The Women, the Wisdom, and the Animals: What We Forgot About Easter

By Julie Tourangeau | Good Friday, 2025

Before the tomb was empty…

before the stone was rolled away…

before the anointing and the rising and the glory…

there was a moment we rarely talk about.

And it didn’t happen on a hill.

It happened in the Temple.

It was there that Jesus walked in, looked around, and did what no one else dared:

He freed the animals.

The Cleansing of the Temple Was a Liberation

All four canonical gospels record the Temple cleansing, but what most people miss is why it mattered so much.

Jesus didn’t just flip tables to make a scene.

He drove out the sellers of doves. He freed the lambs and oxen being sold for sacrifice.

According to the Gospel of the Nazarenes, a lost early gospel aligned with the Essenes:

“He drove out the animals and said, ‘Cease your wicked sacrifices! Do you not see that innocent blood cries out from the earth?’”

In that moment, Jesus publicly rejected the sacrificial system—a system that normalized bloodshed and called it holy. He saw through the illusion of substitutionary violence and revealed the deeper truth:

The Holy Spirit is not found in the shedding of blood, but in the honoring of life.

And from that moment on, the system moved to silence him.

The First Step Toward Resurrection Was Setting the Innocent Free

Let this sink in:

It wasn’t the miracles that got Jesus killed.

It wasn’t the healings or the parables or even claiming to be the Son of God.

It was the moment he freed the animals that the wheels of execution began to turn.

This was the turning point—not just in his story, but in ours.

Because Jesus wasn’t just liberating animals. He was exposing a system—religious, economic, cultural—that had come to depend on suffering.

And he showed us what it looks like to say:

No more.

The Divine Feminine Knew

Many people associate Easter with the idea that Jesus died to pay for our sins—but that interpretation came later. The earliest followers of Jesus saw his life and death not as a blood payment, but as a revelation of divine love and a call to awaken the Christ within. Texts like The Gospel of the Holy Twelve remind us that his suffering was not about appeasing wrath, but about healing hearts, breaking chains, and showing us the path of compassion, even in the face of injustice.

What followed was suffering, yes—but also sacred initiation. And through it all, the ones who stayed near were not the theologians or temple authorities. It was the women.

Grief was his first initiation, through Miriam, the young woman with whom Jesus lived for seven years before her death. According to The Gospel of the Holy Twelve, it was her passing that opened his heart to the deeper path. According to this gospel, « Grief didn’t weaken him. It awakened him. »

Before knowing about this grief story of Jesus, I wrote about my own:

“Without my dark night of the soul, and without having challenging circumstances, I wouldn’t have grown my blessings… Painful change is sometimes exactly what we need to shake things up. Living through trauma, family drama, and the grief of losing a loved one can feel almost like an endless dark tunnel… Grief is just love with seemingly no place to go, but when you realize love shared is eternal, you can finally let go of the pain and gain the wisdom that is rightly yours.” — Free Yourself from Grief, Chapter 5

Compassion was his final anointing, through Mary Magdalene—not a sinner, but a priestess. She anointed his feet, honoring him with a sacred rite passed down through feminine lineages.

And when he was crucified, it was Magdalene who remained. While the male disciples fled, she stood at the cross, and three days later, she was the first to see him risen.

The resurrection was not first revealed to Rome or religion. It was revealed to her.

And wisdom—Sophia—was the soul behind it all.

The Spirit of God that hovered over the waters in Genesis.

The voice crying out in the streets in Proverbs.

The divine spark in all life, calling us home.

What if Easter was just the beginning?

While many see the resurrection as the end of Jesus’ story, ancient traditions—especially in southern France—tell a different tale. According to Provençal legend, Mary Magdalene journeyed to France after the crucifixion, carrying not only the memory of Jesus but the living essence of his teachings. Some say she preached love and liberation from a cave near Sainte-Baume, others believe she brought with her the sacred feminine that was erased from the official story. The Holy Grail Legends say she brought his bloodline to France, and they still walk Earth among us to this very day.

Easter Is the Unveiling of Compassion

This Easter, I invite you to see the resurrection not as a distant miracle, but a living pattern.

The pattern begins with letting go of violence.

It moves through grief.

It is held by the feminine.

And it ends in freedom—not just for ourselves, but for all of creation.

Resurrection isn’t just rising from the dead.

It’s refusing to live by death.

It’s refusing to justify harm.

It’s the choice to let the doves go free.

To Walk the Lost Path to Freedom This Easter Is To Remember:

• The animals were the first to be freed.

• The women were the first to understand.

• Sophia is the wisdom that lives in you.

• The Holy Spirit is the breath that animates all life.

• And love is not proven through suffering, but through liberation.

This Easter, may we not just celebrate a risen Christ,

but live like him.

May we be the ones who open the cages,

who hold the grief,

who anoint the new day.

May we rise—not above the world, but for it.

Free the animals.

Free the heart.

And the stone will roll away.

Rose Sourdough Shortbread Cookies

Rose Sourdough Shortbread Cookies using sourdough discard.

• ¾ cup vegan salted butter softened (I used Miyokos Oatmilk butter)

• ¾ granulated sugar

• 133 grams sourdough discard, at room temperature

• 1 Tablespoon rose petals

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon rose extract

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS

• In the bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer for a few minutes until fluffy. Add sourdough discard, dried rose petals and, vanilla and rose extracts, mixing until combined.

I added optional elderberry syrup.

• Add flour slowly during mixing until a dough forms.

Formed dough after mixing with hands a little after the mixer.

• Using a scale, divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into loaf shape or whatever shape you want to cut your cookies into. Put the dough into plastic bags, then chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Loaf shaped dough ready for the fridge.

• Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

• Take out the chilled dough loaves and use a large knife to cut into 1/2-1 inch thick slices.

• Transfer the slices to the baking sheet.

• Bake one sheet at time for 15 minutes or until the cookies are just becoming golden brown at the bottom edges. They will still be very light. Let the cookies cool before plating.

Indigo Problems: Modern Dating 

Our generation is full of fiery indigo spiritual warriors who want humanity to be free. Indigos stand up for injustice on such a passionate platform, no matter where the chips may fall. These characteristics, while admirable, don’t always translate well into the dating world. Commitment, devotion and loyalty may seem to be synonymous with wearing shackles, tethering yourself to another individual for the indigo. The indigo spirit shuns anything that seems to impose on personal freedoms, including being with someone which may seem to limit your freedom connecting with others.

Even those who are experiencing synchronicity with a potential mate may run into doubts and problems. Synchronicity is a term coined by psychologist Carl Jung. He recognized that meaningful coincidences exist in this world as confirmation from the universe. What helped me recognize meaningful coincidences as miraculous is actually having a business background. Once you study statistics, you realize that the chances of experiencing a string of profound coincidences are one in a billion. Albert Einstein believed that coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. My experiences have confirmed that synchronicity is experiencing the most tangible presence of God in this third dimensional density. I see answers to my prayers come to me when I follow synchronicity. It’s here for everyone but because we have free will, we can choose to ignore it. We can choose to live without it. We can choose to turn our backs to the miraculous. 

Why do people choose to ignore divine guidance? This topic could be an article all on it’s own, but the most simple answer is fear. Following synchronicity means you are trusting in a divine intelligence. Many people struggle to give up their need to control everything. Following divine guidance is a form of surrendering your ego. Letting go of the ego can be difficult, depending where you are at on your spiritual journey. 

As an intuitive and former whistleblower, I strongly identify with indigo qualities. I, however, feel great freedom in love. Here’s why: to be unconditionally loved by someone is the greatest form of freedom you’ll ever know. To be yourself, unapologetically, and to still have someone love you unconditionally empowers you to just be you. Making that switch in my mind that love doesn’t mean you limit my choices, but love means you build upon and strengthen who I am, has made the difference in opening my heart to love. 

We live in an abundant universe so never believe for a second that love will be denied. The most important thing you can do is to love yourself. Focus on things that inspire you. Follow your passions. Do things that interest you. These actions will lead you to people who also share similar passions. You’ll find that love you are looking for as soon as you call off the search. There is great freedom in love, and recognizing that fact will soothe even the most rebellious indigo soul. 

Soulmates, Twin Flames, and Lessons: How Do We Know?


Soulmates, twin flames, and lessons: how do we know? And more importantly, how can we manifest these unions? It’s taken a lot of love and a lot of loss for me to gain some clarity on romance for the spiritually-minded goddess. When you have developed your intuition and empathy over the years, when you do finally meet someone who lights you up, your love is intense, the signs will come flying, and you may find yourself overcome with passion for that individual. The difficult balance is communicating these intense feelings without scaring off your potential partner. The beautiful news is that like attracts like, and the person you are connecting with has likely seen the synchronistic moments, felt your loving presence, and also has some type of passion for you as well. The interesting question on my mind is what if the other person hasn’t quite mastered their intuition or opened their heart fully? The impatience sets in when you realize union between two flames can only happen once both people are tuned in to their divine guidance and loving themselves completely. Only then will you be ready to love each other in such a deeply conscious way. 

The magical element to attraction is that every person sent to you is meant to teach you something. You may go through years of failed attempts at love and then finally meet someone who makes you realize the divine timing behind it all. That kind of bliss will help you recognize that all the trials and tribulations were worth it. 
Confusion may set in if the relationship feels familiar– like you’ve known them before. A sense of deja vu can denote a prior lifetime together. These types of relationships often come with karmic baggage that need to be recognized, worked through, and healed. Many people incarnate together over lifetimes because they are part of the same soul group, or soulmates. They can even be family members or friends, not just romantic partners. These relationships are not always rainbows and butterflies. Soulmates help each other grow and transform, which can sometimes be painful. Soulmate relationships can also manifest joy, abundance, and playfulness. The wide spectrum of communication, from deeply concerning topics to blissful days of love and laughter, will keep these soulmates anything but bored. They could spend hours together and still have a lot to talk about. Other days, they could sit in silence and still understand what the other is feeling based on feeling their vibe. Since you’ve known each other through many physical densities, the soul is the one constant connection. And feeling a connection with someone on that level will bring many ethereal ideas and energies into the physical.

We live in a very interesting time of life. The Earth is transmuting old stagnant energies into a golden age. In preparation of that, many people are coming into union with their twin flame. A twin flame is like a soulmate, and can have very similar vibes, but these relationships are more intense. Why? Because a twin flame is literally your parallel soul. Many clairvoyants say that twin flames come into union during their last lifetimes on Earth, once they are the most spiritually evolved through lifetimes of learning. When twins meet each other, they will find a lot of similarities between them even though they have never physically met before. They will find themselves drawn to one another for some reason. That’s because they have been joined in the 5th dimension way before either of them incarnated here. Their lives may share a lot of parallels. They may have similar ancestry, share similar childhood experiences, maybe they’ve even had the same family pets, or come into a lot of money, and lost it all supporting their families at similar times. Maybe they even eat similarly no matter how strange the diet is in terms of societal norms. Maybe there’s a telepathic element there where you seem to be listening to the same songs, or feeling each other’s feelings even without saying a word. I’m speaking from experience. When twins come together, their energy is joyful yet intense. Their childlike humor and sense of adventure makes everyone around them feel happy. They help each other grow and challenge each other like soulmates do, but a twin also comes with many keys of happiness the other needs and vice versa. When twin flames come into union, it’s a huge blessing to not only themselves, but the world. We live in a world of free will choices though and twins and soulmates may choose to experience relationships with other people. When that happens, your 5th dimensional self often knows the divine timing behind why you are separated from your twin, even though your 3rd dimensional self may not fully understand. Everything happens for a reason, even if our finite human minds may not comprehend the reasoning. The point is though, once they come into contact, they are both forever changed. 

While the intensity of these relationships have the potential to rock your world, they also have the potential to heal your world. It’s about which mind you and your soulmate are feeding: one of fear or one of love. We live in a free world so the decision is yours. The beautiful thing is that there is never a wrong decision. Either way, you will learn. Keep in mind that love experienced between two beings is just recognition of the source within another person. This is always within you. You do not need a twin or a soulmate to feel the loving energy of the universe. However, having someone to channel those higher dimensional energies with does bring many additional blessings to this planet. When we send each other love, it builds. 

If you desire to manifest a relationship like this, the best thing you can do is to decide to love yourself. When you work on becoming your greatest version and following your bliss, you’ll attract the higher self of someone else who is also coming into their own. Furthermore, doing things that you are passionate about will lead you to places where others are also passionate about similar things. It’s there that you’ll meet your soul group, your tribe. If you think you’ve met this person, heart to heart conversations are key. Keeping information is literally keeping someone in the dark. Shed light on how you are feeling. Also, buckle up, buttercup. There are many stages twins go through before coming into union. While the fairytale stage is blissful, the turmoil of purging any fears stage, and the runner and the chaser stage is not for the weak of heart. If it’s meant to be, it will happen. Let it go and see what comes back. It is in the moments we stop looking that it comes to fruition. ✨

The Goddesses of Easter: Ostara vs Ishtar

May you all have a blessed Spring Equinox this year!

Julie Tourangeau's avatarJulie Tourangeau

A few years ago, I had a dramatic restoration of faith in God. During this time of my life, my husband and I ended up renting out to a roommate to help with bills. I don’t believe it was an accident that he just so happened to hold a bachelor’s degree from one of the state’s best universities in Comparative Religions. Since he did not personally affiliate with any particular religion, I often got an unbiased perspective of the control of information (and sometimes misinformation) in religions. I found myself asking him many questions on historical references for things I had been discovering through intuition and spiritual truths. Growing up, I had lost interest in traditional holidays I celebrated in my Catholic upbringing, but I found myself on a quest to separate fact from fiction on why the modern world practices and believes what it does. Holiday origins were some…

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Spring Equinox 2015: A Solar Eclipse Super New Moon 

 
This Friday, March 20th, is a very rare event in astrology. We will be experiencing a total solar eclipse. According the Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. Blog, the solar eclipse will be in the very last moments of pisces, which has to do with our emotions. The moon will be passing through the Earth and the sun, which will be visible in parts of Europe and Africa. The solar eclipses of the past have been used in astrology for manifestation between the event and the next full moon. What makes this solar eclipse unique is that the moon is not only a new moon, but a Super New Moon, meaning the moon is at its closest orbit to Earth. Manifestation abilities will be dramatically heightened, so make sure to keep your thoughts at their highest levels. 

What takes this event to the next noteworthy level is that this all happens to fall on the Spring Equinox. The Spring Equinox has been celebrated in human history as a time of increased light, abundance, enlightenment, and healing. From Christianity, to Wiccan tradition, the Spring Equinox is prevalent in many religions, holidays and traditions (See The Goddesses of Easter: Ostara vs Ishtar). The spring equinox is a time honored tradition that shifts previously stagnant energy from the winter, into a time of movement specifically abundance, fertility, and increased light. Scientifically speaking, our days will be full of more sunlight. 



This event will not only affect us energetically on the individual level, but also as a collective. Any obstacles that have been in the way during the winter months will be removed. Our emotions will give us insights on what hasn’t been working for us. Anything negative will be washed away and replaced with something positive, as long as we are willing to let go of what has been holding us back. Take inventory of what’s no longer serving you. This is the perfect time for a spiritual spring cleaning. 

This is a time to reflect on our desires, and how we can best help the planet as a whole. The desire to manifest events to help others will be rewarded at this time. Increased light will bring through our benevolent Angels and guides, who wish to help us with these changes. The effects of this event energetically will be continuing for months ahead. Take a moment this Friday to close your eyes, and envision this planet within a vibration of peace and serenity. Anything that will help you along your path of extending peace to others is something you should set your intention on manifesting. Happy Solar Eclipse, Super Moon, and Spring Equinox Day! 

Beyond the Superstition: Friday the 13th

Where we find superstition in our society, I find that there is a real, higher science explanation. We often fear what we have yet to understand. After studying numerology, I find that fears regarding numbers have to do entirely with perception. We perceive things within a range of a love vibration and a vibration of fear. The number thirteen has been both feared and celebrated throughout history. Furthermore, our thoughts affect our reality. We can attract tangible things from non-tangible thoughts ( See Living the Law of Attraction) .

If we wake up expecting bad things to happen, you will attract that experience. The opposite is also true. This is why studying the positive frequency within numbers can help you attract positivity. For instance, seeing 666 can either paralyze you with fear or help you re-center your thoughts on light and love, depending on your beliefs. An angel frequency of 666 means that your guides are bringing your attention to the fact that you should let go of fearful illusions and that you may be too materially mindful in that moment. The number thirteen has many meanings. Our negative perception of 13 can come from the number of knots on a noose, the number of witches in a covent, and the thirteenth card in tarot, an ancient form of fortune telling, being death. Of course, death is not always a bad card. Death, after all, can mean a new beginning.

In numerology, 1’s have to do with manifestation and 3’s have to do with ascension and those who have ascended, like Jesus and Buddha. Thirteen signifies, in new age philosophy, the divine feminine, specifically female ascended masters like Quan Yin and Lakshmi. Most women have 13 menstruation cycles in a year, giving the number feminine energy. According to Angel Numerologist and clairvoyant, Doreen Virtue, PhD, 13 signifies that the female ascended masters are helping you manifest positivity by keeping your thoughts positive.

Our founding fathers in America respected the number 13 and harnessed the energy to bless our nation. Some of our greatest thinkers in America’s history including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington to name a few, belonged to the Freemasons who believed 13 to have a spiritual purpose. Our dollar bill is littered with 13, from rows of bricks on the pyramid, to the 13 arrows in the eagle’s left talon, to the 13 leaves and 13 olives on the branch.

IMG_0359Friday the 13th is a day of divine energy and manifestation. Your thoughts will determine what you manifest. Will your day be one filled with bad luck or one filled with divine blessings? That is truly the beauty of being free willed beings. You have the opportunity to harness the energy to create whatever experience you desire. Law of attraction is a higher science we are just beginning to understand and see evidence of in our society. Since we are heading in to a weekend of love, focusing on the energy of love can attract more of the experience into your life.

To keep your thoughts positive, use this affirmation:

I am a being of love, and I intentionally manifest a day of love for myself and everyone I come in contact with today.

Happy Friday the Thirteenth!
xo Julie Tour

The Goddesses of Easter: Ostara vs Ishtar

A few years ago, I had a dramatic restoration of faith in God. During this time of my life, I ended up renting out to a roommate to help with bills. I don’t believe it was an accident that he just so happened to hold a bachelor’s degree from one of the state’s best universities in Comparative Religions. Since he did not personally affiliate with any particular religion, I often got an unbiased perspective of the control of information (and sometimes misinformation) in religions. I found myself asking him many questions on historical references for things I had been discovering through intuition and spiritual truths. Growing up, I had lost interest in traditional holidays I celebrated in my Catholic upbringing, but I found myself on a quest to separate fact from fiction on why the modern world practices and believes what it does. Holiday origins were some of the most surprising findings.

My old roommate was the first person who ever informed me about the calendar as we know it today. He spoke of Constantine who was burdened with the task of unifying the Pagans and the Christians, who had been brutally killing each other over religious disputes at the time of his reign. It was under his rule that birthed the calendar of mainstream religious holidays we know in modern times. Pagan holidays were rewritten to fit the life of Christ. As a leader, it is not difficult to understand why compromising between the two belief systems made the most sense at the time. Unfortunately, what we are left with is an untrue depiction of history. While I am a true believer in Jesus and the miracles he performed, I can confidently say that Easter is not the exact time of the resurrection. Furthermore, Christmas is also historically incorrect in timing of Jesus’ birth.

There is much dispute over the true origins of Easter. I have come to accept two different goddesses (with a small g) who, prior to Constantine, were the two celebrated deities associated with the Spring Equinox in different parts of the world: Ishtar and Ostara. While many people across the country are showing interest in Ishtar due to the similar pronunciation, Ostara undoubtedly has had a lasting impact on Easter.

Ishtar has been worshipped and called upon since ancient Babylonian times. She embodies the very strong, feminine energy of Venus. Ishtar represents the Divine feminine in her aspects such as harvesting, mothering, fertility, healing, and love. It should come to no surprise that she was celebrated during Easter time during the Spring Equinox. While Ishtar’s true animal totems are the owl and the lion, eggs and rabbits have been associated symbolically in Paganism with fertility, which is an aspect of Ishtar.

20140419-211059.jpgOstara (in Old English spelled Ēastre) was a Germanic goddess and diety I had never heard of until I drew her card in Dr. Doreen Virtue’s Goddesses Oracle Card deck. As a clairevoyant, Doreen credits both “East” and “Easter” to being named after Ostara, who is celebrated as the bringer of light. She explains that this was due to “the sun rising in the East, and the increase in sunlight beginning in the Celtic springtime.” Ostara’s true symbols (as pictured) are the rabbit and the egg, which is undoubtedly where the Easter bunny comes from.

20140419-210711.jpg
Photo Credit: Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards by Dr. Doreen Virtue, Ph.D

While both goddesses were celebrated during Easter, I still do not believe this should deter Christians from celebrating Easter. This battle between Paganism and Christianity has been going on for far too long. Are we really going to carry on our arguments of our ancestors? While I believe in the divine feminine, I also believe Jesus was as real as you and I, and I honor him, his message of love, and the miracles he performed. It really shouldn’t be about when and where we celebrate these amazing beings as much as how we are implementing their teachings in our day-to-day lives.