Category: 30dayswithmary

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Day 22 – September

Blessings to you on this, the first day of the final week of
Walking with Mary.
Walking with Mary started off as an online annual retreat
called Thirty Days with Mary.  When the Mysteries of Mary tarot deck
went out into the world I realised that there are many that would like
a practise or tools with which to re-connect or connect with
Mary, beyond the ways of religion of childhood.
On my blog Cloister of the Heart I annually devote
nine days to the Art Novena of Our Lady of Lourdes culminating
in her feast day.  The Thirty Days of Mary in January-February
include the novena.

The practises of Walking with Mary/Thirty Days with Mary
are filled to the brim with ritual, mantra, prayer and tarot.
Probably too much if it is your first time participating.
Ideally you should take your time and do what you can
and take the practise over a couple of months and make it your own.
And as you know by now, the more you apply and engage with the
practises and the mantras, the deeper your experience and inner connection
goes.

The fourth week is dedicated to the Suit of Roses.

The Suit of Roses are traditionally Pentacles.
The colours are red, white and black.
This is the suit of embodiment; where body, soul and spirit
connect; where light and shadow dance in an eternal lovemaking.

Through the ages the goddesses Isis, Venus, Aphrodite and the Shekinah
had been called Great Rose, the Rose Queen, Flower of Venus,
the Rose Garden, the Cosmic Rose and the Mystical Rose.
The rosary is a universal form of prayer and is present in many religions.
In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that the Universe is a necklace and the string
is the Atman that holds all things together.  The Hindu rosary is sacred to
Sarasvati, Goddess of language.  Sarasvati hears the words of the prayers
and she is the Word.  The Buddhist rosary has 108 beads, as does the Hindu
mala and this number represents the cycles of the universe.  The Muslim rosary
has 33 beads for the 99 names of God.
The rose is an ancient symbol sacred to the goddess, to the feminine
and the Wisdom tradition.  Sacred places often carry the perfume of
roses and mystics experience the fragrance of the rose during ecstatic
moments. We are not excluded from these mystical experiences.
During my first San Garmano pilgrimage I visited the church
and body of Padre Pio and when I meditated in the sacred space
I was engulfed with the fragrance of roses.  It was so strong
I will never forget it.  During my visit to the Rosa Mystica shrine
a few years later I was attracted by the strong perfume of roses,
only to discover that the fragrance was coming from the statue of Padre Pio.
I also write about the fragrance of roses and honey at Lourdes
and in Lisieux at the body of St Terese and those who went with me
had the same experience.
 The radiant Lady of Lourdes stood over a wild rose bush
and she appeared with golden roses on her bare feet.  Her image made
in roses appeared on the inside of the cloak of  Juan Diego of Guadulupe.
The original rose flower used to be an open flower with five distinct
petals.  The five petals are similar to the inner core of an apple when cut in half;
you can clearly see the pentacle.  The apple is also a traditionally feminine
symbol.  The shape of the five petals and five segments in the apple’s
inner core, is similar to the five pointed pattern that Venus forms in her 
orbit when she gets closest to Earth.
These last seven days are dedicated to Mary, the Great Rose, 
the Rose Queen, Rose of Divine Love, the Rose Garden
and Our Lady of Love and Beauty.
My altar for the week – I chose the Priestesshood card

Today we draw the fourth card for the Thirty Days of Mary.
Place all four cards in a row on your altar and start writing the story.
You may find that by the end of the thirty days you will be adding
more insights into the story.
Hail Mary 
Ave Maria
Glory is the one who is our home
Glory for the presence in our hearts
Glory since the mystery transcends all words.
all songs, all signs
Glory is the hope that makes us live
Hail Mary 
Ave Maria
Glory is the wonder that we were and are
and will become
Glory is the Spirit who invades our bones
and makes them shine
Glory in the wind and in the  fire
Glory in the one breath
giving life to all the world
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Glory in the rising earth
Glory embracing what we lost
Glory in assuming who we are
Glory in the woman who is whole
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
blessings
Hettienne
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Day 19 – September

Today is the nineteenth day of this journey with ourselves, meditation
and Mary in all her aspects.
Diving deep into our own shadows always takes us out of our comfort
zones and into seemingly dangerous places.  We are all of a sudden
confronted with unspoken beliefs;  memories that had been deep down
never to be seen again (that was the idea) and an alchemical process
starts.  
Alchemy is not only something that takes place in a laboratory.
Alchemy takes place in the kitchen, when the yeast meets the flour
and rises;  when the bread is put into the oven and it bakes to a beautiful
golden brown.  Alchemy takes place when we pick up the needle and thread
and sew two pieces of fabric together and we have a garment.
Alchemy takes place in the heart when we allow the fears and hurts
to float to the surface, to be seen, to be embraced, to be accepted
and to be viewed with compassion.
For today and this stage of our journey I offer to you
IX of Distaff, Our Lady Untier of Knots
I say that we are wound with mercy round and round as if with air;
the same Mary … World-mother air, air wild, wound with thee, 
in thee isled, fold home, fast fold thy child – Gerard Manly Hopkins




Our Lady Untier of Knots symbolises the absolute power of the divine
to untie the knots of the personal self.
Yoga teaches that knots or ‘granthis’ exist in the sublte energetic meridians
(nadi) of the body.  These knots restrict the flow of prana or chi or the life force
and emotional discomfort and physical disease is the result
When we accept that we are ‘wound with mercy round and round’
then it is a small step to accept that the Divine is as close as your next breath.
The Holy Protection of the Mother of God
Mother of Mercy
if I stay awake all night,
vigilant and grateful,
will you drop your protective veil
over my vulnerable heart?
I cannot control the world around me,
I can only be faithful to my own deepest truth.
Wrap me in your pure white cloak of devotion, Mary,
so that I can remember that my sole task
is to praise the God of Love.
Cover me in your burial shroud
as I die to my false self,
to be reborn
as a living example of peace on earth.
Infuse me with the tincture of your tears
so that I may face every challenge
with a tender and courageous spirit
– Mirabai Starr from Mother of God, similar to fire
blessings
Hettienne
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Day 17 – September

Soulcollage card by Hettienne

A puja is a ritual dedicated to the worship of one’s personal deity.
(ishtadevata) 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 our devotion to Mother Mary.
Our devotion and adoration invoke the sacred presence
of Mother Mary into the sacred space and the statue
and altar is blessed by Her Presence.

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 share a prayer with you.
You may want to use it for the puja to Holy Mary.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to doing
a puja.  It has certain elements that one always follows.
Usually it is done by a priest or priestess and in this
case you are the priest or priestess of your own temple.

An altar has to be prepared.  In the video you will see that
we are using the red altar.  The red ties in beautifully
with the red thread of the Suit of Distaff.
   
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.

We bring offerings through incense, fragrance, voice,
music and fresh flower petals.  At some point you will experience
the stillpoint within where the inner and outer meet
and where your actions are no longer a ritual, but you
become the ritual and the Divine Love within.

A puja by a solitary person is different to a group ritual, but the intent
is still to raise the energy and to invoke the sacred presence.
Repeating the mantra or prayer and keeping a rhythm with your
hands or musical instrument, adds to the shamanic state
of trance meditation.  You may want to repeat the puja in the days
to come if you do not feel confident at first.

The solitary puja on the video is done by
Kamala Maria Devi, a Flamekeeper in the Temple of Mary.
You will find her on Instagram as @terrykamala and
her retreat house page where she runs sound healing retreats,
is @littlesamadhikaroo.  

The mantra to be used is our thirty day mantra

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma
Jai Jai Ma


Prayer :

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





blessings to you
Hettienne


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Day 16 – September

a Soulcollage card


You must give
birth to your images.
They are the future
waiting to be born ….
fear not the strangeness
you feel.
Just wait for the birth …..
for the hour of new clarity – Rainer Maria Rilke



Earlier on in the Thirty Days with Mary I asked you to collect
images.  I collect calendars and buy glossy art magazines and books
on sale for the purpose of creating Soulcollage cards.


(Soulcollage(R) is a copyrighted term www.soulcollage.com. 
Soulcollage is a ‘therapy’ put together by Seena Frost.)

These collages are powerful, simple, easy to make,
and, when used with conscious awareness,
they are wonderful guardians and guides on
the journey within the Self.


An ideal size of card to create your collage on is
20×25 cm.

Create a picture from the magazine cuttings that appeal to you.
Do not try to analyse as you work.  The more you can get
into your creative zone the better.  Allow the process to surprise you.
You may start off thinking you know what you want to put together
and then all of a sudden the images have their own plan.




The Swan Card 

I am the One who takes you on a safe passage through the transitions.  I offer you sacred companionship; the promise that I will never abandon you and the reminder that you always belong to the community of your Soul and of Spirit.


Here is my process of creating the Swan card. 
I was in the process of transition and of making changes in my life.
I became aware of continually being drawn to images of a boat;
as well as a small boat crossing a lake;  even cruise liners!!
So I started looking for images that resonate with me right then
 and I immediately chose swans.


Years ago, when I did some Jungian studies, I had many visions and dreams of swans and I have painted quite a few iconic and mythological images of swans.  Then they meant something completely different to me.  The one thing that remained a constant, though, is that they represent Soul or Spirit.  

As I gathered these image, I learnt a few things about swans.


They are hardly ever seen by themselves.  They are usually in pairs, or as a family unit.  I know that swans mate for life.


Swans carry their chicks on their backs.  How absolutely beautiful is that!!

I keep a notebook, writing down my insights during the process of making a card.  These insights are invaluable and very pertinent to one’s inner journey.  You may pick up other things that are specific to your history and circumstances.

Some more pertinent insights about swans :
the colour white which represents purity, purification, initiation, Spirit;
the throat area is emphasised by its long neck :  throat chakra, called Vissudhi in sanskrit; Vissudhi means purification.
So, a process of letting go is of importance here. 

They swim across the waters.  Waters represent the emotions, the world of the Soul.  So, again, transitions, journeys to new horizons.

And this is the card that I made :



As part of the SoulCollage process, you ‘climb’ into the card, mentally and emotionally, and you let the neter (the archetype) of the card speak to you.  You always start the process with “I am the One who ….’

I am the One who takes you on a safe passage through the transitions.  I offer you sacred companionship; 
the promise that I will never abandon you.  I am the one who reminds you that you always belong to the community of your Soul and Spirit.

The gifts of this card is sacred communion.
The shadow of the Swan is the stressful times of transition that can take you back into childhood memories of being the Ugly Duckling!

You may even consider creating your own tarot cards.


blessings on your journey of Thirty Days with Mary
Hettienne

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Day 15 – September




Blessings to you on this first day of the third week of 
Walking with Mary for thirty days.
A wonderful supportive community has developed
around this practise where highs and lows of the week
are shared.  You will find us on Instagram under
#thirtydayswithmary
#walkingwithmary and you can join in on the feed
@walkingwithmary.




The IX of Distaff in Mysteries of Mary tarot
The Holy Shekinah


Proverbs 31:19 In her hand she holds the distaff. Her hands
are spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber ……. 

Mishlei (Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible) She stretches forth her hands
onto the distaff and her hands support the spindle.  She spreads out her hand
to the poor man and she stretches her hands out to the needy.
She fears not for her household for snow, as all her household
is dressed in crimson.  She makes beautiful bedspreads
for herself;  fine linen and purple wool are her raiment.

These passages refer to women, skilled in the art of weaving, weaving
the curtains of the Tabernacle, or the veils of the holy of holies.
The curtain of the holy of holies, the innermost chamber of the temple,
is also a reference to the Veiled Sacred Woman of the World,
the Veiled Isis and the veiled images of
Pistis Sophia or Lady Wisdom.
From these passages we deduct that the Holy Shekinah weaves the curtain,
and that women in the world do the work of weaving.
If a woman or man’s heart is uplifted in adoration to the
Shekinah, the Divine Feminine in all creation, and she or he is
devoted to Her, the person will become at one with Holy Shekinah
and the Shekinah (the hidden sacred feminine Presence) becomes
manifest in the person and what s/he weaves or manifests,
the Shekinah weaves, or manifests.

This week is dedicated to
the Suit of Distaff in the Mysteries of Mary tarot
and the archetype of
Mary as Sophia, Our Lady of Wisdom, Shekinah
and the colours are Green, Dark Blue and Purple
(its not limited to these colours only as there infinite
ways of interpreting the inner wisdom)
The element is Air.

There are various elements in this week’s stories and focus.
We will work with the red thread, scissors, veil, knitting,
weaving and sewing.



It will add meaning to your work this week, if you add some
of these elements to your altar.
If you have not been wearing a veil up till now, then you
may want to consider wearing one for the practise of this week.
These are all symbolic actions which speak powerfully to the
subconscious and unconscious mind and you may be surprised
at what comes to the surface of your consciousness when
you use the ritual tools.


A practise that I have done for many years and have shared it with
others over time, is to embroider my veil as a contemplative practise.
I work simple patterns in silk or wool and attach pieces or charms
that have special meaning to me, on the borders.
I have a number of these shawls that have travelled the world
with me and I have worn them when visiting places sacred to the Mother.





The Suit of Distaff is the suit of peace and the Veils of Mary.

Before the invention of the spinning wheel, the spinning of wool
or flax were done by women using a spindle and a distaff.  The spindle
was a long spool to hold and spin the wool and the distaff a short rod
with an opening or branches at the top for holding the flax or wool.
The top of the distaff had the shape  V and has been called the
sword of peace.
According to the dictionary the word distaff took on the
meaning of ‘woman’s work’ and eventually of ‘woman’. 
It is still used to refer to the female side of the family.
Mary, like the goddesses of old, has a rich tradition of weaving 
similarly to Persephone, Kore and Athena and her role in weaving the
temple veil is an important event in the holy story.





Preparing the red thread

Before the wool and flux could be spun, it had to be prepared. 
The red thread represents the sacred red wool which forms
the the thread of our lives, our connections to each other and
our connection to Mary Sophia, the Divine Spirit, both within and without.
In the temple Mary was given the red and purple wool to spin.
The red represents the earthly life of blood and flesh and the
purple symbolises royalty and divinity signifying the 
sacred marriage of flesh and spirit in the conception and birth
of her holy child and the holy child that each one of us carry
within ourselves.
We are a divine weaving of flesh and spirit.

As part of your personal ritual and commitment today
you can create a red and purple braid with wool or string
and tie it around your left wrist.
Take your anointing oil and anoint the sacred string
whilst making a statement of intent and blessing.

The young Mary, as one of the sacred virgins, preparing
the flux in the temple.

I choose to refresh my altar.  I clean my space and for this week
I continue to burn frankincense on the charcoal burner
and I add Frankincense oil to the rose oil in my oil burner.

You only add one or two drops
and it is a very special blend.
It is a very expensive oil and you may choose to rather
continue with eucalyptus and rose.
Frankincense has a very high vibration and you only need
a few drops at a time as it can become very overpowering.



The sanctification of our sacred altars

Mantra for blessing and sanctification
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.  
The Immaculate Practise for week 3

A new daily Prayer

You can continue with the various daily prayers and you can
alternate between the prayers and readings.
You can also create your own prayer and make this practise your own.

Oh Mary, Mother of All, grant our hearts be filled with love,
compassion and peace no matter the circumstances of our lives
OM

Oh Mary, the Wise, grant to us ever wider eyes with which to see the
true power and beauty of your world and our world. Let harmony and
wholeness be established within all kingdoms.
OM

As it is above. so it is below

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)

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

  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 
your journey.

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.

Tomorrow you will have the wonderful privilege of watching
how a devi puja is done.
Later on in the week we will start with making collages
and allowing the divine archetypes within you to speak
to you through the language of symbol and symbolism.
So start collecting old magazines or cards or calendars
and cut out pictures that speak to you for whatever reason.
Keep them all together, ready to be used in collages later on.


blessings to you
Hettienne




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Day 14 – September

Today is the final day of the second week of the
Suit of the Holyrood.
There are various archetypes and initiations in this suit
and one of them is Our Lady, the Eastern Gate.
Triumph
Mary and her Child’s return to Nazareth
Six of the Suit of the Holy Rood
in the path of Beauty
(traditionally Six of Wands)
Sacred Mysteries of Mary Deck
www.hergracesacredart.com
Many people are familiar with the fact that Joseph and
Mary fled with the infant Jesus to Egypt at the threat
of the massacre of the innocents by King Herod.
This event is well covered by many artists
and it is seen as one of the seven sorrows of Mary.
However, what is not clear, is the amount of time that
was spent in Egypt and what transpired there.
The two accounts in the books of Matthew and Luke
do not correspond at all.  Luke mentions nothing about Egypt
and Matthew says nothing about a trip to Nazareth
soon after Jesus’ birth whereas Luke describes in detail
how Jesus was taken to the temple in Jerusalem
‘after Mary’s purification according to the law of Moses.’
 And when they had performed everything
 according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, 
to their own town of Nazareth – Luke 2:39
The town of Nazareth is in the ‘kingdom’ of Jerusalem
and here we see Mary on the donkey riding
through the gate of Jerusalem.
In The Hebrew Goddess, a book by Jewish historian
and anthropologist Raphael Patai, we learn
that the Hebrew goddess Asherah was seen as the
mother of Yahweh.  
In the time of King Joshua the Hebrew goddess
had to go ‘underground’.  The use of her name and images
were forbidden and her devotees replaced her with
the tree, a pole or rod and the branches of the menorah.
She was known as the Lady of Jerusalem;
the Gate of Jerusalem and the Eastern Gate.
The Lady of Jerusalem was also depicted as an arch.
According to the Dead Sea Scrolls and
The Mother of the Lord by Margaret Barker,
 the ancients
believed Mary to be the incarnation of
the Lady of Jerusalem.
In Christian iconography from the East
we see Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.
Her image is above the city gates (in Lithuania
and Poland) to protect the city and its inhabitants
and many miracles have been ascribed to her.
In Ezekiel it is written that the eastern gate of
Jerusalem has been shut
and that it will only re-open for the divine One.
So here we have Mary returning victoriously
through the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem
into the light of a new dawn.
A marriage of eastern and western iconography
and cultures and more importantly,
a marriage of masculine and feminine values
for our world.
This card is a way shower of the return of Mary
and her hidden and lost meaning to our world.
The deck takes us on a journey through the 
life, the initiations and the mysteries of Mary
as the Sacred Feminine and what it means
to our natural world as well as our spiritual,
emotional and social health.
May the values of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance
of all diversity as embodied by Mary
return to a place of honour and respect in our world.
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Sanctum Gloria
Hail Mary
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

Until tomorrow, when we enter a new week and a new focus.

blessings
Hettienne
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Day 13 – September


The Anointing One
‘Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.’

You may wish to create an anointing oil and carry it with you in a small bottle.
The sacrament of anointing is a blessing and a healing. You may wish to anoint your hands
before you meditate.  You can anoint others in your circle.  You can bless
your chakras or other parts of your body with a healing or intentional blessing.
A traditional blessing is to anoint the forehead (third eye chakra) with
a touch of the thumb dipped into the anointing oil.

One can anoint your tarot decks by touching the oil to the 
box that you keep them in or to the pouch.  You can anoint your meditation
shawls, your candles or any objects on your altar
Recipe :
Mix 2 parts of olive oil with 1 part petroleum jelly.
Add drops of rose or spikenard oil.
You can also add franckincense or myrrh oil
and sandal paste if you wish.

I use kum kum, the red paste that I bring back from India.
I mix it with a bit of water and a few drops of oil.

You can create your own prayer or mantra for
the anointing blessing.

I use the following :

‘In the Sacred Heart of Mary I trust’

and

‘In the Immaculate Sacred Heart of Mary I am’

Walking in the footsteps of Mary the Magdalene in the South of France
A few years ago I undertook a pilgrimage to France
with the focus of walking in the footsteps of
Mary the Magdalene.

Our first stop was St Maximin la St Baume where we stayed in the old cloisters of the Basilica. The adjacent Basilica houses the relics of Mary Magdalene. As with all sacred places, saints, myths and legends, there is always controversy and dispute about the truth of the legends as well as the relics. As we know, religion is a powerful political tool. Personally, I choose to see the entire spectrum of religion, myth and legend as an archetypal journey. We, ourselves, embody these archetypes and these inspirational lives and stories of these almost superhuman beings, is to me a cross road where the archetype and the physical meet and cross. 
One cannot ignore the power of the names given to these characters – the names in themselves are archetypal. Also, if you pay attention to the ley lines where the sacred places are established and where the waters run from the sacred springs and well, you can see the presence of the Divine, marrying our world with the Spiritual world.
Staying in the old cloisters was a very humbling experience. 
This was the view from my room in the convent which has now been turned into a hotel.
Right next door, as part of the complex, stands the massive St Maximin Basilica of Mary Magdalene. 
We visited the Basilica more than once. We also visited the chapel at the grotto where Mary Magdalene spent the last thirty three years of her life at La Sainte Baume. I experienced the same divine Presence at both these sites. The Presence of the Divine Feminine known as Mary Magdelene. I can only describe it as a very very gentle, loving and forgiving energy. It felt as though the energy was vibrating in gentle, yet powerful waves of nurturing and embracing : an energy with a very specific vibration and colour which I will now recognize immediately again. 
This is the statue of Mary Magdalene placed just outside the crypt where her relics are kept.
Here is picture taken during the Mary Magdalene feast day procession. Her skull is behind this mask which is taken out for the procession.
The Basilica contained many statues and a shrine dedicated to Mother Mary, the Mary Magdelene crypt and more. The most beautiful Mary Magdalene statue graced this church. The picture does not really do justice to the presence that radiates from this beautiful image.
I open myself to the spirit of the sacred feminine as embodied
and demonstrated by Mary the Magdalene and the ancient sacrament of anointing. 
 I invoke the sacred feminine
presence within myself to receive the Beloved within the mystical
bridal chamber in my innermost heart.
I invoke the blessing and healing sacrament
the sacred marriage within myself and my world
Thank you
thank you
thank you
and so it is 
blessings
Hettienne
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Day 12 – September

Mary the Magdalene

On this, the twelfth 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,
I have shared many different practises with you so far.
These practises were developed over a long period of time
and they become really effective in purifying the mind
when you actively and regularly engage with the ritual, the words and the intent.
The mind is like a laser; it has great power but one has to train it
into one pointed focus to truly harness its potential.
Mastery of the self starts with mastery of the mind.
When the projections and veils of the mind clears,
one can ‘see’ more clearly.
As the mind comes to rest in the centre, the psyche
is freed from its cocoon to reveal new worlds within yourself.
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, and stay with the fear, it is possible for a new vision to be born.
When hold the tension of the opposites, we hold onto the yin and the yang, the ‘dark’ and the ‘light’,
transformation takes place and our understanding of the world expands.

blessings
Hettienne
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Day 10 – September

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.
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 powerful transformation through this beautiful energy and have many letters from those who have received it distant, and whom I have never met
in person that have felt its healing and even witnessed instant and permanent
beneficial and healing effects.


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 Namaha

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)

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 energetic
transference 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 a friend or a therapist.

It is a powerful practise to follow up with journalling or making notes
as one tends to forget the insights and feelings that surface.
I find that it also helps the doubting and critical mind when I can go back
and read my own notes and witnessing to my own process.


blessings
Hettienne

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Day 9 – September

Welcome to Day 9 of the Thirty Days of Walking with Mary
for September


Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.
We recognize her blackness in the prima materie of nigredo
in the alchemical process of transformation.
We also see her in the blackness of the Black Madonna.




Who has ever been stronger than Mary?
Anyone then who wishes to live in the valley
of humility must conquer
All the power of great love

– Hadewijch of Antwerp



She will take the racked treasure of our suffering
on her knees and place it beside the 
tortured relic of Christ’s body.
Her arms contain all the suffering of the whole of humanity,
the countless ever-growing number of wounds
of a human race which is continuously crucified.
– Edward Schillebeecks


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

Today I add a special prayer for the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows

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.




In my research and pilgrimages to the Black Madonna, I found that one of Her most important messages can be summed up by these words of Albert Einstein :

A human being is part of the whole called by us ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space.  We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest.  A kind of optical delusion of consciousness.  This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.  The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self.  We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.

The stories of the Black Madonnas are some of the oldest that we have.  Many of these statues were hidden for hundreds of years to escape destruction by the many rulers and patriarchs that passed through the lands.  But she has a consistent story and message to tell.

Images from the forthcoming Black Madonna Tarot Deck
www.hergracesacredart.com



The Black Madonna deck is a deepening of the Mysteries of Mary as a spiritual path of being devoted to the Blessed Mother in Her many manifestations and aspects.  I am hoping that this deck will offer another layer and level of spiritual insight and clarity into the personal journey of initiation, consecration, dedication and commitment to Mary as the reflection of the One in many and many in One.


It is part of my vision that one will be able to use these two decks, the Mysteries of Mary and the Black Madonna, concurrently and together; both for readings for spiritual insight and as a guidebook and map to the journey of spiritual unfoldment and ultimately union with the divine self.

Mystery surrounds the Black Madonna and her symbolism.  There are as many theories as there are Black Madonnas.  We no longer have any writings about her and very few stories still exist.  But that is exactly where I am looking for my insight about the Wisdom of the Black Madonna :  in folk tale and the stories that have been carried over down the generations and in my own personal experiences and insights into the collective unconscious and the womb of light.

The blackness of the Black Virgin is obviously a problem for the patriarchal religious structure known as the Roman Catholic Church.  Various explanations are given for the dark colour of the statues and the past few years many Black Madonnas have been whitened in renovation projects in the cathedrals and churches.   Slowly the ancient tradition of the Black Madonna is disappearing.  I see this ‘whitening’ reflected in many of the New Age teachings and sentiments and short cuts are promised to the holy grail of inner peace whilst at the same time many ancient practises are denigrated and even declared illegal (as in the use of herbs and plants).

However, what a blessing that She is being kept alive in these beautiful cathedrals and basilicas and that communities are still devoting themselves to her ritually and in festival.



The dark colour of the Black Madonna reflects the inner darkness that we have to wade and find our way through if we want to find long lasting satisfaction and happiness.  This is not an easy process and without a community to support your struggles, it is even more difficult.  When you turn outwards towards mainstream thinking, you will be met with a deluge of alternative solutions offered through capitalism, designed to replace your inner connection to yourself and the Universe.

When one closes one’s eyes, you see the colour of the Black Madonna.  Sitting in contemplation and meditation for long periods of time can be overwhelming and frightening to the ego-mind and the constructs of the psyche.  We spend an inordinate time to create our mental constructs and to line up our belief systems to give sense and meaning to our world.  We also all have personalities that has been shaped and created through our personal conditioning and experiences and from there we continue the personal ‘training’ of the mind. In other words, we are heavily invested in who we believe we are and in maintaining this illusion for ourselves and the world.  So obviously change will not come easily.

Millions of people struggle with insomnia and use exercise or drugs to subdue the mind into submitting to sleep.  A regular meditation practise may look like a peaceful and inactive pastime, but the truth be told, it takes the lid off Pandora’s box and lets the ‘good, the bad and the ugly’ out from your subconscious mind into the awareness of the conscious mind.  And this  It is far easier to live in ignorant bliss and have no ills blight the landscape of your awareness.

All spiritual practise leads to a psychic and emotional detox and when you do not know what is happening, it can be very fearful and off-putting and retreat would seem like the most sensible thing to do.




An initiation into a spiritual practise and path can come to you in various ways.  Often one is catapulted and initiated through personal experience and a catastrophic event in your life into a deeper exploration of one’s inner reality.  With the New Age explosion in the West many spiritual teachers have appeared but it also created a watered-down form of spirituality with the teachings made more meek and acceptable and palatable to the masses.  If you are serious about your spiritual unfoldment you need to dive deeply into the womb of black light that resides within you and within which you reside.

There is also a lopsided focus on ‘love and light’ with the result that those who understand that the shadows and the living black light is an integral part of the divine matrix, split off into their own sub-culture of new-paganism, wiccan, witchery and other labels.  Unity and union with the divine means that these two worlds have to be married and embraced as one, both within oneself and within the projected world of our divine mind.  Otherwise we are falling back into patriarchy and dual based religions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘good’ and ‘evil’ and all that grows from there. – an extract from the introduction to the Black Madonna tarot deck on www.patreon.com/thefrenchmadonna



blessings
Hettienne