The Moon Under Her Feet

by Clysta Kinstler

Narrative weaving the biblical account of Mary and Jesus, the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris, and the Sumerian story of Inanna and Dumuzi to create an exotic tale of a strong, sensual woman.

From Publishers Weekly
This feminist retelling of the conception, birth, life and death of Christ as narrated by Mary Magdalene may cause some uproar in Christian circles. Yeshua (Christ) is born to Almah Mari (the Virgin Mary) after her union in Sacred Marriage at the Temple in Jerusalem with an unblemished man who kills himself as a sacrifice for his people. Later Mari Anath becomes Magdalene, or High Priestess of the Goddess, and assumes co-rule with Jehovah, succeeding Almah Mari. Mari Anath follows Yeshua in the years of his ministry, despite objections from some adherents who call her harlot because they oppose the double worship of the Goddess and Jehovah and the equality of sexes that relationship im plies. But days before the crucifixion, when Yeshua sacrifices himself, he and the Magdalene are united in Sacred Marriage in the Temple before the people. Mari Anath gives birth to Yeshua's daughter Anna after she and Judas (who is The Christos's twin brother and betrays him at his behest in order to fulfill the prophesy) flee to Gaul to make a new life. First novelist Kinstler, a professor of philosophy, mines the literature of myth to make this lyrically written interpretation plausible. She provides notes and a bibliography to buttress much of her tale.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Spirituality, Goddess, Fantasy, Feminism, Religion

315 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Clysta Kinstler teaches philosophy, religion, and women's studies at American River College in Sacremento, California.

Reviews

[Kani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book made sense out of the Biblical tale of Christ and Mary Magdalene. With a goddess worshipping vibe and tie-in to Sacred Marriage, this book relieved for me some of my problems with the mainstream presentation of the relationship between Jesus and Mary (not his mom, although that is explained as well). An eye-opener and great romance. I loved it when I first read it and enjoyed it just as much reading it several years later.

[K.R. Gastreich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinstler weaves history with imagination to create a vivid account of the life and times of Mary Magdalene.

I don't know whether to call this fantasy or historical fiction; it seems the perfect blend of both. We meet Mary as a girl, when she enters into study as a priestess of the goddess Ashera, and follow her on an incredible spiritual journey that culminates in her service to the ministry of Yeshua, also called Christ.

Kinstler goes to great lengths to reconstruct the cultural and religious context of Mary Magdalene's world. As a result, the story resonates with authenticity. One cannot help but feel that the blanks of a half-told story are at last being filled in. This is not a book for orthodox Christians; I think many would cringe at the power and autonomy given to Mary, not to mention the strong emphasis on goddess worship, and the proposed role of the goddess in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ. Again I ask, fantasy or history? It's anyone's guess.

One of the many elements I liked about the novel was the treatment of Seth Judas, based on the apostle Judas. Kinstler takes the terrible irony of Judas' story -- that he had to betray Jesus in order for God's promise to be fulfilled -- and molds it into a believable account of the person who was perhaps Yeshua's most devoted follower.

That's all I can say without sliding into spoilers. The Moon Under Her Feet is a fantastic read, very well researched and written. Highly recommended for anyone interested in life in the ancient world, the lost traditions of goddess worship, and the veneration of the sacred feminine.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author did a lot of research and presents the story of Mary Magdalene as priestess in the days of Goddess worship. Some people feel that this was deliberately excluded from the Bible by later patriarchs who wrote it to better serve their needs.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was given to me by a friend whose literary tastes I respect, but I'm afraid this a case of a novel that however well-written I couldn't wrap my mind around. The subtitle of the novel is "The Story of Mari Magdalene in the Service of the Great Mother." It's the first person account of the figure we know as Mary Magdalene in the New Testament and here the wife of Jesus. This was written over a decade before The Da Vinci Code, but given her Notes and Bibliography at the back of the book shares some common inspirations. (Notably the whacky cult book Holy Blood, Holy Grail.)

It's not that I'm offended by humanized, alternate or feminist views of Jesus. Quite the contrary. In fact, Kinstler lists in her bibliography a favorite book of mine King Jesus by Robert Graves (author of I, Claudius) that also posits a Jesus of royal birth married to Mary Magdalene. I've read that a Jewish man of that era would routinely be married at Jesus' purported age and even a Catholic priest I heard interviewed said that if Jesus was married there's no better candidate than Mary Magdalene considering scripture. I found it plausible enough I could go with Graves' vision and enjoy his novel.

What I find hard to credit in Kinstler's book isn't a married or human Jesus--it's a Paganized Israel at the time it was a Roman province, with "Magdalene" referring to "the High Priestess" who serves the Mother Goddess right within the temple precincts--in an era when anything smacking of Paganism could cause riots, even uprisings among the populace. It's not as if Judaism and Judea of this period isn't well-documented from many sources including by Romans, Greeks, Egyptians. I could well believe there once was a female counterpart and consort to Yahweh (Jehovah) called Asherah. I completely bought the background of goddess worship in Diamant's The Red Tent set in the time of the Patriarchs. It's certainly plausible in the time of Solomon whose many wives from far flung nations certainly brought with them varied modes of worship. I could easily credit the scenario of Goddess worship and priestesses any time before the Babylonian Exile. I could believe that remnants of goddess worship could be found in folk practice or even in some underground sects in the Israel of the time of Jesus. But accepted as mainstream practice in Second Temple period Judea? I wasn't buying it for a moment and filling a bibliography with the likes of Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Starhawk doesn't gain it one scintilla of credibility with me. Oh, and Judas is really Jesus' evil twin. Really? Enjoying a historical novel depends on a willing suspension of disbelief. And I'm just not willing to believe in the world Kinstler paints.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very interesting read and I found it a fabulous contrast to having just finished reading Kathleen McGowan's Magdalene Line.
What I struggled with was how Kinstler's writing felt like a consistent stretch. There were moments where Kinstler nearly quotes verbatim from the Bible and then makes a complete 180 and is telling the story as related to the journey of Osiris and Isis. It felt as though she was attempting to overlay paganism and Christianity in a way that did not feel like a gap that could be bridged.
I felt conflicted, having been raised in a conservative, Christian home by the way Kinstler seems to stretch so valiantly to make the two stories fit together. I questioned myself as to why McGowan's story was "easier" to accept versus Kinstler's; especially when I have read and studied and found that the story of Christ's life can be found in multiple faith's - Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. While the story changes, the key points remain the same version to version. I believe this is where my conflict arose; rather than telling a beautiful stand-alone story, Kinstler attempts to mash the Christian version with mythology together and this is where the stretch, or gap, just felt too wide.
Overall, it is a well written story, but it did not hold the level of rich depth and research, for me, that McGowan's writing did/does.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "Red Tent" version of the story of Mary Magdalene--makes me look at her in an entirely different way. Exquisitely written.

[Yvonne van der Fluit · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They do not know how to call a powerful woman. So they called her a: whore".

And that's what all powerful unmarried women became: whores.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really shaped a lot of my religious/spiritual views. I also love how it spins some of the Pagan rituals. You get the feeling of how primitive they were, and although I tried not to let it, parts offended my, "Christian" programming - I liked that. The Pagan stuff isn't romanticized in the way it sometimes is. Of course the role of Mary Magdalene as a power figure instead of as a prostitute was cool too. I think the biggest thing I took away from it was that the Bible was written by different people with their own perspectives, and as we all know different perspectives often result in different stories. I remember my roommate in college would be telling a group of people about some hilarious, fun escapade and halfway through I would realize I had been there. I didn't recognize it in the telling, because it just wasn't THAT fun. Anyways, same idea.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an imaginative story of feminist spirituality with Mary Magdalene at its center.

I have read a bit about Magdalene, both fiction an non-fiction based on Scripture. I found it a bit confusing as it, from my understanding, mixed up MM with Martha, Mary and Lazarus who I understand to be totally separate from her. Some of the Passion/Crucifixion/Resurrection re-telling was familiar to me.

On the whole, I didn't really enjoy it. Something I had no expected. Book contains a Notes section as well as a Bibliography, things not common following what I understood to be a work of fiction.

[JHM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorite examples of creative myth-making. Kinstler draws a compelling (if non-historical) portrait of Goddess worship carried out in the temple in ancient Jerusalem and places Mary Magdalene and Jesus squarely within the larger Ancient Near Eastern tradition of sacred/sacrificed kings. Kinstler supplements the canonical gospel accounts with material drawn from the Gnostic gospels, adding an additional level of authenticity to her fiction.

If you take the story on its own terms, it's a beautiful tale of love, challenge, and the life of a dedicated priestess.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I couldn't put this one down. It's heart wrenching and so beautiful! It's the kind of book that really takes you away. I starting taking my own path very seriously after reading it. I firmly believe that every woman (and any man open to it) could learn a lot from this book and relate to more than one character. Enjoy!

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Yeshua (Jesus) and his life as told by Mari (Mary) the Magdalene. It's a different slant on the lives and times of Jesus and his followers and family. It parallels a story line such as the Da Vinci Code.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a very interesting take on the Christian narrative--fictional, of course, but thought-provoking.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this book over and over. It is a different version of the of Mary Magdalene and Jesus and it is very interesting.

[Melissa Frueh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I've read more than once. Love it!

[ALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Clysta Kinstler has spent many years of life teaching subjects very similar to this one, it did not surprise me that this novel was impeccably researched, which is its primary benefit. Her truly beautiful creation of a world dripping with the cultic and mystery religions of the time of Jesus as well as the domestic interactions between Herod and those he colonized, gave me much of the value and pleasure of reading it. There are definitely some parts of the retelling of the Biblical Narrative that may offend many Christians. Understanding her goal was to create a sensual feminine work, at times the dialogue was almost unrealistic and her version of sensual femininity almost satirically overbearing. I would recommend it as a fictionalized account of the historical world many lay Christians will live their whole life never studying, missing significant understanding of the very people Jesus and the Apostles evangelized. A 300 page novel, the meeting of Yeshua seemed very rushed in the last half of the novel, with very little character development of Yeshua and the relationship he had to the rest of the characters. This may be because of the hurriedly told retelling of numerous Biblical accounts. I feel as if the novel could have been another 100 pages long had she spent as much time developing him as she did the characters in the first half of the novel, which were very well done. Thus, the ending held much disappointment and did not give true credit to Kinstler's craft as a storyteller as seen in the first half of the novel.

[Stacey Bengtson · Rating 1 out of 5]

My disappointment in this book is my fault, I should have looked into the background of this book further. I am intrigued and drawn to Mary’s real story. Her character, her background, her Divine relationship with Yeshua. I thought this book would give me further insight, not realizing it was mythology. Though, well written, it painted Mary as this emotionally flimsy, destituted broken woman whose entire emotional landscape is men. For a “feminist” written view, it degraded the Divine Feminine energy and its power here on earth that has been lost (on purpose bc it is so powerful). Mary was powerful, who helped Yeshua attain his light body through sex and the kundalini. Not some woman who had to be with a man to feel whole, hopping around and having babies with them all. Honestly, without getting into it I felt like the author made her into a disgrace compared to who she actually was.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remarkable little book. This is a retelling of the story of Mary Magdalene and Jesus (Mari & Yeshua), overlaid and interwoven with the story of Isis and Osiris. It is a 300 page paperback and there is one point about 200 pages in where there is a rather dull section, but this is entirely worth the rest of the book. It becomes extremely riveting in the last 60 or 70 pages when we come to the final days of Yeshua‘s life. Some of this retelling reflects some of the concepts in the recently discovered Essene scrolls, very well written and thought-provoking even when departing from orthodox reflex-belief.
It gets better as it goes along, and the last 70 pages or so are truly enchanting.
I’ll be feeling this one for a long time.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one well enough to recommend it, even before I finished it. Billed as a 'narrative weaving the biblical account of Mary (Magdalene) and Jesus, the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris, and the Sumerian story of Inanna and Dumuzi', this one is a fairly genius 'modern midrash.' Not mentioned in the general description are the references to Koran and Jewish midrash as well. No matter what you think of the conclusion, or of this portrayal, it's soundly based in early literature. Unlike nearly any book I've ever read, and after thousands of books, that's a rare treat. Helpful: be familiar with Gnostic writings and the Isis/Osiris and Inanna/Dumuzi myths for best understanding.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting combination of the mythology of the goddess Isis-Ashera-Inanna-Astarte-Ishtar and the biblical story of Jesus. Mary, as a priestess of the goddess, was impregnated with Jesus during the Spring festival honoring the goddess. The father of Jesus was sacrificed to the goddess after the marriage night. Mari Magdalene marries Jesus in the same sort of Spring ritual for the goddess. Jesus manipulates the government of Jerusalem into sacrificing him. Mari M. carries Jesus' daughter to term after escaping from Judea to Gaul.

There are a number of fictional items that fly in the face of what we do know about Judeo-Christian tradition; but then there are many who would say that all of the Judeo-Christian traditions are fiction. One example. In this book Judas/Seth is the identical twin of Jesus/Osiris and they use this to their advantage several times to get Jesus out of trouble. At least one of the ancient documents that didn't make it into the bible does say they were twins. In Isis mythology Seth was responsible for killing Osiris so it makes sense that he, as Judas, would betray Jesus.

This book must be read as FICTION!! It is not history.

[Pam Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I didn't get past the second chapter. I only marked this book as Read because Goodreads only offers Read or Want to Read bookshelves. I created a shelf for Don't Want to Read.
Hopefully I've learned my lesson. There's something about Mary Magdalene that attracts wacko nut jobs. Some people see her as an invitation to fantasize according to their own pre-inclinations. There's nothing to learn here.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remarkable novel is both a beautifully told story, and an intriguing (if hypothetical) work of anthropological reconstruction. I was moved by the expression of many forms of love it explores (romantic, certainly, but so much more beyond that), as well as its deep spiritual resonance. Having dedicated a significant amount of research to early Middle Eastern mythology and the lore of Mary Magdalene, it was wonderful to see the two topics blended so masterfully in this narrative.

[Kathryn Sturges · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I found this book hard to get into. But once I got the rhythm of the text I couldn't put the book down! Such a fabulous retelling of the story of Jesus and it makes you wonder about all the details that are left out of the Bible. I really enjoyed the way the author pulled together references from Gnosticism with historical facts to make the story come to life. Great read!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved some aspects of this book. Always love a book set in a priestess temple. Interesting to hear some of the political situation in those days. Makes me want to read a book on Jewish history.

[Christie Emler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grateful to have read this interesting account of Jesus's life (more actually the lives of the Mary's in his life). An imaginative and researched telling of the religious story from a more feminine and Goddess perspective. Thank you Deb for sharing with me!

[Deborah Adebo · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the high ratings of this book. I was expecting to be engrossed. Nope had to push myself thru it. Just okay for me.

[Bonni Cardoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book.. I will read it again and again!

[Brook Packard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to leave a poor review, but if you enjoy feminist theology and historical novels, save yourself.

[Sesilia Spiritus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thinking of the story of the book

[Aiyah Pomsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a well written book that takes you on the journey of Mary Magdalene. I could not stop reading. It was inspiring and showed me the lost mysteries of the role of the feminine divine.