Reading with the Amulets of Mary oracle

Reading with cards, charms, tea leaves or any object

is an intuitive inner journey that takes practise.

It is a skill to hone your subtle senses and also a skill

to trust your intuition and your inner voices and prompts.

Life is a journey filled with markers and pointers for us.

Each life has a theme and certain archetypes and we can

create within those limits and parameters.  To become

really in touch with your subtle senses, demand a certain

amount of humility and your own personal shadow work

It is so easy to pretend to ourselves that 'all is as it should be'

and to shift all responsibility onto a Higher Power.

The truth is that we have been dealt a hand of cards, 

black and white and red and we are accountable

and responsible for getting to know both the positive

and negative of our own personal hand.

This is where amulets, charms and tarot becomes so valuable.

When you combine it with Jungian shadow work, you can uncover

your own projections and hidden perceptions - you can take 

the power back from unruly emotions and the pain

of dysfunctional personal relationships.

Skull of Mary Magdalene in procession at Sainte Maximin -la-Ste-Baume
France during feast day celebrations

The Amulets of Mary comes with a booklet describing the fundamental

tenets of Benedicaria, The Blessing Way, an ancient Southern Italian spiritual

path.  According to those who have made a study and practice of Benedicaria

it is the most pure form of Catholicism.  It restores many practices

which have been classified as 'occult' to its rightful place in a spirtiual

path that integrates both ancient traditions, folklore and modern

consciousness enlightenment work.

I suggest that you keep a book in which to record your readings

and also your own interpretation of the charms and their positions

on the charts.  With time you can create your own casting sheet as

you develop your own understanding of what it is that you

want to ascertain from these readings.

When you have followed the guidelines for creating your

own altar and you have asked the question, you can

take a handful of amulets from the pouch and drop

them onto the casting sheet.

The sheet has been divided into four quadrants.

These represent the four suits of the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck

or any tarot deck.  I have allocated the four sections of mind,

body, soul and spirit and the attributes

are handwritten onto the casting sheet.

You can add your own with a sharpie onto the linen cloth.

  You can allocate the four seasons, the four elements

of earth, air, water and fire. On the new sheets I have added

Past, Present, Future and Unknown.  You can do the same.

I have also added a YES and NO section

The section of the sheet that applies, depend on your question.  If

you asked a simple yes or no question, then look to see where the

charm fell. If you randomly picked some charms and you choose the

yes and no sections, then it is important to see which charms fell

on the yes and which fell on the no - then read their meanings, look

at their meanings and story in the tarot guide book and add your

own intuitive meaning to it all.  Sometimes one needs to allow

all the information to settle down into the unconscious and reveal

its deeper meaning to you over time.

Sometimes the answers are just so obvious and right there.

In the new sheets I have added key words to the four sections.

For instance, in Body you can add

earth, embodiment, physical, manifestation

When you want to see a bigger picture than Yes or No, you can

cast the charms over the entire sheet.  This will then show you

which areas of your life is affected and what your inner guidance

is trying to draw your attention to.

Sample reading :

Chalice fell in Mind (Suit of Distaff)

Star landed on Heart (Suit of Vessels)

Mermaid landed on Body (Suit of Roses)

The Chalice

The Chalice is seen as a sacred and holy object in ancient Grail legends, Arthurian myth, Mary Magdalen myth and in a Christian hymn Mary is called the Chalice.  The Chalice is also regarded as the holy grail and there are many theories :  some believe   that it is a physical cup in which Jesus’ blood was collected after the crucifixion by Mary Magdalene;  others believe that the the Holy Grail is a women or the strength of a woman.  In the Mary Mysteries, she is the Chalice and the Holy Grail.  She is the strength and compassion that floods our soul;  she is the Waters of Consciousness that flow everlasting from the Chalice.

Tarot Card :  Queen of Vessels : Mary Magdalene anointing the feet of Jesus

Meaning :  sacred vehicle;  when you get the chalice in a reading it indicates the vehicle in which your blessing will appear;  it also points to the direction in which you have to go;  it shows in which area of your life you have to pay attention to your dreams.

Add your own connotations and meanings to the chalice and even the

stories and legends in which it appear.  Chalice fell on

the Mind section.  Mind is thinking, thoughts, ideas, conscious mind,

rational mind, logic, neural pathways

This placement could mean that you have to pay more attention

to your ideas  and thoughts:  they will take you to the Chalice and Holy Grail of

your search.  The Queen of Vessels card

is of the suit of the Heart and waters.  I interpret this as telling

you that your mind should be in service of your heart.

When you become aware of the way that your mind reacts

to the prompts of your heart and its inner whisper,

you will become aware of an important message.

 Let's see how the other charms relate to the reading.

Star

The tale of Esther (Star) is an allegory of a feminine majesty who once stood as equal to her spouse the king and was the instrument through which her own blood relatives and all of  the nation were saved. This echoes the place of Sophia who was present to God at the creation itself and helped it all come into being through her assent to the plan. This story of Esther may be a “fossil” that remains in the Bible and allows us to see how Israel first regarded the feminine, before the patriarchal powers purged the nation of all forms of the ancient Goddess known as the Shekina, partner to the masculine manifestation of God. “Esther” is another form of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, (Star) who was also called “Queen of Heaven” as was the Egyptian Mother Goddess, Isis and as Mary is yet called today. “Esther” is another form of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, (Star) who was also called “Queen of Heaven” as was the Egyptian Mother Goddess, Isis and as Mary is yet called today.

Tarot Card : Stella Maris and 2 of Holy Rood

Star landed in Heart and seen in the light of the placement and meaning

of Chalice, this makes it pretty clear that this querent is not

giving her heart and desires, equal status.  The emotions and the heart

is a feminine quality and often neglected or suppressed.

This is a reality of our modern culture and religion :  the feminine

is suppressed to benefit the masculine properties of 

achievement, logic, rational thinking, goal setting and so on.

To listen to our inner guidance, we need to make time to play,

to meditate, contemplate, spend time alone and more.

Mermaid

Mermaids are regarded as mythical creatures.  They appear in many folk and fairytales.  In the story of Ariel, the mermaid, many parallels can be seen in her story and that of the goddess and specifically the story of Mary Magdalen.  The mermaid is also symbolic of a woman’s ‘watery’ nature and her intense emotional body.  Through the ages the emotional and feeling nature of women has been demonised and women have been institutionalised for ‘hysterics’.  Her spiritual nature has been suppressed in many ways and many have made sure that women have lost their ability to have both a mermaid tale and a pair of legs to walk on land when needed.

Tarot Card :  9 of Vessels – Our Lady of Regla

Meaning :  you need to find a strong sense of balance within yourself;  get to know your own nature and you will be able to master the world around you;  pay attention to your feelings;  unknown waters;  value your own feeling nature;  feelings speak of your intuition;  inner wisdom;  

And Mermaid in Body sums it all up.  

p.s. This was a real reading for someone and these are extracts

from the booklet and additional information sheets. 

blessings
Hettienne

Day Six of Art Novena of Our Lady of Lourdes

Fire and Light

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

I took this picture during a full moon on the Nativity of Mary
at the light procession at the sanctuary of Lourdes

In the story of Bernadette and the Soubirous family we
learn that Bernadette's father, a miller by craft and trade,
had fallen on hard times and the family had lost everything.
To earn money he undertook to dispose of waste materials from
the local hospital.  He took the bloodied and putrid bandages
in a small wooden wagon and set off
to the grotto of Massabielles where he built a big fire

'There arises an evil-smelling pyramid of
blood-soaked cotton, pus-stained bandages,
and filthy linen rags...quickly he tosses his box
of matches to set the heap on fire...The horrid
combustible pyramid flares up on the instant...
this strange sacrificial pyre, whose smoke, graciously
accepted by Heaven, rises in a straight line.
extract from The Song of Bernadette

a vestal virgin in Rome

A shrine of Bernadette Soubirous with the
candles of Lourdes

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

The crown on top of the basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes

One can see the halo of a burning flame with the naked eye
and holy ones and awakened ones are often
drawn with similar halos.

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

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

The candles at the sanctuary of Lourdes are
kept burning 27 hours a day

Novena for Day Six

Radiant Mary, shine radiantly upon me.

Bright Lady who illuminates my inner darkness

Yours is the incorruptible fire;

As it is clean, it cleanses; as it is pure, it purifies.

Taken in my garden in the most eastern corner
at dawn

blessings

Hettienne

Day Five of Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Pilgrims shrine made by myself
The French Madonna

Initiation into priestesshood by the Lady

One of the three fairy tale groups*
is 'The Abundance-giving women in the Other World'.
In these fairy tales the 'goddess-heroine' initiates
a young girl into priestesshood.

St Bernadette shrine

The story line of these type of fairy tales follow the
following outline :
The young girl leaves her family, as well as ordinary time

and place and then enters the Otherworld - which she does so either

through travel or visions.

In the Otherworld she meets the goddess whom

initiates her, turning her into an ordained priestess

and then grants her with gifts to take back to the world.
When the young girl or princess returns to the world
she is no longer the same innocent.
She returns with a deeper knowledge and with
the gifts of vision and compassion amongst other things,
which was granted to her.

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

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

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

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

Light procession at Lourdes

Novena for Day Five

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


blessings
Hettienne


Bibliography references :  Gottner-Abendroth, Heide - The Goddess and her Heros

Day Four of Art Novena of Lourdes 2018

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

Gifts from the Sleeping Woman

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

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

The sleeping princess and the sleeping saint are both

themes in archetypal stories seen in fairy tales and religion.

We see these for instance, in the stories of Snow White

and Sleeping Beauty and the story of St Terese and St Bernadette

The spinning wheel of Sleeping Beauty
Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck

The young girl enters the Underworld in order to

return with the greatest gift to the world :

the gift of compassion for self, for all living creatures

and for life itself.

Novena for Day Four 

I enter the Underworld as you pull me into your embrace, 

in every waking moment of living.

Contemplating on your Presence in the world,

opens me up to the poignant beauty and suffering

of all life in order and my  heart breaks open

over and over, over flowing with compassion.  

As my rigid mind dissolves in your

presence, all boundaries between myself and all living creatures

and the earth disappears and we are all one.

blessed be
Hettienne

Novena and Amulets to Our Lady of Lourdes 2018

Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Art Novena for Lady of Lourdes - an annual tradition on Cloister of the Heart starts

3 February (the day after Candlemas or Imbolc and St Bridgid's feast day) and 

culminating on the feast day of Our Lady

of Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception on 11 February.

When one participates in a ritual (probably any ritual, but when you regard it as sacred, you add a certain 'light' to it) you are transported into a different time and space : colors are different; the light is different; everything has meaning and the ordinary become extra-ordinary. My art novena for Lourdes in particular, highlights my statement that our lives are the altar to the Divine and I strive to capture that numinosity of the sacred ritual in my photographs and altars. I only started creating sacred altars on my return from Lourdes. These small shadowboxes are vignettes, a moment in time in the life of ordinary human beings, lifted out of the mundane into the numinous, merely by seeing life as sacred. 

You can read the previous seven years' novena blog posts here :

Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes on Cloister of the Heart

This year I am creating Our Lady of Lourdes Amulet Blessing Sets

based on the Benedicaria way.

The Amulets of Mary Blessing set is a two-fold oracle, blessing 

and healing set incorporating various ancient traditions including the Benedicaria, 

the sacred path of the pilgrim and priestesshood in the Temple of Mary

and the sanctification of the ordinary through the blessing way. 

I am creating only a few Our Lady of Lourdes Amulet sets for use

in the annual novena and for every day!!. All amulet sets that I create complement the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck.

Recently I learnt about the ancient tradition of Benedicaria and the work of a Benedetta. Although I am not born into the Italian culture, my journey as pilgrim did start in Italy with the call issued by Archangel Michael to visit his grotto in Mont Sant’Angelo and I see myself as a modern Benedetta, continuously uncovering more. 

Benedicaria, The Blessing Way

Benedicaria, the Blessing Way, is an ancient Catholic and domestic folk tradition practised by the Italians in Southern Italy. This tradition is fast fading from modern society, but many of its practises are still part of syncretic worship and devotion.

One who practices the Benedicaria, is known as a Benedetta, or a Wise Woman and a Benedetto, a Wise Man . Benedicaria is a private form of practising your religion and it blends with many domestic practises, such as the blessing of animals and herbs, infusing oils and elixers, creating an altar, using flowers and holy cards for blessings and wisdom.

Benedicaria is predominantly a woman’s practise. 

A Benedetta has much in common with the goddess archetypes of 

Demeter, Hestea, Bridgit and even Athena. 

She is the homemaker, mother, herbalist, gardener, chef and healer. 

This role is not regarded as of any importance 

in modern society, but for one who is spiritually aware and 

who undertakes these tasks with great intent, 

she understands the spiritual force that is being wielded. 

The preparing of food is not only a physical act, but a spiritual one. 

If this is done in love it will bless the family; 

if done in anger and ignorance, it will curse the family. 

The physical life and its objects are manifestations and representations of the life and existence of the spirit. Taking care of our physical life is a sacred task and when performed with intent and awareness we realise that the ordinary is indeed sacred.

The Lady of Lourdes amulet sets will contain

items that I collected during my annual visits to Lourdes,

hand cast resin holy medals (including

a cast of the Holy Chemise of Our Lady charm)

charms, holy cards, a miniature Lady of Lourdes resin

statue, a tiny vial of the healing waters of the Lourdes

spring, as well a set of 46 charms applicable to the story of Lourdes

and the Mysteries of Mary

(some of these charms will be the same as in the Amulets

of Mary set but some are completely unique)

and a Our Lady of Lourdes casting sheet with different

sections to the Mary and Goddess sets.

(All sprinkled with waters from the Lourdes spring and touched

to the relic of the Chemise of Our Lady.

The Lady of Lourdes amulet sets will be available in

my shop The French Madonna @etsy.com in the next fortnight.

Be sure to return on 3 February and follow the art novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

blessings

Hettienne

Amulets of Mary Blessing Set

Blessing Amulets of Mary Oracle Set

The Amulets of Mary Oracle is a two-fold oracle, blessing and healing set incorporating various ancient traditions including the Benedicaria, the sacred path of the pilgrim and priestesshood in the Temple of Mary and the sanctification of the ordinary through the blessing way.

The Amulets of Mary Oracle and the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck are a culmination of my own conscious spiritual journey of the past 25 years.  It incorporates the practise of Sacred Altarmaking, the devotion of the pilgrim to sacred places, the use of holy waters and relics, the creation of sacred oils and elixers and my work as Diksha giver (Blessing giver) and Guru in the Shaktipat tradition of the Great Mother and my devotion to the Blessed Mary.

Recently, through various books (all listed in the Bibliography of the accompanying booklet) 

I learnt about the ancient tradition of Benedicaria and the work of a Benedetta.  Although I am not born into the Italian culture, my journey as pilgrim did start in Italy with the call issued by Archangel Michael to visit his grotto in Mont Sant’Angelo and I see myself as a modern Benedetta, continuously uncovering more.

The Amulets can be used with and alongside the Mysteries of Mary Tarot cards.

Benedicaria, the Blessing Way, is an ancient

Catholic and domestic folk tradition practised by the Italians in Southern Italy.  This tradition is fast fading from modern society, but many of its practises are still part of syncretic worship and devotion.

One who practices the Benedicaria, is known as a Benedetta, or a Wise Woman and a Benedetto, a Wise Man .  Benedicaria is a private form of practising your religion and it blends with many domestic practises, such as the blessing of animals and herbs, infusing oils and elixers, creating an altar, using flowers and holy cards for blessings and wisdom.

Benedicaria is predominantly a woman’s practise.  A Benedetta has much in common with the goddess archetypes of Demeter, Hestea, Bridgit and even Athena.   She is the homemaker, mother, herbalist, gardener, chef and healer.  This role is not regarded as of any importance in modern society, but for one who is spiritually aware and who undertakes these tasks with great intent, she understands the spiritual force that is being wielded.  The preparing of food is not only a physical act, but a spiritual one.  If this is done in love it will bless the family;  if done in anger and ignorance, it will curse the family.  The motto ‘cleanliness next to godliness’ means much more than meets the eye.  When you keep your spiritual space, ie the home clean, you also keep your spirit and its physical space clean.

The physical life and its objects are manifestations and representations of the life and existence of the spirit.  Taking care of our physical life is a sacred task and when performed with intent and awareness we realise that the ordinary is indeed sacred.

Every Benedetta will have a home altar and a personal altar.  The Amulets of Mary Oracle set can be placed on your altar along with the Mysteries of Mary Tarot Deck.

With the Amulets of Mary blessing set you will receive guidelines for

creating an altar, using coloured candles, how to use the casting cloth,

the holy cards and more.

The novena prayers are an important part of the Benedicaria.  A novena is a prayer that is said for nine days consecutively.  It is said that the first Apostles prayed for nine days between Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.  The number 9 is a very powerful number in numerology (the science of numbers).  Usually a novena is accompanies by candles, rosaries and ritual such as sacred shrine making (see my blog http://pathofdivinelove.blogspot.com) for my art novenas to Our Lady of Lourdes.  The ancient novena prayers are used in conjunction with all of the above as well as an image of the Saint and those who you are praying for.

It is also practise to include the colour of the Saint or Holy One that you are asking for help.

The Amulets of Mary Blessing set consists of a blessed casting cloth, a set of 54 charms in a small bag, nestled in a tin;  a set of holy cards in a linen scapular bag;

an accompanying spiral bound guide book; a small statue for the altar and other options.

Each set is completely unique and one of a kind and cannot be replicated exactly as I use vintage charms, hand cast silver charms and vintage holy cards amongst others.

There are various sets available :  some are dedicated to a particular saint or saints; others to Mary and Her apparitions or a specific apparition, etc. 

You will find more information on the various available sets at The French Madonna on Etsy.com or on my blog.

The casting cloth has been blessed by touching it to the second and third holy relics of Mary’s sacred chemise and roses from St Terese’s sacred garden, as well as roses from the garden of St Francis and other holy relics.  It has also been sprinkled with holy water from Lourdes and Ngome.

On the casting cloth is a hand drawn diagram.  

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

Blessings

Hettienne

The French Madonna

www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna