Triumph of the Immaculate Heart

www.etsy.com/shop/thefrenchmadonna

You who radiate peace, dear Mary,

help us to break this obsession with war

and vanquish the culture of death.

Too many people have died, Blessed Mother,

and no amount of official explanations

and strategic manipulations

can possible justify such suffering.

At this very moment, all over the planet,

dozens of battles are raging,

like bursts of flame exploding

from different zones of a forest on fire.

Whether they take the form of the 

massive bloodshed of entire communities

or single acts of domestic violence,

your Mother-Heart will not tolerate such hatred.

You break yourself open

and offer us the only true antidote

to the poison of global strife:

universal love.

The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart

from

Mother of God

Similar to Fire

by

Mirabai Starr

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

Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Divine Mother the Rose
SoulCollage (R) Card by Hettienne

“She is the Queen of spiritual flowers; 

and therefore, is called the Rose,

 for the rose is called of all flowers the most beautiful.

 But, moreover, she is the Mystical or Hidden Rose,

 for mystical means hidden.”

- Cardinal Newman 1808-1890

A blessed 2015 to you. 

May your North Star shine brightly

on every step of your way!

A reminder of the novena for

Our Lady of Lourdes

that will be running from

Monday 2 February to Wednesday 11 February 2015.

I will put up Mr Linky and you are welcome

to join in even if it is only for one day.

So the novena will be starting on

Candlemas AND Bridgid's Feast Day!!!

AND .....

And this year it is going to be a very special

Art Novena. 

Mary Beben of the website

Biodynamic Spirituality

(http://www.biodynamicspirituality.com/posts/)

and the author of the book

The Pleidian House of Initiation

and myself

are doing a joint Novena!!

So you are promised a feast for Our Lady.

Blessings

Mornings with Mary

Our Lady of New Life by Hettienne G

Welcome to Mornings with Mary

Mornings with Mary

it is a celebration of all

things Mary

in her many forms and aspects

in the many cultures and tradition

of our world.

  

Whatever this means to YOU.

and in whatever way you want to celebrate

the Divine World, both profane and sacred,

in your belief, in your creativity,

your religion,

your understanding and

in your ideas and expression.

A place of sharing and growth!

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.

For the past ten weeks I shared ten teachings from

the Wisdom of Mary, a book by Gina Lake.

Today I am starting with extracts from a very

interesting book

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Her Life and Mission

by Corinne Heline.

The Madonna Flower Cycle

Each month the Virgin Mary bestows some special blessing

upon the children of men. Each month has a spiritual key 

flower corresponding to those special powers of the 

seasonal cycle. 

January is the month of they hyacinth, its colors and its

fragrance speak of better things to come and of

happier days to be.  January is the month of Capricorn which

speaks of new ideals and the fruition of every new and 

higher dream.

February is the month which commemorates the

purity of the Virgin.  

The snowdrop, emblem of virgin

chastity, is Her flower. 

 Quantities of its blossoms

are strewn at this season 

altars of prayer and worship.  

In March the White Lily blooms to celebrate the 

Festival of Annunciation.  The Marigold is also

dedicated to the Virgin Mother of Jesus at this

season, meaning that Mary's gold is now available

for anyone who wills to come and freely

partake of its bounty.

April claims the soft flowering of the Primrose,

the first rose of the year.  The rose is the most

sacred symbol of Mary and her purest sacred heart.

May is the month of the Madonna,

 the month of mothers.

May is enshrouded with that holy light 

of mother love

which lifts the heart to a

 divine realization only to that

of the Christ.  

Showers of blessings 

descend upon

the heart in the lovely month - 

blessings that

blossom in Roses,

 the beloved flower of the Madonna

and a reflection

 of the Mystic Rose which

blooms eternally in her heart

 for all the

mothers in the world.

I hope that you had a lovely Mother's day yesterday!

with love,

Hettienne

Let's hope that Mr Linky co-operates this week!!

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

Mary, Grace of the Miraculous Medal

Earlier this year I visited Paris and as, always, seeked out the sacred sites.

One such place is the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, 

tucked away, opposite

a huge departmental store, in a side street of Paris.

Catherine Laboure, a young nun at the 

Daughters of Charity Chapel in Paris

received a visitation from divine Mary, the first of many.

In more than one visitation she received the image 

and instruction about the miraculous medal. 

Mary made it clear that this medal can be worn by anyone 

and everyone, regardless of religion. 

The only requisite was faith in 'when you ask, you will receive'. 

The chapel is incredibly beautiful, and as soon as you enter you feel the incredible Presence. 

I started a new series of sacred shrines to the Divine Mother

and

Mary, Grace of the Miraculous Medal 

is the first one.

When Mary appeared to St Catherine Laboure in 1830, 

in the chapel in Paris, 

Her hands were covered in jewels. 

From some of the jewels, rays of light shown which she said were 

symbols of the graces that would be given to all who asked for them. 

The jewels that had no rays were symbols of unclaimed graces. 

An oval frame outlined the figure bearing in gold letters the words 

'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee'. 

This chapel is still used for worship in Paris and the most beautiful statue 

of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal was placed 

over the main altar in the chapel where Mary appeared. 

I was so inspired by the beauty of the artworks and the chapel itself : t

o mosaics, the statues, everything glittered 

and shone with gold and reflecting mosaics 

and rays of gold - 

and this is what I tried to capture in this small shrine to Her Grace.

I molded and sculptured a statue of Mary Our Lady of Grace

in clay by hand, as well as a Miraculous Medal.

I used gold leaf, gold paint and German glass glitter in

a mix of pale pink and gold 

to try and capture the feeling of the Light

in the Chapel.

I also added a silver Miraculous Medal which I bought at the

small shop at the Chapel in Paris.

I added bookbinding tape that had definitions of the words

'love', 'bliss' and 'daughter' on it.

I lined the entire shrine with vintage hymn paper.

When I visited this chapel I wrote about my wonderful experience, bathing in Mary's Love while sitting there. 

Soon the images seen by my eyes disappear and only a brilliant golden light is visible. The light has a silver rim to it and it is alive and palpable with wisdom and knowledge which cannot be translated into words. This is the Presence of Divine Mary. The light translates into my physical body and energetically there is deep movement in and through my body. Then my heart fills with a feeling that seems physical. Everything and everyone around me is bathed in this beautiful light and they all glow in love. The Light becomes stronger and more powerful and I see the intense Light at the centre of it all and also at the centre of each and every person. And the quality of this Light is Good and only Good - pure and beautiful and innocent! And it does not matter what happens on the exterior : nothing can corrupt or diminish that Light which is you and me. 

Blessings

Jai Mata Di Jai Durga Maa

Prem Se Bolo Jai Mata Di!

This is a salutation and prayer to Durga Maa.

Durga Maa is a Hindu deity known for her courage and strength.

She rides a tiger or a lion and she assists one on the inner levels

in slaying the demons of the mind.

She is the fierce aspect of Shakty, the Divine Feminine.

I made this mala in the same pattern as the Rosary of the Holy Mother.

She is one and the same, by whatever name you call Her.

I used freshwater pearls in four different shades of white, pale pink, bronze and cream, interspaced

with swarovski crystals and

 beautiful bronze rose beads and a glass heart foil in the centre.

The pendant I bought from one of the traders outside the temple at

Haridwar, India and it is stamped with the OHM on the back.

Here is a beautiful mantra to Durga Maa

to use with the rosary

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Maa rupena samsthita 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Shakti rupena samsthita 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Buddhi rupena samsthita 

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Laxmi rupena samsthita 

Namestasyai II Namestasyai II Namestasyai 

Namo Namah 

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of universal mother

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of energy

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of intellegence

To the Divine Goddess who resides in all existence in the form of true wealth

We bow to her, we bow to her, continually we bow to her

blessings

Drinking from the Waters that truly quench thirst ..... From Paris

I am writing to you from Paris. It is still early and quiet - the sun has been up for a while and is shining softly on the very Parisienne facade of the building across from me. What a busy city and probably not the best time to visit as it is peak season. I have spent a week in London with my teenage daughter who absolutely loved the shopping and the vibe and the crowds. I have been looking forward to the Paris leg of our trip as when I was here the previous time (pregnant with my now travel companion) I could not do many of the places I intended to this time. I love to travel and each time is different. This trip I often contemplated on the material world and people's obsession with the physical and physical appearance. I mused about the necessity of a spiritual path, be it religion or a more free way of embracing the idea that the Divine is in everything. And as the Divine is in everything, then those who lead a life focused only on the material is not separated from the Divine in any way. These were merely gentle musings on my part as I do know that it hinges on consciousness and one's awareness, but I am always very interested in others' ways of experiencing life and the profane. Yesterday we visited the Sacre Couer in Montmartre along with hundreds of tourists. The beautiful and sacred atmosphere of the church was virtually non-existent with tourists disobeying the instructions not to take photographs, children touching everything, you get the picture. However, my daughter and I was determined to immerse ourselves in the energies and we were not disappointed. We both felt the light humming in our hands and arms as we approached the beautiful golden statue of Mother and Child. It felt like a door opened in my chest and throat and a million birds flew out, suffusing myself with the Love that includes everyone and everything. Next we entered the Virgin chapel. The walls were covered in images of the sacred woman in Her different roles and aspects. The compassionate and nurturing energy was intense and palpable. The air here was cool and soothing and it felt like an expanse of space. We stayed as long as we could. The earth has chakras or energy centers that has higher vibrational energy than other spaces. We are aware of the restorative power of water and the ancients knew about wells. Mares is Latin for oceans of water and Marie is the French derivative and Mary of course the english. Ma mere means my mother and la mer means the sea. I have walked the Mary and Michael leylines over two continents and the Mary line follows the rivers and the sacred points are always at a well. We can survive without food but we cannot survive without water. The Divine as our sacred mother is the ability to nurture and nourish ourselves on all levels, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Our Divine Mother is here, present with us, in our physicality (70% of our body is water, a small ocean by itself). She is in our cells, hearing every thought, every word, witnessing every act of self-care and self-acceptance. In Hindu Tantra the divine mother is known as Shakty, the active force and power of Shiva, (the male god) in this world. Mary, the blessed Mother, is the active nurturing and creative principle of God, the heavenly Father, in this world. Everywhere in Paris she is depicted with a child on her hip - such a typical stance of a mother. She is holding her divine Son, He whom She has given birth to; the mother of a new life. In the same way we daily and even hourly, give birth to a new life We create through every thought, with our attitude and through actions. Every thought resonates and vibrates in the waters of your body and sponsors an entire creation. As we repeat Her name in Love, She responds. Ave Maria Yesterday we visited the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal. What an incredible and wonderful experience! I will share with you as soon as I have found the right plug adaptor today. I will also try my best to figure out how to upload pictures from my iPad that I have with me. Till tomorrow Blessings Hettienne

Postcard from Paradise

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

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

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