BY PEGI EYERS
Fatima, Honduras (photo R. Hood) “Mary is an archetype that swims in the pool of the collective unconscious that Carl Jung wrote about, a part of the common symbolic inheritance of all humanity. Perhaps everyone has an image of Mary in the back of their minds, an image, like matter, that can be neither created nor destroyed. “
Our Lady of the Lost & Found - Diane Schoemperlen
I was not raised in the Catholic faith, but I've always felt drawn to the rich heritage of Our Lady in mythology, imagery and worship. The writings I have explored on Mary and the Madonna in historical, testimonial and inspirational texts are sacred texts indeed. Volumes filled with detailed narratives on Marian miracles, both witnessed and received, are evidence of the glorious manifestation of the Divine Feminine, and have inspired and informed my spiritual practice and art-making path (which are one and the same). My artwork acknowledges her as a living presence and power, and pays tribute to a beautiful embodiment of Holiness.
St. Joseph's Peterborough (photo D. Cox) Mary’s Dream
Winged women was saying
“full of grace” and like.
was light beyond sun and words
of a name and a blessing.
winged women to only i.
i joined them, whispering
yes.
- Lucille Clifton
My diverse encounters with both Mary and Guadalupe in praise, prayer and evocation continue to amaze – on a long road trip across America Guadalupe guided and protected me, and warned me of grave danger. She has been with me in various hospitals, attending both the passing of my beloved father with divine love and comfort, and guiding my spirit through long hours of tedium and terror during surgery and a healing crisis. Quirky or magnificent roadside shrines to Her Grace are always a pleasant surprise, and serve as a reminder of the universality of the power and blessings of the Divine Feminine. Her icons and art appear at strange and needful moments, her symbols delight, her light shines across every corner of the globe, and arcs forth from my humble Goddess altar.
I believe that the Virgin Mary, Fátima, Guadalupe and other Madonna icons are symbols of reconciliation, uniting Christian imagery with that of older matriarchal faiths. The Great Mother and the Creatrix-Goddess are always with us, in physical forms that change from era to era. In these times, when the planet is under environmental threat, they are potent symbols of the Earth Goddess, whom we must honour and revere if our species is to survive.
I believe that the Virgin Mary, Fátima, Guadalupe and other Madonna icons are symbols of reconciliation, uniting Christian imagery with that of older matriarchal faiths. The Great Mother and the Creatrix-Goddess are always with us, in physical forms that change from era to era. In these times, when the planet is under environmental threat, they are potent symbols of the Earth Goddess, whom we must honour and revere if our species is to survive.
"Our Lady of Fatima" mixed media by Pegi Eyers
I created this mixed-media image of Our Lady of Fátima, in response to the wondrous story of Mary appearing to three children at Fátima, Portugal in 1917. One of the children described seeing a woman "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal ball filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun." The reported apparitions and prophecies at Fátima have been officially declared "worthy of belief" by the Catholic Church.
The final appearance of Mary at Fátima became known as the "Miracle of the Sun." A crowd believed to number 70,000, including newspaper reporters and photographers, gathered in the rain, which finally stopped as a thin layer of clouds cloaked the silver disc of the sun. One of the children called to the crowd to look at the sun. Observers later spoke of the sun appearing to change color and rotate like a wheel. Not everyone saw the same thing, and witnesses gave widely varying descriptions of the "sun's dance."
With collage, ink, paint and butterfly wings, I have tried to convey the events of that day and the luminescence of Our Lady.
O Queen of Eternal Glory,
O Serene like the Moon,
O Resplendent like the Sun,
O Mother of the Golden Heights!
from LITANY TO OUR LADY (Latin translation, Irish, 8th century)
The final appearance of Mary at Fátima became known as the "Miracle of the Sun." A crowd believed to number 70,000, including newspaper reporters and photographers, gathered in the rain, which finally stopped as a thin layer of clouds cloaked the silver disc of the sun. One of the children called to the crowd to look at the sun. Observers later spoke of the sun appearing to change color and rotate like a wheel. Not everyone saw the same thing, and witnesses gave widely varying descriptions of the "sun's dance."
With collage, ink, paint and butterfly wings, I have tried to convey the events of that day and the luminescence of Our Lady.
O Queen of Eternal Glory,
O Serene like the Moon,
O Resplendent like the Sun,
O Mother of the Golden Heights!
from LITANY TO OUR LADY (Latin translation, Irish, 8th century)
 | Pegi Eyers is the author of "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," a new book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, healing our relationships with Turtle Island First Nations, decolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community. Amazon.com Stone Circle Press |
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