Sacred Altars

Our Lady Untier of Knots
IX Roses

An Ancient Sacred Tradition

I follow an ancient sacred tradition that used to belong to the Great Mother and her devotees.  This tradition was incorporated into religion by the nuns and convents. I call it Sacred Altars and it is my offering on the Altar of Life. Thirteen years ago I changed my focus from being a spiritual healer to becoming a pilgrim to sacred places on the Earth and especially to where the Divine has

manifested through the veil to reach us and where Mary have appeared to others.

My Sacred Altars has various levels to the work.  I return from my pilgrimages with waters from the holy springs and rivers; oil and salts sanctified by the Presence of the energies at these sacred places.

And I bring back my own direct experiences and my own transformation.  These are some of the elements of altars and shrines which I make in devotion to the Great One appearing as the Divine Feminine Mary.

These altars and shrines have great healing ability and this has been proved through the transformation of those who meditate with them.

The wearable shrines and altars are to be worn as an altar. Each piece is unique and individual and an original creation carrying some part of the sacred site and the divine Presence.

These items carry great spiritual and healing power and many healings and even miracles have been attributed to them. Through these altered assemblages and altars,

I set out to demonstrate my vision that every loving and joyful act of living

is a sacred altar to the Divine. We are forged and fired in the crucible of the heart

and art gives life and meaning to our stories.

As a visionary artist, I attempt to show how the sensible, material realms and the imaginal realms work together to show forth the glory of the Divine hidden in the ordinariness of everyday living.

I create from the eye of the heart, rather than the eye of the mind and hope to illuminate and show the underlying image and Divine Presence in the vignette of our personal stories.

The child within me is still fascinated with miniatures and their reflection of the vastness and eternity of life and living. As an artist I regard myself as an artisan and midwife of the Divine becoming, moving between two worlds and hoping to reveal that the inner life is a sacred life and the outer ordinary life is filled with messages and confirmations of the Great Story of Divine Love within each and every human being. I focus on images and stories of The Western Christian traditions and Mysteries.

'Art to me is a Grace, a healing and transformation. It brings transformation to the artist and to all those who behold the expression through the artwork'.

blessings on your journey

Hettienne

Rosa Mistica

Smaller statue at sacred spring
Rosa Mistica, Fontanelle, Montechiari, Italy

I recently visited Italy and on my list of places that I really wanted to visit

was the Rosa Mistica in Montechiari.

For me these sacred places of manifestation of the Divine Feminine

has such power and meaning and it is a reminder that Heaven and

Earth are not two separate places but that humanity has such inner

power which seldom manifests.

The Rosa Mistica is regarded as a cult by the Church which

has appropriated all the manifestations of Mary, the

embodiment of the Divine Feminine for our age and culture

As such it is not well advertised and very little information is

available other than their many attempts to become recognized

by the Roman Catholic Church.  It took us two days to find the shrine.

We stayed the night in the nearby Brescia - luckily! as our first

attempts were unsuccessful.  We had a GPS and a map and

directions but still could not find the place.  It was like

an elusive castle in a fairy tale!

The second day we had a 'plan' and we found it and we

were not disappointed.  It is in the middle of quiet fields

next to the river and there were hardly anyone else visiting.

The running water from the spring

The spring is open here, as opposed to the closed up spring

at Lourdes and I could drink directly from the water and

wash my hands and face.  There is also an open foot bath

and I could immerse my feet and legs in the freezing water.

The main statue in the chapel

The statue that gets taken out in the procession is locked up in a tiny

building and she is only visible through the glass doors.  Once a day

a healing procession and rosary takes place when she is taken out.

The walls are covered with plaques of those who received healings

at this shrine.  Outside are beautiful gardens and prayer spots.  It was

a beautiful crisp and clear day when we visited and we spent

about an hour sitting in the garden.  I then went back to collect water

and then only noticed the large statues of saints.  I stopped in front of

Padre Pio with whom I have had a close relationship all my life.

You can read more about this under the heading of  Sacred Journeys.

I lit a candle and had water from the sacred spring in my hand and

an intense fragrance of fresh roses spilled over me.  It took my breath away

it was so intense and despite having had this experience many times

I still looked around to see if anyone had arrived with bunches and bunches

of red roses!!! but of course there was no-one else!

Only the presence of Padre Pio and he always makes himself

known with the fragrance of roses.

I have smelled the fragrance of roses at other sacred sites such

as the shrine of Padre Pio in San Giovanni, the convent and gardens

of St Terese in Lisieux and at Lourdes.

Our divine mother embraces us with such compassion

and deep love and as mother to our own inner child

our healing lies in having acceptance, compassion and deep love

for our own inner wounded one and those of people that crosses

our path on our journey.

Her Presence is palpable and Real and these manifestations

show us how thin the veil is and that our heart and mind

has the power to cross it and to bask in the love of yourself.

with the fragrance of roses still lingering in my mind

blessings

Hettienne

The Grotto of Massabielle in a miniature diorama

A sacred shrine in a diorama depicting the

amazing experience of being in the powerful

and healing energies of the sacred spring

at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France.

All the elements of the procession and devotion

to the Holy Woman, Our Lady of Lourdes,

whom appeared to Bernadette Soubirous

on many occasions, are used in this beautiful shrine.

I included one of the candles that I used during

my last pilgrimage to Lourdes during the candle lit procession

The background of the shrine is the front of the candle shield

The shrine has a replica of the image of the holy card

in tiny miniatures including Bernadette and her sheep

The shrine is dripping with Our Lady of Lourdes medals

brought back after having been dipped into the sacred

waters of the spring.

A very unusual piece of rosary with tiny images

of Our Lady and the Rose of Lourdes on each bead,

hangs down the one side.

On the back of the shrine is the Hail Mary

from the candle shield

I took this image from the internet at www.biblesetnombres.free.fr

It was taken from the top of the Basilica and it gives you an idea

of what the candle lit procession looks like.

This shrine forms part of my Our Lady of Lourdes Series

Catalogue number 385

The Grotto of Massabielle, Lourdes

Please read about my Art Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

and my annual pilgrimage to sacred places

And it is flying to the USA with

a bottle of water from the sacred spring

of Massabielle

My prayers are with the world, with the cities of Paris and Beirut,

with each one of us and may we find the compassion to forgive

these painful acts of violence and destruction and take the

first step towards ending the vicious cycle of hate and retaliation.

Love is the strongest and most powerful force in the world.

May Love Prevail

blessings

Hettienne

Nectar of the Heart

Last night as I was sleeping,

I dreamt — marvelous error! –

that I had a beehive

here inside my heart.

And the golden bees

were making white combs

and sweet honey

from my old failures.”

~ From “Last Night As I Was Sleeping,” by Antonio Machado

The bee has since ancient times been a symbol

of the goddess, the divine feminine, the Great Mother,

a symbol of Wisdom, and even the church.

In ancient times, the bees were regarded as sacred

and they were seen as travellers between the natural

world and the underworld.

Through a process of alchemy, bees

create honey, in ancient times,

regarded as the nectar of the gods.

The term milk and honey were used to describe

abundance and eden-like qualities to our lives.

The bees’ survival depends upon a queen and their unquestioning obedience 
and loyalty to her, which reminds 
us of our dependence on Our Lady, Queen of the Heart 

The beehive is a symbol for the heart :
the sacred inner temple where transformation
takes place and from which forgiveness and
compassion flows.

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