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Day 11 Walking with Mary 2020

Blessings to you.
On this, the eleventh day of Thirty Days with Mary,
we practise the Immaculate Practise and you 
have the freedom to pray any of the prayers shared with you,
practise either the Meeting with Mary meditation,
or do the Sacred Heart diksha once more to strengthen
the spiritual energies before you start with the
Sacred Heart Meditation on Day Twelve.
We are currently in the second week and the focus
is on the Suit of Holyrood (wands) and
the archetype of the Sacred Heart, the Magdalen
and the Mystical Marriage.
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, beyond the veil.
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.
 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
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Day 10 Walking with Mary 2020

Ace of Holy Rood
Mysteries of Mary tarot deck


Blessings to you on this tenth day of this journey.


Today I will share with you the Diksha of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
As  you already know, a diksha is the sanskrit word in the Shaktism tradition
of tantra yoga for a blessing or downpouring of Grace from the deity.

As part of my training years as a shakta (as a devotee of my ishta-devi,
Blessed Mary) I was trained to receive and transfer blessings
and healing energy and invocations from the Divine to others.
I have worked with the Diksha of the Sacred Heart of Mary 
in group blessings and also with many others in healing work.
I have witnessed instant healing and have many letters
from those who have received it distant and have felt
the benefits.


The Diksha of the Sacred Heart of Mary

The sacred heart refers to (amongst other esoteric meanings) the Secret
Chamber of the etheric heart which contains the three spiritual flames.  The fourth chakra
of the heart initiates us into different levels of Love through which we
feel a vast sense of connectedness, compassion and eventually unconditional love.


Below is the instructions to receive the Diksha directly from Mother Mary.
You can repeat this receiving practise daily for at least three days.
It will be followed up with the Sacred Heart meditation in a few days time.
Daily practice of the Sacred Heart meditation will strengthen the energies of the
Sacred Heart Diksha in your energetic and spiritual body.
You can pass it onto others when it has become powerful enough within yourself.
I have worked with this sacred energy as a healer and have shared wonderful
feedback from those who have received it.  Time and space is not an obstacle
We are all connected through energy.
Practising the Sacred Heart meditation also guides us to focus on the hearth within.
This is the sacred heart within ourselves where all transformation takes place.
The cross with the rose in its centre is symbolic of the sacred heart.


The Sacred Heart Diksha opens the inner chambers of the spiritual and non-physical heart
and the living waters of Life starts to flow in ever-increasing amounts
creating a infinite well of consciousness that feeds all life.

  A diksha can also be called an initiation or blessing.
It initiates the receiver into an aspect of spiritual energy and in this case it the
Sacred Heart of Mary.
The Sacred Heart is comparable to the sacred womb of the Divine Mother, or
the sacred embrace :  the place where you find yourself divinely supported and
carried unconditionally.





Outline for todays’ Immaculate Practise

Place a glass or bottle of water near you to drink after the meditation.

As always purify your altar and space with incense or smudging stick
Add fresh flowers or freshen the altar
Light the candles

Open with the daily prayer

Repeat the thirty day mantra of devotion and praise
to Blessed Mary Divine Mother

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma

Do the meditation to receive the Sacred Heart Diksha from Mother Mary

Close with prayer





How to receive the Sacred Heart Diksha from Mother Mary

(you may wish to record the meditation for yourself)
(a recording is available on my Patreon)

Sit comfortably, become quiet and turn your attention inward.  Rest in the silence, allowing it to bring comfort and peace. Take your time.  Take a few minutes to allow this peace to calm any sense of restlessness. 
Focus on the rhythm of your  breath.  
Bring a deeper awareness of the inner nature to the mind as it is centered and at rest.  
Now take several gentle breaths and allow yourself to go deeper and deeper within.  
A deep sense of peace abides and gradually fills your being.


Now in your mind’s eye, visualise the image of Mother Mary.  
You can also choose to use Her image which you have placed on your altar, 
to connect with Her.

Call on Her presence.  ‘Oh Divine Mother, please come to me;  bless me with your Presence and reveal yourself’.  
You may become aware of a colour, a sensation or a strong rush of emotion.  
Allow, allow, allow.  
You may want to stay in the awareness of Her Grace 
for a few moments before continuing.

‘Oh Divine Mother, by the Law of Love vested in you and in myself, I ask to receive the Sacred Heart Diksha.  I am willing to open my heart and mind to receive this healing and I am willing to allow the healing and transformation to take place day by day.  Thank you thank you thank you. Jai Jai Maa! Ave Maria So Be It’

Stay in this energy for 15 to 20 minutes until you feel the energies dissipate.  
It is best to lie down for a short while afterwards and also to drink a glass of water.   
You may keep a glass of water with you when you follow up with the Sacred Heart Meditation.  You can drink this water yourself or give to others in need of healing or peace.


Close with daily prayer 

Hail Mary, Goddess full of Grace
God is with you
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of the creativity
that spirals forth from your womb.
Through your art and rituals of beauty,
we find our forgiveness and healing.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
work the mystery for your children

Remember this is powerful work and you will experience awakenings into deeper
levels of consciousness and awareness.  You may have visions or sensations and old
feelings may rise to the surface.  Should you feel emotionally overwhelmed please reach
out to myself ([email protected]) or to a friend or a therapist. 

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Day 9 Walking with Mary 2020

A blessed feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes to you!
Photograph taken by myself during procession at Lourdes

Visionary or apparitional culture is no static force, a cultural ‘given’ that people can join as members.
It is dynamic, responding to contemporary political, social and religious realities
and shaping those realities, and is also shaped
by the individuals who identify themselves as Marian devotees
and visionaries.
Visionary culture is a confluence of Catholic devotions, symbols,
and traditions of innovative responses to modern
contexts of negotiations among social, religious and interpersonal
forces of the interactions of apparitions believers
and apparition doubters and of the loving
and guiding influence of Our Lady, who for believers is imminently present.
Visionary culture is a worldview, a palette of practices, an understanding
of the cosmos, a palette on which individuals paint
the stories of their lives.
              Extract from Out Lady of Emmitsburg by Jill Krebs

Photographs taken by myself during procession at Lourdes


‘I realized that all the powers of the Mothers, of Tara, Durga, Kali are in Mary.
She has Tara’s sublime tenderness;
Durga’s inaccessible silent calm force;
the grandeur and terribilta of Kali.
But Mary is also a woman,
a poor woman
and a human mother.

In her the full path of the sacred feminine is lived.
In her we have a complete image of the Divine Mother,
an image at once transcendent and immanent,
other-worldly and this-wordly,
at once mystical and political and practical.
In Mary the Divine Mother comes to earth and lives on earth
and lives, the passionate, strong, serious,
simple and transforming life that shows us all how to live.
 Mary is the bridge between heaven and earth,
between the human and the divine worlds,
between human and divine justice.”
Andrew Harvey in The Return of the Mother
Mary statue in my garden in Durbanville South Africa
A puja is a ritual dedicated to the worship of one’s personal deity.
As in all ritual there is a certain set of actions;
each one designed with a particular focus and effect
in mind.  In these Thirty Days with Mary we
are devoting our focus, intent, emotion,senses,
passion and vision to evoke our
spiritual selves and to connect with our
own divinity.
Through repeated entry into the spiritual realms
we shed the perceptions and projections of the mind
and access a wider vision, a deeper connectedness to
all of life and  transpersonal wisdom.
In preparation of the puja I am sharing the following prayer with you.
You can incorporate it into today’s practise and you may want
to memorize it for the puja to Holy Mary.
Tomorrow I will share the puja with you.   
Please gather fresh flowers, incense or a smudging stick,
a bell, or a drum or a music instrument,
a glass of water and something to eat which you can
place on the altar.
  
She is the Eastern Gate
VI of Holy Rood
Hail Queen of Heaven
Hail! Lady of the Angels
Salutation to Three, root and portal
Whence the Light of the world has arisen
Hail Mary 
Ave Maria
I am the maiden of the joy
I am song in the wind and rain upon the rocks.
I am fair love and holy hope
and the flight of the dove.
I am earth, betrothed
I am Mystical Rose.
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
I am the Mother of mystery
I hold opposites together
I birth children and sever the cord with my teeth
Those I love I send away to their lives
I am the cauldron of fire and the cup of milk
I am the two-edged sword
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
In me Sophia speak :
I am the marriage of opposites
I am beauty,
right order in creation,
the balance of all being.
I contain all the secrets whose names are beads,
I am the cosmic necklace.
I am the daughter of silence and
I bring forth the word of truth.
I am the serpent and the dove.
I am the soul of the Christ
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
I am the flour and I am the hands
that kneed the dough.
I am the fire and the loaf.
I offer and I am offered.
I eat and am eaten.
I am food for the world and
I am the world.
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Hail Queen of Heaven,
Hail! Lady of the Angels
Salutation to Thee, root and portal
Whence the Light of the world has arisen
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
We continue with the Immaculate Practise for the full thirty days.
The discipline of a daily repetitive spiritual practise
contains the mind and frees the soul to explore the other realms
of Divine Love and Wisdom

blessings to you
Hettienne

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Day 8 Walking with Mary 2020

The soul (psyche) and the spirit (pneuma) are born of water and of fire.
It is with water, fire and light that the son of the bridal chamber
comes into being, the fire is then an anointing, 
the fire is then a light – Gospel of Philip

Today is Day Eight of the thirty days of Walking with Mary
and it is also the first day of the second week.

This week is dedicated to 
The Sacred Heart of Mary and the archetype of
Mary as Bride in the Sacred Marriage

The new week brings a new energy and another
rebirth for us.   To welcome the new energies in, we 
clean and refresh our altars and our space.
You are invited to add fresh flowers and a red candle if you
should so choose.




The colours we will work with for the week are red and white
and the element is fire.

In this second week of the spiritual practise,  the 
focus is on the second suit of the Mysteries of Mary
tarot deck, the Suit of the Holy Rood. (traditionally Wands)
which is based on the principles of Beauty and transformation.


Cards from the Suit of the Holy Rood

Today I add a new prayer to the Immaculate Practise and
we will expand the mantra in preparation of a puja
in devotion to Mary.  (More on this later)
You can work with this prayer in any way that you choose.
Eventually the practise will become your own
and it will reflect your energy and personal
relationship with the Divine and with Mary.

During this week I will guide you through a puja
ceremony – a puja is a ritual or ceremony
of devotion.
During this week I will  also share with you how to receive the 
Diksha of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
This will be followed up  
with the Sacred Heart of Mary meditation
which strengthens the power of the Diksha in your energetic body.

The Suit of the Holy Rood is the suit of the Mysteries of the
Bridal Chamber.
The Holy Rood is seen in the sacred rood that flowers,
the living holy tree, the tree of life and the flaming sacred
heart of Mary.
The tree and its branches, similarly to the flaming heart,
represent the kundalini fire of life, shakty or the Holy Spirit.
It follows the meaning of the Bride and Bridegroom and
the mystical marriage as well as the sacred 
Bridal chamber mysteries.


Sacred Heart shrine of Mary with 
sacred hawthorn berries (in my Mary garden)


The tree of the Holy Rood is the Hawthorn tree, also referred
to as the May tree for its flowering in May, the month of Mary
and the ancient May Queen.

The Immaculate Practise for week 2

The sacred oil blend for the Sacred Heart of Mary

3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 7 drops of rose oil

(the better the quality of oil, the higher the vibration; this is
a very powerful blend and have been used in mystery schools
for years)


A new daily Prayer

You can continue with the previous daily prayer or you can
use the new one. or you can alternate between all the
prayers that I will share with you this month.

Hail Mary, Goddess full of Grace
God is with you
Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of the creativity
that spirals forth from your womb.
Through your art and rituals of beauty,
we find our forgiveness and healing.
Holy Goddess, Mother of Earth,
work the mystery for your children

Mantra
The Sanskrit word ‘mantra’ means protection of the mind.

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma
Jai Jai Ma

(Hail triumphant Creatrix Divine Mother Mary
Victorious Mother)

Please note that the mantra has now been expanded
in preparation for the puja.


Queen of Holy Rood – Mary as the Bride
of the Sacred Chamber

Draw a card for the week and place next to your first card
 on your altar.
If you have not done so yet, contemplate on how
the card of the previous week manifested in your life.
Keep the first card on the altar and at the end we 
will read all four cards together as a story.

Day 8 of the Art Novena of Our Lady of Lourdes


Fire and Light

Fire and light are both powerful  symbols and alchemical agents
of transformation and they play an important role in myth,
fairy tale and religious stories and rites.

a vestal virgin in Rome

‘At the grotto I fell in line with the other pilgrims, waiting my turn to touch the walls of the cave and its dripping water.  The atmosphere was light and joyful, although many stood and kneeled deep in prayer.  As I approached the statue of Our Lady where She appeared to St Bernadette, I could feel an

intensification of the energy, a slight vibration and a humming sound.  The closer I came, the louder the sound became.  The sound was over and above the sound of the rushing waters.
As I put my hand out to touch the dripping water and I raised my eyes, 
a column of light was visible to me,
shimmering and dancing.
My first impression was that it is a giant candle, but then my logical mind
realised that this is not possible.
The only way I can describe it is ‘a flame of living organic light’ :
Her Divine Presence made manifest in this world,
visible to my eyes.

And overwhelming and immense feelings which I am at a loss to name.
A feeling of such incredible fullness and completeness which has stayed with me ever since.

A hundred thousand harps take you
like wings and sweep you up out of silence.
And your primitive wind is blowing
the fragrance of your marvelous power
to every being and to every creature in need.
– Rainer Maria Rilke

This is an extract of my very first blog post about my first visit to Lourdes.

A shrine of Bernadette Soubirous with the
candles of Lourdes


Fire is of great importance to us.  We use it to cook our food and to keep warm in winter.
The hearth and its fire has always been a symbol of the divine presence of the Deity who
provides and supplies us with what we need. The candle is also seen as the flame of the Soul.
Those with mystical sight can see the flame that is alit on the crown of the awakened ones.

One can see the halo of a burning flame with the naked eye
and holy ones and awakened ones are often drawn with similar halos.
Even though we understand how fire is created, it remains
a mystical ocurrence with miraculous abilities.
Similarly, as prana is ignited in the body (spontaneously
or through spiritual practice) and involuntary and
unexpected changes take place in both the mind, the body
and the heart, it is a wondrous mystical occurrence.
As inner sight develops and extra sensory perception
and a vast peace eventually settles in your being,
one feels drawn to make these events manifest in ritual
and practise.

Since ancient days a candle was kept alit in the temples and cities
as an offering to the heavens and as a sign of the unwavering spirit.
This is still the practise at Lourdes and also at Kildare where
the Brigidine nuns keep the flame lit.


Novena for Day Six

Radiant Mary, shine radiantly upon me.
Bright Lady who illuminates my inner darkness
Yours is the incorruptible fire;
As it is clean, it cleanses; as it is pure, it purifies.



Sit quietly for a few minutes, just allowing yourself absorb

 the energy you have invoked.
Enjoy it …… feel the presence of the Sacred embracing you, 
flowing all around you.
We rejoice in our physical nature, appreciating this 
time to pause and remember the holy
purpose of our lives.  We feel gratitude for those 
travelling with us on this path of love
and freedom.  

blessings
Hettienne
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Day 7 Walking with Mary 2020


Welcome to Day Seven

Today is the final day of the first week.  By now you are familiar with the 
daily ritual of the Immaculate Practise.

Today is dedicated to Mary’s blue cloak of protection.
Below is a special prayer and step by step instructions on how to receive the 
special diksha.

Feel free to add it into your daily ritual in any way.






Hail Mother Mary
Under your mantle
We take our refuge
We take our refuge

This very simple painting done by myself
carries the vibration of this diksha

The Blue Cloak of Protection

Mother Mary has given the Blue Cloak of Protection diksha to all those who ask Her. The Blue Cloak will cover your entire aura and with repetition of the meditation, its vibrational energy will increase and strengthen.


Diksha of the Blue Cloak of Protection – How to receive this diksha from Mother Mary

Sit comfortably and quieten your mind. Visualise the image of Mother Mary
 in your mind’s eye.
You can use the image of the painting above if you wish to.

See her energetic Blue Cloak that surrounds her mystical form and aura.

Call on Her presence.
 ‘Oh Divine Mother, please come to me;
reveal thyself;
 bless me with your Presence.
You may become aware of a colour, a sensation or a strong rush of emotion. 
Allow, allow, allow. You may want to stay in the awareness of her Grace for a few moments before continuing.

Ask her to grace you with the Diksha of the Blue Cloak of Protection.

‘Oh Divine Mother, by the power of Love vested in you and in myself, I ask to receive your Blue Cloak of Protection. I am willing to open my heart and mind to receive this energy transmission and to allow it to act in my energy field;
for it to cover my entire aura and protect all my energy bodies. 
Thank you thank you thank you. 
Jai Maa! So Be It’

Allow yourself to receive the energy and see/sense/visualise the Blue Cloak encircling your body. It covers your entire body down to the toes. The hood slips over your head and the two front seams meet down the length of your body.
Spend time, experiencing the energy of the Blue Cloak and take it with you, 
into your energy field.

Stay in this energy for 10 minutes until you feel the energies dissipate. You can repeat this meditation as often as you like. You can call on the Blue Cloak for Protection in times of anxiety or stress. The more often you meditate on the energy received during this Diksha, the stronger the energy will become.

thank you, Beloved Mother Mary, for this powerful and divine gift. 

You are invited to share these meditations and gifts with others

Day Seven of the Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

The Sacred Tasks

Today Bernadette and her story is famous and she is regaled for her vision, her faith, 
her commitment and the wondrous gifts that she brought back to our world
from her meetings with Mary of Lourdes.

But this was not the case in her lifetime. She was the only one who saw the visions
of the Radiant Lady. No-one else believed her.
She was ridiculed and thought to be insane.
Her mother forbade her to go back to the grotto after being told about the visions.
But Bernadette persisted. and she obeyed the Radiant Lady and took her
messages back to the village and the local priest.
She was taken in for psychiatric evaluation; she was arrested by the police
and she was vilified by the villagers. 

In many fairy tales and myths as well, the young heroine has to overcome certain tasks until
the ultimate challenge has been completed. The ultimate challenge for Bernadette was when 
Magnificent Mary of Lourdes told her to dig for water in a bone dry patch of land where
there had never been water before. And Bernadette started to dig with her hands
and nothing appeared.  The villagers shook their heads at her and walked away.
But she persisted and kept on digging away with her hands in the dirt.

‘On Feb. 25 Bernadette began by praying, then she pushed aside the branches of the wild rose bush and went to kiss the ground under the rock again. She came down the slope and fell into ecstasy. She got up as if confused and started for the Gave. She stopped abruptly, looked behind her, as if hearing instructions from the rock, and made a sign of assent. This time she walked towards the grotto, not toward the Gave. She went a little way and looked around, confused. She raised her head as if to question the Lady; then she resolutely bent down and began to scratch at the earth. The little hollow she scratched out immediately filled with water. She waited a moment, then drank of it and washed her face with it. She took a blade of grass growing in the soil and put it into her mouth. When she returned to her place of prayer, her face was smeared with muddy water and a cry went up from the crowd: “Bernadette has lost her mind!” 

Most of the crowd began to leave, disillusioned and sure the ecstasies were nothing but hallucinations. She herself remained in prayer almost another hour, serene and radiant as usual. Those who remained with her and who accompanied her afterward testified that she was as ordinary as ever and fully in control of her faculties. They asked her to explain her behavior. She said, “While I was in prayer, the Lady said to me in a friendly but serious voice, ‘Go, drink and wash in the fountain.’ As I did not know where this fountain was, and as I did not think the matter was important, I went towards the Gave. The Lady called me back and signed to me with her finger to go under the grotto to the left; I obeyed, but I did not see any water. Not knowing where to get it from, I scratched the earth and the water came. I let it get a little clear of the mud; then I drank and washed.”


As in fairy tales Bernadette surrendered her
fear, her free will and herself to the visions
and the presence of the supernatural.
As the innocent heroine of the story
she acted in hope and belief in the
impossible.
The appearance of the Lady in White at Lourdes
and the miracles that she brought to the world, has the ability to
transform your world.
  


Novena for day seven

Magnificent Mary may I remain open
to the impossible
May I remember not to ignore the very subtle
messages of Spirit;
and may I undertake each task as the sacred task that it is
Ave Maria

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Day 6 Walking with Mary 2020

Taken in my garden in the most eastern corner
at dawn
Blessings to you on Day Six of Walking with Mary

We continue with the prayer, mantra and contemplation which
you are now familiar with.

Today you can add an oil burner to your altar and
burn lemon oil.  I like to add water to my oil in the
burner and some people add salt.
Later on in the practise I will share with you a powerful
meditation blend of the other two oils listed previously.
You can continue to burn lemon oil every day.
It is also a good practise to burn lemon oil throughout your
house and even to add lemon oil to a water spray bottle,
add holy or blessed water as well, and spritz in the rooms.
A few years ago I became obsessed with both the smell and taste
of lemons.  I started with drinking lemon in my water, burning lemon oil,
wearing lemon oil and eventually I travelled to the south of Italy
to immerse myself in the culture and traditions related to the use of lemons.
Since then I have uncovered so much research on this sacred fruit!
The lemon is a citrus which is a variegation of the Etrog, also known as
Citron and Citron Medica.  I am sharing the following from the website
that I share below.
The etrog originated in India. From there it found its way to Persia
 (modern-day Iran), Aram-Naharayim (modern-day northern Syria), 
Israel and Egypt. Archaeologists have discovered etrog seeds in
 Iraq (ancient Babylon) dating back to 4000 BCE, and etrogs 
were found in Egyptian tombs and wall murals dating to 1500 BCE.
We can learn about the antiquity of the etrog 
from Jewish sources. According to one tradition, the “Tree of Knowledge” i
n the Garden of Eden was an etrog tree. One basis for this tradition is the 
biblical description: “and the woman (Eve) saw that the tree was good for eating 
and a pleasure to look upon” (Genesis 3:6). 
In the Midrash, the Sages taught that one of the distinguishing features 
of the earliest trees was that all of their parts were edible. 
“Go and see which tree …can be eaten just as its fruit.
 You will only find the etrog” (Breishit Rabba 15, 8). In the time 
of the Mishna and the Talmud, it was customary to eat the sprouts 
and the young leaves of the etrog tree.
It is still customary in the Jewish tradition to gift others with
and etrog or citrus on the religious  feast day of Sukkot.
In Italian folklore and herbal craft and tradition, it is a practise
to plant a lemon tree at your front door for protection.
It is also still a practise in some areas to keep a branch
from a lemon tree in your kitchen, as well as a bowl of the fruit.
At many hotels and guesthouses you will still see a bowl of lemons
at the front door – for purification and protection!
At the feast of the Madonna in Tropea entire
bouquets were created from lemons and her statue
had lemon trees on either side.
a wreath that I created from lemons and oranges
In India you will see lemons perched on to the trident of Shiva
and after the puja or ceremonies, the lemons are handed out
as sacred items to be taken home to bless and protect the home.


Day Six of the Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes



Water has always been the sacred energy of the feminine.

When one follows the leylines in the earth, the Mary line
curves and spirals around wells and you will find
cathedral and churches built on the power points of the Michael
lines (as they are known in the UK)
The feminine has always been worshipped at wells
and it is quite noticeable what an important role the well
plays in Judeo-Christianity and its stories and they
usually involve a woman..

From the very first days, miraculous cures have been granted at Lourdes to many who drank or bathed in the spring that Bernadette discovered at the Lady’s prompting. The Catholic Church is extremely slow and meticulous about acknowledging the validity of a cure and so most of the cures claimed there are never officially recognized. Even so, there are dozens of totally recognized cures that have happened at Lourdes that have been documented by the Church and the medical profession. The first healings happened almost immediately in 1858 and continue until the present day. 

This healing is brought to us on many, many levels.


A picture taken by myself of the Grotto and the spring
and the pyramid of candles

Water has the power to drown us or to quench our thirst.
We know Mary as the loving nurturing mother and also
as the Mater Dolorosa, the grieving mourning mother,
dressed in black, mourning the loss of her son.

In Lourdes you will see hundreds of pilgrims carrying large
containers of water from the sacred spring home every day.
We bring tiny bottles of the healing waters home with us.
Mary is called a Vessel of Spirit, a Vessel of Honour and here in
Lourdes she is the Vessel of the Sacred Waters.


Mary as Alchemical Vessel
In alchemy the vessel is the container in which the
various ingredients are mixed and transformed by each other.
It was believed that the alchemists were looking for
a way to turn lead into gold, but this is a metaphorical
journey of transforming darkness into light.  Or of
finding joy and peace amidst sorrow and hardship as we live
in a world of radical opposites and many challenges.

Mary is the vessel for the divine incarnated in herself as 
the Immaculate Conception and in
giving birth to her Son
and then as all of us.  


water containers at Lourdes
She is also the spiritual vessel in which
opposites combine.  As we are tested and challenged, like Bernadette,
we have the choice to obey the instructions of the voice of the Lady
that no-one else sees or to listen to the incredulous villagers and
Cure.  As we follow the calling of our heart, we are led to dig where
no-one else thought to look and we will uncover a spring that will
feed and nourish thousands.
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Eviva Maria
Posted on by

Day 5 Walking with Mary 2020

This first week is dedicated to the Suit of Vessels
in the Mysteries of Mary tarot deck and the
archetypes as they unfold in the Mysteries
of Vessels and Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Immaculate Practise – Day Five

As always we start with a prayer to Mary

Daily Prayer

In the Mysteries of the Mother

all the opposites are joined
Hail Mary
Ave Maria

When you have said the prayer with intent and focus, pick up your rosary and repeat the daily mantra.
Please complete the rosary at least twice and a 108 bead mala at least once.
As you become more comfortable, or if you are already a seasoned meditator,
then repeat this mantra up to 6 times around the rosary.
For a mantra we use the rosary in the same way as we do a mala or prayer beads :
you move the beads one by one through your fingers, repeating the line of the mantra on each bead.

This mantra is to be repeated daily for seven days.  The more we work with a mantra, the more
it vibrates through our cells and energy and transforms our mind and energy bodies.

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma

After the sacred mantra, you can repeat the Meeting Mother Mary meditation.

Sit quietly for a few minutes, just allowing yourself absorb the energy you have invoked.
Enjoy it …… feel the presence of the Sacred embracing you, flowing all around you.
We rejoice in our physical nature, appreciating this time to pause and remember the holy
purpose of our lives.  We feel gratitude for those travelling with us on this path of love
and freedom.  Feel a smile forming on your face.  You are happy to be here in this
peaceful inner place.  Let there be peace.  Gently refocus on the outer world and carry this peace
with you into the world.

  You may want to keep your journal or a piece of paper at hand
and make a few notes every morning.
Every morning when you sit down for your communion with Mary, gaze on the card
that you picked a few days ago,
 and when you have completed your mantra, write down any 
thoughts, feelings, sensations, without judgement and analysis.
At the end of the seven days you will have a deeper understanding of not only the
card, but of Mary and of yourself.

Day 5 of the Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

St Bernadette shrine


Initiation into priestesshood by the Lady
One of the three fairy tale groups*
is ‘The Abundance-giving women in the Other World’.
In these fairy tales the ‘goddess-heroine’ initiates
a young girl into priestesshood.
The story line of these type of fairy tales follow the
following outline :
The young girl leaves her family, as well as ordinary time
and place and then enters the Otherworld – which she does so either
through travel or visions.
In the Otherworld she meets the goddess whom
initiates her, turning her into an ordained priestess
and then grants her with gifts to take back to the world.
When the young girl or princess returns to the world
she is no longer the same innocent.
She returns with a deeper knowledge and with
the gifts of vision and compassion amongst other things,
which was granted to her.

This is the basic structure of this type of fairy tale
and we can see how the story of Bernadette and
Our Lady of Lourdes fit into this archetype.
Bernadette’s story also has many other elements in common with
classic myth and fairy tale and we will explore those
in the upcoming days.  I am thinking of the challenges that Bernadette faced
and the sacred tasks (as in the case of the myth of Psyche)
that she has to complete.

Some of the young girls who were initiated into
the priestesshood of the sacred feminine

The grotto of Massabielles was known to be sacred to the
goddess Persephone in Roman times.  The sacred feminine
has manifested in these grounds through the ages
and today Our Lady of Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception,
fills this valley and its rocks and waters with
a sacred feminine presence..
This is a mystical understanding that not everyone is open to
and especially in religious circles there are many
disagreements on what exactly is taking place here.
But for million of pilgrims (religious and non-religious)
the supernatural and loving presence at Lourdes
is undeniable.

Bernadette stepped into priestesshood of the sacred feminine
and returned to the world with unwavering faith in the
miraculous and the manifest presence of the deity in this world.
Through Bernadette’s initiation into priestesshood
of belief and faith in the supernatural and miracles,
thousands of people are daily entering
the Otherworld at Lourdes.
A world where miracles do take place
and where healings take place daily.

Light procession at Lourdes

Novena for Day Five

I open myself to your presence, o Great Mother;
I commit myself to your priestesshood of miracle thinking
and the practise of faith in the extraordinary.
I am willing for my eyes and heart to be broken open
by your divine and blinding presence;
as I priestess your love and compassion in the world.


Close your communion with repeating the prayer again.

As you feel your heart filled with peace and gratitude to the blessings received from
Mary, the Rose of the World, you can scatter some of your fresh flower petals, or sprinkle some
of your blessed water, over her image.

thank you
thank you
thank you

And so it is.

Posted on by

Day 4 Walking with Mary 2020

Today is the fourth day of working with the prayer and mantra
and today I am adding a special meditation called
Meeting Mother Mary.  

I have recorded the guided meditation and you can repeat it as often as you wish.
As I have said before, repetition builds up energy and mystical power.
It will be wonderful if you can do the Meeting Mother Mary meditation for the next
three days.
The mind gets quickly bored, but steady repetition builds new neural pathways in our
brain which affects everything, our perception, our moods, our beliefs,
our physical health, powers of manifestation and so on.
I do add new prayers as we go along and when you do make some of these
practices part of your spiritual path, you can pick those prayers that you
resonate most with.

I also share a special Isis-Maria-Sophia rosary on my Patreon
at www.patreon.com/thefrenchmadonna

Day Four
The Immaculate Practise 


As always we start with the prayer to Mary

Daily Prayer

In the Mysteries of the Mother

all the opposites are joined
Hail Mary
Ave Maria

When you have said the prayer with intent and focus, pick up your rosary
and repeat the daily mantra.
Please complete the rosary at least twice and a 108 bead mala at least once.
As you become more comfortable, or if you are already a seasoned meditator,
then repeat this mantra up to 6 times around the rosary.
For a mantra we use the rosary in the same way as we do a mala or prayer beads :
you move the beads one by one through your fingers, repeating the line of the mantra on each bead.

This mantra is to be repeated daily for seven days.  The more we work with a mantra, the more
it vibrates through our cells and energy and transforms our mind and energy bodies.

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma

The mantra can be translated into English more or less as follows :

Hail Triumphant Mother Mary Divine Mother of All

or

Hail, triumph to the Creatrix Mary, Divine Mother of All

I invite you to do the Meeting with Mother Mary meditation with me.
Below is the audio recording.

Sit quietly for a few minutes, just allowing yourself to absorb the energy you have invoked.
Enjoy it …… feel the presence of the Sacred embracing you, flowing all around you.
We rejoice in our physical nature, appreciating this time to pause and remember the holy
purpose of our lives.  We feel gratitude for those travelling with us on this path of love
and freedom.  Feel a smile forming on your face.  You are happy to be here in this
peaceful inner place.  Let there be peace.  Gently refocus on the outer world and carry this peace
with you into the world.

  You may want to keep your journal or a piece of paper at hand
and make a few notes every morning.
Every morning when you sit down for your communion with Mary, gaze on the card
that you picked a few days ago,
 and when you have completed your mantra, write down any 
thoughts, feelings, sensations, without judgement and analysis.
At the end of the seven days you will have a deeper understanding of not only the
card, but of Mary and of yourself.

Day 4 of the Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

The Shining Lady of Lourdes
VII Vessels in Mysteries of Mary tarot deck

Gifts from the Sleeping Woman

‘First Bernadette feels a brief quivering pang of terror,
next a steady fear.  But this is no familiar, no fear that
propels one to jump up and run away.  Later this fear melts into 
still another feeling of which this child Bernadette has no idea
and can find no name.  One might call it comforting
or consolation.  But until this instant Bernadette
never knew that she was in need of being comforted.
For she is really not at all aware of the hardness of her life ….
This is naked reality accepted as a matter of course.
But moment by moment now she is more deeply
swathed in this consolation which has no name,
which is a hot flood of compassion…..
But the self of this child is now so cleft asunder,
so open to the universe and so at one therewith,
that the utter sweetness of this compassion
penetrates her shivering body to the very points
of her young breasts.’
extract from The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel

Bernadette saw the shimmering young lady appear in the grotto near Cachot 18 times.  These visions paralysed her and put her into a deep trance state which changed her irrevocably.

The sleeping princess and the sleeping saint are both 
themes in archetypal stories seen in fairy tales and religion.
We see these for instance, in the stories of Snow White
and Sleeping Beauty and the story of St Terese and St Bernadette
The spinning wheel of Sleeping Beauty
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck
The young girl enters the Underworld in order to
return with the greatest gift to the world :
the gift of compassion for self, for all living creatures
and for life itself.
Novena for Day Four 

I enter the Underworld as you pull me into your embrace, 
in every waking moment of living.
Contemplating on your Presence in the world,
opens me up to the poignant beauty and suffering
of all life in order and my  heart breaks open
over and over, over flowing with compassion.  
As my rigid mind dissolves in your
presence, all boundaries between myself and all living creatures
and the earth disappears and we are all one.

Close your communion with repeating the prayer again.

As you feel your heart filled with peace and gratitude to the blessings received from
Mary, the Rose of the World, you can scatter some of your fresh flower petals, or sprinkle some
of your blessed water, over her image.

thank you
thank you
thank you

And so it is.

Posted on by

Day 3 WalkingwithMary2020

Blessings to you on this our third day of Walking with Mary for thirty days.
Today is the third day of working with the prayer and mantra.
Tomorrow, on Day Four you will receive an audio recording of a very beautiful
meditation called Meeting Mother Mary
This first week of the Thirty Days with Mary is dedicated to the apparition of
Mary Our Lady of Lourdes, the suit of Vessels (water)
and the archetype of the Virgin-Mother, Prophetess and
Priestess of the Mysteries

Ace of Vessels
The Woman as vessel of the Divine Feminine

During this stage of the Mysteries we mystically enter the alchemical process of the miraculous
conception within our soul and we prepare to birth the Sacred One in our own psyche.

In the Mysteries of Mary tarot deck the suit of Vessels (traditionally Cups) is
dedicated to this archetype.  Here we encounter her as the element of water.
Mary is a derivative from the Latin ‘Maria” which means waters.
In French the word ‘mare’ means water.
Water has the power to drown us or to quench our thirst.
In the Mysteries we know Mary as the loving comforting mother, but also as
the Mater Dolorosa, the grieving mother consumed with bitter grief at the loss
of her son.  She is also the Black Madonna, the mysterious shadowy Black Virgin who is known to
 maim and even kill those who act against her.

In Lourdes you will hundreds of pilgrims carrying large containers of water from the sacred
spring every day to be used for food and bathing at home.  Her healing waters has
miraculous powers to heal and cure.

I added the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes to my altar

Mary is called a Vessel of Spirit, a Vessel of Honour and in Lourdes she is the
Vessel of the Sacred Waters.  She represents the oceans of consciousness as well as the
energetic flow of the soul and her powerful emotions.  Vessels also relate to the
metaphor of the Cosmic womb of the soul and the dark void of the Source of all creation.

We see the element of water represented in the blue robes of Mary.

During this stage of the Mysteries we mystically enter the alchemical process
 of the miraculous conception within our soul and we prepare to birth
the Sacred One in our own psyche.
In alchemy the vessel is the container in which the various ingredients are mixed and
transformed by each other.  It was believed that the alchemists were looking for a way
to turn lead into gold, but it is also the belief that it is actually a metaphorical journey
of transforming ignorance (symbolised by darkness)
into light (symbolising gnosis or knowledge) as well as a
journey of finding joy and peace amidst sorrow and hardships
as we live in a world of holy paradox.
Mary is a metaphor for the spiritual vessel
in which opposites combine : both human and divine.

The Immaculate Practise – Day three

As always we start with a prayer to Mary

Daily Prayer

In the Mysteries of the Mother
all the opposites are joined
Hail Mary
Ave Maria

When you have said the prayer with intent and focus, pick up your rosary and repeat the daily mantra.
Please complete the rosary at least twice and a 108 bead mala at least once.
As you become more comfortable, or if you are already a seasoned meditator,
then repeat this mantra up to 6 times around the rosary.
For a mantra we use the rosary in the same way as we do a mala or prayer beads :
you move the beads one by one through your fingers, repeating the line of the mantra on each bead.

This mantra is to be repeated daily for seven days.  The more we work with a mantra, the more
it vibrates through our cells and energy and transforms our mind and energy bodies.

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma

Sit quietly for a few minutes, just allowing yourself absorb the energy you have invoked.
Enjoy it …… feel the presence of the Sacred embracing you, flowing all around you.
We rejoice in our physical nature, appreciating this time to pause and remember the holy
purpose of our lives.  We feel gratitude for those travelling with us on this path of love
and freedom.  Feel a smile forming on your face.  You are happy to be here in this
peaceful inner place.  Let there be peace.  Gently refocus on the outer world and carry this peace
with you into the world.

  You may want to keep your journal or a piece of paper at hand
and make a few notes every morning.
Every morning when you sit down for your communion with Mary, gaze on the card
that you picked a few days ago,
 and when you have completed your mantra, write down any 
thoughts, feelings, sensations, without judgement and analysis.
At the end of the seven days you will have a deeper understanding of not only the
card, but of Mary and of yourself.

Day 3 of Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

In the fairy tale, the ancient faith survived –
          Kurt Seligmann

In many a fairy tale the protagonist is a young girl. Think of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstilskin and Snow White.  Sometimes she is a princess and at
other times she is a poor servant girl.  But the focus
in the fairy tale is always on the young girl, the mother and
step mother and the fairy godmother or the thirteenth fairy
or some interaction with a supernatural Blessing Lady.

The miraculous story of Lourdes is as much about Bernadette Soubirous 

as it is about the Lady and the gift of the healing waters.
The young Bernadette is the daughter of a poor family.
As in the Handless Maiden, Bernadette is the daughter
of a miller 

The Miller’s Daughter in the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck

We do not know that much about her parents but we know that she spends her
time in the forest collecting wood for kindling the fire.
Her story shares these elements of the fairy tale
with Cinderella, the Young Goose girl and Hansel and Gretel
as you can see.
Bernadette also looks after the family’s few sheep,  She
is a shepherdess of a tiny flock of sheep, similar to the
tradition of the  Divine Feminine and Blessed Mary
as the Divine Shepherdess of the Earth and
her creatures.

www.hergracesacredart.com

The young girl Bernadette grew up poor and almost destitute.  She lived in an old broken down

room of what used to be a prison, in squalor. She had to scavenge for food on the 
rubbish heap of the village.  In ordinary time Bernadette was poor, 
she had no status and she
was a girl in the ashes, scavenging to help keep her family
alive and warm.

The Holy Servant and Handmaiden shrine from the
Mysteries of Mary tarot deck
VIII of Roses (pentacles)
The fairy tale of Cinderella

Novena for day three :

Holy servant and handmaiden are ancient titles for
holy ones or Light Bringers.  In the esoteric
Christian Bride chamber mysteries, the holy servant
is the bride of the Christ.  
Today, in my heart I declare I am Thy Handmaiden,
o Blessed Mother of the World.
I look upon the ordinary tasks of this world as the work
which will open my eyes to the wonders behind the veil.


Close your communion with repeating the prayer again.

As you feel your heart filled with peace and gratitude to the blessings received from
Mary, the Rose of the World, you can scatter some of your fresh flower petals, or sprinkle some
of your blessed water, over her image.

thank you
thank you
thank you

And so it is.

Posted on by

Day 2 Walking with Mary 2020

Welcome to Day 2 of the thirty day online retreat
Walking with Mary as well as the
Nine Day Art Novena to Lady of Lourdes
This morning we step into our sacred space once again.
Over time you may become aware of how the energy
‘builds up’ and gather in your space.
The more often we repeat the same prayer and mantra, the more
powerful it becomes.
Yesterday we started with a mantra to invoke a blessing and sacrament from Mary on our sacred work
Should you want to, you can repeat this invocation daily.

Today, place your deck of cards on your altar for consecration.  
We will draw a card for the week.
If you own a set of Amulets of Mary, then place these onto your altar as well.

My deck of cards placed on altar

Today I also added my journal and will start writing down any insights
that flow to me.

Then repeat the  mantra of invocation to bless your deck of cards.



Mantra for blessing and sanctification of altar and cards

Ave Maria Sanctum Gloriae
Ave Maria Sanctum Gloriae
Ave Maria Sanctum Gloriae
OM

Repeat the full mantra 3 or 6 times.  You can keep count with your rosary
or prayer beads. Then place your hands on your shawl and move to the rosary
and all items on your altar.  Place your hands on the container with water.  If you choose
to drink the water afterwards, keep a small amount for the next day.  You can
daily add to the water and by the end of the thirty days you will have water
with powerful healing properties. 

You can add this healing (holy) water to your bath or food or drink it.

As always we start with a prayer to Mary

Daily Prayer

In the Mysteries of the Mother
all the opposites are joined
Hail Mary
Ave Maria


When you have said the prayer with intent and focus, pick up your rosary
 and repeat the daily mantra.
Please complete the rosary at least twice and a 108 bead mala at least once.
As you become more comfortable, or if you are already a seasoned meditator,
then repeat this mantra up to 6 times around the rosary.
For a mantra we use the rosary in the same way as we do a mala or prayer beads :
you move the beads one by one through your fingers,
repeating the line of the mantra on each bead.

The Mantra

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma

Sit quietly for a few minutes, just allowing yourself absorb the energy you have invoked.
Enjoy it …… feel the presence of the Sacred embracing you, flowing all around you.
We rejoice in our physical nature, appreciating this time to pause and remember the holy
purpose of our lives.  We feel gratitude for those travelling with us on this path of love
and freedom.  Feel a smile forming on your face.  You are happy to be here in this
peaceful inner place.  Let there be peace.  Gently refocus on the outer world and carry this peace
with you into the world.

Now pick up your deck of cards and choose one card. Place the card on your altar and leave
it there for the remainder of the week.  Do not interpret the card as you normally would,
but let her speak to you.  You may want to keep your journal or a piece of paper at hand
and make a few notes every morning.
Every morning when you sit down for your communion with Mary, gaze on the card
for a second and when you have completed your mantra, write down any 
thoughts, feelings, sensations, without judgement and analysis.
At the end of the seven days you will have a deeper understanding of not only the
card, but of Mary and of yourself.

Close your communion with repeating the prayer again.

As you feel your heart filled with peace and gratitude to the blessings received from
Mary, the Rose of the World, you can scatter some of your fresh flower petals, or sprinkle some
of your blessed water, over her image.

thank you
thank you
thank you

And so it is.

I invite you to participate in the Nine Day Art Novena
of Our Lady of Lourdes.  For nine consecutive years,
and for these nine days of the year I have created a piece
of art dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.
You can read about this sacred practise and my previous
sharings on my blog Cloister of the Heart.
The second day of the Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes.
For these nine days of devotion and inspiration, I chose
to focus on the fairy tale aspect of this miraculous event
in our world.  One may be taken aback at first glance :
how is it possible to diminish the incredible power and
miracle of the apparitions of the Lady of Lourdes
to that of a mere fairy tale?  But I am proposing that
fairy tales are not mere childhood fantasies and bedtime stories.
They are a powerful collection of mythic and archetypal tales
as well as a secret and esoteric guide book for the wisdom
and understanding of a divine feminine path.
Aerial view of candles in procession at any night of the week
at the Lourdes sanctuary – these are people from all religious and spiritual
paths, drawn here by Mary
Fairy tales have certain characteristics in common which distinguish
them from other stories.
– Fairy tales take place in an enchanted world where
natural laws do not apply.  In this world animals can speak
and invisible beings of light become visible to the pure of heart.
– The heroine of the fairy tale understands that the miraculous
and supernatural is a natural part of our world.
– A fairy tale always starts in the ordinary world and the
main characters always return to the ordinary world, with new
gifts and understanding.
– Fairy tales always take place somewhere in nature, be it a valley,
a cave, or a field outside a village or city
– In many fairy tales the protagonist or heroine is set certain
challenges which she has to overcome in order to reach some goal
– in fairy tales both the helpers, guides and antagonists
are women :  we see mainly the young girl as the protagonist and
helpers and antagonists in the guise of old women, queens,
stepmothers, grandmothers, wise old women and witches.
– and in fairy tales good magic always triumphs over the bad. 


St Bernadette, Handmaiden of Roses
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck


Over the next six days we will explore how the story of
a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, from the small village
outside Lourdes, fits into the frame work of the fairy tale.
And what does this mean for us?

Fairy tales can be regarded as mythical religious stories
with the focus and emphasis on the divine feminine
as a balancing contrast to the patriarchal Roman and Greek
myths which we have come to know.  In other words,
a thealogy (female deity) in contrast to an exclusive
theology (male deity).


The Handless Maiden whose hands miraculously grew back
when she reached into the well to save her child
IX Roses in Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck



“We are now, I believe, on the threshold of a third stage which I call the stage of the sacred marriage. This is the only position we could possibly take and still survive. This is a stage beyond both matriarchy and patriarchy. It involves the restoration to human respect of all of the rejected powers of the feminine. But it is absolutely essential that this restoration should be accomplished in the deep spirit of the sacred feminine. Not only should we invoke the sacred feminine, restore the sacred feminine, but this union between the matriarchal and the patriarchal, the sacred marriage, must be accomplished in the spirit of the sacred feminine for it to be real, effective, rich, and fecund. It must occur in her spirit of unconditional love, in her spirit of tolerance, forgiveness, all-embracing and all-harmonizing balance, and not, in any sense, involve a swing in the other direction.”


― Andrew Harvey, The Return of the Mother

Amulets of Mary Lady of Lourdes
The French Madonna @ etsy.com

Novena for Day Two :

I open myself to the spirit of the sacred feminine as embodied
and demonstrated by Blessed Mary and Bernadette Soubirous and the temenos
of Lourdes.  I invoke the sacred feminine
presence to cultivate the inner garden for the hieros gamos, 
the sacred marriage within myself and my world 
blessings
Hettienne