Art Novena for Our Lady of Lourdes - Day One

 

Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Nine days of illuminating writing and art.

A novena is a prayer repeated for nine consecutive days.

 This is the second Art Novena

to Our Lady of Lourdes that I am hosting on Cloister of the Heart.

 In this context we are focusing and contemplating

through art, words, poetry and prose on the story of the Lady of Lourdes

and its meaning for the emerging changes in ourselves

and the way that we are experiencing and approaching life on Earth.

This year the Art Novena is a joint venture between myself

and Mary Beben of  Biodynamic Spirituality

http://www.biodynamicspirituality.com/

We invite you to visit for the nine days and to join in

in any way that you would like - through sharing these thoughts

with others or in your own contemplation or maybe you

would like to put something up on your own blog.

  I have added Mr Linky below for those who would like to link up.

We will be spending time in meditation and contemplation
to receive any messages or revelations from Our Lady
which we will share with you.

You may find that your participation in the novena
in your own time and space will bring you insight
and inspiration.

The Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes

Day One of Novena: The Background Story

0 Innocence, St Bernadette
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck

Here is the story of that event, taken from a book first published in June, 1912,

 called The Apparitions of Lourdes, written by an eyewitness, Dr. J.B. Estrade,

 translated from the French by J.H. Le Breton Girolestone, M.A. Oxon.

 I believe the copy I own was published in 1958 at Lourdes.

 No further information is available about the publisher.

 The following is not a direct quote, except where noted, 

but the information is distilled factually from the book:

On February 11, 1858 Bernadette Soubirous had gone with her sister

 and a friend to pick up dry branches by the River Gave. This is how the poor obtained wood for their fires. They searched as they went, going downstream to a mill where there was a canal. The current was not strong there, but the water was very cold and the weather was very bad. The other girls took off their shoes and crossed the canal, but Bernadette was afraid. She feared an asthma attack, so she lagged behind. The other girls disappeared along the river bed and Bernadette finally decided to risk it and catch up with them. 

As she started to remove her stockings, she heard a noise like the sound of a storm. She looked to the right and left, under the trees, but saw nothing. Then it came again and she became very afraid. These are her own words: "I lost all power of speech and thought. Turning my head toward the grotto I saw at one of the openings of the rock, a bush – one only – moving as if it were very windy. Almost at the same time there came out of the interior of the grotto a golden‑colored cloud, and soon after, a Lady, young and beautiful, exceedingly beautiful, the like of whom I had never seen came and placed herself at the entrance of the opening above the bush." 

Bernadette went on to say how she began to pray the rosary, without knowing she was doing it, while the Lady continued to smile and hold a rosary of her own, which she herself did not pray, except to repeat the "Gloria" at the end. When the rosary was finished, the Lady simply returned to the interior of the rock and disappeared. The Lady was dressed in white with blue, the beads of the rosary were white on a golden chain and on each of her feet was a golden rose. The bush over which she posi­tioned herself was a wild rose bush. 

As we continue with the remaining days of our novena, we will tell more of the story, as it happened. But for now, let’s look at one detail of this appearance. As soon as we realize that she stands over the wild rose bush and comes wearing golden roses on her bare feet, it tells us that she is deeply identified with roses. The rose in the western mind, like the lotus in the eastern world, seems to be the most easily recognizable symbol for the flowering of consciousness or the unique divine spark. It is also the symbol of the heart, through which the feminine wisdom is returning to our world.

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

Blessings
Hettienne and Mary

We are the Storytellers

The Rose Queen and Rose Child - Sacred
 Altars Oracle Deck

We are all Storytellers. We share our stories,

open our hearts and become inspired through our own

stories and the stories of others.  Through difficult times

we hold on to the stories, waiting for better days.

 Most of what we believe and know

is based on stories, our own, our tribe and our family stories.

And we are all seekers.  We all seek a sense

of purpose, connection, meaning and belonging :

in other words we are all seeking Spirit or God.

The one thing that stands out for me, is that regardless

of culture, religion, politics, beliefs and country,

these stories all share the same thread, commonly

called the archetype.

And when we look at the metaphor of the story,

the archetype that weaves through all these

stories, we find guidance, inspiration and the greatest love

story ever told!!

We set out in search of the Beloved and we 

return to tell our sacred stories and in doing so,

we gather knowledge of the Self, Soul and Spirit.

St Joseph, the Builder - Sacred Altars of the Mysteries Oracle Deck

I am working on the Sacred Altars Oracle Deck

and have been doing so for the past two years

and by the looks of things it may take another two years.

Each shrine will be turned into a card in a deck

of stories, weaving the red thread of continuity and infinity

with its message of Divine Love.

What I like about stories is that we do not have to take

someone else's word for it, nor their 'because I say so'.

We do not have to have blind faith.  We can just look

around us, listen to the stories we tell ourselves and others,

we can listen to the fairy tales, the myths and the religions

of the world, and we can hear the message.

'you have the power to change your story'

The Magician - Sacred Altar of the Mysteries Oracle Deck

Each one of these shrines are 'born' from my Soul.

I started collecting the Roman Catholic statues during a visit

to the Queen of Heaven shrine in Florida.  As I have blogged

previously, my journey has been one of unfolding,

similar to that of a rose.  From a tight worldview of

Calvinism, it unfolded into a wider, more holistic view which

included the Solar Myths, the Lunar Myths;

 Goddess religions which led to a

deeper understanding of the Sacred Feminine, a study

of the specific Christian viewpoint of the Gnostics and Cathars,

and alchemy.  Yes, indeed, I have been around the block.

Only to find myself back to where I started, realising

that it does not matter which path you walk,

it all brings us back to the same destination,

to Home, to the loving embrace of the Divine,

the Sacred Heart of Unconditional Love and Compassion

and the challenge is to live that knowledge each and every day.

So, back to the shrines.

A while ago I started making Mary shrines with some

of the statues that I collected.  These I sold on Etsy

and many hang on the walls of my home.

As I worked with these little shrines, and blogged

about them, I started to see that they resemble

the many myths and fairy tales and very often

images from Alchemy.  These alchemical images

are everywhere in the Bible as well as the Gnostic

Bibles, the Nag Hammadi and fairy tales.

I do not contrive the shrine.  I allow it take shape under my hands

and then sometimes it takes days and weeks, even months

for the name of the shrine to reveal itself to me.

This shrine of Jesus the Christ, started off as a

Sacred Heart shrine.  Then one day I picked it up

and added the halo with the roses.  And I added

the chalice, the sword, the rose and the holy medal.

And as I sat back I realised that I had coloured in the

leminiscate, the infinity sign on the halo and

I had created a table below.

This is the Magician card in the Tarot deck :

In this version of the card you can see the Aleph

on the right hand side which immediately brings

to mind "I am the Alpha and the Omega.'

There is the leminiscate above his head, the chalice, 

the sword and the pentacle, also referred

to as a coin.  These four represent

the four suits of the elements, water, air,

fire and earth.

These four elements are also present in ourselves

in the physical, and as importantly, in the

emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of ourselves.

The Magician is the first and the last step in the circular

journey of the Seeker.  The Magician has the power

to access the divine realms and to manifest in the

physical.  The Magician has the power to work miracles.

In the same way, in the story of Jesus, we are told

that He was a magician.  He transformed the consciousness

of mankind and he worked miracles.

The Christ is present in every human being.  The Christ

is the greatest Love principle and has the power to

work miracles and to liberate minds!

At first, it was tarot images that unfolded :

The Sun - Sacred Altars Oracle

Here it is the Sun Card from the Tarot, representing

the risen Christ Child, the awakening of the higher human,

the awakening of a deep joy flowing from the

knowing that you are not separate from the Divine.

But then, I started to see other similarities.

Fairy tales started to appear in these mystical events;

the lives of saints contain the same elements

as the archetypes seen in myths;

and the High days and Holy days as seen in the

astrotheological wheel of time.

And thus the weaving continues and wherever

we look, there is God.

blessings

Hettienne

I Am the Immaculate Conception

I am the Immaculate Conception
was her words to Bernadette

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

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 wearable altar to

Our Lady of Lourdes

L'immaculee Conception

Hand soldered lead-free silver

patina'd by hand

Vintage prayer card set between glass

creating a miniature shadowbox filled with

seed pearls and small freshwater pearls 

as well as a tiny vintage Lourdes connector

Vintage buttons from a street market in Paris

a tiny crown

a vintage Lourdes medal with prayer on the back

an image of Our Lady of Lourdes set in resin

in a sterling silver cup

beaded chain that contain mother of pearl buttons,

rondelle,

aurora borealis

a tiny sterling silver Agnus Dei heart locket

and two different kinds of linked antiqued chain

The back of the pendant contains the basilica

of Lourdes from the same vintage holy card

Stacked mother of pearl buttons,

swarovski crystals

rondelles

silver toned roses

aurora borealis

freshwater pearls

Sterling Silver element with artist's name engraved on it

You can read here how my sacred altars

are prepared with holy relics and oils

with love,

Hettienne

A sacred altar Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris

Our Lady of Paris

A Sacred Altar

Each tiny disk contains the image of

Notre Dame and on the back

the rose window in the Notre Dame Cathedral

a tiny vintage Miraculous Medal

rondelle, real pearls, freshwater pearls
and smoky aurora borealis beads

an elegant chain with tiny dangle at end

at the closure of necklace

a holy card set in an aged

brass filligree frame

with a tiny brass cross underneath

Pieces of a magnificent rosary brought back

from Notre Dame de Paris.  I brought this rosary

back from my previous pilgrimage to France and only now

have had the time to use it in a wearable altar.

The pieces are solid brass and the detail magnificent.

with love,

Hettienne

The House of the Heart

There are two kinds of intelligence.

One is like that acquired by a child at school,

from books and teachers, new ideas and memorization.

Your intelligence may become superior to others,

but retaining all that knowledge is a heavy load.

You who are occupied in searching for knowledge

are a preserving tablet,

but the preserved tablet is the one who has gone beyond all this.

For the other kind of intelligence is the gift of God:

its fountain is in the midst of the soul.

When the water of God-given knowledge gushes from the breast, 

it doesn’t become fetid or impure. 

And if its way to the outside is blocked, what harm is there? 

For it gushes continually from the house of the heart. 

The acquired intelligence is like the conduits 

which run into the house from the streets: 

If those pipes become blocked, the house is bereft of water. 

Seek the fountain from within yourself. 

[IV, 1960-68] Poems by Rumi 

Hand soldered wearable altar and shrine

The House of the Heart

Patina'ed to look old and worn

Vintage french holy card

Hand cast sterling silver sacred heart and hand charms

vintage connector of Our Lady of Lourdes

sterling silver dangle engraved with

artist's signature 

Aurora borealis crystals

rhinestones

vintage chain

Available on Her Grace by Devata on www.etsy.com

www.etsy.com/shop/devata

Five more days for Grow Your Blog give-away

There are five more days left for my

give-away in the Grow Your Blog party.

If you would like your name to go into the draw,

please leave a comment.

My GYB post can be found here 

http://www.path-of-divine-love.com/2014/01/grow-your-blog-post-and-giveaway.html

and this is my give-away

A Shard of Beauty

An ancient relic from The Temple of Mary

You can read the full story here

http://www.path-of-divine-love.com/2014/01/mondays-with-mary-shards-of-beauty.html

And you can see other such finds at

www.etsy.com/shop/devata

The winner will be announced here on

Saturday 15 February 2014

good luck!! and blessings

Hettienne

Mornings with Mary

Feel my hand

You are already in my arms.

You are already looking at me.

Open your eyes

Open your eyes, dear one.

You are my dearest child.

I am your Mother

Do not be afraid

Nothing is lost

Nothing that you love is lost

I am its home

I am where everything is full, where all of life is complete

The darkness is the pathway through my eyes

You will find light

You will begin to see

Call on me

Reach out your hand

I love you

You are my darling child

You are my dearest heart

Do not be afraid

Nothing is lost

Nothing

Everything is right here, right here in me

I am your Mother.

  Christin Lore Weber from Circle of Mysteries

(the lace Blessed Mother in the background is handmade lace by the women of Burano, Italy)

For more inspirational Mornings with Mary

go to http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/2013/04/mornings-with-mary-sunflowers.html

A blessed and tender week to you.

with love

Hettienne

The Blessing of the Rose Queen

THE BLESSING OF THE ROSE QUEEN

The blessing of the Rose Queen : a shrine

to the power and Grace of the Blessed Mother;

to the mystery of the angelic realms

and the divine feminine

and the resurrection of the feminine mysteries.

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 be born.

. 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.

You can do the Blessing of the Rose Queen prayers as a way

of calling upon Mary of the Divine Feminine to assist with

a special request.  It is not something to be used for ordinary

things, but for those special times in our life when what we are

doing just doesn't seem to be enough - when we really

need assistance.

Perform these prayers for thirty days in a row.  

Visualize what it is that you wish in as much clear detail

as possible.  Write it down, so that the words are clear

and distinct, with as little room for misinterpretation as possible.

Perform in during a quiet and special time in your day :

Oh most beautiful and gracious Rose Queen,

who came down to Earth to do good and who never

left a request unanswered, grant me the rose

of _____________________

Then follow this with a Hail Mary and repeat

for a total of three times.  

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee

Blessed art thou among women

and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb

Holy Mary,  Mother of God,

oh Rose Queen 

Bestow your Blessing upon us

Now and Forever