| Interview with Lona Lyons, author of "The | | | | sessions that contained many details, some of my |
| Magdalene Dispensation." | | | | own memories returned from that period. I began |
| Reader Views is pleased to have with us Lona | | | | to remember that I was there with Mary and |
| Lyons, author of "The Magdalene Dispensation." | | | | Yeshua and that explained my passion for this |
| Welcome Lona. | | | | story, along with a lot of other experiences I'd |
| Irene: What inspired you to write "The Magdalene | | | | had in this life - such as the mystical experiences |
| Dispensation"? | | | | of the Crucifixion that occurred spontaneously |
| Lona: The characters and part of the story had | | | | about 25 years ago. As I got more in touch with |
| been coming to me over a period of six years | | | | that previous lifetime, I was able to use that as a |
| before I sat down and wrote what was to | | | | foundation to help make the story believable. |
| become the real first draft. I knew I wanted to | | | | Irene: Some people would discredit your theory of |
| write a book about the power of women and the | | | | you being "there with Mary and Yeshua," |
| force they become when they transcend their | | | | especially people that don't believe in past lives or |
| feelings of unworthiness and consequent tendency | | | | that one can actually go back into the memory |
| towards competition. I wanted to display the rich | | | | bank and retrieve the experience. How can you |
| gifts of women and their embodiment of the | | | | make this more believable? |
| Sacred Feminine that have been devalued for | | | | Lona: I probably wouldn't be inclined to try to |
| thousands of years. But even I was surprised | | | | make it more believable. I think resistance can be |
| how the story unfolded, as I'm sure most writers | | | | very helpful. It is through our struggles that we |
| are when they sit down and let the pen have its | | | | often have the great "aha!" experiences. I |
| way with them. The real turning point in story | | | | remember the first time I received some |
| focus and content came about as a result of a | | | | information about my past lives. It was about 30 |
| writer's workshop I took in which we were given | | | | years ago and I had no belief or interest in the |
| exercises to help us identify our real passion - the | | | | subject because it just didn't seem relevant to |
| thing we felt the most strongly about and would | | | | me. Yet, when presented with the information by |
| keep us up at night writing. I came to realize that | | | | someone who could see my past, I "knew" that it |
| my real passion was bringing to light the fear and | | | | was true. There was no way to prove it - I |
| guilt, as well as the cruelty and injustice, which | | | | simply knew. That perspective changed my |
| have been perpetrated and perpetuated by some | | | | outlook on the world, but I don't think it's |
| of the Christian churches throughout history. I | | | | necessary for everyone to delve into the subject |
| wanted to present a more unconditionally loving | | | | of past lives. If you need the information for your |
| and inclusive alternative that I believe is the truth | | | | highest purposes and your soul's growth, it will be |
| of God. | | | | made known to you in ways you never imagined. |
| Irene: You mentioned that you were surprised | | | | Irene: Tell us about some of the more prominent |
| how the story unfolded. Do you believe that you, | | | | characters in the book. How did you bring the |
| for lack of another word, "channeled" the story? | | | | characters to life? |
| Lona: I have been asked that question by many | | | | Lona: The main characters are reuniting after |
| people who say they feel the truth of what I | | | | having shared an incarnation 2000 years ago in |
| have written. I can only tell you that, to the best | | | | different bodies with different identities, and |
| of my knowledge, I was not "channeling" this | | | | sharing a common purpose. Constance |
| information. Instead, I think I may have accessed | | | | Weatherstone, the present-life identity of Mary |
| an old wisdom that I once knew, and this wisdom | | | | Magdalene, comes to Earth in an unusual way with |
| is available to all. | | | | full mastery and has an estate on the Big Island |
| Irene: Your book is considered as fiction. How | | | | of Hawaii, where most of the story takes place. |
| much truth do you believe is in it? How do you | | | | Greta Muldaur is the publisher and editor of |
| base your belief? | | | | Leading Edge Women magazine, based in Honolulu, |
| Lona: For me, there is a lot of truth in the book. | | | | Hawaii. Ella Goldman is an accomplished artist and |
| But I believe that it is up to each individual to | | | | former university professor who owns a very |
| develop the ability within them to accurately | | | | successful art gallery in Carmel, California. Jillian |
| discern the truth and that responsibility should not | | | | Landry is a well-known therapist and host of a |
| be abdicated to any outside authority. "Blind faith" | | | | live, call-in radio show in Austin, Texas, and she |
| produces fanatics and cults and shuts down the | | | | interviews pioneers in alternative healing on her |
| intrinsic part of ourselves that knows better. I call | | | | radio show. All the main characters are more |
| that intrinsic part the True Self and I have come | | | | mature women, ranging in age from 56 to 90. |
| to know it as the presence of the Divine within | | | | I drew on my own life experiences, as well as the |
| every person. | | | | experience of thousands of people I've worked |
| I followed the same path in my early life that | | | | with and counseled, in an attempt to create |
| most follow when they are searching for God. I | | | | personalities that were believable and credible. I |
| went to all the churches I could get my hands on | | | | think the reason so many write to me or call me |
| and looked and listened intently. The only | | | | and tell me about their tears and epiphanies while |
| conclusion I came to was that I would never | | | | reading my book is because they can relate. |
| measure up to a God that was unforgiving, angry | | | | Irene: How much of the story is based on your |
| and disappointed in me as most leaders in the | | | | own experience? |
| pulpit claimed HE was. And since God was | | | | Lona: I took some of my own, numerous |
| presented as a man and I was female, I knew | | | | idiosyncrasies and sprinkled them liberally in the |
| my chances for redemption were even slimmer. | | | | book, along with many other idiosyncrasies and |
| Yet, there was something in me that nudged me | | | | virtues I've met along the way. |
| forward and made me persist in my search, | | | | Irene: Aside from being a fable, "The Magdalene |
| despite my early disillusionment. I believe that | | | | Dispensation" has some deep seated messages. |
| "something" was the Voice of God within me and | | | | Would you tell the reading audience what would |
| it is genderless and all-knowing. I believe that | | | | be the most important message in the book. |
| same "Voice" resides in all and our real job here | | | | Lona: The most important message of the book |
| on Earth is to allow that divinity to express | | | | is that we are all divine - and we are all equally |
| through us, as us. | | | | divine. The true basis for our equality is spiritual in |
| Irene: Please give us some tools as to how we | | | | nature. God has no favorites because favoritism |
| can access that "Voice" that you speak of. | | | | requires judgment and there is no judgment |
| Lona: There are probably many ways to develop | | | | possible in Unconditional Love. The greatest gift |
| the stillness within where the "Voice" can be | | | | we have been given is the spark of divinity that |
| heard. Many choose meditation as a discipline to | | | | resides within us and it connects us as an |
| quiet the relentless wanderings of the mind so a | | | | inseparable part of our Divine Source. Our choice |
| deeper Truth can be accessed beyond the | | | | is to allow this True Self to express though us, or |
| chatter. I think intention is an important first step | | | | we can choose the frequently traveled and |
| because it creates a type of surrender, | | | | well-worn road of the personality/ego, which is |
| energetically, that opens a pathway to receive | | | | the temporal part of us, thank God. Most of us |
| divine inspiration. | | | | have had quite enough of our personalities in one |
| Irene: What research did you do before and | | | | lifetime and have no interest in carrying them |
| during the writing of "The Magdalene | | | | around any longer than necessary. |
| Dispensation"? | | | | Irene: By reading the book, the reader is drawn |
| Lona: I read many books and did a lot of online | | | | into getting in touch with their own divinity and |
| research, which I found to be more up-to-date | | | | searching for their own truth. Why do you believe |
| than the public libraries. Margaret Starbird's work | | | | this is an important aspect of living a spiritual life? |
| was an inspiration and it rang many bells for me, | | | | Lona: My biggest dream is that this book will |
| along with Holy Blood, Holy Grail. I was in the final | | | | contribute to the awakening of humanity to its |
| stages of editing my book when I heard about | | | | divinity. (I include myself in that awakening.) We |
| Dan Brown's book and my first thought was that | | | | are all works in progress. As we look out into the |
| my book may be redundant. When I read The | | | | world, we see evidence of the absence of this |
| DaVinci Code, however, I was gratified to see | | | | awareness in the headlines of all the newspapers, |
| that he had presented the same research that I | | | | in the majority of television programs and films, |
| had already seen and his story was much | | | | and in our own communities. Nestled deep within |
| different than mine. I think his book is making a | | | | the truth of our divinity is the key to peace on |
| great contribution by bringing a lot of attention to | | | | Earth. It is the great equalizer and the answer to |
| the inconsistencies and abuses of power in | | | | every important question. I believe that's worth |
| Christian dogma and church hierarchies. | | | | searching for, despite the obstacles and the depth |
| Irene: Much of the research would be your own | | | | of our amnesia. |
| interpretation of what you found. Explain to us | | | | Irene: I find this topic very fascinating. I could go |
| how you were able to use this research and bring | | | | on and on asking you questions but we have to |
| it into believable form. | | | | wrap this up. Is there anything else, Lona, that |
| Lona: One part of my book that is true is the | | | | you would like the readers to know? |
| part in which the fictional author tells how she was | | | | Lona: I think we are on the verge of a huge |
| contacted by a client who claimed she was having | | | | breakthrough in consciousness. The more we |
| the memories of Mary Magdalene. A woman | | | | know the truth of our divinity, the more that |
| actually contacted me and wanted to do some | | | | divinity will be made manifest in our outer world. I |
| past life regression therapy to try to understand | | | | am fascinated by the critical mass theory as it |
| why Mary Magdalene's life was coming to her so | | | | applies to this consciousness. Like the mythical |
| clearly. (Interesting "coincidence" since I had | | | | hundredth monkey (if it is a myth), I believe there |
| already worked on a previous draft of a Mary | | | | will come a time - in this lifetime - when that |
| Magdalene book which was collecting dust in a | | | | hundredth monkey will awaken to its divinity and |
| drawer somewhere.) | | | | suddenly, the effect will be felt everywhere. Then |
| Since I have a background in past life regression | | | | life will get very, very interesting! |
| therapy, I agreed to help. In the course of many | | | | |