When I was 17, perhaps partly because I was a loner and asthmatic, I was forced to rely on my own resources and, taking literally some of Christ's teaching, I got to know the divine being that dwelt as my Lover within me. I also found the Christian mystics, in particular from John of the Cross who wrote love poetry that described the soul as the bride of Christ joined in a delightful mystic marriage. John lived in Spain in the Middle Ages, was imprisoned by the Church's Inquistion and, when he was safely dead, was recognised as a Saint by the Catholic Church. One of his poems was known as

Spiritual Canticle of the Soul

 

Then I joined a Catholic religious order where I learnt of more mystics while studying as a Novice in a large house on top of the Mendip hills in Somerset, surrounded by ancient woodlands peopled by great yew trees. I went from here to study philosophy and theology for a further 7 years, mostly living in a castle on the borders of the New Forest.

 

But eventually I fell into disagreement with the Catholic Church over first the Vietnam war, then over its teachings on human sexuality - and I decided my path was taking me to other places where I had much to learn. I discovered the wisdom of Kahil Gibran - a mystic poet from the Middle East. And I spent much of the next 20 years working for and sometimes travelling and living with.Aboriginal elderss and spokespeople in Australia. From them I learnt more about the sacredness of the earth, of sacred places and one's inner Dreaming.

 

I then returned to my own land, to the isles of Britain and Ireland, to learn more of my own people's ancient spirituality - and found to my surprise others like me who were in covens and practiced a nature religion called the Craft of the Wise or Witchcraft. I was even more surprised to find out that at its heart was the teaching of the Mystic Marriage. I had gone a full circle, and found within my ancestral inheritance an ancient path that was demonized by the church, that had the same mystical teachings that I had encountered in other mystical traditions and the same sense of the sacredness of nature that I had found among the Aborigines.

 

Then, as the twentith century drew towards its end, while working as a priestess of the Craft, I encountered and worked with christian mystics of today, wonderful people who also honoured the wisdom of the non-Christian pagan shamens and spiritual teachers of the American Indians and the Aborigines. One of the Mystics they introduced me to was

 

Hadewijch

 

Today I work as a priestess with all who are open, who believe in the sacredness of nature, who see the rocks and plants as their relatives, no matter what religious label they wear. For if they take us to union with the Goddess and God, all paths are equally to be honoured and ultimately are one.

 

So, here, on this page, are references to a wealth of wonderful material on Western mystical traditons - much of these resources were assembled and some translated by Julia and other mystics that are my friends. These resources also reveal something of the spiritual strength of women who were barred from the priesthood and most official offices by a patriarchical Catholic Church.

 

The Mystics' Internet

 

The above is an enormous site, mostly centred around studies of Julian of Norwich but ever going outwards.

 

Dialogue of Catherine of Siena

 

Medieval Women

 

Medieval Feminist Index

 

Quotations from the western mystical tradition

 

Story of the abbot of Druimenach, who was changed into a Woman

 

Gloriana's Court - Mystics in Love

 

Western Esoteric Resources on the Web

 

Western Mysticism

 

Hadewijch

 

A lesser-known great woman mystic

 

Hadewijch 11

Hadewijch Letters

Letter 26

Hadewijch Letter 20

Hadewijch Letter 9

Hadewijch Letters

Hadewijch

Stanzaic Poem 12

Poem 8

Stanzaic Poems

 

 

And a couple of great secualar women

 

Matilda

 

Eleanor of Acquitaine

 

 

Zoroastrianism

Good resources on this ancient religion that has much influenced Europe can be found (with many other resources) on the

 

The Hannah M.G. Shapero Web Page

 

Gnosticism

Gnostic Society Virtual Library

 

The Gnosis Archive

 

 

and finally a current issue - the exclusion of women from the priesthood of the R.Catholic Church - how the last bastions of male power are guarded by clerics who teach we are all one in God.

Women's Ordination

 

Dissent in the Church

November 1996 Special Report, #143

Ordination of Catholic Women

cwo3

Catholic Issues (Women's Ordination)

Responsum ad Dubium regarding Ordinatio SacerdoÉ

Ordinatio Sacerdotalis

Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts

Do you consider yourself a transsexual or a woman

Canon 1024 FAQs

Scripture

The Doves Kinswoman

Metro'on

 

 

Catholic Worker Home Page

 

Uluru - The Aboriginal Women's Sacred Sites.

Aboriginal Web Links

Queensland Aboriginal - Indigenous Home Page.

Action for Aboriginal Rights.

 

Click to return to the Library Entrance.