The nativity of the Holy Child-Daughter

Nativity of Holy Child-Daughter
II Roses
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
www.hergracesacredart.com

By honouring and acknowledging the birth of the holy child-daughter, Mary Herself, the masculine story is changed and the daughter and girl-child becomes sacred in the collective unconscious.

‘A hermit had on a certain night for many years heard music in the heavens. When he asked the cause an angel answered, : the Virgin was born this night, and what is ignored on earth is being celebrated by angels’ – Legends of Mary, Thirteenth Century

In this card we see the birth of the holy daughter, the female bearer of the Christ.  When one considers that the term Christ or Christed One is a title and not part of a name, then the sentence ‘female bearer of the Christ’ has a completely different meaning.  Mary is the feminine companion to Jesus or Maryam to Yeshua in the original Aramaic.  As we saw earlier three Marys always accompanied Jesus one of whom was his mother and one his companion or beloved.  Reading these words and stories with the inner mystical eye of vision and understanding, we understand that the psyche has four aspects : two masculine and two feminine and these are referred to as mother, father, daughter and son.  The picture reflected a whole psyche is incomplete without the daughter.  What would change within both men and women when the Christ appears in female form?  Or when the Christ appears as a divine couple? 

In the Lost Books of the Bible, The Gospel of the Birth of Mary, Mary’s lineage and birth is described in detail.    Mary of Agreda in her book The Mystical City of God which describes the details of the life of the Virgin, calls the child Mary, ‘the true living Ark of the covenant’.

In the Koran it is told that in the year 16 BCE, the people of Jerusalem are awaiting the birth of the son of Imran (Anna in Greek). Instead of the much-anticipated "Messiah", a girl is born to Imran and Anna. The latter names her Mary, which means "Servant of God". Did they miss the birth of the Messiah through their expectation that he has to be male?

 In the Gospel of the Birth of Mary, it is described that the angel visited both Joachim and Anna (Mary’s parents) on two separate occasions.  Mary’s conception and birth was a miraculous one.  Anna, her mother was barren until the Archangel Gabriel visited her and declared that her barren womb will be opened by God and that the Holy Spirit will descend into the body of her daughter Mary whilst still in the womb.  Mary referred to herself as The Immaculate Conception when She appeared to Bernadette at Lourdes.   The sanctuary of the nativity of the virgin Mary is in Milan and her tiny effigy wrapped in lace and swaddling clothes is known as Santa Maria Bambina.  Her nativity is on 8 September and is one of the twelve major feast days in the liturgical calendar.    In the years between 1720 and 1730 a Franciscan nun from Todi (Sister Chiara Isabella Fornari) created wax statues of Mary as a baby. One of these dolls was donated to the Capuchin Sisters of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Milan. Eventually the statue arrived at the General House of the Sisters of Charity of Lovere , in Via Santa Sofia in Milan, and these sisters are called "Maria Bambina" .

The miraculous image of Maria Bambina was made prior to 1730 by a Franciscan nun who afterwards entrusted Her to others. During the ensuing years, she came into the care of the Sisters of Charity at Lovere, Italy. In 1856, these Sisters of Charity were asked to take over the management of the Hospital of Ciceri in Milan and, in 1876, this waxen image was carried to their Mother House there at Via Santa Sofia 13, where she has remained ever since.

The beautiful image of the Maria Bambina was exposed for veneration only on the 8th of September, the Feast of Mary's Nativity. In 1884, those who were devoted to the Maria Bambina received a reward for their devotion. Due to paralysis in her arms and feet, Sister Josephine Woinovich was bedridden and in unbearable pain. On the 8th of September, she begged the Mother General to get Maria Bambina and leave the image near her overnight. The following morning the Mother General was inspired to take the image, so old, worn and grayish colored to the other sick Sisters in the infirmary so they could kiss her.

There was in the infirmary a good novice, Giulia Macario, who was unable to move because of her serious illness, but who, overcome by her ardent faith, took the image into her arms and pleaded with her in tender and loving words for the grace for her recovery. She was immediately and miraculously cured, for such Faith moves mountains. And at the same time this image itself underwent an amazing transformation from the former dull gray color to the warm flesh hues it has today, as can be seen, where she is enshrined in the Sanctuary of the Mother House in Milan.

In this card we see the birth of the holy daughter, the female bearer of the Christ.  When one considers that the term Christ or Christed One is a title and not part of a name, then the sentence ‘female bearer of the Christ’ has a completely different meaning.  Mary is the feminine companion to Jesus or Maryam to Yeshua in the original Aramaic.  As we saw earlier three Marys always accompanied Jesus one of whom was his mother and one his companion or beloved.  Reading these words and stories with the inner mystical eye of vision and understanding, we understand that the psyche has four aspects : two masculine and two feminine and these are referred to as mother, father, daughter and son.  The picture reflected a whole psyche is incomplete without the daughter.  What would change within both men and women when the Christ appears in female form?  Or when the Christ appears as a divine couple? 

Luce Irigaray in her work says that ‘there is no woman God, no female trinity: mother, daughter, spirit.  This paralyses the infinite of becoming a woman since she is fixed in the role of mother through whom the son of God is made flesh’

By honouring and acknowledging the birth of the holy child-daughter, Mary Herself, the masculine story is changed and the daughter and girl-child becomes sacred in the collective unconscious.

Santa Maria Bambina with golden wool
Handmaiden of Suit of Distaff
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
www.hergracesacredart.com

These stories of the divine are powerful myths which activate and animate archetypes in our consciousness.  Mary calls Herself the Immaculate Conception and as such Her birth is truly a divine birth of a divine female and feminine which has been lying fast asleep like the princess in Sleeping Beauty (Card IV of the Suit of the Distaff).  Creating art and seeing images of Mary as the holy girl-child  and images of the Sacred Mother and Daughter will change our understanding of the world and our Soul completely.

Mary serving as priestess in Temple of the Dove
Four of Vessels
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
www.hergracesacredart.com

I used mainly Western Christian Catholic icons, statues and symbolism, which I combined with the wider vision of the journey of the feminine divine as archetype of the Self. By juxtaposing these well-known images onto a different context and by re-connecting their symbolism to the correspondences found in myths, legend, fairy tale and stories carried down through the ages, a deeper, more meaningful picture unfolds.  I set out taking the well-known Christian images of Mary (and really mostly the only ones readily available) out of their Roman Catholic context thus giving them new meaning.  As my own personal journey evolved and I immersed myself into the Christian mysteries at the sites sacred to Mary that I visited, I discovered that the numinous emanation of Mary truly still does exist in the Christian art and symbology.  I found that She had merely been veiled by dogma and conditioned belief and that when you see with ‘new eyes’, then the true Divine Mary and Goddess is still radiating Her Presence and always has done so.  I realised that the Christian churches and copious art works has been the vessel for Her through the dark ages of the suppressed feminine.  This awakened the inspiration and resolve within myself to reveal Her to others in the same way that She revealed Herself to me.

A limited edition of the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck and Book 

is now available on pre-order

at The French Madonna 

and on my website here :

http://www.hergracesacredart.com/2016/10/the-mysteries-of-mary-tarot-deck-and.html

blessings

Hettienne

Blessed

I see you in a thousand paintings

Mary, so tenderly depicted

Yet none of them can begin to show you

As my soul sees you.

All I know is that the world's chaos

Has suddenly dissolved, like a dream

And your heaven of unspeakable sweetness

Opens forever in my spirit 

                 - Novalis

blessings

Sacred Mysteries of the Bee

Sacred Mysteries of the Bee.  A hand crafted pair of earrings containing a holy card image and vintage beads.

Today Mary is the Keeper of the Feminine Wisdom in the modern western world.  Through the ages woman and goddess has always been recognized for their Divine Feminine power which brings balance, intuition and compassion to this world.  The bee and their activities and life centered around the Royal Queen Bee mirrors that balance and power and the fact that bees are disappearing from our world is an important event that needs to be understood and balance need be restored.

The Temple of Artemis and the Priestesses of Eleusis

Guarding the outer entrance of the sacred precinct of Eleusis stood the temple of the goddess Artemis. When the mystai arrived, they rested outside the temple walls and 

paid their reverence to the goddess.

 Artemis is an Indo-European goddess of life and fertility, who survived in ancient Greek culture as a moon goddess. Artemis was highly associated with bees, as beekeeping and agriculture were very ancient and vital crafts in Western Asia and Crete.

 Many artifacts depicting small metal bees have been found in places where Artemis was worshipped.

 Phoenician historian Porphyry (234–305 CE) states that the ancient Greeks referred to Artemis by the name Bee, and that the soul was conceived as coming down from her in the form of bees. Perhaps the connection between Artemis 

and the bee resulted in the adoption of bees as symbolic creatures of the underworld.

Consistent with this, classicist A.B. Cook held that the metal bees 

were votive sacrifices symbolizing the divine soul.

Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians.

Bee wisdom includes

The knowledge of the healing and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive;
 bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems;
 and mparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce

(See http://www.amazon.com/The-Shamanic-Way-Bee-Practices/dp/1594771197)

The Admirable Heart of Mary, Queen of Heaven

Heart of Mary, Mirror of heart of God

Sanctuary of the Divinity

Guardian of the Divine Word

Source of all Consolation

Furnace of Divine Love

Marvel of Charity

Center of meekness

Abyss of humility

Dwelling place of Wisdom

Throne of Mercy

Zealous for souls

Thrones of all virtue

Treasure of innumerable blessings

Heaven of Heavens

Holy of holies

Book of life

Inspired by the Litany in honour of the

Most Holy Heart of Mary

an old polish tin turned into

a sanctuary 

a sacred place within the arms of Mary.

with love, 

Nectar of the Heart

Nectar of the Heart

Last night as I was sleeping,

I dreamt — marvelous error! –

that I had a beehive

here inside my heart.

And the golden bees

were making white combs

and sweet honey

from my old failures.”

~ From “Last Night As I Was Sleeping,” by Antonio Machado

The bee has since ancient times been a symbol

of the goddess, the divine feminine, the Great Mother,

a symbol of Wisdom, and even the church.

In ancient times, the bees were regarded as sacred

and they were seen as travellers between the natural

world and the underworld.

Through a process of alchemy, bees

create honey, in ancient times,

regarded as the nectar of the gods.

The term milk and honey were used to describe

abundance and eden-like qualities to our lives.

The bees’ survival depends upon a queen and their unquestioning obedience 

and loyalty to her, which reminds 

us of our dependence on Our Lady, Queen of the Heart 

The beehive is a symbol for the heart :

the sacred inner temple where transformation

takes place and from which forgiveness and

compassion flows.

Madonna di Lourdes

Madonna di Lourdes

A wearable shrine and altar of Our Lady of Lourdes, Mystical Healer

A wearable shrine and altar Our Lady of Lourdes - a miniature shadowbox of the grotto at Lourdes. 

This small shadow box is hand soldered with lead free solder. It is between two cathedral window shaped pieces of glass. It contains part of a Lourdes holy card that I brought back. The holy card has the full image of St Bernadette and Our Lady with her magnificent light on it and the words I Am the Immaculate Conception. These were her words to St Bernadette. 

St Bernadette said that with the later visitations, the light in Mary's feet had turned into roses - the rose is a very mystical symbol and also symbolises the chakras in the energetic system of the body. I added miniature porcelain roses, seed pearls and tiny crystals to create the deep effect of the grotto. The solder on the sides of the grotto is reminiscent of the water that drips down the sides of the cave. 

I put a portion of the book of Wisdom 7:11 on the back as well as the inscription of the vintage prayer card that I used for the image : Madonna di Lourdes

It hangs from an exquisite Lourdes rosary that I brought back with me. Look at the detail of each bead. Each one contains an image of the Mystical Rose on the one side and Our Lady on the other. The rosary connector contains some of the healing waters of Lourdes and is engraved with the words Lourdes on the back.

Mary of Lourdes is the mystical healer and this shrine carries some of that incredible miracle of healing and compassion that the pilgrim witnesses at Lourdes. Thousands of volunteers serve there free of charge; they take care of the invalids and the ill who come to the healing waters of Lourdes and every night at the special Mass, one can witness the procession of ill and crippled one.

No-one leaves the grotto of Lourdes untouched! The feeling of spiritual and divine love is palpable there and the light burns like a giant flame on the spot where Mary appeared. 

She is the Mystical Rose of our hearts that has such incredible potential power for love and compassion.

blessings

Grace, Shrine to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

A handmade shrine of Mary, Grace of the Miraculous Medal. This is an altered wooden shrine covered in vintage hymn paper - the hymn . Inside is a hand sculpted clay statue of Mary, Lady of Grace as well as a hand molded clay Miraculous Medal. On the top right hand corner is a silver Miraculous Medal, which I bought at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Paris, France. Mary and the clay medal is painted in white, touched with gold and real German glass glitter in the palest pink is sprinkled everywhere. Mary's halo is made from small porcelain roses. The inside and outside of the shrine is covered with book binding tape with quotes and definitions on 'love', 'bliss' and 'daughter'. A small white dove on the side represents the Holy Dove, the symbol of the Divine Feminine through the ages : all the goddesses of Love had the Dove as their symbol, Aphrodite, Ishtar, Inanna and Mary is no exception.

When Mary appeared to St Catherine Laboure in 1830, in the chapel in Paris, Her hands were covered in jewels. From some of the jewels, rays of light shown which she said were symbols of the graces that would be given to all who asked for them. The jewels that had no rays were symbols of unclaimed graces. An oval frame outlined the figure bearing in gold letters the words 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee'. 

This chapel is still used for worship in Paris and the most beautiful statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was placed over the main altar in the chapel where Mary appeared. I visited this chapel and wrote about my wonderful experience, bathing in Mary's Love while sitting there. I was so inspired by the beauty of the artworks and the chapel itself : to mosaics, the statues, everything glittered and shone with gold and reflecting mosaics and rays of gold - and this is what I tried to capture in this small shrine to Her Grace.

You can read more about my pilgrimages to sacred sites and how these inspire my art on my blogs http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com and http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com and specifically here : http://www.path-of-divine-love.com/2012/10/mary-grace-of-miraculous-medal.html.

Dimensions : 27x 12 x 5cm

Part of the Divine Mary shrines.

All my shrines come with a catalogue number, name and label.

Shrine Series : Divine Mary

Number : 110

Name : Mary, Grace of the Miraculous Medal

blessings

Another sacred shrine added to Her Grace on Etsy.com

The Mother of Good Counsel

inspired by and extracts from Untie the Strong Woman

by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Healing is not for the pure who need no healing.

It is for those in need.

And healing is not a straight line, but rather, a zig zag.

A powerful prayer here,

a person who listens with holy love there,

a book over here,

a sudden inspirational thought over there,

a sudden realisation,

a ritual that has meaning to the spirit and the soul,

and all these held together in tenderness with oneself

and one's idea of the Holy.

extract from Untie the Strong Woman

 ,,,,,,,,,,, And so I create small shrines,

and offer this sacred space

 of healing and wholeness;

a mirror that speaks louder than the

clamouring voices of external authority

of  'those that declare that they know

better, or the truth or the right way'

a mirror that reminds me and you

of the words of the Memorare to Our Lady

Never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection,

implored thy help,

or sought they intercession,

was left unaided.

This sacred shrine contains many powerful symbols

of Our Blessed Mother and Her divine courage and

strength which carries us through our lives.

Faith is the seed that activates Her action in this world.

I included a small Lourdes statue which I brought

back from my visit to the sacred waters of Lourdes,

(http://www.path-of-divine-love.com/2012/02/day-five-of-art-novena-for-our-lady-of.html) and a medal which I bought

at the little shop at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal

in Paris)

Here is an extract from my blog Path of Divine Love where I

shared my amazing experience at the Chapel. It is these

experiences that inspire me to create these shrines, 

really a reminder of how real the Blessed Mother's Love for us, and in us, is.  A golden potential for us to reach out

to and receive.

Soon the images seen by my eyes disappear and only a brilliant golden light is visible. The light has a silver rim to it and it is alive and palpable with wisdom and knowledge which cannot be translated into words. This is the Presence of Divine Mary. The light translates into my physical body and energetically there is deep movement in and through my body. Then my heart fills with a feeling that seems physical. Everything and everyone around me is bathed in this beautiful light and they all glow in love. The Light becomes stronger and more powerful and I see the intense Light at the centre of it all and also at the centre of each and every person. And the quality of this Light is Good and only Good - pure and beautiful and innocent! And it does not matter what happens on the exterior : nothing can corrupt or diminish that Light which is our un-ruined Soul.

blessings, 

Grace ..... first in a new series of sacred shrines

Mary, Grace of the Miraculous Medal

First in a new series of sacred shrines in Her Grace by Devata

Earlier this year I visited Paris and as, always, seeked out the sacred sites.

One such place is the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, 

tucked away, opposite

a huge departmental store, in a side street of Paris.

Catherine Laboure, a young nun at the 

Daughters of Charity Chapel in Paris

received a visitation from divine Mary, the first of many.

In more than one visitation she received the image 

and instruction about the miraculous medal. 

Mary made it clear that this medal can be worn by anyone 

and everyone, regardless of religion. 

The only requisite was faith in 'when you ask, you will receive'. 

The chapel is incredibly beautiful, and as soon as you enter you feel the incredible Presence. 

I started a new series of sacred shrines to the Divine Mother

and

Mary, Grace of the Miraculous Medal 

is the first one.

When Mary appeared to St Catherine Laboure in 1830, 

in the chapel in Paris, 

Her hands were covered in jewels. 

From some of the jewels, rays of light shown which she said were 

symbols of the graces that would be given to all who asked for them. 

The jewels that had no rays were symbols of unclaimed graces. 

An oval frame outlined the figure bearing in gold letters the words 

'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee'. 

This chapel is still used for worship in Paris and the most beautiful statue 

of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was placed 

over the main altar in the chapel where Mary appeared. 

I was so inspired by the beauty of the artworks and the chapel itself : t

o mosaics, the statues, everything glittered 

and shone with gold and reflecting mosaics 

and rays of gold - 

and this is what I tried to capture in this small shrine to Her Grace.

I molded and sculptured a statue of Mary Our Lady of Grace

in clay by hand, as well as a Miraculous Medal.

I used gold leaf, gold paint and German glass glitter in

a mix of pale pink and gold 

to try and capture the feeling of the Light

in the Chapel.

I also added a silver Miraculous Medal which I bought at the

small shop at the Chapel in Paris.

I added bookbinding tape that had definitions of the words

'love', 'bliss' and 'daughter' on it.

I lined the entire shrine with vintage hymn paper.

When I visited this chapel I wrote about my wonderful experience, bathing in Mary's Love while sitting there. 

If you would like to read more about my travels to sacred places, then please go to

http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com

Soon the images seen by my eyes disappear and only a brilliant golden light is visible. The light has a silver rim to it and it is alive and palpable with wisdom and knowledge which cannot be translated into words. This is the Presence of Divine Mary. The light translates into my physical body and energetically there is deep movement in and through my body. Then my heart fills with a feeling that seems physical. Everything and everyone around me is bathed in this beautiful light and they all glow in love. The Light becomes stronger and more powerful and I see the intense Light at the centre of it all and also at the centre of each and every person. And the quality of this Light is Good and only Good - pure and beautiful and innocent! And it does not matter what happens on the exterior : nothing can corrupt or diminish that Light which is you and me. 

Blessings