City of Secrets and Rennes-le-Chateau

City of Secrets and Rennes-le-Chateau

Having read numerous books and articles on Rennes-Le-Chateau and having visited it, I was pleasantly surprised when I read Patrice Chaplin's book "City of Secrets." In 1955 at age 15, Chaplin along with a girl friend decided to be 'bohemian,' and set out from England to the continent with little or no money. The two girls hitchhiked to Girona, Spain where a fascinating journey began for her. She met a man named Jose and their relationship began. It began as an on and an off again romance over the years with Chaplin marrying, having children and becoming first an actress and then an author. She always returned from time to time to Girona and Jose.

Her fascinating memoir tells of Jose, a Jew and through him, she learned the history of the Jews in Girona and the secret Cabbala society. Through Jose and the people she came to know, she was brought into the fringes of this secret group. From these people, she learned about the visits of Berenger Saunière the priest of the Church of Mary Magdalene in Rennes-le-Chateau. This was the first I had heard regarding the Spanish connection.

Girona has an interesting history of the Romans, Visigoths, Charlemagne, and the Jews who arrived in the 12th century where they established one of the most flourishing Cabbalistic (or Kabbala) schools in Europe. According to Jose, "The Jewish mystics in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were born here….the secret teaching involving Jewish mysticism and theosophy." His dream was to build a Jewish site as a center of Cabbala.

In reconstructing what I learned from City of Secrets, the French Abbé Bigou, mentioned in many books and articles, came to Girona during the period of the French Revolution. Many priests had to go into exile and he was one. His background is that he was the priest for Rennes-le-Chateau in 1774 and became aligned with the village nobility – the Hautpouls. The Hautpoul Chateau was "filled with esoteric symbols, which were long-standing ties to esoteric traditions and also perpetuating secret ancient knowledge." Bigou became immersed with this. When Marie Hautpoul died, Bigou was entrusted with family secrets that included great wealth, and in all probability brought it with him to Girona.

Chaplin overheard someone asking Jose about Maria Tourdes and Saunière. She wanted to know more. Throughout her memoir, Chaplin gained more information each time she returned to Girona and this includes notes, letters, old postcards and photos that back up what she writes about in her book.

Chaplin writes, "In 1891, while removing the altar stone as it was claimed by his verger, Antoine Captier, Saunière discovered four scrolls in hollow Visigoth altar columns. These were the parchments hidden by Abbé Bigou. There were two coded messages: 'Shepherdess no temptation. That Poussin Teniers hold the key. Pax 681. By the cross and this horse of God, I complete this demon of the guardian at noon. Blue apples', and 'To Dagobert II, king, and to Sion belongs this treasure and he is there dead.' and this brought Saunière to Girona.

Chaplin writes of a French woman named Maria Tourdes who was deeply connected with the secret Cabbala group. She had a house very close to the Catholic Cathedral and on the property was a Torre Magdala just like the one in Rennes-le Chateau. When Sauniere became involved with the Cabbala, he decided to build the exact replica in Rennes-le-Chateau.

He made numerous trips there and had a possible love relationship with Maria Tourdes. Chaplin indicates that Saunière participated in the Cabbala rites and he had money. Maria Tourdes' home had many guests from France including Emma Calve.

Saunière came to Girona often and after becoming part of the Cabbala group, he made a decision to build his own Tour Magdala at Rennes-le-Chateau. Why? It connected a ley line with portals and it was believed that it was possible to move into other dimensions. However, in order to do this there was a special preparation. Chaplin writes, "What is the Grail?" and she goes on to write, "It was present in many traditions since the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It contained white powder of high-spun gold and platinum metals. Its power was used in the worship of Isis, the goddess from antiquity."

The Cabbalists of Girona learned about the Grail properties and she goes to write, "…it 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 traveled beyond our sight and come back. He mentioned transmutation, teleportation. It is a gift from paradise, known since the beginning of time."

True Cabbalists must undergo certain rituals before this is accomplished and Saunière wanted to learn this. As to where he got his money, it could have been from Visigoths treasure, the Knights Templar or other sources such as the Hapsburgs.

In the midst of all of this, Chaplin writes that Mount Canigou meant something to Jose and his group. Mount Canigou is on the French side of the Pyrenees. I researched this and discovered this piece of information from the web site of Dan Winter.

"The concept of GRAIL is the plasma symmetry necessary to generate implosive acceleration from compression (fractal / phase conjugate) applying both to blood ignited with bliss, and landscape geomagnetic- like the pine cone shape of Canigou- at the phase conjugate point between the two Magdalene (twin) towers. The concept of PORTAL is the magnetic acceleration you can experience in your aura - for lucid dreaming / shamanic navigating and death projection of plasma- IF the ambient magnetics are fractal / phase conjugate. The Quaballah school is functionally about understanding the sequence of plasma residues / magnetic domains (alphabet letters) whose charge symmetry can produce that implosive 'flame' (in the 'mind')" The pine cone mentioned by Winter is a symbol for the pineal gland in the brain.

When Maria Tourdes died in Paris her Girona house was taken over by the Girona municipality and they tore her house down along with the Torre Magdala. Patrice Chaplin has old photos of this along with letters and documents regarding the association of Saunière and Tourdes with his participation in the Grail rites.

A few years ago I was contacted by the filmmakers, Rene Barnett and Bruce Burgess of the documentary "Bloodline." They had read my book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls and at the time, I was doing a Blog Talk Radio Show. I interviewed them and from this, Bruce Burgess and his associate Rene Barnett brought the film to Yelm, Washington in 2008 and where I watched the film.

Burgess had made a connection with Ben Hammott, an Englishman whose passion was to find the treasure of Rennes le Chateau. What he found was a hidden tomb with a body covered with a shroud that had the symbol of the Knights Templar on it. The treasure may be something different such as the tomb of a body covered with a white cloth with the emblem of the Templars on it. Hammott has a web page with recent updates. The French law for such finds could possibly give the rights to the government. A copy of the law is posted on his website. Will we ever learn who the body under the shroud is? Could it be Mary Magdalene?

I am digressing a bit from the City of Secrets, however I consider this pertinent as there is background for Languedoc and Rennes le Chateau. In 2001, I went to France and Spain. I traveled mostly in the Languedoc region and the area in the northeastern part of Spain. My companion and I rented a car and after visiting Rennes le Chateau, drove around the area. In almost all the churches there were Black Madonnas with the most beautiful one in the Chartres Cathedral. I also noted that many of the churches were dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Somewhere, Jesus was left out except to portray him on the cross.

When I researched information for my book on Mary Magdalene, I delved into the Black Madonnas. The Black Madonnas in all probability were created in honor of Isis who in Egyptian lore is the goddess of women and of magic. Mary Magdalene's history in the Bible is scant. In my research, I found it was possible that she was black, as were most of the people in Egypt and in Palestine. There is also the possibility that she and Jesus were students and graduates of the Schools of Mysteries that were dotted up and down the Nile River, perhaps as seven temples with each representing the seven seals or chakras in the human body.

It is written that Mary Magdalene came from Magdala in Palestine. There is no proof Mary Magdalene coming from Magdala in Palestine, however there is a village in Ethiopia that was known as Magdala. From Wikipedia:

"Amba Mariam is a village in central Ethiopia. It was known as Magdala or Meqdela (መቅደላ meḳdelā) during the reign of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region,"

One of the most surprising diagrams in this book is one of the Cabbala "Tree of Life." Chaplin found this in Jose's room with markings and writings. On the right side of the diagram was:
"S – Seth with a triad and the apex pointed down. There are two lines
that go through the base.
I - Isis and to the side a triad.
O – Osiris with a triad about one-third down from the apex.
N – Nephytys' with an upside down triad.
On the right side 2+3 = YHVH – ALHYM ~ OSIRIS (y) connects w/ A/A Metatron."
S I O N

Who or what is Metatron? In researching this, I found the following:
"Metatron is the highest of the Archangels and he has two very important functions. Megaton's first function is that he sits at the base of the Tree Of Life and Archangel Sandalphon sits at the top. His second function is that he is the voice of God or Source. He is responsible for how we interpret Sources Life Energy or Seed of God. I believe all Life flows from God or Source through Archangel Sandalphon down through the Tree Of Life through Archangel Metatron and then to us as New Life or Expansion. This Seed of expansion may very well be This God Particle that people are talking about."

Now we know the symbols of Sion – the Priory of Sion. This indicates the Priory of Sion has a deep connection to the Cabbala. Who rules the world? Who rules the banks? The mystery deepens and we still have not discovered the source of the great wealth of the French priest Sauniere. This is something like Ariadne's Web.

Truth or Fiction?

TRUTH OR FICTION

History is really a fluid movement in time and it can be either truth or fiction according to how the writer perceives it to be. In writing my book, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, I did extensive research and wrote the manuscript to the way I perceived that it could have been. There were times when I felt the book was writing itself.

I have been asked if these scrolls written by Mary Magdalene are true and will they be found. It is a possibility that I captured a period in time and that what I wrote is not only possible but perhaps a potential.

In my research, I found many diverse concepts regarding Mary Magdalene, Jesus and most of what is accepted is from Christian writers. Christianity did not come into being until the Emperor Constantine created a new religion when he called together a gathering of men at a series of meetings labeled the Council of Nicea in 323 A.D.
In addition, much of what is in the New Testament was written a hundred or more years after the event. It is unfortunate that people have been sold a bill of goods by the Church and no one really delves into the Egyptian side of events during this period of history.

Having been taught something about quantum physics, I also realize that the past, present and future are all happening simultaneously. How can that be? There are writers who have written fiction books and in their content, the characters move from the present to the past or perhaps to the future. This is usually labeled science fiction or something else.

The British BBC made a documentary on parallel universes with prestigious scientists. Segments of this documentary can be views on You Tube with the title being Parallel Universes.

Perhaps I tappedinto one. Are the scrolls real? It is a possibility. Will they ever be found? Again, it is a possibility. As a writer, I am also a messenger. If you have read Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, then you may want to re-read it with another point of view.

Praise For Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls

PRAISE FOR SECRETS OF THE MAGDALENE SCROLLS

Hi Bettye, I just finished Secrets.... and I absolutely LOVED IT. A friend loaned me hers but half way through it I knew I had to have my own, so I returned it to her and ordered my own :-).

I am 70 years old and have been on a Spiritual Quest since I was 16. I have facilitated The
Course In Miracles for 12 years and been a student of it for 26 years...still learning. I am also a Licensed Teacher from Unity and had my own church for many years.
I remember when I was 6 years old and a neighbor took me to a Baptist Church and someone said that I was born in sin...I thought, "No I was NOT". So I do believe I have been a student of Truth for many, many "where evers :-)". I am looking forward to reading Mary Magdalene and I will let you know what I think after that...I am sure we knew her, arEn't you??? - Patty Morales May 28, 2010

The Gordian Knot and Sacrifices

THE GORDIAN KNOT AND SACRIFICES



On the surface, it appears that most of the population will have to make a number of sacrifices. When one first looks at the word 'sacrifice,' alarm bells go off in the brain. When it does, fear is invited in. However, fear does not have to make its entrance. There are other sacrifices that one can make other than what most people will think are the obvious.

I surmise the majority will agree that they want health, wealth, happiness and security. Those are reasonable. In order to have these along with peace of mind, there are some sacrifices, which need to be made. It will make the year 2010 a greater year. By looking at my list, I will share some simple sacrifices. Not all sacrifices have to be horrendous.

Why not sacrifice watching television and read a good book – or better yet have an interesting conversation with one's spouse or someone else? Scientists have said that reading improves the brain as well as improving one's IQ. It boosts brainpower and this is particularly necessary in children. Studies of adverse effects of television are that it creates inactivity in both children and adults. There is a tendency to snack and it does not increase attention. There often is no interpersonal talk and children as well as adults are exposed to violence. This often creates insensitivity to violence and non-caring for the plight of others.
Another sacrifice one can make is to stop being a racist and a bigot if that is the source of your anger and victimization. It has been said that what we see in others is an aspect of us. Why not see another as a human being and begin practicing random acts of kindness. No one was made more special than another person. Ask yourself, "Am I only re-enacting the attitudes of my parents, my grandparents?" It is something to think about.

In the past few years there has been a number of 'road rage' incidents and why not sacrifice your anger by getting to the root cause? Perhaps the anger is a result of unresolved guilt. Guilt is a killer, so let's sacrifice guilt. Too many people take on a load of guilt. So, you made a mistake. Mistakes are only learning lessons and the key is to learn from it and then one does not have to repeat it. Another thing about guilt is that there are people and this includes family and friends who love to put a guilt trip on someone. I suggest you let it roll off of your mind just as water rolls off a duck. It really is their problem and not yours.

If your guilt is because you perhaps stole something, then rectify it if you can and also take a vow not to repeat it. Blame goes along with guilt. Why blame someone else for something that we should take responsibility for? When we want to blame others for our problems, we have just invited victim to join the crowd. Now we have a threesome. The key to doing away with the threesome is responsibility. However, few people want to take responsibility for their actions.

Since this is the third month of 2010, you can do what I did at the beginning of the year. I happen to have a wood stove and had a nice fire going. I made a list of what I wanted to give up for 2010 and then I fed each item into the fire and sacrificed it. Yes, I sacrificed unwanted and outdated attitudes and beliefs in order to make room for happiness, love, health and prosperity.

Love is a multi-faceted word with many interpretations. However, love is looking at another, seeing through their personality, and just loving them for all their shortcomings, their traits and attitudes. Love never has to be sacrificed. Instead of reacting, why not send them a shot of love such as a smile?

I received a poem that I will share with you now. It transcends all religions. The title of this is "The Gordian Knot." The title comes from when Alexander the Great came to a place he could not pass due to a Gordian Knot. He sliced it with his sword. This is only a fable that indicates that when we come to challenges, we slice it with our own invisible sword such as changing our attitudes.
THE GORDIAN KNOT
Dear Creator, (or God)
Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots, the can nots and the do nots that I have in my mind.
Erase the will nots, may nots, might nots that may find a home in my heart.
Release me from the could nots, would nots and should nots that obstruct my life.
And most of all, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart and my life
All of the 'am nots' that I have allowed to hold me back, especially the thought that
I am not good enough.
So be it. ~ Author Unknown

So what does one do during the period of cutting the 'nots'? Well, you are not bleeding and the first suggestion is to be aware when you use one of those 'nots.'
The healing balm is turning one's attention to what one truly wants. Make a list of what you want to come into your life and to experience. Read it, speak it often during the day, when you first wake up and the last thing before you retire at night. Imprint it in your brain. In addition to all the 'nots', cut the tie that
binds you to doubt and fear. It really is not positive thinking. This is what I call 'affirmative action.' Affirm over and over and over.

LEONARDO OR LEONARDA DA VINCI?


The latest news regarding the possibility of Leonardo da Vinci's remains are to be exhumed and the possibility of the famous painting Mona Lisa could be a self-portrait is not news to me. I find it most fascinating to read that some scholars are suggesting that da Vinci painted himself as a woman. They really have not quite verbalized that da Vinci could have been a woman. When I first published the first edition of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls in 2004, I wrote of this and give Schwartz and Dr. Quested as my authority as a footnote on page 176.

The morphing of Leonardo to Mona Lisa began in 1987 by a computer expert who at that time was a consultant for At&T's Bell Laboratories. Using a computer, Lillian Schwartz split the faces of the Mona Lisa and Leonardo's self-portrait down the middle. Schwartz adjusted the sizes and juxtaposed them so that one side of Mona Lisa's face matched Leonardo's. Schwartz has recorded the evolution of the split-face from a study in composition to a convincing argument that the Mona Lisa is Leonardo's self-portrait.

From the Hindu Newspaper, January 1, 2000, an article by Jayasree Sarnathan wrote: "computer imaging and x-ray analysis declare that Mona Lisa was not a woman at all! The American computer artist Lillian Schwartz and London Maudsley Hospital registrar, Dr. Digby Quested, believe that Mona Lisa was a mirror image of Leonardo da Vinci."
It is possible that Leonardo chose to live as a man because during those ages, she would have been put to death or not able to use her genius to create. There is also historical evidence that there was a female pope – Pope Joan.

Many will call Pope Joan a myth, however up until 1276 AD, she was acknowledged by the Catholic Church. She was born in 814 Ad in Ingelheim, Germany and supposedly travelled to Greece and wanted to be part of the Church hierarchy and disguised herself as a man. I have also described this in my book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. Pope Joan was researched by writer Donna Woolfolk Cross and a movie has been made in Germany and there is also an American musical title Pope Joan. Cross wrote her book as a novel, however much of what she included is based on actual records that are now disputed by the Church. I also wrote about Mary Magdalene as a work of fiction; however, I did extensive research also. There has been so much history kept from the public and now it is time for it to be revealed. Here's to Leonarda da Vinci and Pope Joan!

REVIEW FROM US REVIEW OF BOOKS

I am especially delighted with this review.
The US Review of Books
Reviewed by Sue Johnson (no relation)

"Praise be to the Creator of All.
Praise be unto this Life
For she is the one foretold
To be the Messenger of Hope.
She is the Anointed One
To bring the Message of Remembrance
Of who we are.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice!" (This quote from Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls)

Dan Brown opened the door to religious artifacts with his book The Da Vinci Code. Bettye Johnson blows that door off its hinges in Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. After visiting France, the author became fascinated with Black Madonnas, which forms the basis for her wonderful new novel centering around two women hiking the French Pyrenees Mountains and discovering ancient scrolls in a hidden cave. Bringing an American Businessman and a disillusioned priest into their secret, the women hear an interpretation of the scrolls. It appears to be the life self-scribed story of Mary Magdalene.

As the two women and their companions continue to interpret the scrolls, they become fearful that the scrolls will fall into the wrong hands. The ladies begin a cross-country trek to insure that the scrolls are placed with the proper authorities, so that they may be received and enjoyed by all. What follows is a story of passion, betrayal, and mystery told in a page-turning style.

Although this is a work of fiction, truth is found in the research on display here--truth and the seekers of truth. The novel is packed full of historical references, but the fictional elements ease the delivery of the overly intellectual passages. There is also a bit of the outspoken to please the curious mind. In the end, this is an adventurous and thought-provoking story.

www.theusreview.com/USRrecent.html.
The US Review of Books
PO Box 11, Titusville, NJ 08560
www.theUSreview.com

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.

NEW BOOK ~ AWAKENING THE GENIE WITHIN

What happens when a forty year old woman awakens to a genie lurking within her? Two time award-winning author Bettye Johnson answers this question in her soon-to-be released first work of non-fiction Awakening the Genie Within, A Journey of Discovery, a semi-memoir of Johnson's journey into a world of manifested words and thoughts. Johnson's book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls is an Independent Publishers Book Award Winner 2006 and its sequel Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy an Independent Publishers Book Award Winner 2008.

Suzanne Fairbrother, Ph.D., author of the best-selling book The Goddess Within, says "Awakening the Genie Within is a delightful presentation of the accumulated wisdom of a life well lived. Bettye Johnson's book shows us how to live our lives more powerfully." Johnson's book covers a span of her next 39 years of developing the genie within and shares her experiences, the tools she used and the wisdom gained during a fascinating journey of discovery.

Two Wins. How Sweet It Is!

Indeed! It is sweet to receive my second Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY Award) for Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy and especially since there were 3,175 entries from 49 U.S. States, 9 Canadian provinces, and 16 foreign countries.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards, also named the IPPY Awards were created in 1996 as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles produced each year, and reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. I am truly honored.

Since I published my first book in 2005, I have seen a change in the publishing industry and it has been beneficial to those of us who choose to self-publish. Internet and Amazon have been a boon to those of us who choose to self-publish. When I first made a decision to publish Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls,

I research my publishing options. What I learned was that one must find a literary agent and after some rejections, it seemed that to self-publish might be the way to go. I even attended some workshops and learned further that print-on-demand publishing that furnished the ISBN numbers was almost the kiss-of-death to self-publishing by bookstores and most wholesalers.

Fortunately, I had already purchased a block of 10 ISBNs, so that was no problem. I was gifted with some funds, and I had my book printed. I also learned some hard lessons such as the cost of freight and having a place to store the books. Whereas, print-on-demand allows the author to purchase as few or as many as one wants and that elminates the storage space. I also secured 3 wholesalers including Baker&Taylor. At that time, the biggie Ingram did not take self-publishers. It has been a grand journey of discovery. I am so delighted to be a two-time award winner and what is my next step? To promote, promote and also to get my next book, Awakening the Genie Within published. Yes, it will be self-published and is my first non-fiction book.

Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls Meets The Bloodline

Yes, the author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls did meet the producer, Rene Barnett and director Bruce Burgess of the newly released documentary Bloodline on Bettye's show Knowledge Is Power, www.blogtalkradio.com/bettye. Barnett and Burgess' film is as exciting as a thriller--only this one is true and you can view it instead of reading it.

Barnett and Burgess discuss the repercussions and the background of a major discovery of a hidden tomb found in the Languedoc region of southwest France. According to the Documentary Bloodline, this discovery may help substantiate the existence of a Mary Magdalene and Jesus bloodline. The Chamber contains a mummified corpse on a rose-colored plinth under a shroud bearing the distinctive red cross of the Knights Templar. This figure is surrounded by wooden chests revealing a cache of gold chalices and coins.

The discovery has been reported to the French Government agency, Direction Regionale des Affaires Culturells Languedoc-Roussillon, and plans are underway for a full scale survey. There are reportedly scrolls, documents and artifacts that will have a startling effect on current attitudes held by theologians and the Church.

According to Burgess, the subterranean chamber was discovered by an English advednturer, Ben Hammott and by using a hidden code in the decor of the church at Rennes-loe Chateau, left behind by the 19th century priest Berenger Sauniere. The film team was able to gain access into the tomb by using a remote camera inserted through a small air shaft at the top of the chamber.

The revelations of the tomb has the potential of changing the world view of Mary Magdalene, Jesus and the involvement of the Knights Templar. Their website is http://www.bloodlinethemovie.com/.

The archive of my talk with Burgess and Barnett is not as clear as it was broadcasted, but if one hangs in there, Burgess and Barnett come across loud and clear for the listener. Please go to
www.blogspotradio.com/bettye.

MARK VICTOR HANSEN ~ An Encounter

I first met Mark Victor Hansen in 1979 when he came to the Community Church by the Bay in Costa Mesa, CA. Dr. William R. "Cherry" Parker was the minister and everyone called him "Cherry"--a nickname given to him in his earlier years due to his red hair. During his tenure as a professor at the Redlands University in Redlands, CA and a practicing psychologist, he co-authored the best selling book Prayer Can Change Your Life. He later became an ordained minister in Divine Science.

Cherry had a large following in his church, which met in a theater on Sundays and usually packed to the overflowing. Cherry enjoyed giving many unknown people an opportunity to speak and Mark Victor Hansen was one of his speakers.

I remember Mark bounding on the stage filled with enthusiasm and energy. He told us his story. As I recall, he had been a self-made millionaire at age 25 in New York City from investments in the stock market. He said that he walked into his office one morning a millionaire and when he walked out, he was penniless. The market he invested in crashed. He was devastated at the time and made a pledge to himself that he would become a millionaire again.

I really don't remember too many details, but when he came to the Costa Mesa/Newport Beach area he was on his way to becoming a motivational speaker. He self-published his first books and sold them out of the trunk of his car.

One evening I was having dinner at Cherry's house in Costa Mesa and Mark was a guest. I remember him telling Cherry that he wanted to buy Cherry's house. Cherry liked his house and said it was not for sale. Mark focused on buying the house and a few months later Cherry sold it to him. Mark would not take no for an answer. He had developed a tremendous powerful ability to focus on what he wanted.

Mark joined the Huntington Beach Church of Religious Science and met his wife Patty and after a courtship, they married and have two girls—now young women. Perhaps it was four or five years after his first talk at Cherry's church that Mark gave back to Cherry. Dr.Parker was establishing the Parker Holistic Center and needed to raise money. I was the program director and I asked Mark if he would help out. Mark came and gave a presentation--for free. Mark was always a giver and he had a dream that has manifested today. He knew what he wanted and went after it. It has been a pleasure to keep up with Mark's career and to see it become what it is today.

Some will say he has done it with positive thinking. I would not call it positive thinking because for every positive there is a negative. I would say he has developed affirmative thinking to a fine art. I remember speaking recently with someone who has known Mark and she said something I thought most interesting. The gist of the remark was that Mark never actually wrote a book himself—instead he accumulated the stories of common people and turned them into the best-sellers Chicken Soup series.

It has been so long ago that I do not remember if the books Mark self-published and sold from the trunk of his car were not actually written by him. I think that he did write them in the very early days.

What would be the key to his success? Perhaps it would be that he had a dream and he had the power of focus. He never gave up. I also think he had a plan or he mapped out his intentions. Doubt and fear along with lethargy were foreign to him it would seem. Since Mark and I crossed paths twenty-eight years ago, I have developed my own dream.

I placed my dream of writing on hold for many years and there are no regrets because I have gained wisdom. I do understand the power of affirmative thinking and I understand the necessity of letting go of regrets, guilt, doubt and fears. It takes will to pursue one's dream.

I have my list of steps to take to bring to me what I want. I do not try to figure out how it will come to me. I also in my list write as if I already have it. As an example, I write, "I have always been an international acclaimed author." I am a self-published author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, an Independent Book Publisher Award Winner 2006. I entered the contest and then I forgot about it. When the notification came, I was ecstatic! One part of my dream had manifested.

With the second edition of my book released, the Macro Edizoni Publishers of Italy approached me and my book is translated into Italian. Next, a German publisher approached me and my book now translated into German and on sale in Europe.

This year I entered the Writers Digest 15th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards contest. No—I was not named a winner, however the Commentary Sheet I received from the Judge was greater than I could have expected. My book received a high five in all categories and the Judge's review of the book and the commentary on my writing ability is available to read on my blog, www.magdalenescrolls.blogspot.com.

I am experiencing great things because I have let go of doubt, fear and I have confidence in my abilities to write. Mark Victor Hansen has been an inspiration and I honor him for all that he gives to other people and organizations. He is on the world stage because he pursued his dream. I have learned that the more I give, the more I get back. What is my next step? The sequel, Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy release date is January 2008 and then onward into the future.

AUTHOR'S BLOOPERS AND BONUSES ~ Part 4

NO ROAD MAP – DESTINATION UNKNOWN

Have you ever completed a project and found that you were at ‘loose ends’ – or in other words, no road map and your destination unknown? It is a feeling of being freed up and not knowing what to do next. I have also realized that in my writing that I begin a story or a book with no road map and the destination is an unknown.

In writing classes, I was taught that one should have an outline before beginning a book. Really? I listened to my professors and at the time felt sure they knew what they were talking about. I soon realized that their advice was great if one is writing a book of non-fiction and especially a ‘how-to’ book. But fiction? All I can say is that it didn’t work out that way for me.

In 2004 I completed my first novel, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls and all I knew when I first sat down to write was that I wanted to write a book about Mary Magdalene. I researched Mary Magdalene for a number of years to learn about her. What I learned is that no one really knows who Mary Magdalene was or what she stood for. Too many writers have kept her in the tiny slot given in the New Testament where she was placed in a subservient role and kept there. In the Book of Matthew her name is mentioned three times; in Mark another three times; in Luke two times; and in John three times. I realized there was very little information to go on.

Myths carry within them seeds of truth and I found one that has been perpetuated by the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church. The storyline is that Emperor Tiberius Caesar gave a banquet and Mary Magdalene attended. Tiberius asked her about Jesus and as the story goes; her reply was Christ is risen. Tiberius handed her an egg from the banquet table and told her that if this was true, then she was to turn the egg red. Reportedly she did and thus began the tradition of a red egg at Easter time for the Eastern Orthodox Church. If she had the ability to turn an egg to the color of red, what else was she able to do?

My research has taken me on an odyssey of unraveling history and learning that history as we have been led to believe is indeed a tapestry of facts intermixed with misinformation, lies and deceit perpetuated upon the human mind. James Cameron, who wrote the Introduction to The Family Tomb of Jesus, stated that history is a consensus of hallucination. I agree with him.

The morning I sat at my computer to begin the novel, I asked myself: how to I begin? I realized I couldn’t write a non-fiction book based on my research, so the alternative was to create a book of fiction interwoven with facts. The white screen stared back at me blankly. With my fingers on the keyboard, I began with the first idea that came into my mind of secret scrolls found in an unknown cave in the French Pyrenees Mountains. From that seed an idea came of two American women while hiking stumbled into the cave. Thus, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls began to take form.

I had no road map of where the storyline would take me; nor did I really know the destination, or how the book would end. Each day as I wrote, I allowed the story to unfold with its many twists and turns. Sometimes I would startle myself as the characters took on their own personalities. There were also times when I would be surprised at a new twist or when a new character was introduced. The writing of the book became a wonderful adventure. There were also times when I would re-read what I had written and told myself, Damn! That’s good!

Even while writing, I continued to research and finally when the last sentence had been written, I knew the book was completed. In 2005 the 2nd Revised Edition came out followed by an Italian language edition and a German language edition. This was followed by winning the prestigious Independent Publishers Book Award in 2006. What does one do after that? Write a sequel.

I had a germ of an idea regarding Sarah and James, the two children of the Magdalene and Jesus. In the fall of 2006 I again sat down at my computer and asked myself how to begin. Again I had no road map but this time I felt I had a destination. At the end of May this year, I completed the manuscript of the sequel titled: Mary Magdalene: Her Legacy. My editors have told me that this one could be even more exciting than the first book. I would like to think so.

The book is now in the hands of my editor with the next stage creating the cover. Again, I have chosen to self-publish. Having researched the established publishing houses, I have noted a shift that is not favorable to authors or to literary agents. I also have decided that I don’t want my storyline changed and I want to retain control of my creation. When one signs a contract with a publishing house, the author has signed away her/his rights.

Will there be a third book? Perhaps. For the present moment, my focus is on promotion and marketing – an entire new adventure. I am open to any innovative ways to promote my books. If you have some valid suggestions, please share them with me.

WRITER'S DIGEST COMMENTARY

Who could ask for a better commentary for a book submitted to a writing competition?
The following is a replica of the Commentary Sheet from the Writer's Digest 15th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards.

Author: Bettye Johnson
Title: Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls
Category: Genre Fiction
Judge: 99
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning "poor" and 5 meaning "excellent," please evaluate the following:
Plot: 5
Grammar: 5
Character development: 5
Cover design: 5

Judge's commentary:
What did you like best about this book?

Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls is a tantalizing story depicting the discovery of ancient scrolls about Mary Magdalene and Jesus. Though it covers some of the same ground as the Da Vinci Code, the writing is infinitely better and far more believable. The heroines in the story are more realistic and the adventures described in a truer voice along with a possible time-line--something very much lacking in Dan Brown's tale. Whether the reader chooses to believe what is revealed in story form or not, the book is entertaining from beginning to end.

How can the author improve this book?

No suggestions--the author knows how to write and tell a compelling and convincing story. Hopefully the promotion for this book will be enough to make those who read the Da Vinci Code want to read the Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

I thank and bless the judge.
Bettye Johnson

Where Is Your Passion?

Here it is! January 2007. Where I live Nature is in her dreaming state. Some will call it dormancy - however that is only another name for the dream state. It is a time for us to follow Nature's example and dream of what we want to experience during this New Year. There is an old saying: to "ring out the old and ring in the new." This means we can do it at any time and at any moment. We are all different from Nature because we can change our minds at any moment. WHERE IS YOUR PASSION? Passion. What is your passion? I just completed reading a profound book titled Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. As a little girl Cox developed a passion for swimming. One of her dreams was to swim the English Channel. She accomplished this while in her teens and went on to break many swimming records and to do what no other woman had done before. Her passion drove her to swim the 2.7 miles between the U.S. Little Diomede Island and the Russian big Diomede Island and her intent was to perhaps bring the governments of Russia and the U.S. to friendlier terms. For over ten years she wrote, called and tried everything to get permission from Russia to swim to the Big Diomede. The U.S. was cool to the idea and the Russians had given her no response. She trained to swim in frigid water - 30 degrees temperature. She had a passion to do this and with the encouragement of family, friends and admirers set off to Nome, Alaska to do this even though she did not have permission from Russia. At the last minute Russia came through and she swam the 2.7 miles and received a tumultuous reception from the Russians. To learn how she accomplished this feat against all odds and a lack of funding to bring together a closer and friendlier relationship between two major governments in the world is truly a story to inspire anyone. She made a difference. She was instrumental in speeding up glasnost between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Passion does not have to be as all consuming as the passion of Lynne Cox, but I think there is a passion within each of us to accomplish something in this life. Mine came in the form of writing and it did not emerge until I was in my seventies. It is never too late! Perhaps there is a passion to help others - to be a light unto the world. Our abilities come in many disguises and it is up to the individual to discover what it is. There is always a way. If you are unsure of what your passion is, I suggest reading Janet Attwood's book "The Passion Text." It is a simple process of writing down 15 things you like to do. The next step is to list the top 5 interests and to then list them in the order of priority. It is a simple process of elimination. Many people think that by going to workshops and get-rich seminars that they will find their passion. For some this may be true. Usually it comes in those still quiet moments. I have been a student of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment for almost twenty years and what I have learned and experienced inspired me to recognize my passion for writing. Each of us is on a journey of discovery and no two people will experience the same journey. Do what you love to do- meaning find your passion and the money will follow. JZ Knight appeared on the Larry King Live Show last year and was asked what she thought of positive thinking. Her reply was that she did not subscribe to positive thinking because she uses affirmative thinking. We live on a plane of opposites and one of the ancient laws is called the Law of Attraction. If we think about thinking positive, then we also attract the opposite - negative thinking. There is also another subconscious aspect to positive thinking. For eons women have been considered to be negative energy and men the positive energy. What message does this send to women? Affirmative thinking is being the center of the magnet and it has no positive or negative. It just is. One of the greatest writers of Affirmative Thinking is contained in the book The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn. Shinn was born in 1871 and died in 1940. Her affirmations are each a jewel and one can purchase this collection of her four books from Amazon.com. Within her writings are clues as to where she received her wisdom and knowledge. She mentions The Kybalion by Three Initiates, which includes the Law of Attraction. In addition she mentions Hermes Trismegistis indicating she had studied ancient wisdom called the occult. For those who think they are burdened with debt, she has a wonderful affirmation, which is as valid today as it was during the first half of the last century. I deny debt. There is no debt in Divine Mind. I owe no person or corporation anything. All obligations are now wiped out under the grace of God in a miraculous way. I have learned over the past twenty years to re-wire my brain for affirmative thinking. I must give up the past of old unproductive thinking. Affirmations must be utilized and spoken out loud over and over until it becomes natural and productive. The killer of dreams and passion is fear, doubt or skepticism. Manifestations come to me in beautiful ways and below I share a few with you. The German language version of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls is doing well in Europe. It was released in December 2006. My publisher Helga Krachler tells me that my book is now in the archives of the Austrian National Libray and the German National Library. (It is also in the Australian library system.) Here is a note from my publisher of the German edition: I also would like to let you know that the people who have read the book and contacted me give a fabulous feedback. Beside that they like the story, have to force themselves to put the book down and thoroughly enjoy reading it, the questions most frequently asked are: Is this all true? Are the scrolls real? How does she know all this? Today a bookseller who had ordered about 25 books had called and said: "Magdalena seems to so real when she tells her story." By now you have readers of the German version in Germany, Austria and Switzerland who knows where else. I send you blessings for a fantastic year of 2007. May each of you find your passion and pursue it. Bettye Johnson

Life is like a tapestry. A chance meeting can lead to a beautiful new thread. We are weaving our individual tapestry with each choice we make. - Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls