The Cave, The Vision, and Mary Magdalene

Have you ever had a vivid image or thought come to mind that felt important, even if you didn’t know why?

Over the years, I’ve learned that when something comes to you — an image, a thought, an idea — it’s worth paying attention, especially when it carries a strong resonance in your body. And by paying attention, I simply mean: get curious. Don’t dismiss what arises as fanciful imagination. Ask yourself, What is the meaning of this? What’s important about that image, that thought, that feeling? You might be surprised by what you uncover — just as I was when Mary Magdalene appeared to me during a group meditation.

It was a few weeks before I was set to lead my first guided Camino Walk in France. In the final moments of the meditation, I saw, in my mind’s eye, an image of myself sitting in a cave. At the entrance stood Mary Magdalene, quietly watching me. No words were spoken, but the feeling that came through was one of deep acknowledgment. As I reflect on it now, I imagine her saying, “I see you.”

The chimes signalling the end of the meditation rang, pulling me back from the cave into my little room. On the screen before me were the faces of the others in this online meditation group.

As usual, the facilitator invited anyone who wished to share their experience. I was eager to speak.

“Mary Magdalene came to me,” I said, almost in disbelief. “I don’t know how I knew it was her — I know so little about her beyond the biblical story that labels her a prostitute. She’s never been part of my consciousness before. But I know, beyond a doubt, that it was her.”

As it turns out, our facilitator was something of an expert on Mary Magdalene. She didn’t believe it was mere coincidence that this vision appeared to me just days before my journey to Southern France — the very place where Mary is said to have lived after the crucifixion of Jesus.

And the fact that she appeared to me in a cave? That, too, was no small detail. My curiosity was ignited. I needed to learn more about this woman, her story, and why she would come to me in that moment.

That curiosity has led me down a beautiful path — and today’s episode is about what I’ve learned so far, and what that vision has come to mean to me… and perhaps, to you, as a fellow traveler on this joyful journey.

Here’s the first thing I learned about Mary Magdalene:
She was not a prostitute. In fact, she was one of Jesus’ closest disciples — often described as the apostle to the apostles. After the crucifixion, she became a teacher of what she called The Way — a path of inner awakening and direct communion with the Divine.

That later story of her being a prostitute was a fabrication of the institutional Church, which sought to control the narrative of early Christianity and diminish Mary’s influence.

In the early centuries after Jesus’ life, there were many gospels written — numerous accounts and teachings about Christ and the resurrection. These texts offered diverse and sometimes contradictory interpretations of his message.

By the early 4th century, the Church sought to establish a single, unified doctrine and to suppress anything that didn’t align with emerging orthodoxy. Mary’s teachings, with their emphasis on inner divinity and spiritual equality, were considered heretical — a threat not only to the church’s authority but also to male dominance.

In the earliest phases of Christianity, during the 1st and 2nd centuries, women held significant roles in spiritual leadership. They served as apostles, deacons, teachers, prophets, and leaders of early house churches — gatherings that often met in private homes, many of which were hosted and led by women.

But by the 3rd century, that began to change. As Christianity became more institutionalized and aligned with the hierarchical structures of the Roman Empire, patriarchal norms took hold. Church Fathers increasingly emphasized female subordination, drawing on interpretations of Eve’s role in the Fall. Some even described women as the “gateway of the devil,” and theological writings began to portray women as naturally inferior to men.

The institutional Church gradually restricted spiritual leadership to men, prioritizing a male priesthood and pushing women into subordinate roles.

Mary’s teachings, which had gained popularity, were therefore seen as dangerous. Her image was recast into that of a repentant sinner — despite there being no biblical basis for this association. This shift effectively diminished her standing as a respected spiritual teacher and aligned neatly with the Church’s agenda to consolidate male authority.

However, it wasn’t only because Mary was a woman that her status was reduced. It was also because her teachings posed a direct challenge to the Church’s growing institutional power.

Mary taught that the path to God is found by turning inward — by connecting with the soul. She believed, as do I, that the Divine resides within each and every one of us. Her message was simple yet profound: our soul is pure love, and by opening ourselves to that love, we awaken to the Divine presence within.

I want to repeat that: Her message was simple: our soul is pure love, and by opening ourselves to that love, we awaken to the Divine presence within.

The Gospel of Mary reveals that a direct relationship with God does not require an intermediary. You don’t need a Church or external authority to experience the Divine — you simply need to quiet the ego, turn inward, and listen to the voice of your soul.

As you can imagine, teachings like these posed a serious threat to the institutional Church. By the early 4th century, as the Church consolidated its authority, many texts emphasizing direct personal connection with the Divine — including the Gospel of Mary — were deemed heretical. Over the centuries, such works were suppressed, forgotten, or destroyed.

Fortunately, not all copies were lost. Some courageous monks and spiritual communities hid these sacred writings for safekeeping. In time, fragments of the Gospel of Mary resurfaced — three in total.

The most complete version, a 5th-century Coptic text, was discovered in Egypt and later acquired by a German collector in Cairo in 1896. It’s known as the Berlin Codex. Two earlier Greek fragments, dating to the 3rd century, were also found in Egypt in the early 1900s.

Though incomplete, these surviving fragments offer a remarkable window into Mary Magdalene’s teachings — revealing a vision of the soul’s journey and the intimate, direct relationship each of us can have with the Divine.

It wasn’t until 1969 that the Catholic Church officially removed the label of “prostitute” from Mary Magdalene’s liturgical title. And in 2016, Pope Francis elevated her feast day to the rank of Apostle of the Apostles — a symbolic restoration of her rightful place as a foundational figure in Christian tradition.

What intrigues me most about this story is how deeply Mary Magdalene’s teachings align with my own belief that the Divine resides within each of us. She taught that the way to God is by going inward — by trusting the wisdom that lives within the soul. Her path was known as The Way. The practice I teach is called The Wisdom Way.

Has Mary Magdalene been working through me? I don’t know. But I love that possibility.

That she would come to me during a meditation — and that the vision would unfold in a cave — feels profoundly meaningful. When I explored the symbolism of caves, I learned they’re often seen as the womb of the Earth: a place of retreat, transformation, and rebirth. Being inside the cave suggests a time of deep inner work and reflection.

Caves are also traditionally places of revelation — where one receives wisdom through stillness and solitude. That symbolism mirrors Mary’s own teachings about turning inward to access deeper truth.

Her standing at the entrance of the cave feels symbolic too. One interpretation is that she was serving as a guardian of the threshold — holding space as I prepared to step into a new chapter or a deeper way of seeing. She didn’t need to say anything. Her presence alone carried the message: “I see you.”

The timing of this visitation — just weeks before I was to lead a pilgrimage in France — didn’t feel like coincidence either. Southern France is steeped in Mary Magdalene’s energy, with legends of her retreating to the caves of Sainte-Baume. This felt like a moment of soul recognition — a quiet affirmation of the path I’ve been walking as a guide and student of inner wisdom.

Stepping into this work — helping others connect with the wisdom within — has been a journey of continual learning for me. This visitation from Mary Magdalene may have been a gentle reminder rather than a declaration — an invitation to trust more deeply, to keep listening, and to continue sharing what I learn along the way.

There’s one more aspect of this story that fascinates me. Mary Magdalene’s gospel was hidden for nearly two thousand years. And yet, within the last two centuries, three fragments of her teachings have resurfaced. That timing feels significant.

Why now?

Perhaps it’s because more of us are ready — ready to receive her message, to understand it, and to live it. Perhaps this moment in our collective evolution is finally ripe for remembering a truth that was once considered too radical: that God is not “out there” somewhere, but within each of us — accessible to all.

Her teachings call us to return to love.
Love of self.
Love of others.
Love of all that is.

My journey toward understanding Mary Magdalene’s teachings has only just begun. I don’t claim to be an expert — what I share with you is simply what I’m learning, sensing, and exploring within my own heart.

This is a journey of remembering — a journey inward — and I believe it’s one we’re meant to walk together.

So, I invite you to join me. Let’s continue to explore, to listen deeply, and to rediscover the wisdom that lives within us all.

Because perhaps now is the time — the time to awaken to the truth that the Divine has always been within.

When something speaks to you — whether in meditation, through a dream, or in the quiet stillness between moments — let curiosity guide you. That’s often how the Divine gets our attention.

And if you’d like to explore these teachings more deeply, I invite you to pick up a copy of Whispers of the Soul. My hope is that, like Mary Magdalene’s message, it helps you remember the wisdom that has always been within you.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Keep listening to the whispers of your soul, and may you walk each step with curiosity, courage, and love.