Article first published as Book Review: ‘Goddess Heart Rising' by Roslyn Elena McGrath on Blogcritics.
May 15, 2014
The Third Mary:
55 Messages for Empowering Truth, Peace & Grace from the Mother of Mary Magdalene
Roslyn Elena McGrath
Chrysaetos Press (2014)
ISBN: 9780615990224
Author Channels Mary Magdalene’s Mother and Offers Message for All
In The Third Mary, Roslyn McGrath offers 55 messages from the Mother of Mary Magdalene (known for the sake of differentiation as The Third Mary). These messages Roslyn received by transcribing words that the Third Mary channeled through her. First, let me say that anyone who says she can channel messages from someone long dead makes me skeptical. That said, I do believe channeling is possible and there are some who legitimately do so, Esther Hicks being one of them. I have had the honor of knowing Roslyn McGrath for roughly a decade now and I believe in her integrity, her intuitive abilities, and her honesty in providing these messages that initially surprised her as well.
I won’t go into the details of how the channeling worked, which Roslyn explains, but I will say that I found the subject matter interesting and surprising. For me, long being a student of the Bible and of history, but also being open to new interpretations of it, I was very interested in hearing what the Third Mary had to say. Readers who believe Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus will be especially interested in this book. However, other information about Jesus’ circle, especially Joseph of Arimathea and Judas, was what particularly interested me. Roslyn has told me that different people have been attracted to different aspects of the book. For me, the most stunning revelation is what the Third Mary says about Judas. I won’t give it away, but I think it is mind-blowing, and it makes complete and utter sense to me. How Judas has been depicted throughout history as the criminal in the story has never made sense to me; his “crime” is more like a “happy fault” that allows for redemption to occur. Years ago, I heard—I forget where—that we make spiritual contracts with others before we enter this world, and that the people who hurt us most in life are the ones who loved us enough to agree before we entered this world to take on those more difficult roles. Because I have that understanding and believe that such contracts make sense, I was open to what the Third Mary said about Judas. I hope others will be also because I think this information can provide a great deal of healing for people.
I think we are all searching for meaning and answers in this life, and many of us wish we could have a spiritual experience by finding a spiritual guide or mentor. Roslyn was one fortunate to do so, but only because she was open to the experience. I believe if the rest of us are open to such experiences, we will discover we all have mental powers beyond what we allow ourselves. The Third Mary is sharing her wisdom and information so we can have greater awareness. In the book, she tells us:
“My story is for those who choose to hear it. My story is for those whose desire for Heaven On Earth is a natural force lifting them to new planes of experience...My story is for those who desire absolution from earthly woes, and are willing to shift their own energetic frequencies to support this. My story is for everyone who desires to be their full potential. My story is meant to awaken you to your own significance through deepening your awareness of the truth of those biblical times and by activating your own abilities more strongly for assisting in the Creation of Heaven On Earth.”
What I most love about this book and other books in this vein that ask us to rethink and reimagine our religious history—whether truthful or not—is they seek to dispel a lot of the guilt and the sense of mankind’s misery. There’s no focus on “mourning and weeping in this vale of tears” as a well-known Catholic prayer from the rosary describes our human experience, but rather, the Third Mary tells us:
“Yes! Paint, dance, laugh, sing, exercise your ability to enjoy this lifetime fully! Your ‘wounds’ are not so limiting as you imagine them to be. I am certain that you can avail yourself of all that Heaven & Earth have to offer in assisting you to increase these capacities. Play, explore, love, hunger for that which belongs with you. I know of what I speak. I too would often forego some joys to accomplish others, not recognizing the ability of one to enhance another, nor the importance of allowing myself to move freely in my choices.”
If what the Third Mary says is true, a lot of what we have been taught can be regarded as “mind-forged manacles.” Deep in my heart, I believe the Universe is a source of good and love, as is the Judeo-Christian God. Therefore, I hope readers will go along on this journey with open minds. They might find themselves farther along the path to spiritual wisdom and their own soul’s evolution when they do. Perhaps they will even start to see that creation of Heaven on Earth that the Third Mary says can be achieved.
For more information about Roslyn McGrath and The Third Mary, visit www.TheThirdMary.com.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. and award-winning author of Spirit of the North: A Paranormal Romance
