This page intentionally left blank. ii Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess Second Edition John F. Nash Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021 iii Online book http://www.uriel.com/Mary/index.html Second edition May 31, 2021 Feast of the Visitation, September 8, 2021 Feast of the Nativity of Mary Copyright © 2021, John F. Nash. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use is strictly prohibited under United States and international copyright laws. Copies may be made for non-commercial purposes so long as the source is ac- knowledged. Cover picture Based on “Head of a Woman” (c.1507) by Leonardo da Vinci. iv Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021. About the Author orn in the United Kingdom, John F. Nash graduated from Queen Mary College, B University of London (now Queen Mary University). Subsequently he earned a post-graduate diploma from the Von Karman Institute, Belgium; a master’s degree from Georgia State University; and his PhD degree from the University of London. He has spent the greater part of his adult life in the United States. John had experience in government service and private industry, but the last thirty years of his professional life was in higher education. He held tenured academic positions at Georgia State University and East Tennessee State University, and upon retirement from the latter was awarded the honor of Emeritus Professor. John Nash developed an interest in esotericism in the early 1970s and studied for twenty years in an internationally recognized esoteric school. He has written exten- sively in the field, and a list of relevant publications can be found at http://www.uriel.com/articles_etc/index.html. John founded the online peer-reviewed journal, The Esoteric Quarterly (http://www.esotericquarterly.com/), and served as its first editor-in-chief. Now in its sixteenth year, the Quarterly is acclaimed as the premier journal in its field. John’s religious life took him from Roman Catholicism to atheism and, after decades of spiritual adventure, to the Episcopal Church, the U.S. national province of the Anglican Communion. Currently he is praacticing member of St John’s Episcopal Church, John- son City, Tennessee. In addition to the ceremonial ritual and sacred music, for which Anglicanism is renowned, his main focus is on adult education and contemplative prayer. In addition to a number of college textbooks, John Nash published Quest for the Soul (2004); The Soul and Its Destiny (2004); Christianity: the One, the Many, vols. I and II (2007); and The Sacramental Church (2011). Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess (first edition 2020, second edition 2021) is his first online book. John has also published more than 200 journal articles and papers in the professional literature of multiple fields. Further information can be found on the author’s website, http://www.uriel.com/. Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021 v By the Same Author Quest for the Soul (2004) The Soul and Its Destiny (2004) Christianity: the One, the Many, vols. I and II (2007) The Sacramental Church (2011) Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess (first edition, 2020) vi Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021. Contents Chapter Title Page Preface to the Second Edition vii Introduction 1 1 Mary in Scripture 9 2 Mary According to Anne Catherine Emmerich 31 3 Mary in Early Christian Writings 47 4 Marian Doctrine and Beyond 71 5 Marian Devotion and Intercession 97 6 Mary Reveals Herself to the World 125 7 Mary in Esoteric Teachings 151 8 Mary and the Feminine Face of God 175 9 Synthesis and Reflections: the Historical Mary 201 10 Synthesis and Reflections: the Celestial Mary 229 Epilogue 253 Glossary 255 Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021 vii My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from hence- forth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. (Luke 1:46-50) viii Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021. Preface to the Second Edition ublication of the first edition of Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess in March 2020 was a major P milestone. But Mary’s story was far from complete. Many issues remained to be addressed, new ideas and insights were still flooding in. A second edition was inevitable. Most second editions involve correcting a few errors, adding a few references, and perhaps bringing illus- trations up to date. Pagination may even remain the same. The second edition of Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess is a complete rewrite; it is a new book. A wealth of new material is incorporated and ex- isting material is moved around within and among chapters. A whole new chapter is devoted to Mary’s relationship to the Divine Feminine. The concluding chapter of the first edition is now divided into two chapters: one concerned with the his- torical Mary, and the other with the “celestial Mary”—the Mary of Christian doctrine and devotion and modern esoteric teachings. The need for two concluding chapters arose partly from the desire to include a greater volume of information. It also seemed appropriate because the historical Mary and the celestial Mary are quite distinct in their qualities and characteristics. Several difficult questions needed to be ad- dressed concerning the spiritual status of each “Mary” and the relationship between them. Another new feature is a glossary of terms, which should prove useful both for traditional Christians en- countering the terminology of esoteric teachings for the first time, and for esotericists who may not be fa- miliar with terms pertaining to Christian doctrine, practices, or institutional structures. When the second edition was first released on May 31, 2021 the intention was to make it an “organic edi- tion,” in which new insights could be incorporated for as long as the work continued. Many revisions were made during the following months. The decision has now been made to bring the second edition to a con- clusion. Aside from minor editorial changes and correction of typographical errors, no further revisions are contemplated. If new insights are gained, substantive revisions are called for, and opportunities remain, they will form the basis of a third edition. Meanwhile, the intention is to keep the first edition on the website; it may have in- trinsic value, or it may serve as a baseline to show how the story of Mary evolved from March 2020 on- ward. John F. Nash September 8, 2021 Feast of the Nativity of Mary . Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021 ix This page intentionally left blank. The Introduction to Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess, begins on the next page. x Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021. Introduction Introduction his book is about Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is Mary’s story, gleaned from scripture, early TChristian writings, mainstream Christian doctrine and devotional practices, modern esoteric teachings, and information from visions, apparitions, and other contacts. In a few cases we have Mary’s own words. Material from these diverse sources coalesces into a remarkably coherent ac- count of Mary’s life in Palestine, her role in the Redemption, her present position, and her ongo- ing ministry. The picture of Mary that emerges amply justifies the fourfold accolade: “Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess.” Madonna Enthroned (detail), by early Renaissance artist Carlo Crivelli (c.1435–c.1495). Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess is addressed to Christians of all traditions and to students of modern esotericism—not necessarily separate groups of people, but distinguished to a greater or lesser degree by the sources of truth on which they rely. For many years the author has tried to build bridges between Christianity and esotericism, and the story of Mary provides a rich oppor- tunity to pursue that mission. Writing the book has also been a great privilege and learning ex- perience. Background and Objectives Who was Mary? How have Christians and others related to her at different times? Has she com- municated with us—and, if so, in what ways? Can we communicate with her? Where is Mary now? Does she continue to play a role in the church, humanity, and the world? This book dis- cusses these and a myriad of other questions. Controversy and Resolution Mary was an historical figure, a Jewish woman who lived in her native Palestine at the dawn of the Common Era. She was the mother of Jesus. After her death Christianity created a new Mary, whom we call the “celestial Mary.” During its 2,000-year history, peasants, educated laypeople, theologians, and ecclesiastical authorities projected onto the celestial Mary the most cherished values of their time and culture, elevating her to near-divine heights. In some cultures she took the place of pre-Christian goddesses in the popular consciousness. Other people reacted to her, as far as scripture and tradition would allow, with indifference or even hostility. Copyright © John F. Nash, 2021. 1 Mary: Adept, Queen, Mother, Priestess Feminist theologians have been ambivalent about Mary. The quest for a goddess to satisfy the hunger left by centuries of religious patriarchy took them first to Sophia, revered in late-biblical Judaism, Gnosticism, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. By contrast, Mary was seen as the em- bodiment of passive submission, unworthy to inspire newly empowered women.1 We now know that the passive, submissive persona was a creation of the patriarchal church; the historical Mary was an assertive woman who played a prominent role in nascent Christianity. Finally a number of feminists are becoming her champions. Esotericists too have been ambivalent about Mary.