Tarot of the Saints - II - St. Mary Magdalen - The Papesse

I didn't realize Mary M. was a saint and it's interesting to see in the book and other books I have, that she was treated with much more regard by the Gnostics and later went down in estimation in the Catholic Church. The orthodox Christians weren't keen on treating her with respect or acknowledging her leadership and status as an apostle. Which is a mistake I think given the respect she experienced from the other apostles, Jesus himself, and his family--she was with his mother at the Cross after all, and she was the first person to visit his tomb. She was obviously not some two-bit former whore who tagged along with the group, she was a vital part of the teaching and ministration and a beloved companion to Jesus (platonic or otherwise.)

I prefer to see this card as The Papesse as it was in older decks, and as in older decks, here it is a companion card to the Pope card V. I see people talking about the Hero's Journey and the High Priestess II being the counterpart of The Magician and it simply doesn't make sense to me given the historical pattern. People love their nice, neat number associations and stories but it seems rather silly to me.

The artwork for this card is lovely, and shows Mary M. exiting the tomb of Christ after discovering the resurrection.

Now, here is where I think Robert Place really shines as he breaks down why Mary M. is on this card. According to three gospels, she was the one who first came to the tomb and saw that Christ was resurrected, and the gospel of John says she was the first person to be charged with proclaiming the resurrection.. In the gospel of Luke she couldn't find Jesus in the tomb and went and got Peter, who was the first to see him and proclaim the resurrection. This was the reasoning behind making Peter the leader of the church and the first pope. However, as we can see, Mary M. was the first according to three of the evangelists (although but a lowly woman) so she does fit the Papesse card.

Also, the mystery aspect of this--she saw and proclaimed the mystery of Christ's resurrection, and her legend says that she retired to a cave for 30 years, which has the flavour of the inward-directed contemplative life of the High Priestess, and unseen growth and development. The visionary, the holder of mystery and secrets, is suited to Mary Magdalen.

No one really knows who she was, she seems to be an amalgam of three women in the western tradition, so she isn't a person whom we can view as black or white, which reminds me of the black and white pillars on some High Priestess cards.

All the pictures I have of her on cards show her with lovely long hair; a very graceful (literally), calm, feminine person, which is also a nice reflection of the male Pope.

Dear Mary, she is always depicted with the most magnificent long hair, probably because she was supposedly the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her hair, although it may have been someone else or two different instances of women washing his feet--accounts vary.

This is simple a gorgeous illustration from Robert Place, but coming a close second in my mind is the exuberant and fresh rendition of her by Ann Trump in The Saint Deck. Not only does it reference her beauty and possible prostitution (take a look at that bosom and legs!) but honestly, could you want a happier, more positive friend than this?

Think of her gaiety and charm uplifting Jesus and the other apostles. It was a grim life for them but I'm sure she lightened the burden of it all with her care and ministration, and her warmth.

The small picture from the Da Vinci Code playing cards is hard to see as is the writing on the card. The card says "Let us rather praise his greatness, for he prepared us and made us into men." She looks very reflective and High Priestess-y in this painting.

Hi Room

I have this deck as well although I haven't read with it or studied it very much. I am enjoying your posts and the pictures from your other saints decks.

Here is one of my favorite depiction of MM, it is by Georges de la Tour. (Click on the second image)

http://www.haverford.edu/relg/faculty/amcguire/marymimages.htm

There are some other wonderful paintings on this page as well. The de la Tour one is very High Priestess like.

--Myrrha

Glory with a dash of cracked pink peppercorns!!! You have rescued me from ignorance.

The Georges de la Tour painting "Mary Magdalene of the Night Light" is exactly the one on the Da Vinci Code playing cards.

I could hardly see it, and it didn't scan well being so shadowed, but I can now see the details. Yes, she's got a skull on her lap and looks very, very reflective, both physically and mentally. Very HP.

There is some fabulous, fabulous art there, thanks for posting, you made my day. Oh, I wonder if she's in the Giotto Tarot too?

{Edited to add: No rendition of her in the LS Giotto Tarot unfortunately. I saw a detail of the painting of her at the tomb from the Arena Chapel fresco at Padua, and the detail on her cloak is lovely. She looks very young in this painting.}

How funny! I didn't even notice that painting was on your card as it is hard to see and I was looking so much at the other pictures.

Here is one more that shows her with a very inward looking gaze, it is by Giovanni Bellini.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bellini+magdalene

The detail images that just show MM are the ones I like best.

Somethign about her story makes her a very good subject for painters, maybe it is the mixture of sensuality and strong inner/spiritual life.

--Myrrha

Myrrha said:

Here is one more that shows her with a very inward looking gaze, it is by Giovanni Bellini.

Click to expand...

She's got that same expression as in the other painting: half sad, half pensive. Something very deep, not just one emotion. It's like her whole life is written in one expression. VERY hard to capture this subtlety in a portrait.

<<Somethign about her story makes her a very good subject for painters, maybe it is the mixture of sensuality and strong inner/spiritual life.>>

Do you know what I think it is? She has the "everyman" quality about her, from her status as a human who made poor choices in life, to someone who was redeemed and found a better way to live and contribute.

It doesn't hurt that she was probably attractive--painters like to capture her carnal/spiritual sides as you say.

Everyman. Everywoman.

I am enjoying your enthusiasm for Mary the Magdalene room! I have a collection of books about her as her life and story has fascinated me for years.(well since I was at school really). I think you are right in why she is so fascinating- her everyman-ess! She is someone we can identify with, but she retains some mystery and exoticism. For women in the Catholic faith, she also was a beacon- A little different from the Madonna aspect of purity and piousness, and more like the complete woman. Then is this strong underground movement over the years, that has placed her high on the apostolic list- the one whom Jesus loved most.
I have also thought that La Papessa was her, and my most favourite Tarot card is the Medieval Scapini depiction.
There are several books I have that show The Magdalene in Art throughout 2000 years- one is a very beautiful 'Searching for Mary Magdalene: A Journey Through Art and Literature' by Jane Lahr and the New York Metropolitian Museum has many paintings of her as well. ~Rosanne

This is so interesting because I never knew this veneration for Mary Magdalene existed. I being a deprived and soulless Protestant, which is probably why I find the saints so intriguing, and explains my fervor for this deck study.

I just came across this, I don't know why I didn't remember it, since it's the best card in the deck and there are so many Gnostic references in the deck.

This is Mary Magdalene as the High Priestess in the Templar Tarot by Allen Chester. A good tie-in both to Mary and the Papesse/High Priestess archetype.

Gorgeous artwork.