Re: Theos-World Leadbeater and the ordination of women
May 25, 2005 02:19 AM
by Erica Letzerich
Such view for me is rooted not in clairvoyance investigations which we can't rely much, but in the chauvinism of Saint Peter. In ancient civilizationswomen were the most power priestess Isis is considered as the founder of the Egyptian mysteries in honour to her husband and brother Osiris. Most probably as recently we have seen many debates about it, the views Saint Peterhad about women was a way to keep Mary Magdalene away. Also it might be due to cycles as we live in a patriarchal society.
There is an interesting myth in South America which is about Jurupari, bornfrom a virgin mother. Jurupari to the South American Indians was an Avatar. The legend says that he went to the Gorgons island (an island in the coast of Colombia which today is the base of a jail) and there he stole the power from the women and gave it to men. When Jurupari established his rites women were forbidden to see it, and if any woman would see the rites she would be transformed in stone. It is said also that Jurupari is somewhere expecting the arrival of the perfect daughter of the sun to give her the power back.
That is an interesting legend which expresses change of cycles. Also the power that Jurupari stole from the Gorgon Island and gave him the possibilityto transform women in stone, is very similar to the power of Medusa, (a gorgon). But she would transform in stone mainly man. Also I was very surprised in finding the reference to the Gorgon Island between the Indians of South America.
So maybe the chauvinism of Saint Peter influenced CWL’s views. Or it is just the natural result of a cyclic period as expressed in a such beautiful way in the South American mythology.
Erica
gregory@zeta.org.au wrote:
In response to Bart's question:
"It is often asked whether a woman could validly be ordained. The ordinary
clerical answer is in the words: 'We have no such custom, neither the Churches
of God,' fortified perhaps by the reminder that the Christ is said to have
chosen His twelve apostles and His seventy preachers exclusively among men.
This is an argument of some merit, but we add to it a further consideration-
that this particular type of force is not adapted to work through the feminine
organism. There are other types of energy which are so arranged, but they are
of quite a different character and are little known to our present
civilization much, I fancy, to its loss. The cult of our Blessed Lady in the
Roman Catholic Church is an unconscious effort to fill a gap which many people
instinctively recognize.
One of the conditions under which we receive this mighty gift of grace is that
it is arranged to flow through the masculine organism. The forces now arranged
for the distribution through the priesthood would not work efficiently through
a feminine body; but it is quite conceivable that the present arrangements may
be altered by the Lord Himself. It would no doubt be easy for Him, if He so
chose, either to revive some form of the old religions in which the feminine
Aspect of the Deity was served by priestesses, or so to modify the physics of
the Catholic scheme of forces that a feminine body could be satisfactorily
employed in the work. Meantime, we have no choice but to administer His Church
along the lines laid down for us."
[C.W. Leadbeater "The Sacraments. An abridged and revised Edition of his
Book 'The Science of the Sacraments'" St Alban Press, Sydney, 1993:241-2 -
edited and revised by Sten von Krustenstierna, former Presiding Bishop of the
Liberal Catholic Church]
It is said that Geoffrey Hodson (a Liberal Catholic priest)
undertook "clairvoyant experiments" in "observing" the purported ordinationof
a woman by a Liberal Catholic bishop (it didn't "work"), and in examining
Hosts "consecrated" by a woman priest (they weren't as "powerful" as those
consecrated by a male priest).
Dr Gregory Tillett
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