This time of year always invites reflection.
With the birth of Jesus so central to the Christian story, our attention naturally turns to him — the man, the saviour, the one who showed the way. And while I hold deep reverence for his teachings, his courage, and his dedication to the truth of his heart, I can’t help but feel that the stories of the women around him — the Marys — are equally, if not more, poignant.
They were not sidelines to the Jesus story
They were integral.
The flame did not ignite in isolation — it was carried, tended, and embodied.
Beyond Religion, Toward the Sacred
My journey with religion is a story for another time, but in essence, I am not religious.
I love the story of Jesus, and there is deep richness in his teachings — especially in the way they are woven through story — but I do not identify with a religion.
What I am devoted to, however, is a deep knowing that we are guided, held, and carried through life by a loving, intelligent field far greater than ourselves. I have called on it in my darkest moments and it never fails to light the way forward.
It has at times only been a tiny flicker of hope— but it has always carried me through.
An Encounter With the Divine Feminine
This year, I was gifted one of the most profound experiences of my life: a conscious encounter with the divine feminine.
She arrived during a dark moment — something I’ve written about elsewhere — and she became medicine for my soul. Since then, I have been in a devoted dance with her.
From this dance emerged a deep curiosity about the stories of women across time — archetypes, goddesses, myths, and sacred tales — many of which have been lost, buried, or deliberately hidden from our - particularly western - cultural narrative.
And I have realised, that what has been hidden is not gone. It is waiting for the right time, when people are ready to hear the story.
Mary Magdalene: More Than the Story We Were Told
The story that has gripped me most deeply is that of Mary Magdalene.
I have always sensed there was more to her than the version offered by the Catholic tradition — the story of her as a prostitute. In my mind as a young girl in a Catholic school, I secretly carried an image of her as powerful, radiant, rich of heart, and sensed there was far more to her story with Jesus than we were told.
Through many pathways — but especially through the work of Meggan Watterson — I have uncovered so much about her story, and I now know that Mary Magdalene was a woman deeply loved by Jesus, one who embodied his teachings and possibly even ignited them through their relationship.
There is strong suggestion that their connection was intimate — perhaps they were even married and had a child— and he shared teachings wiith her that he did not share with others.
BUT, this part of the story was deliberately buried by a patriarchal church that insisted the story of man remain the hero.
I am less interested in what happened - there is enough talk about the dire actions of the Patriachy. I am far more interested at this point in my life, Iin what Mary Magdalene represents.
Devotion as Wholeness
Mary Magdalene devoted herself fully to the teachings of love. She was a priestess of her time, holding space for those teachings to be lived and embodied. She carried this devotion courageously after the crucifixion — perhaps even more potently when she journeyed to France.
She was the priestess of priestesses.
The apostle to the apostles.
She lived and embodied love fully. She was divine and human at the same time.
She ignited this in all of her encounters - in the people she met and the lives she touched.
This devotion to love, this wholeness has softened and settled something in me.
I have understood for the first time what the practice of devotion really is - it is not about giving yourself away — it is about standing fully inside love.
A Balm for Tired Hearts
have worked hard over the years — with moments of success and many failures — to create a rich and authentic life for myself and my family.
This year, I felt so tired. And overwhelmed by the demands of life, and the insanity of the world around me.
Mary Magdalene arrived as a soothing balm. She reminded me that the resources I need will arrive when they are meant to, and that loving what is — exactly as it is — is enough. I can let go of pushing and struggling to make things work, and allow life to show me, guide me and move me forward.
It really has worked. I still get caught up in the whirlwind of my mind. But with one simple choice - to remember her and to choose devotion - my nervous system calms down, and I begin to soften and breathe and let go. Then clarity comes on what to do next, or I simply just feel peaceful, and I can just stop and be.
I feel like I have a bandwidth of tolerance I didn't have before, an acceptance and expanded field of love I can access. It has enriched all of my relationships and particularly my connection to myself.
Why Her Story Is Rising Now
It feels perfectly timed that Mary Magdalene’s story is resurfacing now.
For nearly two thousand years, her story — and others like it — was buried. Not because it lacked truth, but because it held too much power. The power of a woman’s love. The power of devotion to the wisdom of the heart.
Patriarchal systems have endured for generations, but in the vast truth of time, their power is fragile. The cracks are widening now. Life is moving through them. And I can't help but feel that they are about to collapse.
And with the love and support of the divine feminine, and the stories carried forward of the brave, loving and powerful women that have come before us, we, as women will be ready to rise.
Standing at the Threshold
I sense that women are ripening.
Preparing.
Gathering.
Remembering.
We are dismantling old stories that have hypnotised us for centuries and in the process we are reclaiming our hearts, our wisdom, our power.
I am not afraid anymore of what is unfolding in the world. I welcome the breakdown with open arms, because I fully believe in the power of the human heart, and I know women can lead the world back to love, as we are strengethed and held by the spirit of women like Mary Magdalene.
For a long time I was afraid I wouldn’t be ready — that I hadn’t done enough, or that I would miss the moment. Now I see that all I am asked to do is remain present, open, and devoted to what is.
I trust — fully — that all is unfolding exactly as it should.
And in the spirit of this, I am meeting 2026 with full devotion, moving forward with eyes wide open and love in my heart.