I tend to focus more on consciousness and the bridge between “it,” science, spirituality and technology (including AI). Most of my posts draw parallels between these worlds, such as my recent post on the dance between spirituality, music and art, and my last post that tackles Vibration and Resonance.
Sometimes, when I raise awareness about how the Patriarch has driven the global narrative of how we should think and behave, some people get uncomfortable. They feel I’m pointing fingers, casting blame on half the population, which is far from the point. For true healing to happen, we need both awareness and accountability for what has come before us, and the courage to have open, honest conversations so we can transmute what isn’t serving us, individually and collectively. It’s not a conversation about men versus women, or even masculine versus feminine energies. That said, we must shed light on the Male Guru Syndrome and how that has shaped our current reality for far too long. And we must move beyond it to reclaim our own inner authority.
This time invites us to no longer stay quiet about how this restricted worldview has impacted us, whether it’s in deep ways, like getting caught up in the Epstein Files as a teenage girl, or losing a job for refusing to sleep with your boss, or simply staying silent when we witness grave inequality. The varying layers in between are endless. Perhaps you stood on the sidelines and perpetuated a toxic environment, betraying victims who needed your support, yet you either feared speaking up or it was too inconvenient to do so.
Regardless of what sexual orientation you most identify with, now is a time of reckoning and accountability for all of us, a time to speak up and out about people (and events), whenever this polarity normalizes toxic behavior that separates us rather than unites us. In a non-judgmental but deeply honest and direct way, we need to openly share how we feel in those moments and the impact they had on us and those around us. We’re starting to see more courageous women speak up for the first time about a situation when they were violated but didn’t have the support to come forward. Some women report that Deepak Chopra’s inclusion in the Epstein Files was the final straw, the one that put them over the edge.
These heart-wrenching discussions (without shame or blame) are exactly what will bring the healing that the world so desperately needs right now. This path will also allow us all to step into deeper congruence with one another while holding others (and ourselves) accountable so we can build a more harmonious and united future.
The Feminine Voice
I don’t write about Mary Magdalene very often on my Substack column, although I suppose her voice should be more prominent, given that my partner and I launched our award-winning book about her life just last year: Magdalene’s Journey. The narrative is far from religious, despite the biblical characters from yesteryear. Several sections may jar you, especially if you have a pre-conceived idea of who you thought she once was.
A woman of conviction and resolve, she is currently rising from the ashes for a reason. Being conveniently left out of our historical playbooks begs the question: How many other pivotal women were also omitted by the Jewish Patriarchy, the male-dominated Romans, and then the equally patriarchal Catholic Church? Over two thousand years later, we are searching for clues about that pivotal period, one in which women had no voice. We are now seeking additional answers and insights to address the countless gaps.
Given all that we’re being fed by the media in recent weeks, people are feeling drained, confused, and disheartened. Like Magdalene’s spirit rising from the ashes, it’s as if women and men alike are speaking up and holding their ground, demanding responsibility, accountability and the truth. In our book, there are several places where Mary Magdalene (referred to as Miriam of Magdala) speaks to the modern character Rochelle about holding her ground when challenging situations arise, or inequality hits you over the head, whether for people of color, the LGBT community, minorities, or women.
I thought I’d share a section from one of our chapters that features a dialogue between Boston-based Rochelle and Miriam of Magdala about the importance of speaking your truth in the face of overwhelm, fear, and uncertainty. Bear in mind that the language is somewhat formal, reflecting that historical period.
Dialogue Between Miriam and Rochelle: Hold Your Ground
“I want you to feel what I am saying to you, Rochelle,” Miriam said to her. “Feel it. I want you and all women to become as dynamic and strong as I had to be in my life as Miriam of Magdala. I want you to become as relentless as a mother with her cubs, so you can protect the truth of who you truly are. My mother was proud of my strength, and yet my father never was. Be resilient in this lifetime, Rochelle. You’ve shed enough tears, and so have so many women you know.”
Rochelle didn’t feel as weak as Miriam was perhaps suggesting, but she innately understood what she meant. There were countless times in a business setting that she didn’t speak her truth out of fear of being judged, or worse, because she felt she wasn’t smart enough to comment. Rochelle also knew that sometimes she was afraid to ask for a raise or hesitant to offer advice in a family setting dominated by men. Sure, she had shown a warrior spirit over the years, yet she recalled times when she had retreated when she should have asserted herself. Most of all, as she listened to Miriam, she was aware of the times she had sunk into the background, afraid to step onto the stage or into the limelight. Certainly, she had seen threatened men disparage strong and effective women time and time again.
“Today, institutionalized sexism, racism, and the rules around them make women hide their beauty and truth. Women have become brainwashed; this is something they must do, so they cover their faces, hair, and shoulders. In some cultures, killing a woman is acceptable if she’s caught with a man other than her husband. Some people won’t like or accept my words when I express myself in frustration or anger, but I have the right to speak my truth now. Women have learned to be quiet and humble in the face of violence for hundreds of years.”
It made Rochelle think of Frederick Engels’ work, which pointed to the “overthrow of the mother right,” which he asserted was the “world historical defeat of the female sex.” That defeat led to centuries upon centuries of enforced patriarchal views that, over time, simply became the norm for both sexes.
As Gerda Lerner points out, “Women have for millennia participated in the process of their own subordination because they have been psychologically shaped so as to internalize the idea of their own inferiority.” She also reminds us that for over 2,500 years the God of the Hebrews was addressed, represented, and interpreted as a male Father-God,” and with it came the “meaning which carried authority and force.” That “meaning became of the utmost significance in the way both men and women were able to conceptualize women and place them both in the divine order of things and in human society.”
This psychological distortion became so cemented in place that women learned to be seen, not heard. To stay in the home because it was her place to do so. To speak softly and be gracious even when her values weren’t being honored, or her truth wasn’t being heard. Occasionally, she might find that she could open up to another like-minded woman who was a maverick in the shadows. Truth be told, this internalization of inferior status takes its toll over time. It naturally leads to wanting to take a back seat, but only because she’s known no other way, and her psyche tells her there’s punishment in store should she create any waves. Being conditioned in a world where women have been devalued and demeaned for so long, they’ve simply learned to mistrust their own opinions, considering them less valid than those of men. Rochelle’s mind was racing as she considered how much of the ancient, reinforced programming rolled over into modern times, including her generation.
Yet the ancient religion of the Goddess was once revered, Rochelle mused. But Miriam was on a roll, so Rochelle collected her thoughts and returned to Miriam’s words.
“Look at what the women in Afghanistan have gone through. Men dictated what they could and could not do, when they could leave the house, and why,” Miriam continued. “They threw acid on women who misbehaved. After a brief period of hard-won freedoms, the Taliban returned to depriving women of freedoms once again. In such a society, women are much better seen than heard, aren’t they? Although less brutally enforced, isn’t that what you learned even in your own life, Rochelle?”
Institutionalized sexism, racism and the rules around them make women hide their beauty and truth.
She nodded, for it was true. She felt the heaviness of Miriam’s words as she pondered the cruelty of years gone by. The dictates have been in place for so long that it felt as if they’d never be challenged, at least not seriously. Many scholars and historians assumed that men have always played a leadership role and have been the only inventors of significant ideas. Few people know the history of the Goddess as an ancient religion. Egyptian Goddess Isis, who goes by many names, wasn’t just adored and worshipped by women but also men in ancient Judea, Egypt, Greece, Italy and the surrounding areas. She has been referred to as the Mother of the Gods, the Queen of Heaven, the Lady of the Mysteries, and countless other references. Isis was said to have initiated men into the mysteries, but it didn’t stop there. People turned to Isis’ profound wisdom, resilience, and bravery to overcome their own obstacles and trials and prevail even over the darkest of challenges.
The impact of Isis stretched far and wide, beyond Egypt, Judea, Anatolia, Persia, Babylonia and ancient Greece. Although Isis was so powerful that she crossed myriad borders, Goddesses have been worshipped by countless societies worldwide, each with its own manifestations. Although the Goddess was relegated beneath the Pantheon of Gods over time and later squashed under the monotheistic Yahweh, She continued to be revered, albeit subversively.
And let’s not forget, thought Rochelle, that outside of the Abrahamic religions and Western traditions, the Mother and/or the Goddess was a universal figure of power, central to people’s beliefs, myths and stories in the ancient world across cultures. She epitomized fertility. Flow. Sensuality. Creative Spirit. Life itself. She was the Queen of both Sky and Earth. She was considered the Creatrix for what she birthed, but also the force that governed death.
As Rochelle reflected on the transition to a patriarchal worldview, Miriam marched on, bringing her back to the present moment.
“I couldn’t speak my truth back then, but I have earned the right to speak up. I can express myself now as I once was and won’t be silenced for fear of being stoned to death. How would you like to grow up in a society that treated women as nothing more than sex objects? It’s long overdue for my truth to come forward. We as women have the right to call out any of our abusers and will no longer be silenced as we had been for so many years.
“What does it truly mean to be humble?” she asked Rochelle. “Know when to say nothing and know when to say something or everything. All women have a right to say everything, and I’m here to empower them to regain their voices. Do you have any idea how hard I struggled to become the woman I became, or you could say, the woman I have become?”
“You mean as Miriam of Magdala in that lifetime?” Rochelle asked.
“Understand the future and past don’t exist as you think they do. I am Miriam of Magdala. I am the Magdalene, not the Magdalene of the future or the past, not even of the present. There is only existence. There is only a presence. I need you to understand this. This is an exceptionally difficult path to follow, and on numerous occasions, many who are reading this text now have died for standing up for their beliefs. I’m here to tell people to let go of their fear, step into their Authentic Selves, and speak their truth. It’s time, and might I add, it’s long overdue.”
What’s yours to say and do at this pivotal time when transparency is being demanded from all of us?
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
