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St. Mary Magdalene: The Gnostic Tradition of the Holy Bride
In the Gospels of the Bible there are a few comments about Mary Magdalene here and there. But in the Gnostic scriptures that have been discovered, there are tantalizing hints that both her relationship to Jesus and her role among Jesus' disciples may have been profoundly important. Among several schools of Gnostic Christianity, Mary plays an essential role in the revelation of the gospel. Here, for the first time in print, is a Sophian Gospel of St. Mary Magdalene. No secret oral tradition as extensive as this has ever been recorded, and none has ever presented a Gnostic view of Mary Magdalene as she is portrayed in this groundbreaking work―as a powerful holy woman, the innermost disciple and beloved wife of Jesus, and a Christed woman who is coequal with Jesus in the Christ revelation.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 18, 2013
An absolute MUST for all those of the Mystical Path of self-discovery into who, what and where is the true essence of Mary Magdalene, and the Lineage that she was part of.
May 31, 2017
It should be sub-titled The Sophia Gospel. This is an interesting book but, to me, there's a major problem right off. It's almost impossible to tell where the information came from. Although there's a short list of other books this particular one lacks any footnotes and any reference to what parts, if any, came from other works. The book says it's based on oral tradition but again fails to say what oral traditions it is based on or where those oral traditions come from. This, to me, severely damages the quality of the book since, without the above, it could just be something someone made up or even worse something someone channeled.
I tend to research various topics and I like to know where the information I read comes from. I will rate this book only as 2 stars. Otherwise I would have probably rated in at least a 3 if not a 4.
As to the contents of the book:
Jesus was born human and became 'an enlightened individual.' The book says he became Christed as did Mary Magdalene.
There are 7 heavens. (?)
The book refers to demiurges and archons. Fortunately the book has its own glossary.
Mary was promised in marriage to someone in Babylon. On the way there the caravan she was in was attacked by bandits. She was captured and sold into sexual slavery. She was initially raped. Lilith joined herself with Mary. They became the Bright and Dark Sophia.
She was finally able to get out of being a whore and ended up quite wealthy, helping the poor in Babylon.
The book says the serpent (in Adam and Eve) was not an evil being.
It talks about Eve and Lilith.
Jesus and Mary got married. The book goes into detail about her staying with him and his journeys.
St. Peter rejected the marriage and became an enemy to Mary Magdalene.
They had a son who became St. Michael.
The book talks about the Holy Grail.
After Jesus' departure Mary might have gone to Britain for a short while. She also is said to have gone to Southern France where she lived for the rest of her life. She did do preaching but ended up living in a cave for over thirty years in prayer and meditation.
There are 250 sayings in The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene. (This is not the same as the Gospel of Mary.)
There's also a whole lot of other material in the book. The part about going to England and the part about living in Southern France I have read elsewhere. Other books discuss how she stayed with Jesus on his journey preaching and healing.
I tend to research various topics and I like to know where the information I read comes from. I will rate this book only as 2 stars. Otherwise I would have probably rated in at least a 3 if not a 4.
As to the contents of the book:
Jesus was born human and became 'an enlightened individual.' The book says he became Christed as did Mary Magdalene.
There are 7 heavens. (?)
The book refers to demiurges and archons. Fortunately the book has its own glossary.
Mary was promised in marriage to someone in Babylon. On the way there the caravan she was in was attacked by bandits. She was captured and sold into sexual slavery. She was initially raped. Lilith joined herself with Mary. They became the Bright and Dark Sophia.
She was finally able to get out of being a whore and ended up quite wealthy, helping the poor in Babylon.
The book says the serpent (in Adam and Eve) was not an evil being.
It talks about Eve and Lilith.
Jesus and Mary got married. The book goes into detail about her staying with him and his journeys.
St. Peter rejected the marriage and became an enemy to Mary Magdalene.
They had a son who became St. Michael.
The book talks about the Holy Grail.
After Jesus' departure Mary might have gone to Britain for a short while. She also is said to have gone to Southern France where she lived for the rest of her life. She did do preaching but ended up living in a cave for over thirty years in prayer and meditation.
There are 250 sayings in The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene. (This is not the same as the Gospel of Mary.)
There's also a whole lot of other material in the book. The part about going to England and the part about living in Southern France I have read elsewhere. Other books discuss how she stayed with Jesus on his journey preaching and healing.
February 17, 2020
My actual rating is 3.5. I found this book intriguing and inspirational, but it was definitely an "outer court" book: referring to secret teachings and spiritual practices which are never described. I'm not sure if Tau Malachi covers them in some of his other books, or if you have to join his organization to receive them directly. I'm not sure if his material here is all that different than what one could find in many of the original gnostic texts, but the packaging and framing is very appealing.
One of the things I like most is that Tau Malachi doesn't claim to be presenting an unbroken, unchanged tradition. He acknowledges the fluid nature of oral tradition and personal revelation. There's an honesty and humility to that which is often lacking in books like this one.
I'm intrigued enough to want to read some of the author's other books.
One of the things I like most is that Tau Malachi doesn't claim to be presenting an unbroken, unchanged tradition. He acknowledges the fluid nature of oral tradition and personal revelation. There's an honesty and humility to that which is often lacking in books like this one.
I'm intrigued enough to want to read some of the author's other books.
May 18, 2025
What if this is really an oral tradition from the historical figure of St. Mary Magdalene? It would be pretty crazy to see it finally published after 2,000 years. How could anyone verify that it's true though? Regardless, very deep stories about human beings and mystical phenomena.
Do not read this if you're a sincere Christian. This book is blasphemy, in that case.
Do not read this if you're a sincere Christian. This book is blasphemy, in that case.
January 10, 2021
This is not the actual text of the Gospel of Mary found in the dead sea scrolls. The author is passing personal beliefs and traditions off as those of Mary Magdalene (with no sources).
August 7, 2024
This book claims to be based on an oral legend going back to Mary Magdalene herself but with nothing to back it up other than the word of the author himself. It also claims to be a feminist or at least egalitarian gospel that shows how Mary Magdalene was equal to Jesus. But the book feels very much like a shippy fanfic, tailored more towards the male gaze. For example this passage on the supposed Great Beauty of Magdalene vs how simple Jesus appeared:
"It was quite something that Lady Mary loved the Lord so deeply. She was the most beautiful of women and younger than him, but he was rather plain and almost homely, being weathered by exposure to the elements. No doubt she loved his charm and charisma and could see the great beauty that was in him, of which her own beauty was an outward reflection. She knew he was her one and only love—a True Beloved."
Also despite the Magdalene supposedly being Jesus' equal, he is her teacher - not even going into the problematic elements of their romantic union coming from a student/teacher relationship - she still submits to him:
"Although, indeed, Mary was the wife and consort of the Anointed, coequal and co-preacher with him, and embodied Christ the Sophia, nevertheless, Mary was the perfect disciple of the Lord and was humble before the presence of the Lord. Even when the Lord died and was raised up and ascended and she became the true master of the assembly, she spoke of him as her Lord and Master and Savior and did not put herself before him. She exalted Lord Yeshua and humbled herself."
There are so many more fascinating theories and legends of the Magdalene where she is a teacher and priestess in her own right, where she had her own spiritual experiences and followed and respected Jesus - but wasn't beneath him in any way or reliant on him for her connection to God. I wouldn't criticise this so much if the book wasn't trying to have it both ways by saying she is his equal and then saying the opposite.
This legend also says the two had a son as opposed to other legends which say their daughter was St. Sarah. Personally I'm not that invested in whether or not Jesus and Magdalene were romantically intimate or had children but something about the erasure of a daughter as the continuation of their legacy for a son rubs me the wrong way. Especially given that Jesus is given the title Son of God, while Mary is the Holy Bride (as opposed to Holy Daughter, ie her connection is made through marriage to him as opposed to a birthright).
Given this is a supposed oral legend, I can't fault the author if he is genuinely coming from writing down what was told to him but this just reads very much written as a faux feminist story by a man. It also is very heternormative, a lot of talk on discussions of twin flames and soul mates being "male" and "female", which of course are handwaved as being metaphorical but feels unnecessary in this day and age and many Queer readers like myself find uncomfortable.
The two stars I'm affording it are given more to the supposed Sayings of Mary Magdalene, while many of these might be things you can find in other New Age or mystical Christian books, I do feel they have good intention and lessons for people wanting to connect with the Magdalene and visualise this as a message from her, regardless of the questionable source.
"It was quite something that Lady Mary loved the Lord so deeply. She was the most beautiful of women and younger than him, but he was rather plain and almost homely, being weathered by exposure to the elements. No doubt she loved his charm and charisma and could see the great beauty that was in him, of which her own beauty was an outward reflection. She knew he was her one and only love—a True Beloved."
Also despite the Magdalene supposedly being Jesus' equal, he is her teacher - not even going into the problematic elements of their romantic union coming from a student/teacher relationship - she still submits to him:
"Although, indeed, Mary was the wife and consort of the Anointed, coequal and co-preacher with him, and embodied Christ the Sophia, nevertheless, Mary was the perfect disciple of the Lord and was humble before the presence of the Lord. Even when the Lord died and was raised up and ascended and she became the true master of the assembly, she spoke of him as her Lord and Master and Savior and did not put herself before him. She exalted Lord Yeshua and humbled herself."
There are so many more fascinating theories and legends of the Magdalene where she is a teacher and priestess in her own right, where she had her own spiritual experiences and followed and respected Jesus - but wasn't beneath him in any way or reliant on him for her connection to God. I wouldn't criticise this so much if the book wasn't trying to have it both ways by saying she is his equal and then saying the opposite.
This legend also says the two had a son as opposed to other legends which say their daughter was St. Sarah. Personally I'm not that invested in whether or not Jesus and Magdalene were romantically intimate or had children but something about the erasure of a daughter as the continuation of their legacy for a son rubs me the wrong way. Especially given that Jesus is given the title Son of God, while Mary is the Holy Bride (as opposed to Holy Daughter, ie her connection is made through marriage to him as opposed to a birthright).
Given this is a supposed oral legend, I can't fault the author if he is genuinely coming from writing down what was told to him but this just reads very much written as a faux feminist story by a man. It also is very heternormative, a lot of talk on discussions of twin flames and soul mates being "male" and "female", which of course are handwaved as being metaphorical but feels unnecessary in this day and age and many Queer readers like myself find uncomfortable.
The two stars I'm affording it are given more to the supposed Sayings of Mary Magdalene, while many of these might be things you can find in other New Age or mystical Christian books, I do feel they have good intention and lessons for people wanting to connect with the Magdalene and visualise this as a message from her, regardless of the questionable source.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2025
This book is broken up as such: Intro, Prophetic revelations of the bride's birth, Birth, youth & early life of the bride, Union of the bride & Yeshua, Holy bride & the mysteries, Sacred circle of the bride, Secret Gospel of St Mary Magdalene.
I read this as a Christian, and I see the issues. That Jesus isn't the only Christ, but that Mary was too, and we all can be, etc. That there was division among the disciples on account of Mary is against Jesus' own teaching of not letting anger with each other endure beyond the setting of the sun. That The Bride is a person, is Mary, and has seven faces sounds a bit like it's from Revelation. So, from the "oh look at the blasphemy!" perspective, maybe give most of this book a skip.
That said, I did find a bit of wisdom in it, in the Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene part. It's been set out like the bible structure, and that's how I'll refer to it.
Page 130 - 9: Mary once said: do not concern yourself with the darkness in the world, but banish the darkness that is in you. Because it will bind you and destroy you if you do not cast it out of you.
Page 135 - 46: Mary said, " The Lord said do not make a home for yourselves in the world, but be at home in the Spirit.
Page 152 - 156: Mary said, when new life comes to you, do not cling to the old.
And there were quite a few others. So I hope my review helps someone. I found this book useful, in terms of new interpretations of the gospel in the bible, but also, discernment is required.
I read this as a Christian, and I see the issues. That Jesus isn't the only Christ, but that Mary was too, and we all can be, etc. That there was division among the disciples on account of Mary is against Jesus' own teaching of not letting anger with each other endure beyond the setting of the sun. That The Bride is a person, is Mary, and has seven faces sounds a bit like it's from Revelation. So, from the "oh look at the blasphemy!" perspective, maybe give most of this book a skip.
That said, I did find a bit of wisdom in it, in the Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene part. It's been set out like the bible structure, and that's how I'll refer to it.
Page 130 - 9: Mary once said: do not concern yourself with the darkness in the world, but banish the darkness that is in you. Because it will bind you and destroy you if you do not cast it out of you.
Page 135 - 46: Mary said, " The Lord said do not make a home for yourselves in the world, but be at home in the Spirit.
Page 152 - 156: Mary said, when new life comes to you, do not cling to the old.
And there were quite a few others. So I hope my review helps someone. I found this book useful, in terms of new interpretations of the gospel in the bible, but also, discernment is required.
September 21, 2019
A great introduction to Mary Magdalene as taught in the Sophian gnostic tradition
November 30, 2022
This book did not claim to be what it isn't but instead stayed true to the experience of the teachings and experiences of the gnostic tradition.
July 24, 2012
Read in honor of Mary Magdalene's feast day, 22 July 2012.
Do not read this book looking for literal facts about Mary Magdalene. It's not even quite as coherent as the orthodox scriptures, which at least give the impression of a linear story. These are transcriptions of an oral tradition. Take each one for what it is; I was able to do that this time, in a contemplative state of mind, and found I could be much more receptive to its Wisdom that way.
Do not read this book looking for literal facts about Mary Magdalene. It's not even quite as coherent as the orthodox scriptures, which at least give the impression of a linear story. These are transcriptions of an oral tradition. Take each one for what it is; I was able to do that this time, in a contemplative state of mind, and found I could be much more receptive to its Wisdom that way.
May 1, 2010
Great information but a bit fragmented in writing style, which makes it bounch back and forth a little.
March 2, 2013
Whether fact, legend or myth here is an excellent presentation of an alternative understanding and completion of the "Gospel". Also include "The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene"
April 25, 2013
Did you ever feel like something was missing when you read the bible? This book reawakens the divine feminine within. Balance.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews