Path of Divine Love

Postcard from Paradise

2012-02-26T02:44:00.000-08:00

The Mother of Good Counsel

inspired by and extracts from Untie the Strong Woman

by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Healing is not for the pure who need no healing.

It is for those in need.

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

A powerful prayer here,

a person who listens with holy love there,

a book over here,

a sudden inspirational thought over there,

a sudden realisation,

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

and all these held together in tenderness with oneself

and one's idea of the Holy.

extract from Untie the Strong Woman

my postcard from paradise this week

is ignited and sparked by the fiery passion

of Untie the Strong Woman.

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

and offer this sacred space

of healing and wholeness;

a mirror that speaks louder than the

clamouring voices of external authority

of 'those that declare that they know

better, or the truth or the right way'

a mirror that reminds me and you

of the words of the Memorare to Our Lady

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

implored thy help,

or sought they intercession,

was left unaided.

Visit Rebecca's Postcards from Paradise and become part of this circle of sharing and receiving.

Also, Please visit Her Grace by Devata my other blog, where I participated in IA's challenge of textures with my rendition of Untie the Strong Woman.

Also have a look and consider joining in with my weekly SoulSongs, the SoulCollage art that is a direct mirror of the Sacred Heart within.

love

Hettienne

Soul Songs

2012-02-26T02:41:00.004-08:00

The lake of your eyes reflects the ripples of my heart. I melt and dissolve beyond the crashing of the waves, the ebb and flow of life. No longer becoming, leaving, embodying, or expanding into love. Now stretched into wise skin with eyes that have known all along. It is Love and only Love.

Soul Songs

Songs of the Soul

Collage of feeling,

vision,

intuition.

Open the door,

make the Unseen

Seen

enter the Sacred,

sing the Soul's Song.

Please come and play along.

Through the work of Seena B Frost's SoulCollage I have discovered a wonderful medium of playing, creating and uncovering! SoulCollage is a structured technique with certain ground rules. It is ideal for self-reflection and group work and it is facilitated by trained SoulCollage Facilitators (which I am not). I started playing with soul collages, based on her book and I have become completely hooked onto collage cards. Then they started appearing in my dreams and in my art. Previously I would try to reproduce all my visions and insights onto canvas, but it took so long that my sketch journal just became thicker and thicker and I could not paint fast enough. However, making collage cards are simple and quick and they are beautiful!

And now I invite you to play along with myself in Soul Songs every Sunday here on The Path of Divine Love.

I invite you to create a collage card making the invisible in yourself visible. You create the card from the soft focus of your right brain and you set the intent that that which is hidden, be unveiled through its coming together. I use an A5 board card to glue the images onto. I mainly use magazine clippings and paper images from my folder of collected images. I find many old magazines at local charity stores. Old magazines, especially the old National Geographics, have wonderful 'new' images. Digital artists probably have a digital folder filled with images - this will work wonderfully! You can continue to add to your image collection over time and allow your intuitive self to lead you. Do not plan too much. Maybe at times of change or insight, you may want to create a specific collage card honouring that stage in your life, or facilitating the change or transformation or to support a new resolution. Decide on the subject only and allow your eye to guide you to the images. Play around for a while with the images, but do not apply your art rules to the collage - there are no rules - that is the fun of it! You will be amazed to discover how your Inner Artist puts together a powerful and evocative image; one that gives you a deeper look into the sacred.

Once you have collated the card, you want to find the Song of your Soul that is held in the inner chamber of this card. We are part of the infinite and we have many many songs just waiting to be heard!

You can link up below.

Also, please visit Postcard from Paradise here on The Path of Divine Love, and Untie the Strong Woman, on Her Grace by Devata.

love
Hettienne

Postcard from Paradise

2012-02-19T01:47:00.002-08:00

I learned from my grandmother -

herself a great and simple church -

if one creates a prayer of poetry,

heaven will send for you by name,

bypassing all theological detours ...

for God so treasures poets.

It was night.

We were kneeling,

saying our prayers together;

old aunties, uncles,

daddies, mommies, children,

and one old, old one.

It sounded like this :

'Hail Mary full of grace' we intoned.

But grandmother said under her breath,

Hello, my most holy Sister.

(It sounded like this : Elo miy most holey see-stair.)

You are so filled with the light of God

(Djou air so feeled wit te leet oav Goad)

I can hardly bear to look at you.

Soften your light just a little

so I can see you more clearly Dear One.

And we droned on,

'The Lord is with thee,

blessed art thou amongst women ...'

and grandmother whispered,

You were pregnant with the Lord,

oh the glory of it all!

You are filling my womb

with holiness as we speak.

And we bleated onward,
'... blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.'
Grandmother went on,
Oh my dearest sister,
I am so sorry you had to give birth
with only the poor animals,
your poor distraught husband,
with only the night sky to hold you,
for, What did Joe know?

I know this feeling, and I commiserate
if I had been there, I would have held
your thighs for you, cut the cord
of our beloved baby Jesus.

We bellowed out into the home stretch,
'... Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners ...'
Grandmother murmured,
Oh, my sins are many my sister,
but without your love
they would have been so many more;
if not for you, for your advice,
for your great love for women such as me.

Then, we began the final bugle,
crashing now into the finale
like moose in rut:
'... now and at the hour of our death, Aymen!'
Grandmamma was still whispering:
I have had many hours of death in this lifetime.
Without you my sister, my mother, my child,
I would never have known that pain, joy,
and strength are one.
You gave birth to me over and over again.
You are not the mother of all life, you are life itself.
Thank you for my life my Child, my Sister, my Mother.

Aymen for now, says your old daughter, Katerin.
Aymen ..... and a little woman.

Extract from Untie the Strong Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

Join in with other Postcards from Paradise here

I also invite you to visit Soul Songs here :

thank you for visiting

love

Hettienne

Soul Songs - Holy Fool

2012-02-19T01:34:00.022-08:00

The words of Richard Rohr epitomises for me the medicine of SoulCollage :

'If we don't learn to mythologize our lives,

inevitably we will pathologize them'

This Soul Song today is called the Holy Fool. That which cannot be named.

Rumi captures the essence of the Holy Fool in his words

Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing,

there is a field.

I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase

each other

doesn't make any sense.

I invite you to play along. If you want to learn more, click below

love

Hettienne

Soul Songs - The Swan

2012-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Swan Card - Community Suit

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.

Every Sunday, here in this sacred space, we play

Soul Songs.

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.

I am currently on a journey of transition,

changing over, crossing a bridge,

transformation,

going through a new doorway,

entering another part of the sacred garden within.

And I have been using my SoulCollage tool to reflect the mirror of Soul

for me.

I would like to share the process of making a SoulCollage card with you so that you may

join in with the weekly SoulSongs and see what fun it is!

I have been aware of being drawn to images of a boat, a small boat crossing a lake; even cruise liners!!

So I started looking for images that resonate with me right now 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!

To play along with Soul Songs, you only need make a card. It is then up to you what you want to share, if anything!

I will be back on Sunday with my SoulSong.

I invite you to join in then.

blessings

Hettienne

Thank you Queenie

2012-02-12T22:30:00.000-08:00

My friend and kindred spirit, Queenie of Always, Queenie Believe, awarded me the Liebster Award. Oh my! who does not enjoy being recognized and being someone's favourite! And the wonderful sense of community! I have never considered awards previously, and I gratefully accept this one. Thank you dear Queenie for so royally bestowing this award on my blog.

Liebster means favourite.

I will pay this award forward to five blogs that I regularly read and follow and which are my favourites. The only specification is that they have to have less than 200 followers. They will then each pay it forward again. What a wonderful idea! I wonder who started the Liebster Blog award?

The five favourite blogs that I really enjoy and try to visit regularly are :

Recuerda mi Corazon , Rebecca's wonderful blog of colour, travel, art, the Madonna, and other sacred sharings of the heart;

Avalon and an Apple Tree, where Miss Robyn, the hedgewitch from Australia (with ancestry from Cornwall) chronicles her questions and findings in her womanly life;

Scenes from a slowmoving train , Annie's newly re-surrected blog that offers her insights on life;

The Angels wear Fins, Noelle's visual feast of poetry and film

Fran aka Redondowriter a tongue-in-cheek blog where Fran shares her special love of SoulCollage and anecdotes that always bring a smile to my face!

Please visit these blogs and share the love!

blessings

Hettienne

Song of my Soul

2012-02-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

Woman of courage,

reminder that the heart demands boldness,

brave steps into the unknown

in order for the inner garden to bloom

and flourish in the heat of the Sun.

Over at Inspiration Avenue, Gemma, our co-host for this week

chose the topic of Here Comes the Sun. I teamed up with

my Frida theme and entered my first ever

art doll. She was born today - very fitting for the theme

of Imbolc, Candlemas and Spring, don't you think?

Her Grace by Devata

I invite you to play along with Song of my Soul, SoulCollage Soul Songs.

Here you can make a collage that speaks to your heart, guides the way

or just reflects what you are looking at now.

Song of my Soul plays every Sunday.

Here is a full description if you are interested, but really, there are no rules.

Holy Day of Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-11T02:23:00.000-08:00

Today is Day Nine in this Art Novena of Our lady of Lourdes.

I pick the flowers from my garden and make a garland

to adorn Her image

I twist ivy and roses for Her crown

I pick the first crop of gooseberries

and symbolically offer the fruits of my harvest to Her

as I sprinkle the ground around Her with

holy water from many Holy Wells

and I plant Her blessing seeds to sanctify the ground

(You can read more about Mary's Blessings seeds

here)

I reflect on the past eight days of this novena.

While I stayed in Lourdes, the one image that still lives vividly in me,

is that of the thousands of sick visiting the shrine AND

the thousands of volunteer helpers, carers, companions and nurses.

Such giving and such receiving. Compassion and extension to those who cannot walk, for those who cannot hide their vulnerability. Being a part of that procession and witnessing such love openly being given and shared, touched me deeply.

So often we shut others out because we look different, act differently, believe differently. So often we shut others out because we close our hearts for fear of revealing our vulnerability.

A humble heart is a heart that is strong in its vulnerability. An open heart is a door through which love flows in and out.

And such is Her infinite Love, in whatever form is true for you;

in that which has meaning for you;

In these nine days many new voices and hearts have entered my circle, taken my hand and walked through the garden of Mary with me. Thank you for your sharing. May we continue to meet and share the Love!

May you bathe in the river of blessings that flow from Lourdes

Ave Maria.

I invite you to participate in today's

Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

through image,

story,

art,

poetry,

song

your love for Her, Mother Mary.

Haiku my Heart Our Lady of Lourdes Novena

2012-02-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

Enshrined within woman

sacredness the door

to wisdom through the ages

Today is Day Eight of the Art Novena dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes

in all Her aspects of

virgin

mother

queen

and

Wisdom.

An earthen altar and shrine

the Queen of Heaven on Earth

manifest in the cycles of natural life

visible in the changes and transformations

renewal, rebirth and loss

of identity and attachment.

Tomorrow is the Holy Day of Our Lady of Lourdes

Love made manifest in the Earth

I invite you to share with me

your art

your stories

your vision

your heart

To visit more Haiku my Heart go here

and to link up the last two days of this Art Novena of Our Lady of Lourdes

add your name to the list

and we will visit

Day Seven of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-09T00:43:00.000-08:00

Anandamayi Ma, the blissful Mother

In 2010 I spent time at the ashram of Anandamayi Ma in Haridwar, India.

It was after a few years of serious loss and letting go in my own life.

I attended meditations and satsang at her ashram.

Anandamayi Ma's words :

Question : Is it difficult to know which is the true path?

Answer : If you sit with all doors and windows closed, how can you see the path?

Open the door and step out, the path will become visible.

Once on the way, you will meet other wayfarers, who will advise and guide

you as to your path. Your job is the muster whatever strength you have to

get underway - thereafter help is assured.

All names are Thy name and all forms are Thy form.

Do you want deliverance from the bonds of the world? Then weeping profusely, you will have to cry out from the bottom of your heart: Deliver me, Great Mother of the World, deliver me!.... When by the flood of your tears the inner and outer have fused into one, you will find her whom you sought with such anguish, nearer than the nearest, the very breath of life, the very core of every heart....

I invite you to participate in this Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes, the blessed Mother.

Day Six of Art Novena of Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

Rituals honouring the Divine Mary

Through my many pilgrimages to sacred places around the world, I have learnt from other cultures and societies, and I have found many ways with which to show my love for Mary. These small rituals also leads me into full trust and acceptance of Her infinite Love for me and all of this world and all of its fruit.

From creating art and shrines, to the simple act of lighting candles, each of these actions, done with intent and contemplation, has the power to anchor the numinous into this physical world; to bring profound healing to the human heart and all its illusions and to liberate us from our self-sabotaging and limiting ego personalities.

Our lives are no different to the lives of those mythical tales. As we act with loving awareness, acceptance and intent, we awaken the Godself within and we open ourselves up to become aware of a new way of seeing and to the divine Presence that is in everybody and everything.

I created a sacred Mary garden outside my art studio. Here I light candles, burn incense and plant fragrant lavendar, basil, rosemary and white roses. Each plant and its fragrance has a sensual and healing property and the rose is sacred to Mary.

And then I have added the ritual of dressing the image of Mary in beautiful cloaks and flowers.

During the festival of Sara la Kali, the image of Sara is dressed in many many cloaks - at times up to 25 cloaks. The cloaks represent the prayers of her devotees.

I follow the old Pagan wheel of the year or the wheel of the seasons. Here, in the Southern Hemisphere, we are six months different to the North. The equinoxes are the feast days within the wheel, which follows the path of the sun. I then add the Holy Days of Mary to this wheel.

You will see that you can fit any tradition or religious calendar into this wheel. Most of the Christian feast days coincide with these dates, as do other traditions. Each season has its own colour and symbol. These are archetypal, that is, they are images deeply embedded in our subconscious and we recognise them when we see them. Advertising and marketing people know this and they also use these images in their advertising and promotional campaigns, not the other way around.

Obviously, as this will be your own ritual, there are no rules and regulations and if you have symbols or colours that are pertinent and meaningful to you, then there is no reason why you cannot change the generally accepted symbol.

When we work with archetypal images and symbols, we are telling a story on another level, a much deeper level and we give meaning to our own stories, our own suffering and our own inner conflict.

Without meaning we cannot enter the centre of our beings and the centre of our lives; we will always stay on the periphery and on the outskirts and we will feel alienated, lost and alone.

The rosary (known in other traditions by other names), uses the word rose because the five petals of a rose in medieaval times signified Mary's five joys and the thorns her sorrows. The rosary combines mysterious roses, white, red and gold. The white rose is joy. The red rose is sorrow. The gold rose is glory. These colours are also reflected in alchemy, as well as in myths and legends and fairytales!! This reflects the wisdom of the psyche, the inner language of the soul, planted there for us by the Divine to help us find our way home, to Love, again.

Ave Maria!

Day Five of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

I started telling this story last year already. I shared with you my wish to attend the annual Gypsy (Rom) festival in Saintes Maries de la Mer and to do the pilgrimage to Sara la Kali and how this came true a few months ago - the story is here : http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com/2011/08/sara-la-kali-part-three-in-lourdes.html

And then I was so fortunate to combine this trip with the Mary Magdalene pilgrimage - http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com/2011/07/sacred-heart-shrine-part-two-in-lourdes.html

I also wrote during the Twelve Days of Mary meme, how the visit to Lourdes had changed my life in physical ways, here http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com/2011/12/twelve-days-of-mary.html.

To me, the Blessed Mother is not limited to any religion, any dogma or any culture.

The Soul has its own religion and that is where you will find Her and Her many faces.

She is present for all

Her Grace enfolds everyone

You only have to become aware of Her.

Wherever I travel in the world, I visit Her sacred shrines. I have visited Kwan Yin in Ayutthaya in Thailand;

Kali Ma in Her many temples in India;

I have attended the Navaratri and Durga Puja, the nine nights of the Goddess in Varanasi;

the holy well and holy fire of Brigit in Kildare;

the Goddess Temple in Glastonbury

and I have participated in many Goddess Conferences in Glastonbury

hosted by the Temple of Avalon and Her priestesses

and I have facilitated the first International Goddess Conference in South Africa in 2008

to name some of my pilgrimages to the Holy Mother

all of these have been numinous experiences

that touched me deeply

and brought great insight and healing to my mind

for our conflicted nature as human beings

but

none

touched

me so profoundly

Our Lady of Lourdes.

I did not have high expectations of my visit to the Grotto and the City of Lourdes.

I had seen many pictures and thought I knew what to expect.

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

I invite you to join in with this Art Novena of Our Lady of Lourdes. If you have any art, pictures, stories or prayer that you want to share and offer in celebration of Her infinite Love for this world.

Day Four of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

And then that girl the angels came to visit,

she woke also to fruit, frightened by beauty,

given love, shy, in her

so much blossom, the forest

no one had explored, with paths leading everywhere

They left her alone to walk and to drift

and the spring carried her along.

Her simple and unselfcentered Mary-life

became marvelous and castlelike.

Her life resembled trumpets on the feast days

that reverberated far inside every house;

and she, once so girlish and fragmented,

was so plunged now inside her womb,

and so full inside from that one thing

and so full - enough for a thousand others -

that every creature seemed to throw light on her

and she was like a slope with vines, heavily bearing

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Do you have favourite images, stories, poetry, art

and sharings of the heart

about Mother Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes,

Health of the Sick,

Comforter of those in need,

Divine Mystical Rose?

This art novena is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.

I chose this aspect of Her as I was deeply touched

and turned inside out

by Her Presence

which is still so powerfully

visible

at Lourdes.

Not only in the energetic imprint of Her Presence in the living flame of light

in the Grotto, but even more so in the presence of thousands of

volunteer nurses, carers, companions AND thousands

of the most vulnerable people;

all come together in such a spirit of humility, vulnerability and compassion.

The Spirit of Mary manifest for all to witness.

I invite you to join in and to link up below. We will visit one another and

form a circle of companionship and caring!

Postcards from Paradise

2012-02-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

sometimes a man stands up during supper

and walks outdoors, and keeps on walking,

because of a church that stands somewhere in the East.

And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead.

And another man, who remains inside his own house,

stays there, inside the dishes and in the glasses,

so that his children have to go far out into the world

toward that same church, which he forgot.

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Link up with Postcards from Paradise

I also invite you to link up with

Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

and

Soul Songs

blessings

Hettienne

Soul Songs

2012-02-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Brigit, sacred woman, goddess and saint

of the fiery strength of inspiration,

you who take us through the door of initiation;

into the threefold cycle of life;

may your green mantle

protect and nurture the sprouting seeds

as new life awakens in the soul.

In honour of Candlemas and St Brigit's Day and the

Holy Day of Brigit the Celtic Goddess

I share this card from my community deck of my Soul Collage cards.

I invite you to join in with a collage of your own journey coupled with a few words, a story,

a poem or a rhyme. Whatever makes your heart smile.

I posted here how to go about making a collage card.

Here is Miss Robyn's beautiful card that she entered last week - go here to read more about her story.

And Fran aka Redonwriter played along with this beautiful card - go here to read her story

I also invite you to join in Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

and Rebecca's Postcards from Paradise

Blessings

Hettienne

Day Three of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

She was a poor shepherdess,

Bernadette,

growing up at the foothills of the Pyrenees

on the banks of the Gave du Pau

tending the very poor family's

small flock of sheep

When the most miraculous vision appeared to her

a vision of Light

with roses on Her feet

from this numinous event

flowed forth a stream of healing water,

a holy place was born

Bernadette's life was transformed

into one of passion,

commitment and a vocation to the highest Love

Bernadette's message : God is everywhere!

A place where the fire was lit long ago

and the fire of your Soul

and Its unconditional love

is kept alive

A light for your feet

And such is the miracle within our own hearts

as She brings forth the waters of regeneration,

healing and wholeness,

teaching you that Love is everywhere

A small naif shrine made from items I collected during my visit to Lourdes : an embroidered holy card, a small collector's doll which I dressed up as Bernadette, a tiny statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, and a watercolour sketch of the Cathedral of Lourdes. To strengthen the feel and theme of the innocent child and childhood feelings, I used birthday cake candles to represent the massive votives that are kept burning at the grotto.

I invite you to join in this

Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

share your stories

of the sacred within your own journey

and let us remind one another

of the Love

that the fabric of life is made of!

Please put up the link on your post.

I also invite you to Soul Songs today.
Here on The Path of Divine Love.
A sharing of collages, singing the song of your soul.
No knowledge of SoulCollage required.

Click on this link below

Day Two of Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

2012-02-04T00:08:00.000-08:00

Mary is this eastern gate. For a gate which looks to the east is the first to receive the rays of the Sun. So the most the Blessed Virgin Mary who always looked toward the east, that is, to the brightness of God, received the first rays of the sun or rather its whole blaze of light. - St Aelred of Riveaux, Twelfth Century

My journey can be summarised as before Lourdes and

after Lourdes

a dive into the deepest ocean of emotional turmoil,

questioning and looking

seeking

believing

moving from the cloak of protecting

the vulnerable,

the raw feelingness,

the openness

the deepest Truest Self

hiding itself behind its many faces

happiness,

pursuit of purpose,

and

analysis,

judgement

and

logical thinking

swimming to the surface

unveiled

revealed

into the brilliance of the Sun

heralding authenticity

bliss
the divine strength of
personal vulnerability

the deepest knowing

that She is the morning star

that shines brightly before the sun rises*

transcendent of all religion,

all creed,

all ego-made constructions

She is the bridge

where East and West meet

to those that say
that Mary is a watered-down version
of the Divine Feminine,
I say,
Love such as Hers,
cloaked in compassion
is True Power
Agape*
Prema*
centred in the Heart of the World

Don't hide your heart, but reveal it, so that mine might be revealed, so that I may accept what I am capable of - Rumi

I took these photographs early this morning, in my garden of Our Lady, created after my visit to Lourdes.

I invite you to join in to the Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

Nine days of

sharing,

art,

poetry,

stories,

prayer,

sacred circle

Please link up below and link back to here so that others may join. I will visit you as you visit one another.

*words of St Bridget of Sweden

* agape - Latin for the unconditional love of the divine

* prema - Sanskrit for the unconditional love of the divine

blessings

Hettienne

Haiku my Heart

2012-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

ancient wisdom of ages

calicoed embrace

flaming radiance of love

I invite you to also join in

Art Novena for Lady of Lourdes

starting here today and culminating

on Her holy day 11 February

Click on the link below for

nine days of sharing

art

poetry

stories

prayer

sacred circle

Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes

For more Haiku my Heart go here

and visit other wonderful sharings of Haiku

blessings

Hettienne

First Day of Art Novena for Mary of Lourdes

2012-02-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

I shall try the only thing a devotee can do :

I shall always keep thy divine image

and thy holy divinity

locked in my heart and

conjure them in my imagination

- the words of Lucius, the hero of The Golden Ass

The image is an inner shrine,

an interior refuge.

It is beyond words

but the poet and sage knows how to

invoke the imagination and the

Sacred One up into the psyche

in an enduring

and nurturing way.

Images, as opposed to rational explanations,

are feminine.
The masculine are the logos, the word,
clarity and logic;
The feminine is the imaginistic.
the imagination, the imaging of the heart.
When we only have the masculine God,
then we are not whole beings.

An image includes not only a picture but the way

we experience it, the way we feel it.

Every image we perceive,

every feeling it evokes,

is a living prayer.

Today is the first day in this novena of nine days

dedicated to the Lady of Lourdes

art,

sharing,

prayers,

stories,

images,

poems,

sacred circle

and whatever else you want to bring.

Please join me as we explore images of Divine Mary

in all Her aspects, and the feelings

that they evoke.
Culminating in the Holy Day of Lady of Lourdes.

Please take the image below and put it in your sidebar, add your name to

Mr Linky below and invite us to visit your novena.

blessings

Hettienne

La Feile Bride

2012-02-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

Bridgit, Mary of the Gael, Goddess and Saint of Poetry, Crafts, Healing and Fire : Inpiration of poets, artists and artisans.

Brighid, excellent woman,

Sudden flame,

May the fiery, bright sun

Take us to the lasting kingdom.

Song of the Virgins of Kildare

St. Brigid's church in Kildare was built on a site sacred to Brigid. Where Her eternal flame had once been tended by 19 priestesses, 19 nuns took it in turn to each tend the flame for a day and a night. On the 20th day, the Goddess (or the saint) tended the flame herself.

February 2 is one of the great cross-quarter days which make up the wheel of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere It falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and in many traditions is considered the beginning of spring and in the Southern Hemisphere it is the beginning of autumn.

In Western Europe, this was the time for preparing the fields for the first planting. This was an important day for grain growing communities who depended on the crops of the earth mother. This is the time of year, when the ground is first awakened and the seed placed in the belly of the earth. The fields were purified and offerings were made to the goddess.

This medieval Anglo-Saxon plowing prayer was said by the farmer while cutting the first furrow.

Whole be thou Earth

Mother of men.

In the lap of God,

Be thous as-growing.

Be filled with fodder

For fare-need of men.

The farmer then took a loaf of bread, kneaded it with milk and holy water and laid it under the first furrow, saying:

Acre full fed,

Bring forth fodder for men!

Blossoming brightly,

Blessed become;

And the God who wrought the ground,

Grant us the gifts of growing,

That the corn, all the corn,

may come unto our need.

February 2 is also Imbolc, and Candlemas, the holy day of Brighid, Goddess and Saint, La Feile Bride. (pronounced Breede)

The Sacred Well and Shrine at Kildare

Brighid is a Goddess of many names. In Ireland She is called Brigid, Brigit, Brighid, Brid. In Scotland She is called Bhrighde, Bride Breo-Saighit, Brede. The Welsh call Her Ffraid and the French call her Brigandu.

She is called Brigantia by the Northern English and Bridget in Sweden. Her name is pronounced Brighid or Bree-id. Some have said that Her name may have come from the word Brihati, which means "high" or "exalted one" in Sanskrit. Her name in Gaelic means "fire tipped, exalted one, high one."

Imbolc, also called Oimelc ['ewe's milk'] marked the first stirrings of spring when young sheep were born, and when ewes came into milk. On this day, the first of the Celtic spring, Brigid was said to use her white wand to "breathe life into the mouth of the dead winter", meaning the white fire of the sun awakened the land.

An old poem stated; "Today is the day of Bride, The Serpent shall come from the hole." An effigy of the serpent was often honoured in the ceremonies of this day, making it clear that Brighid had aspects as a serpent goddess. As the serpent sloughed its old skin and was renewed, so the land shook off winter to emerge restored; the snake symbolised the cycle of life. When Brighid's cult was suppressed, then St Patrick had indeed banished the snakes [Pagans] from Ireland. However, Brighid's popularity was so great that the church transformed her into a saint, allegedly the midwife of Christ and the daughter of a Druid who was converted to Christianity by St. Patrick, and who went on to found the Abbey of Kildare.

Her festival became Candlemas when church candles were blessed.

My painting of Bridgit

Brighid was invited into the home by the woman of the house, in the form of a doll or corn dolly dressed in maiden white. Oracles were taken from the ashes of the hearth fire, which people examined for a sign that Brighid had visited, i.e. a mark that looked like a swan's footprint. If found, it was considered a lucky omen. The swan was an ancient attribute of the goddess Brighid. Many Irish homes still have a Brighid's cross hung up somewhere. This was originally a solar symbol.

A small community of Brigidine nuns are keeping the sacred light of Brigit burning at Solas Brihde in Kildare. I spent a week in Kildare, walking the pilgrimage of Bridgit, visiting her sacred well

Her favourite oak tree

a candle blessing at one of the stations of the Brigid walk

prayed at the Abbey of Brede

Weaving the St Bridgit cross is traditional on this day.

I found this step be step instruction on the site of the Brigidine sisters :

1. Take the first rush/reed and hold it vertically.

2. Fold a second rush/reed in half at the mid point of the first.

3. Take a third and fold it around the second parallel to the first. This will now form a T-shaped piece, with one arm having one strand, the second having two and the third having three.

4. Fold the fourth around the third to form a cross.

5. Fold a fifth around the fourth, parallel to the single strand. Make sure you hold the centre tight!

6. Continue folding each reed around the previous reeds.

7. Work in a circular way until you have created enough of a woven centre. When your centre is as large as you want, hold in the reeds tightly so that the centre is tight and will hold the cross without any difficulty.

8. Tie the end of each arm carefully and trim ends.

If you would like to read more about my pilgrimage to Brigid, Mary of the Gael and her presence in Glastonbury, please go here : http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com/2011/04/brigidbrigitbridebrede-mary-of-gael.html

Carving of Bridgit milking a cow - on Tower of Michael,
the Tor, Glastonbury

A blessed La Feile Bride to you!!

Art Novena for Lady of Lourdes

2012-01-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

Art Novena

Nine Days of Sharing Art from the Heart

That which reminds you of the Sacred in the Ordinary

and opening ourselves to the healing possibilities,

both spiritually and physically,

that comes through love and acceptance

and opening of the heart

The infinite goodness has such wide arms that it takes whatever turns to it - Dante

I visited Lourdes last year as a pilgrim. There, in front of the cave, I experienced something very special. I felt a special vibration, a kind of spiritual presence there. And then in front of the image of the Virgin Mary, I prayed, I expressed my admiration for this holy place that has long been a source of inspiration and strength, that has provided spiritual solace, comfort and healing to millions of people. And I prayed that this might continue for a long time to come - the Dalai Lama

images

collage

poetry

stories

art works

photographs

anything

that awakens your heart

and reminds you of the Sacred in everyday living

that speaks of the love of Our Lady

Friday 3 February till 10 February

holy day of Our Lady of Lourdes

beyond religion

a tribute

to inspiration

a shining light

Please join me in this Novena. Every day from 3 February to 10 February I will provide a link here for you to join up with me and others in this sharing of the heart. Please share your art, or story, or words, or a prayer, or maybe a sacred circle in tribute of the gifts of Our Lady of Lourdes to the world.

blessings

Hettienne

Postcards from Paradise

2012-01-29T23:53:00.001-08:00

For Rebecca's Postcards from Paradise I am offering my Soul Song :

Gypsy Woman.

Powerful voice of rebellion

fiery gypsy woman

creatrix of a new harmony

breaking down the ancient wall of Jericho.

Soul Songs

2012-01-29T03:53:00.000-08:00

Today is the second Soul Songs here and I hope to see many more joining in. Thank you to Fran aka Redonwriter for joining in last week and for sharing her incredibly beautiful collage card : the Dancer Within.

Please visit Fran at http://redondowriter.typepad.com/sacredordinary/2012/01/hettienne-creates-a-new-soulcollage-site-.html and read all about her card.

This art form of collaging your being, is not limited to qualified SoulCollagers. It is a simple and creative way of creating beautiful art which gives you answers to your deepest questions and thoughts; when you allow the card and its images to 'speak' to you, you become your own therapist. I also see these cards as a mirror of my deepest self - a self that is most often not seen by others and often not by myself. Making a collage and seeing what it reflects back at you, you walk a little bit deeper into your own unconscious - into those hidden places where you seldom go, and all of a sudden you understand yourself or maybe a habit of yours, so much better.

Try your hand at it.

Here http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com/2012/01/soul-songs.html I blogged it in more detail and I also gave some examples of cards that I made for myself. But it is very simple : you gather images from magazines or books or digital images; then you play around with them and create a collage; the collage must please you in some way - a mindless process, completely relying on your feelings!

When the picture hits the spot of 'aaah that is what I want/like/need/love', then you write a short poem/verse/lyric that speaks your heart and share it here with us. Together we can form a circle of singing the song of our own souls - a circle of being seen and being heard - Soul Songs.

Here is mine for this week :

Gypsy Woman.

Powerful voice of rebellion

fiery gypsy woman

creatrix of a new harmony

breaking down the ancient wall of Jericho.

So please join in, leave a message and your link below.

Art Novena for Lady of Lourdes

2012-01-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I visited the grotto of the Lady of Lourdes. An unforgettable

experience which has touched me deeply - beyond religion, beyond concepts,

beyond labels.

Inspired by Rebecca's Twelve Days of Mary

Nine Days for the Lady of Lourdes

a novena

('novem' the Latin word meaning 'nine')

nine days of illuminating art,

poetry,

and sharing

Starting on Friday 3 February

till 11 February

the feast day of the Lady of Lourdes.

You are invited to join in .

Haiku my Heart

2012-01-27T05:36:00.000-08:00

river of health trumpetting

abundance of love

showering on Rebecca

we can only know ourselves

as light because we

pass through the veil of darkness

Please go here to join in the Vigil for Rebecca's recovery after her operation

and here for more Haiku my Heart

and here to join in on SoulSongs.

and here to join in Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes
from 3 to 11 February 2011

blessings

Hettienne

Prayer Vigil

2012-01-25T05:46:00.000-08:00

Prayers and the blessings of the Divine Mother

for Rebecca, my Heart friend.

You are in the embrace of the Mother's Sacred Heart.

May She keep you comfortable and safe throughout the operation

and recovery.

Soul Songs

2012-01-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

Soul Songs

Songs of the Soul

Collage of feeling,

vision,

intuition.

Open the door,

make the Unseen

Seen

enter the Sacred,

sing the Soul's Song.

Please come and play along.

And now I invite you to play along with myself in Soul Songs every Sunday here on The Path of Divine Love.

For the Soul Song I chose the lyrical style of poetry - it is simple and powerful. I quote : The term lyric is now used to mean any short poem expressing a poet's thoughts or feelings. Originally it referred to poems which were sung to the accompaniment of a musical instrument, the lyre. A lyric poem has been defined as "the expression by the poet of his own feelings"(John Ruskin). This definition points to the personal quality of lyrical poetry. It is characterised by the presence of emotion. The emotions and moods are directly expressed by a single speaker who wants to share them with the reader.

So, here goes :

Passionate desire

creation fulfilled

living a purpose filled life

such is the Law of Love

Try your hand at it, link up below and visit everyone else's Soul Songs.

The Sacred Within

2012-01-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Within you and me there is Something so profound and yet so intimately myself and yourself : it defies description, words, concepts or labels. Within our deepest selves, listening to the whispers of our hearts and the clanging of our minds, is pure innocence : our Sacred Self.

The Sacred self has always been there and will always be there, whether you are conscious of It or not.

You may have a distinct childhood memory or two of this part of yourself. It may show up in dreams or visions and a sense of guiltlessness.

But as time went along, you may have learnt that this part of yourself, is also very sensitive, and has very intense feelings and you realised that this is the most vulnerable part of yourself.

And then a process of protecting and defending started and it was easier to feel guilty or responsible than to feel so vulnerable and to feel so deeply. The protective layers became thicker and eventually you could no longer remember why you started to defend in the first place.

All along, the sacred self is waiting, biding its time. As soon as you start to slow down or come to a standstill, the Voice within will prompt you to undertake the Holy Fool's Journey : a journey of waking up to Whom is sleeping within you. The Holy Fool sets out to become Self-Conscious, to know its deepest Sacred Self.

The journey starts in the belief and experience of duality and separation.

and it will lead you to the ground of your being and you will come to know yourself and your deeds as the fruit of the Sacred.

These are SoulCollage cards made by myself from magazine clippings. SoulCollage is a creative method of accessing the subconscious self, designed by Sheena Frost. You can find more information at www.soulcollage.com

blessings
Hettienne

Haiku my Heart

2012-01-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

Inner Nurturer

Sacred Inner Mother Mine

Ground of my Being

With this SoulCollage card I am joining in Haiku my Heart. For more details and instructions on Fridays' Haku please visit www.recuerdamicorazon.blogspot.com.

SoulCollage is a wonderful technique of collaging aspects of self, archetypes, roles and more and a powerful tool for self-reflection and contemplation. I made this card from magazine images - you cannot get much simpler than that! On the left is a beautiful purple Milk Thistle flower, also known as Holy Thistle, St Mary's Thistle and Marian Thistle. The ancients used to believe that the white markings on the leaves are the milk spilt by Mother Mary when nursing her son.

May you be supported and nourished by your own Inner Nurturer!

blessings

haiku my heart

2012-01-06T05:52:00.000-08:00

vastness stretch my heart

an eternal sky canvas

both empty and full

Linking to the wonderful Recuerda mi Corazon : haiku my heart : http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/2012/01/haiku-my-heart.html where you will find many others offering their words of beauty, like pearls on a string.

blessings

Hettienne

On Sharings of the Heart

2011-12-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

From 1 to 12 December I journeyed A Virgin a Day with Rebecca of Recuerda mi Corazon and many others in her circle.

What a joy, grace and blessing this was. Each day I sensed a deeper sense of joy and gratitude bubbling within.

I visited incredible websites, learnt many new things, made wonderful new friends and never did I use the word 'beautiful' so often. As Lisa of PritiLisa said, it called for a Thesaurus to find some more ways of expressing our wonder and joy.

The power of sharing our deepest held feelings, values, traditions and truths. The depth of devotion, to the Divine, each in our own particular and personal way, shared in a space of respect and honour and witnessing. For twelve days a circle of Light was held and the talking stick shared equally.

I am still making my rounds to each and every participant in a good bye, till next time our paths meet.

And such good news, it does not have to end! Rebecca has extended an invitation to participate in Postcards from Paradise. Please visit her at http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon on a Sunday and you will find myself and many others there.

Dont hide your heart but reveal it
so that mine might be revealed,
and I might accept what I am capable of

Rumi

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2011-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Her shimmering halo

radiant against the dark of night

May she protect and hold the world

and re-awaken

all dull hearts and eyes

to behold the Light

Every person is a light... love light. We are love made visible. Take a moment to today to shine your love light. - Tracy from http://pranalight.typepad.com/.a/6a014e892ee742970d0162fd94b35e970d-pi

A tribute to Our Lady of Guadalupe on today, her Holy day and my grandmother's birthday. When I put her in charge of my tiny Christmas village, I had not yet heard of Rebecca's Twelve Days of Mary, nor did I know that today is Our Lady of Guadalupe's Holy Day. From here on she will always guard my Christmas village and carry my prayers to the Light of the world.

Day Eleven of Mary

2011-12-11T02:19:00.000-08:00

Your heart always next to mine

I have a light in my heart

Your name on my lips

A river that flows

To the city of Light

My feet has found the path

marching to the rythm of my heart

It is true

The words that She whispered in my ears long ago

It is true

Beyond a doubt

Love does exist

In the city of Light

I have been there

I entered its gates

Love waited for me

Awakened my heart

Filled my soul

With visions of beauty

In the city of Light

A beautiful hand made Madonna from Mexico; made entirely from cloth.

from one of the shrines dedicated to the eternal Mary in my home.

for more wonderful sharings and upliftment of the heart and mind, visit Twelve Days of Mary at http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/

Twelve Days of Mary

2011-12-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

Words by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Art by Hettienne

So, did you think I was only demure?

I have been portrayed as only clean and sweet,

nice and neat, but you know, dont you,

I've been to war and in knife-fights?

Did you blieve those who said

I have no scars?

Look in my face: my one eye clear

and my one eye blind:

one eye for seeing the world as it is,

and the other for seeing the world

as it can and will be...

by way of your mercy,

by way of your love.

See yourself

the way I see you

dear Soul.

Then, ¡Arriba!

upward and onward:

Together.

Some have said

she looks like a blob;

they have taunted,

'What is the supposed to be?!"

'Driftwood?!"

A log only good for the fire!

A piece of junk.

Trash.

And I'd say

those who have eyes to see

see Our Lady,

battered by hail

torn at by rain,

chipped, splintered,

yet

nonetheless she

holds her shape...

for The Mother

is unerasable;

even were one

to grind her wood

to pulp,

the sawdust of her

would still nourish

the ground

and maketh small

roofs for ladybugs,

and nest linings

for the winged.

Even were one

to burn her down,

her ashes would be taken

by some mad artist

who would draw her

a hundred times

on the walls of caves

so the not-yet-born

would one day see her,

know her, love her.

Nothing can extinguish her,

not conquests, not vandals,

not disrespect, not ignoring

her existence.

She goes on.

She continues.

Like the ocean continues.

Like the sky continues.

She continues...

in us. As long

as we remember,

she continues.

Even when

we forget,

she continues.

We too.

Same and same.

Even when we remember

who we belong to,

even if we forget

even if we ignore

to whom we belong...

we still belong tight

we still belong close

we still belong cheek to cheek

to the Great Woman,

and She to us.

She cannot be erased

She cannot

be brought down

nor made small

We also, the same.

The same, the same.

We who are

Tribe of the Sacred Heart,

many of us Scar Clan...

and with love enough

to hold onto her hem--

no matter which shape

she takes,

no matter what

condition we are in.

We hold to her

and she to us.

We cannot

be brought down,

we cannot be diminished,

for our shape is hers

as hers is ours: eternal.

Siempre. Always.

Our Holy Mother

gave birth

to the God of Love,

outdoors, under

imperfect conditions.

We do not merely

celebrate this Act,

but we replicate this:

We give birth

to the God of Love

every day

in our own

human ways,

in every out of the way,

unsheltered place

under all imperfect

conditions.

Let us go forth.

- Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Undying Love - Day Seven of Twelve Days of Mary

2011-12-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

This was my very first shrine that I ever made. I made it in honour of Mother Mary and all the mothers in my love. As my offering for the Seventh day of Twelve days of Mary I share this with you here.

UNDYING LOVE

I bought this vintage statue of Mary on Etsy and when I took her in my hand, an image and feeling arose, which I then did my best to re-create in this shrine. The image was that of the Divine Mother, weaving us through the aeons and us weaving life in return. It was a dance of giving and receiving; receiving and giving; all held together by love, whilst honouring the suffering of this world at the same time.

So I dedicated this shrine to Divine Mother, the Weaver of All.

I understand the intent of life to be loving purpose. This we are shown through the lives of the holy ones, the saints, and especially through the life story of Jesus and that of Mary. The intent of life is to manifest Love through our choices and decisions. As we live in a world of cycles, change and death, we often become burdened by the thoughts that joy, ecstasy and love is only fleeting. But by saying 'yes' to the givens in life, to the gifts and blessings of life, we can let go of our attachment to making it last and allow the inevitable change to transform us. As we weave our daily lives with the thread of Grace, we become part of the tapestry of the Mystery : that which shines with Love beyond reason, beyond logic and beyond mind.

In this shrine she stands on a piece of woven cloth and she holds threads, combined with gold and teardrop crystals, between her two hands - a garland of the web of life. To her left is a porcelain wing and behind her is a crown embellished with real freshwater pearls. In honouring Her as weaver, we are also honouring all those who weave and sew the stories. For them I have added a miniature set of knitting needles and some knitting, a tiny ball of wool, a sewn babe's cap; miniature skeins of tapestry wool, a dressing maker's mannequin, tape measures (one vintage made of cloth), and a tiny sewing machine. On the right is a bucket with copper wire and roses twisted around : reminiscent of the Passion of the Christ. In the bucket is a tiny tag that says 'Faith'.

On the left hand side, behind the tapestry wool, is a tiny safety pin, beaded with beads in the traditional African way. The shrine is decorated with pieces of vintage doily, trim and teardrop crystal beads.

As I worked on this shrine, I was filled with memories of my grandmothers; women who passed all their wisdom and creativity on to me. As I sat with my maternal grandmother and watched her sew, she told me about her life of suffering and the courage it took to re-create a life for herself. My paternal grandmother told me her story whilst knitting booties for the next grandchild. Both their lives spanned the war and my paternal grandfather died on the battlefield. In their memory and in holding their suffering, I collaged the frame with postcards and letters and ticket stubs from the war, as well as from some of my grandmother's sewing patterns.

Grace is Undying Love.

Rebecca of Recuerda mi Corazon is hosting Twelve Days of Mary. Please click on the button below and join us.

Twelve Days of Mary

Day Six of Twelve Days of Mary

2011-12-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

From the Litany of Loreto :

Spiritual vessel, pray for us

Vessel of honour, pray for us

Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us

Mystical rose, pray for us

Tower of David, pray for us

Tower of Ivory, pray for us

House of Gold, pray for us

The Loreto shrine, the traditional house of Mary, the dwelling of the feminine aspect of God. At sunset it is bathed in gold and so it is often referred to as the golden house.

Gold is a symbol of grace and spiritual virginity. Gilding of images of gods and saints in India was meant to show their spiritual perfection and how they hearken from a world beyond ego. Halos are gold auras betokening the divine light that emanates from saints who are incarnations of the divine life.

A custom was to bronze the shoes in which a baby first walked. Mary is the house of the ego that has been gilded because she walked the path from ego to Self. She represents the completed process of the ego/Self axis. By the invocation, House of Gold, we commit ourselves to enter the mansion of spiritual individuation. What happened to her, happens to us : we make a series of choices and surrenders that move us from cellar to attic and then down to earth and out into the world with treasures to share.

In the fire of creation, gold does not vanish: the fire brightens. Each creature God made must live in its own true nature; how could I resist my nature, that lives for oneness with God? - Mechtild of Magdeburg

Mary, we enter the house of your golden radiance
We find in you the virtues that make our world a house of gold
We share with you the house of earth and join you in making it a palace of light
We offer the sunrise and the sunset to you
Help us in our beginnings and our endings
May we make the world a house of golden love. (extract from prayer by David Richo)

Golden blessings!

Twelve Days of Mary

2011-12-05T02:52:00.000-08:00

Visions of Mary in the South of France

This beautiful statue is in the Mary Magdalene Basilica in St Maxime de la St Baume in France.

The Lourdes chapel in the Basilica of Mary Magdalene
St Maximum la st Baume in France

St Anne and Mary as a child

These beautiful pictures of the Lady were taken in the Notre Dame de Nazareth dedicated to the Miracle of Fatima in the small village of Rians in France.

I recently undertook the Mary Magdalene pilgrimage in the South of France and also attended the Gypsy festival of Sante Sara in Santes Maries de la Mer and then stayed in Lourdes and visited the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes a few times a day. If you would like to read about this pilgrimage, you will find it here and here and here. I have not written about my stay at Lourdes yet as I have not been able to find the words that can express what I experienced there!

Join us in Twelve Days of Mary here and you may like to visit my artblog's dedication to the Twelve Days of Mary here at http://hergracebydevata.blogspot.com

Thank you for visiting and commenting!

Twelve Days of Mary

2011-12-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

Mary outside my bedroom

Today I invite you to take a walk through my garden of Mary.

Mary watching over my tomatoes

Thanks to the vision that Rebecca had three years ago, we can now participate in twelve days of honouring and devoting to Mary in all Her many Robes and Ways of Being. I quote Rebecca's comment here : three years ago i was struck with the idea of walking towards december honoring mary every new day until arriving at her feast day. it was a sacred journey, so much so that the next year i welcomed any and all to join me. each day grew with intensity and love. i found that i woke thinking mary, filled my intention all through the day with mary and she found me in my dreams. the stories and images that we all shared astounded everyone. and now...the path has begun again and the love only grows!

As we each share our understanding and experience of Mary with one another and with others, the Love in ourselves and in our relationship with ourselves, with the world and all her creatures, grows.

I was raised in a Reformed Calvinistic Protestant religion and my roots in both language (Afrikaans) and culture, are surrounded by austerity and severity. There is a deep-seated mistrust of Roman Catholicism and especially Mary in my culture of birth. Children are taught from a young age that the devotion to Mary is 'paganism' and not Christian. I no longer follow any organised religion. Thomas Moore so beautifully describes religion as a part of the Soul which is expressed in unique and individual ways of being in love with the Divine and the Divine being in Love with us - a mystery so profound that no words can ever capture it.

It has become such an important part of my story to inspire others to open their hearts and their minds to see that we are all the same, regardless of culture, language, creed or religion. And that Mary, our eternal Mother, carries us through sorrow, change, birth and death and that She is indeed everywhere - we just have to open our eyes to see, our ears to hear and our hearts to feel.

At first I used to only have my Mary statues in my bedroom, away from the eyes of others. Some of my young daughter's friends were forbidden by their parents to come to our house (this is a mere three years ago). But as they came to understand the deeper meaning of Mary's presence in our lives, acceptance dawned.

Statues are few and far between here and I bring many back from my travels. So I started to create art that focuses on Mary, to fill that need to have her image everywhere.

But when I returned from my pilgrimage to Lourdes, I felt inspired and guided to create my Mary garden in all earnest. I added this beautiful statue to my Mary garden. My art studio and my rooms where I have small satsang (those who come together to share spiritual truth) open on to Her.

I have seen that where Her image appears, Her energy remains. Where we say Her prayers, She plants some of Her infinite energy. So I surround myself and my home and my family with Mary's presence.

For these very reasons I created Mary's Blessing Seeds : http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com/2011/11/marys-blessing-seeds.html

Take my hand and join us in Twelve Days of Mary. The link to Rebecca's hosting site is here in my sidebar.

blessings
Hettienne

A Virgin a Day

2011-12-03T00:47:00.000-08:00

THE BLESSING OF THE ROSE QUEEN AND THE LADY OF HEARTS

An old legend tells that at the time of the winter solstice, all of those souls, who will incarnate in the coming year, draw close to the Earth.The Divine Mother then takes a single petal from the Great Rose of Life and places it in the heart of each of those souls who will. As that soul then is born and grows throughout its life and awakens its true self, that single petal will blossom in the heart of the individual, becoming a living Rose of Life that will bless the world.

I created this shrine as a dedication to the blessing of the Rose Queen and the Lady of Hearts. An ode to the mystery of the angelic realms and the divine feminine and the resurrection of the feminine mysteries. On top is the Crown of the Immaculate and the two doors are covered with images of the Madonna and Christ, embellished with charms of the occult and esoteric, symbols of fortune and blessing, a key to unlock the mysteries, a scissors to cut the veil, a rose and a heart to depict the Heart of the Mysteries, miniature tarot cards, vintage playing cards and a crucifix, sprinkled with black rhinestones.

The two door knobs are each a miniature shrine in itself. From each one dangles a tiny red heart and inside are images of the Lady, decorated with stars and a rose. The doors are lined with red velvet, depicting the power of the Blessing and the Mystery. The heart opening is outlined with blue roses - symbol of the Rose Queen.

When you open the shrine, the Lady of Hearts is revealed. She is displayed on a handmade tarot cards, and each door is lined with altered tarot cards and a vintage Queen of Hearts, as well as miniature tarot cards. The left door displays the mighty Archangel Michael and the Angel of Judgement.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee

Blessed art thou among women

and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb
Holy Mary, Rose Queen and Lady of Hearts

Bestow your Blessing upon us

Now and Forever

Blessed Be

Join us in twelve days of Mary. Rebecca of http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon are hosting this beautiful event!

a virgin a day, haiku my heart

2011-12-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

It is day two of 'A virgin a day' and on Fridays Rebecca hosts 'Haiku my Heart'. What a wonderful offering. Today is my first time in participating in Haiku my Heart. A Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry reminiscent of a Zen Koan. In Japanese it has rather strict requirements for lines and syllables and juxtaposition.

Star of Love born

Returning beauty to my eyes

A miracle I behold

An assemblage created by myself : Hands of Compassion

To read some very proficient Haiku poets make your way to http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/2011/12/a-virgin-a-day-haiku-my-heart.html

blessings

Hettienne

A Virgin a Day

2011-12-01T03:09:00.000-08:00

From today, the first of December till Mary's Holy Day, the twelfth, I will be sharing Her with you as part of Rebecca's A Virgin a Day at Recuerda Mi Corazon. If you want to join in, the link is here on my blog and her invitation is below.

Ave Maria

Mary, Maryam, Maria, Mares

Holy Woman

So much more

Than a head bowed down

Arrow fierce and fast

Directed at the heart

No sin of error here

Cloak of power

All-embracingly blue

Heart on fire

Flowing from the sacred well

Eternally walking on the bed of coals

You seduce me into dancing in the flames

Eyes blinded

Only the heart sees

And hears

The howling winds of compassion

Screaming through my ribcage

Cracked open

Finger by finger

Pomegranate juice flowing in my veins

Persephone’s ashes

Caked with the tears of Demeter

Entangled in the hair of Medusa

I follow where you lead

The perfume of your feet

The guiding light my holy woman

Sacred Am I

Ave Maria

You can find Recuerda Mi Corazon here http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/2011/11/a-virgin-a-day.html and here is Rebecca's beautiful invitation :

each year beginning december 1,

i post "a virgin a day" every day until december 12,

mary's feast day.

today i am

calling all virgins...

enchanting, traditional, contemporary,

exotic, edgy, campy, irreverent, irresistible,

unusual, joyful, rapturous, lovely,

glorious, ordinary, astounding,

simply

bring her on!

i hope you will join me in a pilgrimage of marys.

feel free to re-post this invitation on your blog,

and link back to

recuerda mi corazon.

as december grows busier we will

quietly greet the new day one mary at a time.

mr. linky will be here to gather all the virgin sightings.

just add your name and direct link back to your virgin

so we can effortlessly share the divine.

***

(here's the virgin a day participation button linked to this post)

A Virgin A Day

Mary's Blessing Seeds

2011-11-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our spiritual Mother, Mary, asks all of us to pray to Her regardless of our religion or culture. She has said to many visionaries that all people are her children – her spiritual children. Our bodies are temporary, but our spirits live forever, that is why Mother Mary is our true Divine Mother, the Mother of our Souls. Her love for all of us is truly that of a mother who would want nothing more than to help her children.

I created these blessing seeds from ceramic clay that will deteriorate and dissolve back into Mother Earth when buried. Each of these seeds are imprinted with the divine image of Divine Mary and thus contains Her sacred energy.

You can say a prayer whilst holding the seed in your hand, and then make a hole in the ground with your finger and plant these seeds wherever you want healing to take place. This way you can call on Mother Mary as you walk on her earth; you can place these at sacred places; in your garden or at places of sadness and trauma.

Mary's Blessings Seeds are packaged with dried lavender seeds brought back from Lourdes in France, in a small voile pouch.

Mary's Blessing Seeds are available to purchase on http://http://www.etsy.com/listing/86536820/prayers-and-blessings-mother-mary

Shrine to the Golden Child Within

2011-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Shrine to the Golden Child Within
http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com
http://etsy.com/shop/devata

This graceful little shrine is the Shrine of the Divine Inner Child! Your True Self beyond all masks and personas. That part of yourself that is true to his/her feelings, express joy and sadness alike, without feeling shame, creative, spontaneous and free from the critical self!

The inner child is the golden, magical child of Self. It is the perfect child of the Divine that lives within you : innocent and pure.

Within ourselves, behind our masks and acquired personalities, we have a True Self, the Golden Inner Child. It is that part of ourselves that feel alive, energetic, creative, free, joyful and fulfilled. Through the conditioning process of life, most of us learn to stifle, suppress, repress or deny our Inner child. When this vital part of us is not nurtured and allowed freedom of expression, a false or co-dependent self emerges.

A great deal of time and effort has been put into creating an acceptable and powerful False Self. Indeed, this was necessary for your primary survival and as a way of functioning effectively in the world.

But this sense of power is not authentic, and it will not hold up to stress and stressful situations. In fact, the safe place that you have created for yourself, becomes your jail. For instance, as you defend against being hurt, you cut yourself off from your vulnerability and your real heart feelings. Eventually, you cannot feel sadness and pain, but you also cannot feel ecstatic joy.

The human psyche thus experiences the onslaught of these two powerful opposing forces at all times. On the one hand you have your True Self, Who has only your highest good as a focus. The True Self, however, does not adhere to the laws of this world, but it adheres to the Divine Law of One.

The ego or projected self, on the other hand, understands that it is the vehicle and the instrument to keep your body safe. It is not interested in the True Self’s purpose – it is only interested in keeping you safe. This is indeed an important function as your body is the vehicle of expression for the True Self and when the body no longer exists, your true self is incapable of expressing itself in this world. However, through its defensive and attacking modes of safe-keeping, the imposter actually kills off your life force, and your physical body ages and dies.

It is obvious therefore, that the interests of the False Self and the True Self could never meet. This is the dilemma facing those who wake up to a life which they no longer enjoy nor desire.

In order to discover what it is that you, as personality, want and expect from life, you need to uncover your personal unconscious. This is often termed as shadow work as you uncover all your hidden and suppressed aspects of self. Once you have uncovered your personal unconscious you are able to deal with it. You have the power of choice and free will as to whether you want to keep or discard these suppressed values and feelings. You learn to grow this process using discernment as opposed to judgement and the challenge is to live with the tension of the known as well as the unknown at all times. You cannot eradicate certain aspects of your being and you have to learn to use these to their highest potential. In this part of the journey you decide what it is that you value and you build a strong sense of self which will serve as a powerful and healthy vehicle for the True Self. This work is done on all levels of being, spiritual, mental, emotional and physical.

As you access aspects of yourself from the personal unconscious, you will access aspects of the collective unconscious. You will uncover the beliefs of your culture, your ancestry, your gender, your faith, and so on. Often we live symbolic sacrificial lives because of keeping an archetype alive in the collective unconscious. Once again, you have the power and choice of freeing yourself from the collective unconscious to the degree that you need or should choose to. At this part of growth, spirit and matter meets. It is to discover what it is that I want (ego as masculine self) and what it is that I want (soul as feminine self). This is where you will truly feel the power of the opposing forces and it is your challenge to find a sense of balance and integration.

The True Self does not judge. It acts from the premise that all is innocent. It is free of hostility and defensive attitudes and behaviour based on negative experiences of the past.

The False Self, comprising of the various voices of authority and conditioning, judges everything. The False Self believes in the premise of separation (divide and conquer).

As the True Self develops through the different stages of the personality and physical self, it becomes stunted at specific ages. Our Inner Child therefore never matures and heals. Unless you become conscious and aware of your own actions and behaviour, you will not realize that you are nursing a wounded inner child.

The ego will rationalize and justify the behaviour of its wounded inner child, and in fact, many childish behaviour are quite acceptable and, in fact, part of the norm of our society.

The Real Self feels vibrantly alive – it does not matter whether the feelings are those of guilt, anger, irritation or joy, but it FEELS. When you are in your true self, you are present and aware and you are in the moment.

One does not have to do anything in order to connect with your Self – it is to allow your true self to emerge and show itself and not to contrive or act in a way of should, ought to or must.

The journey of wholeness entails entering the dragon’s lair, getting to know its darkness and fears; making friends with the dark feelings and pain. Eventually you will be able to seduce the dragon into becoming tame enough for you to kill it and to retrieve your treasure : your golden magical child.

The Star

2011-10-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

Over at my other blog HER GRACE by DEVATA and at Inspiration Avenue we are running our fabulous 500 followers blogparty. The theme of the party is On the Wings of Inspiration and the question is 'what inspires you?'.

And my answer is the symbology and metaphysical meaning of The Star ( as seen in the Tarot).

And this is She :

She is inspiration, hope, belief, trust and faith in all things amazing and beautiful. She is acceptance, integration and embodiment (as opposed to transcendence).

She is the radiant light against the dark night sky. She is the clarity amidst the chaos of life.

We struggle with the concepts of good and bad, dark and light. As humans, through these struggles, we each choose a corner of belief and the way that we see the world, and eventually, through our closed mindedness, which we believe strengthens us in our quest to truth, clarity and happiness, we close our hearts down.

In the Western world we have been taught that we should overcome our weaknesses; we should strive to get to the top of the pile and do what it takes to conquer and to become victorious in whatever we endeavour.

We live in the 'father's house' of masculinity of right action, righteousness and rightmindedness. And thus, the beauty of the chaos, the beauty of the creative path, goes unnoticed and unvalued. This value system drags in its wake the innocent, the weak, the eccentric and the feminine. The values of nurturing and support, caring and simple things like housekeeping, gardening, sewing and crafting, loses its importance in the face of all that glitters.

And the one that suffers the most, is the Soul. In this lopsided imbalanced value system, one applies those harsh judgemental laws to yourself and the Soul, the lover of freedom, innocence, compassion and beauty, suffers deeply. Some call it the Inner Child or the Golden Child. And She is The Star.

The Star holds the message that beyond the duality of striving and non-striving; beyond the duality of masculine and feminine principles; beyond the separation of different faiths and belief systems, there exists one reality of Love. Some call that reality God or other Holy Names. And everything flows from that True Love, abundantly without judgement, without regard, no conditions demanded. And in Love duality does not exist and there is no separation.

And in this world of form, Love exists beyond form and in form and when we can see the Love in form regardless of its appearance, then we have become The Star.

Spring in my Garden

2011-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived and her beauty is intoxicating and breathtaking.

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer. ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

The world is very old, but every spring she becomes young again, and fairies sing - Mary Cecily Baker

And I could not resist and carried my easel out, painting in the heady scent of the jasmine!

May this beauty fill your eyes and your heart with joy!!

Ciao Bella,

Hettienne

The Book of Mary

2011-09-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

If you want to stay in touch and up to date with communication from Divine Mary, Dikshas and meditations received from Her, please follow at http://bookofmarysacredheart.blogspot.com

Blessings from Her to You

Forgiveness

2011-09-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Hawaian Ho'oponopono process? A friend of mine told me about it recently and I have since then shared this with others. There is also a link to one of the websites on this blog. All those who have applied it, has reported wonderful results.

Allow your inner guidance to show you the best way to use it. At times, probably most often, you will find that you feel the need to say these words to your own inner child and sensitive self.

I have taken the pieces below from the many websites on this ancient method.

Ho’oponopono is a little known but extremely powerful self-transformation technique.

Ho’oponopono originated from Hawaii and was originally taught by Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona. Morrnah was a healer and in 1983 she received a great honor by being designated as a living treasure of Hawaii. She was teaching Ho’oponopono to small and large groups of people as well as to hospitals, colleges and even to United Nations personnel. She also founded “The Foundation of I” to promote principles of Ho’oponopono around the world.
Historically Ho’oponopono healing system required the presence of mediator – senior qualified practitioner who would guide a healing process for practitioner. It is often that the group of people need be to interacting with each other in a certain way for the process to take place.
Morrnah updated Ho’oponopono in a way that healing and transformation process no longer required presence of any other person but the practitioner himself. Neither any specific interaction is required between practitioner and other people.

The miracle powers of Ho’oponopono self-healing and self-improvement practice would still be unknown to the world at large if not for the works of Joe Vitale, published as “The Attractor Factor” and especially his exceptional quality “Zero Limits” book.
Joe Vitale is best known as internet marketer, writer and speaker on the subject of self improvement. While internet marketing is something that perceived by many (including myself) with a great degree of skepticism – Joe Vitale’s experience on the subject of self improvement as well as his in-depth research about Ho’oponopono deserves the highest marks. It’s from Joe Vitale’s “Zero Limits” book that the world found out about true miracles and powers of Ho’oponopono as well as about Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len.

Ho'oponopono means to make right. Essentially, it means to make it right with the ancestors, or to make right with the people with whom you have relationships. We believe that the original purpose of Ho'oponopono was to correct the wrongs that had occurred in someone's life including Hala (to miss the thing aimed for, or to err, to disobey) and Hewa (to go overboard or to do something to excess) which were illusions, and even 'Ino (to do harm, implying to do harm to someone with hate in mind), even if accidental.

We call this the Hawaiian Code of Forgiveness, and it's an important thought, because when we forgive others, who are we forgiving? Ourselves, of course.

If you are familiar with Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), there is a saying, "People are only doing the best they can with the resources they have available." If you've heard that before, it has to do with forgiveness. Think about it. As you do consider that you are included in "people."

In the Eastern traditions, too, there is a real tradition of being aligned with and cleaning up relations with the ancestors. In Japan, China, as well as the Hawaiian tradition, it is thought to be important to align and clean up any past problems that you've had in relationships, especially with relatives.

At the same time, perhaps there are family patterns you do not want. Certainly you have heard the saying, "We just don't do that in our family," or "That's the way it is in our family." What happens then, is that certain generational themes get passed along in families, like sadness or any number of different traits. Ho'oponopono will allow you to clean this up.

THEORY: We carry inside us as parts of the Unconscious Mind, all the significant people in our lives. (These parts of us often look very much like Carl Jung's archetypes.) Ho'oponopono makes it "all right" with them. The process of Ho'oponopono is to align with and clean up our genealogy as well as to clean up our relationships with other people in our lives.

The Process of Ho'oponopono:
Bring to mind anyone with whom you do not feel total alignment or support, etc.
In your mind's eye, construct a small stage below you
Imagine an infinite source of love and healing flowing from a source above the top of your head (from your Higher Self), and open up the top of your head, and let the source of love and healing flow down inside your body, fill up the body, and overflow out your heart to heal up the person on the stage. Be sure it is all right for you to heal the person and that they accept the healing.
When the healing is complete, have a discussion with the person and forgive them, and have them forgive you.
Next, let go of the person, and see them floating away. As they do, cut the aka cord that connects the two of you (if appropriate). If you are healing in a current primary relationship, then assimilate the person inside you.
Do this with every person in your life with whom you are incomplete, or not aligned.
The final test is, can you see the person or think of them without feeling any negative emotions. If you do feel negative emotions when you do, then do the process again.

Dr. Hew Len was the most avid student of Morrnah Simeona and practitioner of updated Ho’oponopono technique. He was the first person who got documented and confirmed proof of the healing miracles initiated by the Ho’oponopono process. Dr. Hew Len observed Hooponopono healing powers himself when Morrnah Simeona healed his daughter from painful bleeding shingles (skin disease) that she suffered from for more than a decade without anyone or anything helping.

Being traditionally educated university-trained physician he decided to look deeper into the process that Morrnah Simeona was using. He signed into her seminar in 1982 and not without certain degree of struggle (“…she was talking to spirits and sounding nuts!…” – ‘Zero Limits’, page 42) managed to complete the training. She was staying and learning from Morrnah all the way till 1992 when she passed away. Paying utmost attention to her teaching and practices Dr Hew Len managed to simplify and improve Ho’oponopono process even more and with amazing results.
From 1984 till 1987 he worked as a staff psychologist for Hawaii State Hospital overseeing high security unit housing male criminally insane patients. Now, to make things clear – these are the type of guys you don’t want to turn your back on. These guys committed murders, rapes, assaults and due to their degree of “insanity” were locked into psychiatric high security facility. Violence against each other and staff members were common.

Fast forward to 1987 (3 years later) wrist and ankle restraints were no longer used in this facility. Violence almost ceased to exist, only involving mostly new patients. New off-site activities were introduced to former violent patients. The spirit and order in the unit was greatly improved and eventually the whole unit was closed because there was no need. People just got improved, healed and released or moved into other non-violent wards.
This all was documented, described my multiple witnesses and personnel.

How did such miraculous change took place in the hospital?
According to Dr. Hew Len:
He did not do any therapy or counseling with patients
He did not attend any staff conferences on patients
He practiced updated Ho’oponopono process on a daily basis that included accepting 100% of responsibility for everything being experienced by him.
(Zero Limits, page 142)

Dr. Hew Len improved and practiced updated Ho’oponopono process every day and this process caused the most miraculous transformation within the most challenging environment. Within 3 years

So what exactly is Ho’oponopono and how does it work?

When Joe Vitale met with Dr. Hew Len and asked him how exactly did he manage to heal these violent patients without actually seeing each of them in person, his answer was:
“I didn’t heal them. I healed part of myself that created them”. To me that was the most fundamental revelation to date. That phrase alone explains the most important presumption of Ho’oponopono:

You are 100% responsible for everything. Everything and everywhere! And it means not only your personal screwups and your personal successes. If means if someone somewhere did something and you became aware of that – you are 100% responsible for that.
Ho’oponopono is not your free ticket to guilt trip. Being 100% responsible is not the same as feeling infinitely guilty for miseries. It’s reminder of your creative powers and gentle welcome to return back to your inner nature. That is to Zero. Joe Vitale wrote a great book on the subject called Zero Limits. When you returning back to your most inner nature – to Zero – everything becomes available to you effortlessly and you are being driven by inspiration from Divinity, not by petty ego wants. Ho’oponopono’s Zero is the same thing that Eckhart Tolle names Unmanifested.
Back to practical reality – let assume that Zero is the next great thing after sliced bread. Or even before sliced bread. Whatever. How do we get to that “magical” state? What exactly needed to be done?

This is achieved by constant cleaning process. Cleaning is the actual Ho’oponopono practice. Cleaning what? You clean yourself from subconscious garbage – programs that run your life without your participation.

Apparently Ho’oponopono process is very simple. Actual Ho’oponopono cleaning process consists of repetitions of the following phrases:
I Love You
Please forgive me
I am sorry
Thank you

These phrases repeated will ignite the self transformation process for the practitioner. This is exactly what Dr. Hew Len did to invite divine transformation powers for his surrounding during his work at Hawaiian mental hospital.

The most powerful phrases here are: “I Love You” and “Thank You”. The powers of Love and Gratitude are unquestionable in every self-empowerment teaching, school or religion.

Who do you say these phrases? Essentially you just say them. No need to feel anything special, imagine anything, or otherwise to complicate this process. As Dr. Hew Len often says “just do it”. The process is as simple as breathing. When you breath in and breathe out – you clean your body from processed “polluted” air and enrich it with fresh, oxygen rich, good energy air. And all this happens without you mixing breathing process with any esoteric or complicated practices. It just happens and your body gets constant supply of oxygen.

Her Grace

2011-09-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

From http://hergracedevata.blogspot.com

Since I have come back from my stay at Lourdes, I have been working on a new series of Mary.

The philosopher Thomas Moore, in his wonderful works on Soul, really defines it for me. Everyone has a Soul and thus a religion of the Soul, and that may be found in the enchantment of everyday living, in art as a sacred undertaking, or it may be found in the practise and application of a holy book and its teachings.

I had no exposure to Divine Mary other than in the Christmas pageants at school, where she really played a rather minor role. I grew up raised in a Calvinistic religion and culture - a very austere philosophy, as you may know. But from a young age I had a tendency to withdraw into my own inner world, away from voices telling what to do and how to feel.

And in my dreams a beautiful woman used to come to me - I called her 'Beauty". She was usually dressed in blue and had a linen type headdress. She reminded me of a burning candle. Difficult to describe, but it was as though she is in a shimmering radiant light that pulled me up. I once described her to my best friend and she said, 'but that is Mother Mary!".

And then my life started to change drastically. At first, I read as much as I could and studied various sources and books to learn about Mary.

Then I went through a stage of throwing all that learning out. I had realised that the books give the writer's interpretation and also, the living Mary, became buried under a heap of jargon and definitions.

I visited many sacred places (you can read more about these on my blog http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com)

and eventually I ended at Lourdes.

What I experienced at Lourdes, words cannot capture. She is the Rosary and the Prayers and the faith of those who believe, but, She is so much more.

She is not bound by dogma, not even faith. She does not need you to pray to Her. She is always with you.

She is the Love that is within us all. She is the human capacity for kindness, caring and compassion. She is the mirror reflecting the Light within each and every soul. She is life itself.

Betrayal by a Guru

2011-09-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

Words filled with wisdom and light by Dorothy on Kundalini Splendour http://kundalinisplendor.blogspot.com

Monday, August 29, 2011

Betrayal

Of all life's challenges, betrayal is one of the most difficult to deal with. Whether it comes from lover, family, friends, teacher or guru, it leaves one with a sense of being bereft of something very valuable in one's life.

I think that when we offer trust, to whomever and to whatever degree, we then become vulnerable to possible betrayal. The lover may leave, the friend may become less than friendly for no apparent reason or may make a remark that wounds, the guru may turn out to have a very dark shadow.

Indeed, books have been written about the "corrupt gurus" (or shamans or "spiritual authorities") who misuse their powers to gain wealth or sexual favors. The problem is that the flawed guru (or lover or friend) is often extremely charismatic, perhaps bestowing great gifts such as constant bliss states or feelings of oneness with the divine, or, as with friends or lovers, a sense of total acceptance and love.

The guru as master is a prime example of the abuse of Kundalini power, for who does not love to receive shaktipat, or enter into states of unending bliss. Further, at such times, one often experiences periods of altered consciousness, in which judgment is impaired. When the rupture occurs, we feel as though part of our own identity has been ripped from us, and we are left to try to build a new life within and without. Sometimes physical illness may follow, as we try to console our "within" for the trauma it has suffered. It is as if we are "punishing" ourselves for what, at some level, is like a "self betrayal." Our pain is an expression of our grief.

These are indeed terrible life lessons. However, one good result may ensue. We may come to realize that we ourselves were likely to undergo this kind of experience at some point in our lives, for we were vulnerable as long as we were willing to give so much power to another. In fact, the inner guru is the more reliable guide. The inner guru (higher self, guiding spirit, intuition) will not betray, it will not wound, and it will listen whenever we pause to speak to it and tell it what we need. We will be healed when we realize our error and rebuild our inner spiritual voyager to avoid such excessive "surrender of the self" to others in future.

For this reason, I prefer teachers to (external) gurus. We attend, we listen, we gain whatever wisdom we can from the teacher, but we do not put our whole lives hostage to his/her dictates. Contrary to what many think, no external guru is needed to undergo spiritual transformation or to awaken and nourish Kundalini, once we are ready. Spontaneous awakenings are occurring at (what seems to me) an every increasing rate.

This path is difficult. It is indeed a lonely path, for we all yearn for the external authority or master to lead us ahead. We long for the community (the sangha) of like minded seekers. Yet the price of such connection is often severe disappointment at the end. Yes, teachers, especially those familiar with Kundalini and its processes, can be extremely valuable, but we must exercise caution in our selections.

And there will also be those near us who truly deserve our trust. It may be that "faithfulness" rather than "exciting charisma" will be their earmarks. We should treasure these for who they are, dear friends who offer some stability in a world of chaos.

I think we must all be teachers and students of one another. We must pool our collective wisdom to progress, for we live in the heart of mystery.

Buddha said "Be a light unto yourself." We should listen to what he said.

# posted by Dorothy : 8/29/2011 11:03:00 AM

Sara-la Kali - Part Three in the Lourdes Pilgrimage

2011-08-10T01:46:00.000-07:00

Statue of Sante Sarah in crypt

The Lourdes pilgrimage started off as the intent only to attend the annual Gypsy festival of Sara la Kali in Saintes Maries de la Mer. It has been my wish to attend this festival for about six years and I kept on putting it off. I was attracted to spend time in this energy of two worlds coming together : the Christian and the Hindu traditions of faith. And the festival did not disappoint. I stepped into a magical world of legend, myth, faith and miracles!

Last year I stayed in India for a few weeks visiting the many temples of Kali Maa. The previous year I attended the Navratra the Festival of Nine Nights dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Durga Maa. And now, participating in the festival of Saint Sarah le Kali, the Black, was magical and opened my mind even further to the unity of all people, all religions and traditions!

Hindu Goddess Kali Maa

Kali Ma is the fierce goddess in the Hindu tradition. She is the Mother of Kundalini and the bringer of change. She is often feared as change does not honour resistance nor reluctance, but calls for surrender to that which we have no control over. She is known as the black or dark mother, 'Kali'. And here, in the South of France, in a small Catholic Church and as Queen of the Rom (Gypsies), reigns the saint Sara la Kali - a fusion of the dark mother and one who serves Mother Mary.

This festival has been taking place for the past fifty years and attracts 20 000 roma (gypsies).

Gypsy wagon parked in main road Saintes Maries de la Mer

Legends are rife about the origins of the dark skinned Sainte Sarah - both the Rom and the Christian version. The Roma speak their own language, they have a very distinctive culture and are wanderers and travellers, with a strong focus on music, dance and passion. It is said that the Roma originally came from India and found their spiritual mother Kali Ma, in the black saint Sarah.

The festival always takes place on Sante Sara's sacred day 25 May. The week before the caravans stream into the small sea side village. As we travelled many motorhomes passed us. The gypsies live in these modern motorhomes and many have enormous trailers behind. They travel from fair to fair across France and Europe and sell their wares, such as hand made knives.

A wonderful exotic and festive market is on for the entire week before the religious festival days and the mesmerising sounds of the flamenco guitar can be heard far and wide.

Children and adults dress up in traditional gitane clothing

Outside the church of Saintes Maries de la Mer you will find flamenco playing gypsies, dancing girls, small girls handing out images of Lakshmi and older women selling the holy medals of Sante Sarah, indicating that you have arrived at the destination of your pilgrimage! What magic!!

Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth and Abundance

Saintes Maries de la Mer is a quaint village known for its white horses from the Camargue, the black bulls and the three Saints : Sara, Marie Salome and Marie Jacobe. Legend has it that they arrived here on the beach with Mary Magdalene.

On the first feast day Sara is lowered into her crypt and dressed in layer upon layer of cloak representing all the prayers. The crypt is underneath the church and the heat from the thousands of burning votives makes it almost unbearable. For the Rom this is a homecoming. They travel here once a year if they can, but those living further away in other parts of Europe sometimes only make it every few years. They catch up with family and tears are flowing. During her festival, those who seek her healing and blessings come to touch her skirts, put scarves around her neck, offer flowers, light candles, and give thanks for miracles and prayers answered in the preceding years. She is paid homage to in the Gypsy Prayer, a copy of which sits framed to the right of her feet. Combined with the intense sounds of the gypsey crooners outside the church, the smell of burning incense and one's own heart, this makes for an intense experience - and all of this before the actual celebrations have even started.

In the crypt of Sainte Sarah

On the feast day a mass in celebration of Sainte Sarah is held early in the morning. The church is packed full and every bit of standing space is taken. The overflow of people stand outside in the courtyard and loudspeakers bring the service outside. The chanting of 'Sante Sarah' at times completely overpower the voice of the priest and there is not a person who does not sing along! What an experience of intense passion! The statue of Sainte Sarah is then carried along the main road of the village and down to the sea. There is a strict hierarchy to the procession. It is led by the town elders on their white horses, then followed by representative of the various Gypsey tribes and families, then the priest in a motor vehicle and then the various parishes from across Europe who bring their colours and emblems to be blessed. And then those taking part in the procession. The procession took four hours to reach the sea - this walk would normally have taken 15 minutes.

The horses are decorated with paint spots

After the statue had been immersed in the sea water, everyone enters the water as it is now sanctified. As in Hindu traditions, it is an act of purification and sanctification to be washed by the waters of the mother (la mer).

Sante Sarah on her way to the sea

Sara, toi la sainte patronne des voyageurs et gitans du monde entier,
tu as vécu en ce lieu des Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
Tu es venue d'un lointain pays au-delà des mers.
J'aime venir te retrouver ici, te dire tout ce que j'ai dans le Cœur,
te confier mes peines et mes joies.
Je te prie pour tous les membres de ma famille et tous mes amis.
Sara, veille sur moi!

(Sara, patron saint of travelers and gypsies the world over, you who lived in this region of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. You came from a far-away country from across the seas. I love to come and find you here, to tell you all that I have in my heart and in you confide my sorrows and joys. I pray to you for everyone in my family and all my friends. Sara, come to me!)

The Sacred Heart Shrine - part two in Lourdes Pilgrimage

2011-07-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Does it make sense to you if I tell you that I am almost loathe to put my beautiful experiences into words? Almost like when you had a magical dream and you do not want to limit it to mere words? I find that words can never describe the unseen and the Mystery of it All. I also know through very real and tough experience that phenomena of divine love comes and goes and that we spiritual travellers are not to become attached to those experiences. So I quietly treasure them in my heart and I know that it is these mysteriously divine experiences that carry us through the tough times. So therefore I share with great passion! I am doing my best not to rush through the entire trip, but to give the vignettes to you in their deep colour and vibration that they came to me.

So from St Maximin we take the car and set out to explore. We only have a few things in mind during this entire trip : cathedrals, Divine Mary, Mary Magdalene, and flea markets for our artistic endeavours. And flea markets was indeed a major component of this pilgrimage and the most wondrous divine synchronicities which none of us will ever forget - but that I am keeping for another posting.

At the local information office we found a poster about a Gypsy festival in the nearby village Rians. Remember, we are in the land of the gypsies and on our way to the Gypsy festival in Saintes Maries along with 20 000 gypsies - so I suppose they have fairs and festivals all the way there!

Equipped with a GPS and a map of France we easily find Rians and a gypsy wedding in progress! My one regret was that I only took my very small digital camera along so I have very few good photographs.

We took a stroll through the village and its gypsy fair and eventually found our way to a very very old cathedral perched high on the hill. It was the Notre Dame de Nazareth dedicated to the Miracle of Fatima.

As I said previously, I had a 'wish list' in my mind - it was not a serious matter, but there were a few things that I had been hoping to experience and to find. One of those was the Presence of the Sacred Heart as known by the devotee and apostle Saint Margaret Mary. If you have been following this blog and you know my mystery school work, you will know that the Sacred Heart is at the core of all my visions and experiences with the divine. A blogging friend and fellow Marian, The Woodwife (see her blog on my links) told me about Saint Margaret Mary after she appeared to her in one of her dreams. Something about this particular saint caught my attention and I went looking for some more information about her. That is when I discovered that the Sacred Heart was first seen by her in a vision and it became her mission to bring its Presence and teaching into her religious tradition.

We walked into the very impressive cathedral. You can see some of its dimensions in the photograph. The afternoon light was streaming in through the windows and glinting off all the gold. The church contained many shrines - all of them pertaining to me and my story specifically : Padre Pio whom I have visited in 2000 - you can read the story on this blog and also on Shaman-She Who Knows, my other blog - and who has played a pivotal role in my development as spiritual healer; Saint Anne, my mother and daughter's patron saint. Yes, we adopted her as patron saint as we are not Roman Catholic! and we all three share the name Anne.

And then as I turned to the right, there she was Saint Margaret Mary

AND

Mary of the Sacred Heart

Images of the Divine carry enormous energy and Presence. There are various ways of explaining it, but the ancients believed that the Spirit of that aspect of the Divine lives in Its image and form. I have demonstrated the power and size of the auric field of sacred images to people who are not so sensitive to energy. You can test the auric field by using a pendulum or kinesiology (muscle testing) to prove it to yourself.

The Presence of the Sacred Heart was both visible and palpable to me - it was like the abundance of a fruit tree laden with fruit or the expanse of a lavender field. The love of the Sacred Heart is infinite and expansive, like an ocean and we bathed in the soft lavender light of that church. As we left, we walked almost straight into a cherry tree, covered with ripe luscious fruit!!

Aaahh such is the ways of the Divine! Never in either/or, but always in both and everything. Nothing is excluded : not man-made images and statues, traditions or rebellions : it all comes together in the Sacred Heart of the World.

A very blurry picture with the name of the Sacred Heart by her feet :

SACRED PILGRIMAGE TO THE DIVINE FEMININE - A SACRED MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL

2011-06-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

Six weeks ago I undertook a pilgrimage to France. My main focus was the festival of Sante Sara, the gypsy saint and the annual gathering of the gypsies in Les Saintes Maries de la Mer and from there to Lourdes. I am a pilgrim whom does not belong to a religion, one who follows the religion of the soul (in the words of Thomas Moore) and my pilgrimages have taken me across the globe. Each stay has always further dissolved my sense of a separate self and has taken me deeper into Unity Consciousness. I am always happy to see that hidden pockets of the separate self is revealed and that the transcendent and radiant Presence in these sacred places, replaces all discordant notes within. A pilgrimage has a wonderful way of revealing the Love Within. Ultimately, it seems to me that our biggest obstacle as human beings are that of Trust! Trusting ourselves, trusting our feelings and our vulnerabilities with others, trusting the goodness of Life, trusting that everything that is happening to us is meant to be and ultimately trusting God. This is not a 'bad' thing - most probably a very effective protective device - and merely part of our journey as human beings back to Unity Consciousness - the complete Knowledge that we are not separate from Divine Will.

I was blessed with many wonderful and powerful visions along the way (some which I will share with you in this blog and others to follow) and messages repeated reinforcing the understanding that Forgiveness is the salve that makes us (w)holy. Forgiveness in the largest sense of the word. And as we forgive ourselves, we realise that we have to forgive God and that the God that man created, truly does not exist. 'God' is complete and total Forgiveness, or Prema (unconditional love) and therefore forgiveness is not necessary. But it is a long journey to integrate these incredible paradoxes and to see that the marriage between spirit and body truly does exist and that that is our journey here - to make sacred the mundane self.

One of the beautiful visions that I had was how each human being is on the symbolic cross, suspended between heaven and earth and stretched across the heart. On the one side is the seemingly 'positive' inner voice and on the other side is the seemingly 'negative' inner voice - both waging war on the person hanging from the cross. This is true suffering which takes on many layers and dimensions. And trying to judge positive from negative becomes a never-ending quagmire of psychology, biology, personality traits and so on. Salvation comes from the flowering of the heart, the sacred heart within, which radiates the light of the living Christ.

These Divine archetypes seemingly transcend our human lives, but in the sacred marriage the soul meets Spirit and a new way of living and understanding is born - a deep peace within which surpasses all understanding - the inner voices are dissolved and Love is the world.

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 spend 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. Each time we visited the Basilica and its many shrines, we were reluctant to leave Her absolute Beauty.

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. 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 Mother Mary statue graced this church. The picture does not really do justice to the presence that radiates from this beautiful image.

Here is a picture of the Lourdes shrine in the Basilica : a small taste of what was still to come.

From here we made some excursions into the countryside and stumbled across the most beautiful cathedrals and the Sacred Heart Shrine!! More about this in my next blog.

blessings to you

Baptism in the Alchemical Journey

2011-05-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

We cannot live in a world that is interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our own listening. To use our own voice. To see our own light.

Hildegard Von Bingen

To move from the Blackness into the Whiteness (Albedo) of the Alchemical Journey, one has to pass through the Blueness.

Here we start to move out of the depths of despair, the numbness, the feelings of no-feeling, the paralysis and heaviness and the confusion seems to start to lift.

Soon, your tears will be baptising you into the Lapiz stage of your journey.

The Lapiz stage is recognised by its 'water', the release of tears. Often, as one transforms, wonderful healing tears flow seemingly for no reason at all. It is probably the deep release of the subconscious as it moves into the first glimmer of the light.

Now is not the time to rush in and throw all caution to the wind. This is an important time for purification and cleaning out, re-visiting the intended goal and taking a deep breath, taking time to integrate the glimmer of hope.

Before the Albedo will enter you, you must be thoroughly prepared. The Blue stage is a good time to follow a fast, spend more time in meditation or contemplation and to give up some luxuries. This will help you to focus on what is really important and you will be able to hear your own powerful Voice Within.