The Magdalene Legacy: The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy

by Laurence Gardner

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC • 500 Third Street, Suite 230 • San Francisco, CA 94107

2007, 395 pages, $18.95 • ISBN: 978-1-57863-403-3

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

On the heels of Dan Brown’s sensational The Da Vinci Code, Laurence Gardner, the best selling author of Bloodline of the Holy Grail, now presents us with a new thought-provoking book that delves into the life of Mary Magdalene. In a scholarly fashion this noted British author digs and sifts deeply into the historical evidence to expose hidden details regarding the life of the Biblical Mary Magdalene and her relationship to Jesus Christ. Sprinkled with many wonderful illustrations and pictures, this book is a comprehensive historical detective story that presents fascinating interpretations and facts quite removed from the mainstream Christian orthodoxy of today.

Gardner carefully reviews how the Biblical stories came into our possession, and how many “translatory misunderstandings” and inaccuracies have occurred on account of translations into different languages, cultural differences, and how meanings of various words and terms change over time. Not to mention how some early on sought to deliberately censor and alter certain accounts. These differences can be very important. For example, Gardner points out how going back to Luke 8:2 Mary Magdalene is referred to as “Mary called Magdalene,” and that Magdalene “was a distinction, not a surname,” and that the goddess Inanna or Ishtar was known as the Magdal-eder, or the Watchtower of her flock (while the Kings were referred to as “Shepherds” back then). Thus indeed whole new meanings and implications can quickly arise.

This book is a tour de force of ancient and mind-boggling historical facts as Gardner explains the potential significance of the word Messiah and its ancient Egyptian counterpart, how Mary Magdalene’s anointing of Jesus was part of a sacred marriage ceremony, and how the second anointing described in the Biblical account, based on “dynastic wedlock” practices of the ancient world, likely indicated that Mary was pregnant! “Only as the wife of Jesus and a priestess in her own right could Mary have anointed both his head and his feet with the sacred ointment,” Gardner writes. ‘The rite was prevalent in the most ancient princely culture of Mesopotamian Sumer as a representation of the Goddess bestowing favour and kingship on her chosen bridegroom.”

Gardner also plunges headlong into the mysteries of the Order of Melchizedek, showing how Jesus was an initiate of this ancient order, and furthermore, how Mary Magdalene gave birth to two sons for Jesus! From Gardner’s account the libraries of Paris contain assorted important historical clues and documents. Gardner shows that the mainstream Christian version of the life of Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ are certainly not the only versions out there.

Though challenging and disturbing, the alternative perceptions presented in this book are well worth thoughtfully pondering and contemplating.

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Standing In God’s Light: In End Times

by Ann Druffel and Armand Marcotte

Timeless Voyager Press • P.O. Box 6678 • Santa Barbara, CA 93160

2006, 208 pages, $16.95 • ISBN: 978-1-892264-19-0

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

Though I have interviewed Ann Druffel for this magazine and have read her three UFO books, Firestorm, Tujunga Canyon Contacts, and How to Defend Yourself Against Alien Abduction, this book, Standing In God’s Light, co-authored with the late Armand Marcotte, described as a gifted clairvoyant and spiritual intuitive counselor, explores and ponders psychic phenomena and prophetic insights about our future and the so-called “end times.” Armand received specific and detailed psychic information about the troubling times that are ahead, and how the good Christian “Soldiers of the Light” can best prepare and conduct their lives in a manner pleasing to the Creator.

Though Armand passed on before the book was completed, Ann incredibly felt his guidance and inspiration to continue and to eventually complete the book. In years previous, Ann and Armand had together worked closely and authored two other books entitled Past Lives: Future Growth, and The Psychic and The Detective. Armand had assisted law enforcement officers with unsolved murder cases, and with his remarkable psychic talents he had touched many people’s lives. In this book, there is even a picture of Armand with famous actor John Wayne. This book also contains factual incidents describing how Armand had been able to psychically help others. And, of course, being the scientific and objective researcher that she is, Ann contributes a lot of thought-provoking background accounts and historical information that seems to shed much needed light.