The following are books that have inspired, educated and/or entertained me along my spiritual quest. In some cases, I have reviewed these books for Amazon or elsewhere, and have included those reviews.

Anything by Jean Markale.

His Women of the Celts is the classic that introduced me to his particular genius, and his work on Arthurian and Grail themes is also not to be missed. Magdalene-inspired readers will perhaps be most drawn to his books on Rennes-le-Chateau and Chartres. Much of my review for his book, Cathedral of the Black Madonna: The Druids and the Mysteries of Chartres, is applicable to his other works as well:

A Stunning Labyrinth of Discovery Jean Markale's books are an amazing journey of discovery through philosophy, gnosis, and the wonderful world of esoterica. He is a mystic and a scholar, he is a teacher and a guide. Markale will never force his conclusions upon you, rather he leads you to them and makes you think and feel for yourself. There is no dogma in his work, only wisdom. While he researches with the thorough tenacity of the most intrepid academic, he is never pedantic or stodgy in his conclusions.

There are layers of fascinating historical information within, the kind of detail that isn't found in a library, but that comes from Markale's lifelong love of his French homeland and the folklore and cultures that he was raised in. This is wisdom firsthand. It is experiential and real.

If you have an interest in ancient cultures, goddess worship, the sacred nature of the cathedrals and those who built them, and the path of Gnosis, there is much to love in this book. But don't expect a linear, typical journey. Markale is a genius, and he would never do anything that obvious.

If you have an interest in ancient cultures, goddess worship, the sacred nature of the cathedrals and those who built them, and the path of Gnosis, there is much to love in this book. But don't expect a linear, typical journey. Markale is a genius, and he would never do anything that obvious.

Read it, put it away and read it a few months later. You will see something within it that you did not see before.

Joan Norton:The Mary Magdalene Within bya beautiful addition to the body of Magdalene material...

Joan Norton has created something truly special with her small but mighty book; This lovely, experientialaccount of Mary Magdalene, her days with Jesus, and their teachings together is layered with wisdom and beauty. A must read for those who are on this path of discovery.

Let me also say that as a trained investigative journalist and researcher, I do not normally embrace channeled material quickly or openly. However, Joan's book feels incredibly pure to me and I found all of my reservations melting rapidly away as I read. In fact, while my own research on Mary Magdalene brought me to some very different conclusions, I realized while reading Joan's book that none of that mattered.
It is the message that matters - a message of divine union and love, of restoring balance and equality, of making that kind of harmony the natural state for all people - that truly matters. The rest is just details. I am finding that Mary and her message speak to everyone in a unique and personal way, all of which are valid and fascinating.

With that realization, Joan's work truly taught me something powerful for which I am very grateful.

I also applaud the layout of this book. The short chapters make it a perfect tool for meditation and/or teaching, something that I think is unique in the currently available Magdalene material.

Please click for more information on Joan Norton.

Jean Yves Leloup - The Gospel of Philip – Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the Gnosis of Sacred Union.

The Gospel of Philip is arguably the most controversial of the Nag Hammadi discoveries and contains, among other things, the passage that indicates
Jesus kissed Mary on the mouth. But there is a lot more here in terms of the importance
of Divine partnership in early (pure) Christianity. I will also be writing an in-depth analysis of how the Gospel of Philip proves much of the material in my own books for future posting. Leloup is probably best known in Magdalene circles for his other book, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene which is the interpretation of a Coptic gospel that deals with Mary Magdalene’s life after the crucifixion. Don’t be misled by the title – this gospel was not written by Mary Magdalene, but rather about her – possibly by a later (2nd century) female follower, which makes it that much more interesting.