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 The novel is packed full of historical references, but the fictional elements ease the delivery of the overly intellectual passages.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.

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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.

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