During the rise of the terrorist movement ISIS over a decade ago, the world was horrified by their cruel medieval butchery displayed in barbaric live streamed executions. These executions included burning people alive and hacking off heads. The horror stories of ISIS are the same horror stories of the past as seen in the crusades, the extermination of the Cathars and the witch trials of Salem. Religious men, obsessed with power and privilege; driven by sadism; devoid of mercy, and willing to do the unthinkable to satisfy their depraved egos.
Joan of Arc suffered a similarly horrific end to her young life as did the victims of ISIS. Religious institutions tend to have histories of persecuting mystics, especially women mystics. Hildegarde of Bingen had a narrow escape. Theresa of Avila knew she risked the inquisition if she were not careful. Burning people alive was a terrifying display of absolute power that made people afraid to question and act with compliance. The deluded men of finery have gone to terrible lengths to control and create compliance.
Joan was not prepared to relinquish the autonomy of her mysticism to the religious judiciary of her time. She was not intimidated by the threat of fire. Her direct experience of the divine voice was utterly real to her and as natural to her as breathing. Mystics terrify religious gatekeepers. The mystic is communing with true power without the mediation of the religious gatekeeper. The mystic reminds people that the divine life dwells within them too, and can be accessed without intermediaries.
The gift that St Joan can offer us today is to remind us that we are all mystics in potential. We are emanations of Our Source. When we realise that we are fractals of divine Source and that others are too, we move into wonderful but dangerous territory. There are some who feel threatened by the autonomy of the mystic. Some will say to you that you are dancing with the devil, disobedient and in danger of hell. They said the same to Joan. But she did not allow them to control her conscience. And you don’t have to either