Amulets of Mary Oracle and Blessing Set

Blessing Amulets of Mary Oracle Set

The Amulets of Mary Oracle is a two-fold oracle, blessing and healing set incorporating various ancient traditions including the Benedicaria, the sacred path of the pilgrim and priestesshood in the Temple of Mary and the sanctification of the ordinary through the blessing way.

The Amulets of Mary Oracle and the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck are a culmination of my own conscious spiritual journey of the past 25 years.  It incorporates the practise of Sacred Altarmaking, the devotion of the pilgrim to sacred places, the use of holy waters and relics, the creation of sacred oils and elixers and my work as Diksha giver (Blessing giver) and Guru in the Shaktipat tradition of the Great Mother and my devotion to the Blessed Mary.

Recently, through various books (all listed in the Bibliography of the accompanying booklet) 

I learnt about the ancient tradition of Benedicaria and the work of a Benedetta.  Although I am not born into the Italian culture, my journey as pilgrim did start in Italy with the call issued by Archangel Michael to visit his grotto in Mont Sant’Angelo and I see myself as a modern Benedetta, continuously uncovering more.

The Amulets can be used with and alongside the Mysteries of Mary Tarot cards.

Benedicaria, the Blessing Way, is an ancient

Catholic and domestic folk tradition practised by the Italians in Southern Italy.  This tradition is fast fading from modern society, but many of its practises are still part of syncretic worship and devotion.

One who practices the Benedicaria, is known as a Benedetta, or a Wise Woman and a Benedetto, a Wise Man .  Benedicaria is a private form of practising your religion and it blends with many domestic practises, such as the blessing of animals and herbs, infusing oils and elixers, creating an altar, using flowers and holy cards for blessings and wisdom.

Benedicaria is predominantly a woman’s practise.  A Benedetta has much in common with the goddess archetypes of Demeter, Hestea, Bridgit and even Athena.   She is the homemaker, mother, herbalist, gardener, chef and healer.  This role is not regarded as of any importance in modern society, but for one who is spiritually aware and who undertakes these tasks with great intent, she understands the spiritual force that is being wielded.  The preparing of food is not only a physical act, but a spiritual one.  If this is done in love it will bless the family;  if done in anger and ignorance, it will curse the family.  The motto ‘cleanliness next to godliness’ means much more than meets the eye.  When you keep your spiritual space, ie the home clean, you also keep your spirit and its physical space clean.

The physical life and its objects are manifestations and representations of the life and existence of the spirit.  Taking care of our physical life is a sacred task and when performed with intent and awareness we realise that the ordinary is indeed sacred.

Every Benedetta will have a home altar and a personal altar.  The Amulets of Mary Oracle set can be placed on your altar along with the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck.

With the Amulets of Mary blessing set you will receive guidelines for

creating an altar, using coloured candles, how to use the casting cloth,

the holy cards and more.

The novena prayers are an important part of the Benedicaria.  A novena is a prayer that is said for nine days consecutively.  It is said that the first Apostles prayed for nine days between Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.  The number 9 is a very powerful number in numerology (the science of numbers).  Usually a novena is accompanies by candles, rosaries and ritual such as sacred shrine making (see my blog http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com) for my art novenas to Our Lady of Lourdes.  The ancient novena prayers are used in conjunction with all of the above as well as an image of the Saint and those who you are praying for.

It is also practise to include the colour of the Saint or Holy One that you are asking for help.

The Amulets of Mary Blessing set consists of a blessed casting cloth, a set of 45 charms in a small bag, nestled in a tin;  a set of holy cards in a linen scapular bag;

an accompanying spiral bound guide book; a small statue for the altar and other options.

Each set is completely unique and one of a kind and cannot be replicated exactly as I use vintage charms, hand cast silver charms and vintage holy cards amongst others.

There are various sets available :  some are dedicated to a particular saint or saints; others to Mary and Her apparitions or a specific apparition, etc. 

You will find more information on the various available sets at The French Madonna on Etsy.com or on my blog.

The casting cloth has been blessed by touching it to the second and third holy relics of Mary’s sacred chemise and roses from St Terese’s sacred garden, as well as roses from the garden of St Francis and other holy relics.  It has also been sprinkled with holy water from Lourdes and Ngome.

On the casting cloth is a hand drawn diagram.  

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee

Blessed art thou among women

and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb

Holy Mary,  Mother of God,

oh Rose Queen

Bestow your Blessing upon us

Now and Forever

Blessings

Hettienne

The French Madonna

www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

Mary Magdalene as Black Madonna

The Tree of Choices
Mysteries of Mary Tarot
www.hergracesacredart.com

VI  TREE OF CHOICES

Traditionally The Lovers

‘God planted trees in a garden. Humans lived among those trees, they were not yet divided when they were told: Eat from this tree or do not eat from it.’ Logion 94, The Gospel of Philip

The tree plays an important role in the Mysteries.  In this card we are confronted with the Tree of Choices.  In the Biblical and Judaic stories there are different versions of the trees of Paradise.  It would seem that there was in truth only one tree, the Tree of Life.  This is an ancient symbol of the self-sustaining and regenerating power of a spirit filled world. In the story, this tree was later split into two, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After the split of the trees we see that they are now in opposition to each other. After the fall of Adam and Eve, caused by their eating from the fruit of the tree of Knowledge, humanity was cut off and banned from the Tree of Life.  The Tree of Life promised eternal life and humanity was now doomed to a mortal and exiled life.

In this shrine I compare the metaphor of the two trees with the way in which our culture have split value and worthiness of masculine and feminine and then still further dividing the feminine into the ‘good girl/virgin/wife/mother and the bad girl/lover/wise woman.  This split is reflected in the way that the stories of Mariam of Nazareth and Miriam of Magdala, is interpreted and held up as image of the two aspects of woman .

Popular legend has assigned the apple tree to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  The apple is a powerful symbol of woman and her feminine sexual nature. (Also see V Holy Rood, The Handless Maiden for more on the symbolism of the apple tree).  In this version of the story of the Fall of Man, woman and her sexual nature is held responsible for their eviction from Paradise.  So right at the onset a woman has been forbidden from getting to know and understand her complex sexual nature. There is an inherent sexuality in physical bodies; one could say that the soul radiates its mystical and sexual nature through its physical cloak.  But humanity has been severed from this mystery and all its gifts.

In the Christian story we are only told the story of Mary the Virgin-Mother, the one who conceived immaculately and who remained a virgin even after the birth of her son.  We never really meet Mary the Beloved of Jesus, the Bride of the Bridal Chamber, the one who is called the Magdalene.  Mary the Mother of God is indeed a Bride without a Bridegroom as She is the Bride of the Spirit, but there is another sacrament in the mysteries, that of the Bride and the Beloved Bridegroom..  This brings us to Mary Magdalene and the various interpretations of her role in the story of Jesus and the three Marys.  Few accept Mary Magdalene as the beloved or the bride of Jesus the Bridegroom.  Mary Magdalene has been blackened in reputation by various authors of religion through the centuries and mostly she has only been seen as an unholy woman who indulges in pleasures of the flesh.  Religion has always separated the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit and especially in the treatment of women as wives, lovers and mistresses.  And we see this split right at the start of the story with the two trees in the Garden of Paradise.  

In this card we see Mary the Mother with the rosary in her hands and we see the black Mary as she is depicted in the poem ‘The Thunder, Perfect Mind’ in the Nag Hammadi library.  In this shrine she represents Mary Magdalene and ultimately both together represent the Feminine Soul and aspect of the eternal feminine.  Both these women carry the name Mary and to me it is an important indicator that there is an important hidden message for those with ears to hear.  The split between the Madonna and the whore is active in many layers of our cultures.  Women are demonised for the expression of their sexuality, whereas men are honoured and revered for their sexual prowess. 

In the traditional Lovers card we often see a male hero struggling for a choice between two women.  In the Mysteries card we have the female version of the choices card.  Women are mostly compared to men and masculine pursuits and rarely in relation to other women and themselves.  This creates an imbalance in women and a suppression of womanly ways and feminine relational values.

Hecate, goddess of choices, is often shown with three roads behind her.  One plus one equals three: new life is born from struggling and discord. Living with the tension of the opposites, allowing disagreement and another's voice that differ from yours, to be heard, brings awareness to the glassy mind, of the awesome beauty of creating a life that has meaning. There is a place where all the rivers converge and that place is the Sacred Heart of humanity. 

Through the union of the opposites, that is, through the marriage of two opposing forces, a third force is born.  This is the meaning of creativity and the magical nature of the number three.  (This card is a six and thus contains two threes). On the path of divine love, the magical child of love and hope is born from the marriage of the opposites.

The braid of life contains three strands which can be symbolised by the colours white, red and black.  In the ancient cultures the hawthorn tree was regarded as a sacred tree. Today the hawthorn tree is sacred to Mary and the goddess as well. This specific tree contains all three elements of the thread of life and even more importantly, they overlap. The white blossoms start to form whilst the red berries and black seeds are still hanging on the thickly leaved branches.

 The white is regarded as the 'virgin', the cycle of spring and new beginnings; the red berries represent summer and the fullness of the season and the physical acts of sensuality and joy and loving and the black seed contains the potential of fathering the new life and it also is the end of the life of the berry.

As we dance and weave with the tension of desire and repulsion between the opposites of life, we discover new possibilities, new experiences and we weave a new story.

This shrine and card represent choices. The Tree of Choices invites you to consider the choice to say ‘both’ instead of the black and white rationale of ‘either/or’.  You will be given the opportunity to make a decision and you are reminded that it is possible to find a new way and a different way of reacting and of doing things.  You are reminded that it is only fear that will force you into a corner, and thereby denying half the picture.  When you are willing to keep an open mind and an open heart, it is possible for a new vision to be born.

blessings

Hettienne

Mary Magdalene as Black Madonna

The Tree of Choices
Mysteries of Mary Tarot
www.hergracesacredart.com

VI  TREE OF CHOICES

Traditionally The Lovers

‘God planted trees in a garden. Humans lived among those trees, they were not yet divided when they were told: Eat from this tree or do not eat from it.’ Logion 94, The Gospel of Philip

The tree plays an important role in the Mysteries.  In this card we are confronted with the Tree of Choices.  In the Biblical and Judaic stories there are different versions of the trees of Paradise.  It would seem that there was in truth only one tree, the Tree of Life.  This is an ancient symbol of the self-sustaining and regenerating power of a spirit filled world. In the story, this tree was later split into two, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After the split of the trees we see that they are now in opposition to each other. After the fall of Adam and Eve, caused by their eating from the fruit of the tree of Knowledge, humanity was cut off and banned from the Tree of Life.  The Tree of Life promised eternal life and humanity was now doomed to a mortal and exiled life.

In this shrine I compare the metaphor of the two trees with the way in which our culture have split value and worthiness of masculine and feminine and then still further dividing the feminine into the ‘good girl/virgin/wife/mother and the bad girl/lover/wise woman.  This split is reflected in the way that the stories of Mariam of Nazareth and Miriam of Magdala, is interpreted and held up as image of the two aspects of woman .

Popular legend has assigned the apple tree to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  The apple is a powerful symbol of woman and her feminine sexual nature. (Also see V Holy Rood, The Handless Maiden for more on the symbolism of the apple tree).  In this version of the story of the Fall of Man, woman and her sexual nature is held responsible for their eviction from Paradise.  So right at the onset a woman has been forbidden from getting to know and understand her complex sexual nature. There is an inherent sexuality in physical bodies; one could say that the soul radiates its mystical and sexual nature through its physical cloak.  But humanity has been severed from this mystery and all its gifts.

 

In the Christian story we are only told the story of Mary the Virgin-Mother, the one who conceived immaculately and who remained a virgin even after the birth of her son.  We never really meet Mary the Beloved of Jesus, the Bride of the Bridal Chamber, the one who is called the Magdalene.  Mary the Mother of God is indeed a Bride without a Bridegroom as She is the Bride of the Spirit, but there is another sacrament in the mysteries, that of the Bride and the Beloved Bridegroom..  This brings us to Mary Magdalene and the various interpretations of her role in the story of Jesus and the three Marys.  Few accept Mary Magdalene as the beloved or the bride of Jesus the Bridegroom.  Mary Magdalene has been blackened in reputation by various authors of religion through the centuries and mostly she has only been seen as an unholy woman who indulges in pleasures of the flesh.  Religion has always separated the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit and especially in the treatment of women as wives, lovers and mistresses.  And we see this split right at the start of the story with the two trees in the Garden of Paradise.  

In this card we see Mary the Mother with the rosary in her hands and we see the black Mary as she is depicted in the poem ‘The Thunder, Perfect Mind’ in the Nag Hammadi library.  In this shrine she represents Mary Magdalene and ultimately both together represent the Feminine Soul and aspect of the eternal feminine.  Both these women carry the name Mary and to me it is an important indicator that there is an important hidden message for those with ears to hear.  The split between the Madonna and the whore is active in many layers of our cultures.  Women are demonised for the expression of their sexuality, whereas men are honoured and revered for their sexual prowess. 

In the traditional Lovers card we often see a male hero struggling for a choice between two women.  In the Mysteries card we have the female version of the choices card.  Women are mostly compared to men and masculine pursuits and rarely in relation to other women and themselves.  This creates an imbalance in women and a suppression of womanly ways and feminine relational values.

Hecate, goddess of choices, is often shown with three roads behind her.  One plus one equals three: new life is born from struggling and discord. Living with the tension of the opposites, allowing disagreement and another's voice that differ from yours, to be heard, brings awareness to the glassy mind, of the awesome beauty of creating a life that has meaning. There is a place where all the rivers converge and that place is the Sacred Heart of humanity. 

Through the union of the opposites, that is, through the marriage of two opposing forces, a third force is born.  This is the meaning of creativity and the magical nature of the number three.  (This card is a six and thus contains two threes). On the path of divine love, the magical child of love and hope is born from the marriage of the opposites.

The braid of life contains three strands which can be symbolised by the colours white, red and black.  In the ancient cultures the hawthorn tree was regarded as a sacred tree. Today the hawthorn tree is sacred to Mary and the goddess as well. This specific tree contains all three elements of the thread of life and even more importantly, they overlap. The white blossoms start to form whilst the red berries and black seeds are still hanging on the thickly leaved branches.

 The white is regarded as the 'virgin', the cycle of spring and new beginnings; the red berries represent summer and the fullness of the season and the physical acts of sensuality and joy and loving and the black seed contains the potential of fathering the new life and it also is the end of the life of the berry.

As we dance and weave with the tension of desire and repulsion between the opposites of life, we discover new possibilities, new experiences and we weave a new story.

This shrine and card represent choices. The Tree of Choices invites you to consider the choice to say ‘both’ instead of the black and white rationale of ‘either/or’.  You will be given the opportunity to make a decision and you are reminded that it is possible to find a new way and a different way of reacting and of doing things.  You are reminded that it is only fear that will force you into a corner, and thereby denying half the picture.  When you are willing to keep an open mind and an open heart, it is possible for a new vision to be born.

blessings

Hettienne

The Black Madonnas of the deck

XI Holy Wisdom from Mysteries of Mary tarot
www.hergracesacredart.com

Mirror of Justice, Seat of Wisdom – Litany of Loreto

There are many streams of understanding of Holy Wisdom as the Lady of the Mysteries. 

In the Litany of Loreto She is called the Seat of Wisdom.  

The Black Madonna, the ‘Notre Dame Sous Terre de Chartres’; 

Our Lady Underground in Chartres is the representation of the Divine Woman 

as Holy Wisdom in the deck. 

The background tapestry in this shrine I drew and stitched myself.  

It is a replica of the one that hangs behind Notre Dame Sous Terre in the 

underground chapel of Chartres. 

As you enter the chapel you pass underneath ‘the Hand of God’ 

and it is as though are being blessed as you enter the hidden 

underground chamber of Dark Wisdom. 

Notre Dame Sous Terre de Chartres
XI Holy Wisdom
Mysteries of Mary Tarot

The hidden Black Madonna under the earth is seated on the throne of wisdom  

One has to descend through the Chartres Cathedral to access these 

underground passages and chapels, 

all of which are dimly lit and often only by candle light.  

You can only visit this chapel under the guidance of an appointed tour leader and you are not allowed to linger in the chapel to pray or meditate. 

Holy Wisdom is veiled behind the appearance and noise 

of the external world and it is necessary to enter the 

subterranean cave in order to find her ‘still’ voice.

The Greek for Holy Wisdom is Hagia Sophia.  

Sophia is the Wisdom of the divine deity. 

She has been revered as the Wise Bride of Solomon 

in the Judaic tradition; as Athena, the Queen of Wisdom and War 

in the Greek pantheon and as 

Our Lady Wisdom by Christians.  

She is known as Chokmah in Hebrew, and Sapientia in Latin.

When Holy Wisdom is seated on the throne of your inner world, then you are ensured of a wise voice of intuition and discernment.  Following Lady Wisdom is a skill that needs commitment to be developed.   She does not often speak in a loud voice, but often through the words of others, images, nature and your soul.  You are surrounded by the voices of Wisdom, you only have to open your ears and eyes. 

blessings

Hettienne

Looking at the Black Madonnas in the deck

Lady of Regla, Mysteries of Mary Tarot

There are more than one Black Madonna in the Mysteries of Mary tarot deck.

Our Lady of Regla is the ninth card in the suit of Vessels.

The Black Madonna of Regla is revered by thousands. Tradition tells us that her statue was buried under a fig tree to safeguard it against an invasion, and it was miraculously rediscovered. (Notice the importance of the fig tree in her story – we see her in relation to trees in many other stories in the deck) The rediscovery of the hidden image, chalice and lamp led to the revival of the devotion to the Virgin of Regla.

IX Vessels - Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck

This Black Madonna has many attributes in common with the African goddess Yemaya. Her colours are blue for the ocean and silver for the moon. She is represented by the crab, fish, mermaids and shells. As is often the case with a new religion, it assimilates the culture and religion of the land and many African slaves were brought to Spain, bringing their devotion to Yemaya with them. And in Our Lady of Regla, we see the Great Mother as the protector of the mariners, seaports, provider of the abundance of the oceans and its tides. Our Lady of Regla is associated with the astrology sign Cancer known for its mothering nature and family.

The Black Madonna symbolises the dark matter, of both the Earth, our physical mother, as the darkness of matter in the process of alchemy. And the white Divine Child is very obvious in this shrine, symbolising the Light which humanity can potentially give birth to through spiritual transformation.

When you receive this card, you can expect a period of fulfilment and attainment.  It may herald the end of a cycle and the happy and fulfilling conclusion of undertakings and projects. It speaks of integration and synthesis as well as happiness in family and home.  You will enter a time of peace and spiritual harmony and you may expect many blessings to flow to you.  You have continued from the VIII Vessels and are integrating this new level of spiritual enlightenment and bliss.

Blessings

Hettienne

Pouches and scapulars and Labour Day Sale

Scapulars on linen pouches
The French Madonna www.hergracesacredart.com

Have a look at the beautiful new tarot rosaries and 

scapular pouches that they are presented in

in The French Madonna

The French Madonna
www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

I just love these retro bubblegum colours

The French Madonna
www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

Many items in the shop will be discounted during

the Labour Day Weekend Sale from 31 August to 4 September 2017

I am also adding a few of the original art works that

make up the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck.

When I heard that the tarot deck is on display at

the Museo dei Tarocchi in Italy, I went for a visit

(read my post on www.hergracesacredart.com)

and handed over the shrine of the Three of Vessels,

Three Daughters of Anna to Morena, curater of the museum.

Three daughters of Anna
Mysteries of Mary tarot deck
www.hergracesacredart.com

Coronation of Mary Ten of Roses
Mysteries of Mary Tarot
www.hergracesacredart.com

Archangel Michael, Servant of the Distaff
Mysteries of Mary tarot deck
www.hergracesacredart.com


blessings
Hettienne

Love of the Mother

French vintage scapular and relic
www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

Love of the Mother

French cloth scapular relic pendant and keepsake

Part of a french cloth scapular with a tiny miraculous medal set under glass - ready to hang on a chain or use for decoration - suspended from a hand dyed black vintage ribbon, 

Packaged in a matching box, in a small black bag plus an extra cloth scapular for your projects or keepsake

- scapular relic pendant tied to a piece of black vintage hand dyed ribbon

- small holy card matching box

- black voile bag

- french cloth scapular

For your adoration

blessings

Hettienne

Sacred altar

St Theresa the little flower

This beauty is still available at The French Madonna.

Be sure to visit The French Madonna and see the new look, the new

inspiration and the new items for sale!

St Therese the little flower whose life spoke of many miracles and continue to do so after her death. This is a shrine depicting the miraculous power of love, hope and faith as seen in St Therese's life.

“God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.” 

― St. Thérèse de Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux 

In the right hand corner of the shrine is a crucifix that have sprung into bloom, covered with roses. In the background is a beautiful holy card of the flowering sacred heart. The shrine is filled with fabric roses and hand made cold porcelain roses and rosebuds. You will receive the small bottle of blessed salts that is in the picture. Read below how I make these. Both the St Theresa medals that I used in the shrine I brought back from her cathedral and the oil that I used for the blessed salts, is rose oil that I brought back from Lisieux. The shrine comes ready to hang. 

'For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; 

it is a simple look turned toward heaven, 

it is a cry of recognition and of love, 

embracing both trail and joy. - St Theresa of Lisieux 

I visited the hometown and cathedral of St Therese in Lisieux in France and it was a very powerful experience. The whole town of Lisieux has great flowering rose shrubs and her shrine is set in a magnificent rose garden. The fragrance is unbelievable. I visited her convent, the house where she grew up in and of course, her immaculate body. 

Images of the Divine carry enormous energy and Presence. There are various ways of explaining it, but the ancients believed that the Spirit of that aspect of the Divine lives in Its image and form. Those of us who can see light around living beings, can see the light around sacred objects. In holy places of pilgrimage one can often smell the fragrance of the Divine. 

Each one of my pendants, shrines, paintings and other sacred art are first infused with holy water from Lourdes (which I brought back), and then infused with holy relic oil of more than 53 Saints & pure essential oils. A mixture of one hundred oils are used, including frankincense, myrrh, spikenard, agarwood and rose. It is also immersed in blessed pink dead sea salts, infused with rose petals steeped in holy oil of a third relic of St Therese of Lisieux and it is packaged with blessed salts, frankincense and sprinkled with holy water collected form many sacred places in the world. So it becomes a holy object to be handled with reverence and care. 

This shrine comes with a small bottle (seen in the foreground of the pictures) of salts. I carry pink salts in small containers with me when I visit sacred places. These salts carry the blessing of the holy place and for the St Theresa salts I mixed some of the rose petals that was steeped 

in the third relic oil of St Theresa and then dried- together with 

some of the holy oil and rose petals - all crushed together. 

“When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens,I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” 

― St. Thérèse de Lisieux 

blessings

Hettienne

The Sea Journey

The Sea Journey tarot card rosary
www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

The Sea Journey is the VI of Distaff in the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck (listed elsewhere in my shop). This is a unique handcrafted rosary necklace with the image of Mary under a glass bubble in a bohemian style - lightweight frame and a lightweight rosary - with a vintage holy medal dangling at the bottom.

The Sea Journey card is Mary on a barge in the tradition of Isis, crossing the river Styx or metaphorically the waters of consciousness.  This tarot card is a major initiation taking you deeper into life and the Sacred Mother's mysteries. 

'Mary is the bridge between heaven and earth, between the human and the divine worlds, between human and divine justice.' - Andrew Harvey

This card depicts the tradition of carrying an image of Mary in a boat on a sea or river journey in a sacred procession and celebration.  This ritual reminds one of the processions of Sante Sara la Kali as seen in the card V Vessels in the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck.  An image of Mary is sanctified with prayers, incense, candles and flowers and placed on a boat.  It is a Sea Journey to new shores, both within and without.

These rosary pieces are created in the practise of the making of sacred altars and they contain the healing energies of both the image, the meaning of these cards and the spiritual energy that they were created with.  Here is one of many testimonials : 'I received our Lady of Lourdes, mystical healer stunning wearable shrine today. The moment Hettienne shipped it, I saw a white light with a white flame in its centre. Throughout the shrine's travel I would keep visions of it. I can firmly attest that this is more than a necklace, but carries divine consciousness which is transferred powerfully through the artist's love and devotion. The package arrived fully intact, filled with frankincense and myrrh and tiny shells and pebbles, the precious necklace safely wrapped. Thank you! Arathi Ma.'

The Mysteries of Mary tarot deck took four years to complete.  Each card is a print of a handmade three dimensional shrine depicting the Mysteries of the tradition of Isis-Maryam-Mary.  It fits together the myth and metaphor as contained in Egyptian, Jewish, Greek, Christianity and the various Gnostic teachings (amongst others) of the feminine and masculine Christ and the inner Sacred Marriage.  The deck is at once an artistic and mystical vision of the sacred mysteries of the Soul and its unsung feminine path.  Each card is an individual shrine dedicated to an archetype, an initiation, a Mystery in the Great Mystery and a vignette of one of the stories woven into the tapestry of Mary.  You can read more about my tarot deck and book at www.hergracesacredart.com.

.  

Now in The French Madonna at www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

blessings

Hettienne

Mystical Rose

Sacred Altar
http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com

This gorgeous vintage St Térèse of Lisieux

rosary box set with small garnets reminded me

of my recent out-of-this-world encounter

with the honeyrose fragrance of the Great Mother of Love

and inspired me to make this one-of-a-kind
sacred altar necklace.

I used a double garnet rosary and combined it with unusual

vintage rose carved bakelite beads, as well as gentle rose coloured

glass beads and gorgeous rose carved glass beads
and luscious fresh water pearls, both gold and oyster.

Sacred Altar
http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com

I added a beautiful old holy medal, a French Notre Dame

sacred heart and at the back, a tiny swallow and a very old red mercury holy medal!

Sacred Altar
http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com

Sacred Altar
http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com

Inbetween is a gorgeous red intaglio of St Terese set on a gold

background.

At the end of the piece that hangs down the back,
is a beautiful St Anne and Mary mercury red
bubble holy medal - very old.

  

You can shorten it into a choker length or wear it longer.

The rosary case can open and you keep something

valuable inside.

blessings
Hettienne

Sacred altars in an ancient lineage

Our Lady Untier of Knots
IX Roses

An Ancient Sacred Tradition

I follow an ancient sacred tradition that used to belong to the Great Mother and her devotees.  This tradition was incorporated into religion by the nuns and convents. I call it Sacred Altars and it is my offering on the Altar of Life. Thirteen years ago I changed my focus from being a spiritual healer to becoming a pilgrim to sacred places on the Earth and especially to where the Divine has

manifested through the veil to reach us and where Mary have appeared to others.

My Sacred Altars has various levels to the work.  I return from my pilgrimages with waters from the holy springs and rivers; oil and salts sanctified by the Presence of the energies at these sacred places.

And I bring back my own direct experiences and my own transformation.  These are some of the elements of altars and shrines which I make in devotion to the Great One appearing as the Divine Feminine Mary.

These altars and shrines have great healing ability and this has been proved through the transformation of those who meditate with them.

The wearable shrines and altars are to be worn as an altar. Each piece is unique and individual and an original creation carrying some part of the sacred site and the divine Presence.

These items carry great spiritual and healing power and many healings and even miracles have been attributed to them. Through these altered assemblages and altars,

I set out to demonstrate my vision that every loving and joyful act of living

is a sacred altar to the Divine. We are forged and fired in the crucible of the heart

and art gives life and meaning to our stories.

As a visionary artist, I attempt to show how the sensible, material realms and the imaginal realms work together to show forth the glory of the Divine hidden in the ordinariness of everyday living.

I create from the eye of the heart, rather than the eye of the mind and hope to illuminate and show the underlying image and Divine Presence in the vignette of our personal stories.

The child within me is still fascinated with miniatures and their reflection of the vastness and eternity of life and living. As an artist I regard myself as an artisan and midwife of the Divine becoming, moving between two worlds and hoping to reveal that the inner life is a sacred life and the outer ordinary life is filled with messages and confirmations of the Great Story of Divine Love within each and every human being. I focus on images and stories of The Western Christian traditions and Mysteries.

'Art to me is a Grace, a healing and transformation. It brings transformation to the artist and to all those who behold the expression through the artwork'.

A few months ago I completed and published The Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck and Book.  You can read more about this deck in detail at www.hergracesacredart.com  Each card is a handcrafted three dimensional shrine depicting the archetypal story of the tarot in the lineage of the Feminine.

blessings on your journey

Hettienne Grobler