed by Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. The first die of the U.S. seal depicts a long-necked tufted bird: the phoenix. The phoenix holds in its mouth a banner with the words "E. Pluribus Unum" ("Out of many, one"). Above the bird's head are thirteen stars breaking through a cloud. In one talon the phoenix holds a cluster of arrows; in the other, an olive branch. Some people mistook the bird for a wild turkey because of the long neck; however, the phoenix is also long of neck and all other features of the bird clearly indicate that it is a phoenix. The die was retired in 1841 and the phoenix was replaced by the bald eagle - America's national bird." And many people thought the phoenix was a turkey!

The U.S. dollar bill is filled with ancient symbolism representing the spiritual side of the human. Too many people, including religions attribute this to Satan, the Devil or Lucifer when these symbols refer to the God within for the purpose of awakening the God-self of the human.

I am delighted that Dan Brown has written the books he has and I am looking forward to his new book, The Lost Symbol.

A PRAISE POEM FOR BETTYE JOHNSON

A PRAISE POEM FOR BETTYE JOHNSON by Mary McCann


July is indeed a month of celebration. It is also the month of my birth some 80 years ago. Strange to think of the number 80. Inside I feel a youthful 40. My life is one of many twists and turns and with four books published, I am mulling over several ideas for my next.

On July 4th I celebrated my 80th year of wisdom with a family reunion and inviting friends to share the joy. Mary McCann wrote a praise poem and this I will share with you, the readers.

Bettye Johnson v.80.0
What wonders will you show us next Bettye Johnson?
Make known the unknown Bettye Johnson
Version 80!
You taught yourself how to publish books-what now Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
You won the Independent Publisher Book Award - Twice!
What's next Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
You've given us three fine sons who have given us children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Then you foster the writers in Yelm and produce more and more offspring.
Who's next Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
You have uncovered timelines for Mary and Sarah and now the Black Madonna story grows grander and grander.
Will you tell us more Bettye Johnson?
Version 80!
Tell us about living in Paris and working for the State Department Bettye Johnson. Version 80!
Tell us about what it looks like from the other side of the pulpit Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the storyteller Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the community builder Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the teacher Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the helper Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the inspiration Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
You are the Genie within Bettye Johnson.
Version 80!
Praise the teacher
Praise the writer
Praise the adventurer
Praise the pioneer
Bettye Johnson Version 80! Bettye Johnson Version 80! Bettye Johnson Version 80! Written by Mary McCann

HISTORY, A TAPESTRY OF HALLUCINATIONS

HISTORY: A TAPESTRY OF HALLUCINATIONS

I have always loved history and when I was growing up, I accepted as truth what I was taught and read. I grew up in the West Texas city of San Angelo. We had a restored Fort Concho where Union soldiers were stationed to keep peace with the Indians and for the cattle drives to Kansas. During this time, there was racial discrimination and the blacks were not allowed to associate with the whites except during employment. I am bringing this in, because I never knew until I returned in the late seventies to San Angelo that the soldiers stationed at old Fort Concho were the Horse Soldiers. These were black or Negro rough-riding U.S. Calvary soldiers. During the days of segregation, there had been a blackout of anything about them. These Horse Soldiers were brave, fearless and great fighters.

Some of you may remember having been taught in school that Columbus discovered America. There was even a holiday in celebration of this, when nothing could be further from the truth. Columbus may have visited this continent, but he did not discover it. The early Vikings and other were the first ones to explore the East coast. Some say Leif Erickson and now I have come across information saying the Hebrews/Israelites discovery of this continent happened thousands of years before Christ. Remarkable, and there are alleged archaeological findings that support this. Is this pie in the sky? But wait! I titled this segment History: A Tapestry of Hallucinations.

What do I mean by hallucination? According to the dictionary, one meaning is one’s perception of reality. This also can be viewed in a broader context: history as told or written by the winners. On the other hand, history became distorted and facts omitted. Or, history deliberately changed and altered.

During my research, I learned the Catholic Church has based much of its history on lies, deceit and omissions. I am not going into that information at this time because I want to reach further back in time.

I am going to address the New Testament (N.T.). For years, theologians and scholars have admitted that the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke do not give identical information. John supposedly was written later. I have asked myself, then, who is correct? The authors of these books are unknown. And yet, we have the Christian religions using these books plus other books in the N.T. as if they are factual truth. Once a lie is repeated a number of times and accepted, it becomes the truth for the populance.

Recently I read Elaine Pagels and Karen King’s book READING JUDAS. The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity. First, let’s touch on Judas. For centuries, he has been maligned because he supposedly betrayed Jesus and received monies from the Romans for doing this. Pagels and King have addressed this in their book and by also researching the first four gospels, have found many discrepancies that have rarely been addressed by scholars. The authors of these gospels purloined some information from the Old Testament. So who wrote the books of the New Testament?

Tony Bushby, in his book The Bible Fraud, tells of the so-called presbyters who collected wise and spiritual writings from India to Greece to Egypt to Rome and went from village to village and city to city, and were much like the soapbox orators. They would stand at the village center and recite these writings or perhaps read them. These were not necessarily learned men.

Therefore, it is entirely possible for writings from Egypt and India to become part of the N.T. books. However, what about Jesus? In his book The Myth-maker, Paul and the Invention of Christianity, Hyam Maccoby writes an excellent account regarding the books supposedly written by Paul. Maccoby puts forth an excellent presentation that it was Paul – yes, the Paul who really was the founder of Christianity – and eventually the Catholic Church who first said Jesus was the Christ and the only son of God.

Nowhere do any of these books subscribe to the possibility that Jesus was an Initiate of the highest order of ancient mystery schools. And what were these mysteries? Teachings and tests to discover the god within.

Paul is a very interesting character. Even in his book of Acts and other books, he is subscribed to have written there are conflicting statements. I can well understand this.

I am going to digress for a moment. Almost all the books written about Jesus and Mary Magdalene have in some way referred to the ancient writings of Josephus author of The Wars of the Jews, The Antiquities of the Jews and The Autobiography of Flavious Josephus. What does Josephus have in common with the Paul of the Book of Acts in the N.T. I came across a most interesting possibility in Ralph Ellis’ book Jesus, The Last Pharaoh. Ellis became interested in the similarities of Josephus and Paul. In his book, he lists the biographical aspects of their lives as given in the Book of Acts and in Josephus’ Autobiography. They are so similar, that it is difficult to separate the two. What IF, Josephus created the character of Paul? What IF Josephus wrote some of those books in the N.T.? It is a big mind-boggling, but it is not only a possibility, but a probability.

When I first researched information for Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, the writings of Josephus had no mention of Jesus or Mary Magdalene. Then in a later return to another translation of his works, I found several small paragraphs, which mention Jesus.

Josephus was a Jew and claims lineage via the Maccabees. He states he went to Rome to ask for the release of some priests in Roman custody. He returned to Jerusalem and alleged he worked with the Jews to repel the Romans in their great uprising. He alleged he hid in a cave while the destruction was happening, and was captured, taken to Rome and made a Roman citizen. From another source, he was seen riding in the carriage of Vespasian after Vespasian became the new emperor.

So now, in this tapestry of fluid history, we have the possibility that the renowned Paul of the N.T. was a creation of Josephus.

Is there more? Oh my yes. Ellis has another book of Solomon and I also read the books of Immanuel Velikovsky – written in the 1950’s. Velikovsky had no computer for research. He did his painstakingly by going to libraries and to Egypt. He also compared the information in the Rhind Papyrus, the Egyptian paintings in tombs, statues and came to some very interesting conclusions.

From my interpretation of what I read in the two books, and the first one being that there is a distinct possibility the great Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt could have been the Hyksos who had ruled lower Egypt – the delta area – for 150 years. The Hyksos were ousted out by the last ruler of the Egyptian 17th dynasty by the pharaoh whose name was Ahmose or Amosis.

It is a possibility the Hyksos became so angry of being ousted that they later changed names in their writings. It is postulated that the books of Kings and Numbers were actually referring to Egyptian pharaohs and the Hyksos' time in Egypt.

I also learned by reading these two particular authors – Velikovsky and Ellis that a pharaoh or a king had more than one name. There was the birth name, the pharaoh name, a name known outside the country and possibly by other names. Wouldn’t it make sense that the same person could be referred to by another name on a document and down through history it was taken to be separate people?

There is also another potential, and that is King Solomon and King David were Egyptian pharaohs. Now I come to the Queen of Sheba. Sheba was a title meaning ‘sacred one.’ Ellis has also done extensive research. Much of the two authors' documentation comes from archaeological findings.

One of the mind blowers is the information that in 1939 Pierre Montet discovered some intact tombs – magnificent within the enclosure at Tanis. The latter of the tombs contained the intact sarcophagi of the pharaohs Psusennes II and Sheshong. Ellis had already identified these two pharaohs as being King David and King Solomon. These mummies all reside in the Cairo Museum along with the possible mummies of Joab, Hiram Abif and the Queen of Sheba.

In my book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, I have Mary Magdalene as being of the lineage of the Queen of Sheba. What I have learned AFTER I published the book is there is a great possibility the Queen of Sheba was none other than the Queen/Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt.

In I Kings 10:1-13, it is written: And Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David. (I Ki 3:1)

This has been mis-interpreted or possibly an additional visit to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba was added. However, the Kebra Nagast says the pharaoh’s daughter was the Queen of Sheba.

The similarities and coincidences point out that history is not at all what most of us think it is. I have given the potentials and possibilities.

Think of the many translations of the O.T. and the N.T. over hundreds of years. Think of the possibility of the Tribe of Benjamin having another name. Some have alleged Mary Magdalene was a Hasmonean princes.. I rather doubt that. If one looks at the track record of the Hasmoneans, I see no greatness coming from that lineage.

Another myth is that the bloodline of Mary Magdalene and Jesus is through the Merovingian Dynasty. I have done research on the Merovingians and there is only a history of war, brother murdering brother, and possibly not even being able to read much less write. Bishop Gregory of Tours in the 5th century began tutoring the sons of the Merovingians to read.

Jesus and Mary Magdalene would have left some awesome genes and in all of these allegations, I have found nothing to suggest greatness. In the genealogy charts I have read, rarely is the mother's name given.. Were these so-called kings hatched from an egg? Histories in the first 5 centuries are shrouded in mystery because there were almost no written documents except those written by the early churchmen. Moreover, those are suspect.

For nearly 2000 years, humankind has been duped by history in the name of religion. We have the potential of Paul being none other than Josephus. Paul could have come from the imagination of Josephus. And, if we look at the books found in the Nag Hammadi find and the Book of Judas, we get an entirely different perspective of the Disciple Peter – he hated Mary Magdalene and was jealous that Jesus would kiss her on the lips. Could there be a possibility that Peter was homosexual? Could this be why the Church has suppressed women? The possibilities from this are something that will be addressed at another time.

Therefore, I leave you with things to ponder. I urge you to do your own research. I am not an authority. I am only one who has researched and uncovered many potentials and possibilities for another side of history.

ISRAELI JEWS BLESS THE SUN IN RARE 28-YEAR PRAYER

This Wednesday, April 7, 2009, the faithful Jews congregated before the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel to bless the sun. Why every 28 years? Jewish tradition has been that the sun returns to its position at the moment the universe was created 5,769 years ago. Having done research on the history of the Bible, I learned why the Jews have this belief and the history perpetuated has another truth. What if the history we have been taught in schools and by religions isn’t true? There will be some who will deny this and will hold on to their beliefs. It is frightening to move away from what we were taught and to take a look at new revelations.

Two authors that I have found to be of immense help in answering for me inconsistencies are Immanuel Velikovsky and Ralph Ellis. Velikovsky wrote A World of Chaos and Ramses II: Ages of Chaos. Velikovsky published these books in the 1950’s and during his research he found many inconsistencies, which didn’t add up. According to the Hebrew history, certain events happened that appeared to be similar to events in Egyptian history. The only problem was that there was a difference of six hundred years. This bothered him and he set out to find out why the variation. His results are fascinating. Regarding the 5,769 years, my understanding is that it arrived from the great Exodus. From the Hebrew point of view, the Jews had been enslaved and wanted to be free of the tyranny of Egypt. Under the guidance of Moses, they departed Egypt and after the Red Sea parted for them, they wandered for 40 years until they came to the Promised Land. Have you ever wondered where they spent those 40 years when it only takes about three hours to travel by SUV from the Nile Delta to Palestine? Have you wondered who the Canaanites were? You know - those people who God gave the Israelites permission to ravish, kill and take-over.
There are researchers who question the validity of the Exodus story as written in the Old Testament (O.T,) and Talmud. Published on October 29, 1999, Ze’ev Herzog wrote an article titled “Deconstructing the walls of Jericho” in Ha’aretz, the leading newspaper in Israel that after “70 years of intensive excavations in Israel, archaeologists learned that Israelites did not sojourn to Egypt or make an exodus. They did not wander in the desert.” If there is no evidence of Israelites being in Egypt, then what is the Exodus all about?

Perhaps the Israelites were not known under the name as given in the O.T. If one were to research Egyptian history as given in hieroglyphics, paintings and other ancient writings, then another picture begins to unfold. This is very much like cracking a hidden code. The Jewish scholars who promote that the world is only 5769 years old could be right from the point of view that the Jewish or Hebrews had no beginning prior that time. Since this is the year 2009 AD, this would place the beginning of the Jewish race to around 3760 BC. What was happening around 3760 BC? When I began researching, I learned that even Jewish history scholars cannot agree upon the timelines when important events took place such as the Exodus.

In The Gift of the Jews by Thomas Cahill, he writes that the Talmud came into being from oral history and there is no reliable record of written Hebrew before the 10th century BC. If you have ever played the ‘whisper’ or ‘telephone’ game, you have an idea of how garbled the original statements become.

Immanuel Velikovsky researched Egyptian history and the O.T. history extensively and even though there were parallels in both histories, the dates of the events did not agree. He finally realized that the Hebrews and the Egyptians counted time differently and when he learned how to reconcile the differences in times, he realized that their histories were practically the same. When in the O.T. it is written that Abraham journeyed south into Gerar, it could be he was traveling into Egypt because the names Gerar and Egypt were the same. What has been revealed is that the Hyksos were also the Israelites. Therefore, the Hyksos were in Lower Egypt at the time of the Great Exodus and during their sojourn changed their name and for them their world began when they departed Egypt. Thus, we have the belief that the world began 5769 years ago.

Why did the Hyksos depart Egypt? That will be posted soon. It is similar to unraveling a skein of yarn and the Jewish belief is a piece of yarn.

MARY MAGDALENE AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

When I began researching historical information about Mary Magdalene, little did I know that I was embarking on an odyssey of unraveling strands of history that most of the world does not know or understand. I agree with the statement James Cameron wrote in his Foreword to the book, The Jesus Family Tomb: “As a result of this twelve-year investigation, I have come to realize that history is a consensus hallucination. It is a myth upon which we all agree to agree.”

Mary Magdalene has been an enigma for over two thousand years. In the first four gospels her name is mentioned four times in the Book of Mark, three times in the books of Matthew and John and twice in the Book of Luke. I find it interesting that scores of books have been written about her and each one with the author’s interpretation and who and what she was from these references. In most authors’ interpretations, she has been assumed to be one of the ‘other’ women mentioned in the New Testament. Yet the real Mary Magdalene is unknown and even her background as given by most authors and scholars is based on unfounded suppositions.

Was Mary Magdalene a Hasmonean princess? Was she from the tribe of Benjamin? I have found nothing to indicate that this is true. “It is a myth upon which we all agree to agree.” In other words, if something is repeated over and over, the public accepts it as a truth when in actuality it has no foundation. From my perspective, the current information written about the Magdalene is based on recycled ignorance.

My own background is one of a woven tapestry of experiences. I became an ordained minister of Divine Science in 1981 and have since been a student of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, an academy of the mind for over twenty years. One of the most important teachings I learned from Ramtha is not to accept his word, but to research and find out for myself.

When I first became interested in Mary Magdalene, I had few clues to go on. I had taken notes on the few tidbits Ramtha had mentioned about her. These were usually one-liners. The clues I had were that she was of royalty, she was Ethiopian, had black skin and red hair, one blue eye and one green eye and she was married to Jesus. They had two children; one a girl named Sarah and a boy named James. He also said she was an initiate; an initiate meaning that at that time she would have had to be in an ancient mystery school. One of the best explanations of a mystery school is from the Foreword in Grace Knoche’s book: The Mystery Schools. A Mystery school is a university of the soul, a school for the study of the mysteries of the inner nature of man and of surrounding nature. By understanding these mysteries, the student perceives his intimate relationship with divinity, and strives through self-discipline and devotion to become at one with his inner god. My quest was to verify this information.

I began reading every book I could find about Mary Magdalene and none of them had any real verification. I also have used the wonderful world of Internet. I learned that there are some Nubians today in Africa that has red hair and that it was not uncommon in the days of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. Several years ago I had a booth at the Los Angles Times Festival of Books and a number of Afro-Americans stopped to peruse and talk about my book, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. What I learned from them is that many Afro-Americans have always known Mary Magdalene was of black skin. I also learned that there are some who have the genetics of red hair in their family lineage that do not come from a Caucasian.

I also researched the ancient history of Ethiopia and learned that even today there is a city called Magdala in that country. I learned that the late Emperor Halle Selassie of Ethiopia claimed he was a descendent of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon through their son Menelik I. He also carried the title Lion of Judah and alleged he was a descendent of the same lineage of Jesus. The Ethiopian Kebra Negast also pays great homage to the Queen of Sheba, King Solomon and their son Menelik I. I was beginning to find threads or connections of possibilities that were beginning to coagulate whereas I could find none from the Hasmoneans or Tribe of Benjamin.

It is a reasonable assumption that if the memory of Mary Magdalene had been kept alive throughout the years that there had to be something great about her. It was Pope Gregory I who first labeled her a prostitute and the Catholic Church later recanted this. I realized more than ever that there had been a great omission in historical records and writings. I asked myself, why would memory of her life and deeds be suppressed? Could it be because the males who dominated early Christianity did not want her deeds and equality to Jesus to outshine their version of Christianity? It is a possibility. When I say equality, I am using this in the context of her royal status, her knowledge and perhaps her own ministry. Jesus was not the only initiate to become god-man realized and ascend. Another initiate of that era was Apollonius of Tyana who while in chains before a Roman court dropped his chains and disappeared only to reappear within moments in India. This is on record in old Roman documents.

The Eastern Orthodox Church has a myth that Mary Magdalene attended a banquet with the Emperor Tiberius presiding. He asked her about the resurrection of Jesus because he didn’t believe it to be so. She assured him that Jesus had ascended. Tiberius is said to have picked up a hard-boiled egg and handed it to her saying, “If you can turn this egg red, then I will believe you.” Mary Magdalene held the egg in her hand and gave him back a red egg. All myths are based on facts. Today it is said that the Eastern Orthodox Church reveres the red egg at the celebration of Easter.

In 2001 I went to France and learned even more about Mary Magdalene. I drove through the Languedoc region and in almost every small church, there was a black Madonna and many of the churches were dedicated to Mary Magdalene. When I went to the great cathedral in Chartres, I learned that one of the figures on the outside of the North Porch was the Queen of Sheba flanked on the jamb by King Solomon and Balaam. I asked myself why the Queen of Sheba and Solomon were honored in this way and of course this has led to more research. If one looks closely at the Queen, she is standing on the body of a small black person. I asked myself, could this mean that the Queen ruled over a nation of black-skinned people because she was one also?

The Chartres Cathedral was begun in 1194 and completed twenty-six later, which was a record for those days when they had no high-powered machinery. The architect for this cathedral is not known nor is the names of the artisans known. At the Amiens Cathedral in France there are also figures of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba on the South Portal. This cathedral was constructed beginning in 1218 and completed in 1269. The architect of this cathedral is known.

From my research there is a strong possibility that the Knights Templar were responsible for the creation of Chartres Cathedral using divine geometry and symbols in the forms of statues, carvings and the rose windows. I sensed the architect(s) was leaving a roadmap for those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.

What does this have to do with Mary Magdalene and the Queen of Sheba? When I began to research in earnest upon my return home, it has been similar to pulling Ariadne’s thread through a labyrinth of obscure references, misinformation, misinterpretations and lies. Here we have two powerful women from the Bible with very little information about their backgrounds. One might say that legends have grown up around them and now as we are moving into an age of enlightenment, the time has come for their greatness to be revealed.

One of the most popular verses from the Song of Solomon 1:5, I am black, but comely indicates the Queen of Sheba was of black-skin. There have been scholars who have attempted to learn more about this Queen of Sheba. There is no proof that there was a land of Sheba, so where was Sheba? From this question, my research became even more interesting. I will digress for a moment by saying that the languages of those ancient biblical days were dialects and it has been a challenge for research scholars to interpret the meanings. I went to a book by Kamal Salibi titled: The Bible Came From Arabia. According to his research using the Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Classical Arabic languages, he arrived at his conclusion of evidence that the twelve tribes of Israel had their origins in West Arabia and not Palestine. Heresy? In the eyes of some, yes.

According to Salibi’s comparison of languages, the original Jerusalem was in West Arabia along the Red Sea. This could possibly indicate that King Solomon lived in this area around the Red Sea and in some scholarly books I have read state that King Solomon had built a seaport on the Red Sea of what is now Saudi Arabia. . Therefore, there is a possibility that this is true because when a request was made from the Saudi government to have some archeological work done in the area in question near Mecca, what did the Saudi’s do? They bulldozed the entire area and now it could be eons before proof is unearthed. There is even a potential that Solomon’s Temple was actually located near Mecca. Could this be why the Prophet Mohammed’s sacred city is located at Mecca?

Two of my favorite scholar authors are Immanuel Velikovsky and Ralph Ellis. Velikovsky wrote his books in the 1950’s and had no Internet. His information came from libraries and visiting the sites he wrote about. Ralph Ellis is a present day researcher and he has also traveled the path of Velikovsky in that he went to Egypt and other places to verify his research. I admire their tenacity for research. Using Egyptian historical writings, hieroglyphics and pictures on unearthed tombs, these two men began asking questions and using their knowledge of Egyptian history began comparing it to the Hebrew history. The similarity of the Hebrew and Egyptian history is astounding.

Perhaps I have digressed, however Velikovsky found that kings, queens and pharaohs had a number of different names. There was the birth name, a royal name, and a name they were called in some other country and perhaps other names. This could be very confusing and there is a strong possibility the Queen of Sheba was also known as Bathsheba, Maakhah Tamar II, Maakare, and Mu-Tamhat II according to Ralph Ellis’ research. There is another potential that I will mention later. Apparently in those ancient days royalty and priests had titles and/or other names. It has been noted by a number of scholars that Mary was a title given to females who were given to the Temple for service. Therefore, Mary Magdalene could indicate she was considered of high rank along with Mary of Bethany and of course Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In tracing the name of Mary, Ellis followed a trail back to Egypt and according to his findings learned that these Marys were the holders of a long and illustrious Egyptian heritage. These influential women, who inadvertently and unintentionally founded the new sect of Christianity, not only held the original titles of the Egyptian royalty, they also had the very same name that had been originally used by Queen Hatshepsut-Maakare in the early years of the New Kingdom.

In going further, Sheba is a mystique name because its location has avoided most researchers and writers. Lower Egypt was also known as Seba, which covered Ethiopia, Avaris, and Memphis in addition to Lower Egypt. Sheba in all probability was not a country, but a title. Some of the interpretations have been the number ‘seven,’ or that she came from a ‘land of plenty,’ meaning Egypt/Ethiopia. The writings of the Jewish historian Josephus seem to indicate this was so. Therefore from the chronological evidence presented by Ellis, Velikovsky, Josephus, Manetho and others it would indicate that the Queen of Sheba would have been either a princess or a queen. References in the Old Testament indicate this was so.

The conclusions I reached were that Mary Magdalene was in all probability a descendent of the Queen of Sheba also known as the Queen or Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt/Ethiopia. Does this mean that Jesus and his followers were of dusky skin? What is the connection of Mary of Magdalene and the Queen of Sheba with King Solomon and King David? What are the Old Testament books of the Kings and Chronicles really about? As I continue to pull the threads of history, I am finding out. However, that will have to be revealed in a future article.

ARE YOU READY FOR ABUNDANCE NOW?

The Abundance Breakthrough Project is free and simple. It is an exciting way to help create spectacular Abundance in your life.
This special program is being offered free of charge by Jo Dunning as part of creating a flow of Abundance which will travel around the world on April 15, 2009. If you would like to be included in this world wide wave of Abundance please go to http://www.jodunning.com/abundance-breakthrough-project.html or visit jodunning.com and click under free events.

Every person who signs up for the Abundance Breakthrough Project before April 15th will be included in this powerful Program. Just go to the website and add your name to the list. That is all you need to do. On April 15th, Jo Dunning will focus individually on each name and create a powerful wave of Abundance which will circle the entire globe and help bring Abundance to every person listed.
The goal is to have enough people sign up from from different parts of the world that the wave of joyful abundance will be big enough to embrace the entire globe.
So be sure to tell others about this wonderful free opportunity and pass this email on to as many people as possible. Please list it on your organization calendars, websites and other opportunities. The more people who participate, the bigger the wave will be and the more assistance each person can receive. After you email this information to others then go to digg.com and list this event to help more people around the world know know about it. We need your help to build the momentum so Abundance can flow throughout the world on April 15, 2009 and everyone can experience the continual joyful flow of prosperity in their life. If you would like to participate more actively in this event there are several simple things you can do on April 15th to help generate an even bigger wave of Abundance and create more flow of prosperity into your life. These are listed below and will help to support the wave as it sweeps around the planet.
1. On April 15, 2009, around noon in your local time zone, pause for a moment and imagine your life filled with spectacular, joyful Abundance.
2. Imagine what you would like to have in more abundance in your life, then give a little of that away to someone else.
3. Go to a favorite non profit website and make a small donation to their cause.
4. Make a contribution to your favorite spiritual organization.
5. Take a few cans of food to your local food bank.
6. Go through your extra clothes and other possessions and give them to a local shelter.
7. Smile at a stranger or reach out to assist someone, even in a very small way, like holding a door open for them.
8. Remember all the good things you have in your life right now and feel grateful.
9. Celebrate your Abundance as it arrives in both large and small amounts.
10. Know you are deeply loved and take the chance to believe all of this is truly possible.
11. Go to jodunning.com and click on the Golden Coin and read about The Five Laws of Abundance and how to use them in your life.

CAN YOU DANCE WITH ME

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I'll let you know,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away..... Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

It's National Friendship Week.. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

To those I have sent this to... I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do.
'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance! - Anonymous

SECRETS REVEALED - THE HOLY GRAIL

SECRETS REVEALED – THE HOLY GRAIL

Just when I thought I knew quite a bit about the Grail Legends and Rennes-le-Chateau, new information has been revealed. Last year I had the opportunity to interview and later meet the director, Bruce Burgess and producer Rene Barnett of the movie Bloodline. (For more information on this fascinating movie, please go to www.bloodlinethemovie.com and click on the Blog.) Burgess and Barnett learned of a hidden tomb with a preserved body covered with a Knights of Templar cloth along with rich artifacts. As far as I know, this tomb has not been excavated and is located close to Rennes-le-Chateau, France.

When I was in France and Spain in 2001, I visited Rennes-le-Chateau in addition to other places of interest that piqued my interest in Mary Magdalene and the Black Madonnas. From this trip and my previous interest, I wrote the book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls—an Independent Publisher Books Award Winner 2006. This was followed up with a sequel, Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy, also an award winner 2008.

Now comes the book City of Secrets, author Patrice Chaplin's "A true life journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend." Chaplin's account of her arrival in Gerona, Spain in 1955 at age 15 and meeting a mysterious man named Jose gives another view of the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery along with the secrets long held in Gerona. Gerona is midway between Barcelona and Figures/Cadaques (Gerona is sometimes spelled Girona). For the next forty years Chaplin's life was intertwined with Jose off and on with her learning about the mysterious Cabbalistic movement in early Gerona. The Iberians first arrived and later the Romans settled the area. In the first century, Jews from Palestine were fleeing the Romans and many came to France and Spain bringing with them esoteric knowledge and establishing mystery schools. The area is filled with unique energies. A small group of Jews arrived in Gerona and established a Cabbalistic center. They were later expelled from Gerona by the Church in 1492.

In Gerona is a Tower of Magdala from which Berenger Saunière constructed the Tower of Magdala in Rennes-le-Chateau. The Gerona tower was built in 1851 while Saunière's tower was built in 1901. He reportedly traveled often to Gerona to learn the 'secret.' According to Chaplin, powerful events occurred and there was "Spiritual travel through time and place, so that Girona is forever connected to the other realms." The two towers have a connecting ley line, which is powerful and it supposedly is this energy that enhances spiritual evolution.

The Tower in Gerona has been destroyed since the earlier years when Chaplin was there. However, on another note, there is a Tower on the Island of Majorca in Soller that is identical to the towers of Gerona and Rennes-le-Chateau. Could this be a connection? It is known that the Knights Templar were connected with Majorca and the King of Majorca gave the Templars a section of his summer castle at Collioures, France. Robert Wood, an English mapmaker mapped the area surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau and the results are most interesting because they show the divine geometry in the Languedoc Region connecting many churches in the forms of pentagrams.

Chaplin writes that Jose told her: "The mystics in the Middle Ages and before…This place has witnessed extraordinary events that are beyond human expectation. And less than a hundred years ago certain mystically inclined individuals came here and repeated these ceremonies—for their own grandiosity perhaps. And in their pursuit of 'direct knowing' of the divine, they let slip the earthly love, which was a gift beyond anything and that caused such tumult and such pain."

In 1976, Chaplin returned to Gerona for a short while and while there a vision of Mary Magdalene appeared near the Tower. One woman saw her and said she left in a rainbow of colors. When she told the people in Gerona about her vision, she was sent to a mental institution. When released, she again repeated her story calling her La Dona de la Copa or the Lady of the Cup. Since that event, the story was changed by the Church and a monument has been erected saying it was Jesus who appeared. For me, it indicates that Mary Magdalene was indeed a powerful woman and I know my books have portrayed her as she might have been and I only touched on it.

Chaplin addresses the Grail.It is not a cup, or the chalice Jesus drank from.The
Grail is as Jose described it "as being made of the most remarkable physical matter in the universe. It was purported to give powers beyond human reach including physical longevity, immortality, invisibility. Who holds this, holds the world. It has power of projection and takes the bearer out of time. It produces levitation. Objects move out of the dimensions as we know them and reappear elsewhere. They've not disappeared. They've just travelled beyond our sight and come back. He mentioned transmutation, teleportation. It is a gift from paradise, known since the beginning of time."

What Jose described to her is all about our brain. Our brain is the Holy Grail and has the capacity to accomplish all the things as described above. Jesus said, "In my Father's House are many mansions." His Father's House was his brain and it is the greatest computer every created. We each have it and we only have to seek knowledge and to let go of our limited humanity and discipline our brain. For most of us, we do not have the tenacity to discipline our personalities/our thoughts to be able to do this. It has been said that it takes a Master Teacher to teach one how to fulfill the Holy Grail for self. This is why I am a student of Ramtha the Enlightened One at the Ramtha School of Enlightenment. I am learning one step at a time.