When I fell gravely ill, in 2013, roses and Mary became huge in my life. I have two female deities in my garden- Avalokiteshvara and Mary - Quan Yin is at the south side of the garden, surrounded by a Japanese maple, a weeping spruce, hosta, and water. Mary is at the north side with periwinkle, peony, serviceberry, buddleia, and a climbing rose. When I work part-time at a local greenhouse, they call me “Debbie-Rose” My great grandmother’s name was “May Rose”St. Therese of Lisieux is a saint who I love, and she is always with a rose, too. I’ve read that roses have the highest emitted frequency in the flower world... 🙏 🌹
Remarkably, I spent time today considering new plants for my very challenging front landscape beds and lingered over Rosa rugosa. I have no patience for the more finicky rose cultivars, and don't really have enough sun to support any rose. But, it was fun to dream.
Loved this most: "When you come across something, a phrase, a picture, a poem, that instantly feels important, don't simply let it go and move on. Instead, notice, linger, and do something with it. These are often gifts that are sprinkled in your path." Thanks, Jan.
I love that concept, Jan. Perhaps it is both...institutions traditionally run by men are also driven to control the narrative of the feminine as it can be nebulous, overwhelming, and scary. It is easier to leave it fragmented and hidden. The scavenger hunt of discovering the feminine in all of the fragmented symbols and stories is very enlivening and enriching though, isn't it?!
I draw lots of roses and tattoos too. Thank you for this expanded and in-depth meaning. I always felt a deep affinity with rose drawings. Thank you for opening doors. I'm inspired by this. ❤️
Roses certainly are an archetypal symbol. They are a flower with a deep, long and mystical history of meaning. How beautiful that you have always sensed this about them and expressed that through your drawings.
I have also been seeking Mary. I’ve been feeling very drawn to her. This reminded me of the soul collage that I made using a found image of Mary. I surrounded her image with ( die cut )roses from the 1940’s, Germany, that I found in a local antique shop. I had been saving them for what? It felt like I needed to use these around her image. Now I understand why. I call her Lady of the Roses. I don’t have a Catholic upbringing so I’m only vaguely familiar with the Holy Mother but I feel her quiet, gentle presence in my life.
I am always curious about this connection with roses, a flower that likely has more meaning and symbolism attached to it than any other. I sense it may be a hint to the complex nature of Mary.
Growing up in a largely Catholic town with Catholic and Protestant Grandparents, I had never really connected with the energy of Mother Mary. If you google, "Our Lady of the Rockies" you will see that we even have a giant steel statue of her perched on the ridge overlooking my hometown, Butte, Montana. In 2019 I traveled to southern France with a small group of artists whose medium was "SoulCollage®". Our express purpose was to follow the path of Mary Magdalene and the Black Madonna. This journey helped me to connect with three aspects of the Mary energy-not just the Virgin. I would propose that the Black Madonna brings in some of the Kali energy. That trip changed my connection to the stories, myths, and energies of this powerful trinity of the Feminine-Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the Black Madonna.
Hi Tamara, the mysteries deepen in many ways when we invite contact with the Black Madonna, who is possible Mary Magdalene, and may be yet another facet of the feminine that comes to us in so many ways. I used to think that the feminine mysteries were fragmented and scattered because of patriarchy, but lately I've been considering the idea that the feminine mysteries are faceted, and kept in small hidden stories and secret symbols because that is intrinsic to the feminine way of being. "She" must be known little by little, and found here and there because mystery is at her core and should we encounter her all at once we would not survive it!
When I fell gravely ill, in 2013, roses and Mary became huge in my life. I have two female deities in my garden- Avalokiteshvara and Mary - Quan Yin is at the south side of the garden, surrounded by a Japanese maple, a weeping spruce, hosta, and water. Mary is at the north side with periwinkle, peony, serviceberry, buddleia, and a climbing rose. When I work part-time at a local greenhouse, they call me “Debbie-Rose” My great grandmother’s name was “May Rose”St. Therese of Lisieux is a saint who I love, and she is always with a rose, too. I’ve read that roses have the highest emitted frequency in the flower world... 🙏 🌹
Remarkably, I spent time today considering new plants for my very challenging front landscape beds and lingered over Rosa rugosa. I have no patience for the more finicky rose cultivars, and don't really have enough sun to support any rose. But, it was fun to dream.
Loved this most: "When you come across something, a phrase, a picture, a poem, that instantly feels important, don't simply let it go and move on. Instead, notice, linger, and do something with it. These are often gifts that are sprinkled in your path." Thanks, Jan.
I love that concept, Jan. Perhaps it is both...institutions traditionally run by men are also driven to control the narrative of the feminine as it can be nebulous, overwhelming, and scary. It is easier to leave it fragmented and hidden. The scavenger hunt of discovering the feminine in all of the fragmented symbols and stories is very enlivening and enriching though, isn't it?!
Thank you for this insight!
I draw lots of roses and tattoos too. Thank you for this expanded and in-depth meaning. I always felt a deep affinity with rose drawings. Thank you for opening doors. I'm inspired by this. ❤️
Roses certainly are an archetypal symbol. They are a flower with a deep, long and mystical history of meaning. How beautiful that you have always sensed this about them and expressed that through your drawings.
I have also been seeking Mary. I’ve been feeling very drawn to her. This reminded me of the soul collage that I made using a found image of Mary. I surrounded her image with ( die cut )roses from the 1940’s, Germany, that I found in a local antique shop. I had been saving them for what? It felt like I needed to use these around her image. Now I understand why. I call her Lady of the Roses. I don’t have a Catholic upbringing so I’m only vaguely familiar with the Holy Mother but I feel her quiet, gentle presence in my life.
I am always curious about this connection with roses, a flower that likely has more meaning and symbolism attached to it than any other. I sense it may be a hint to the complex nature of Mary.
Growing up in a largely Catholic town with Catholic and Protestant Grandparents, I had never really connected with the energy of Mother Mary. If you google, "Our Lady of the Rockies" you will see that we even have a giant steel statue of her perched on the ridge overlooking my hometown, Butte, Montana. In 2019 I traveled to southern France with a small group of artists whose medium was "SoulCollage®". Our express purpose was to follow the path of Mary Magdalene and the Black Madonna. This journey helped me to connect with three aspects of the Mary energy-not just the Virgin. I would propose that the Black Madonna brings in some of the Kali energy. That trip changed my connection to the stories, myths, and energies of this powerful trinity of the Feminine-Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the Black Madonna.
I just had to say hello! Do you remember me? We took Téryl Lundquist’s Yoga Journey’s certification class together 💜
Hi Tamara, the mysteries deepen in many ways when we invite contact with the Black Madonna, who is possible Mary Magdalene, and may be yet another facet of the feminine that comes to us in so many ways. I used to think that the feminine mysteries were fragmented and scattered because of patriarchy, but lately I've been considering the idea that the feminine mysteries are faceted, and kept in small hidden stories and secret symbols because that is intrinsic to the feminine way of being. "She" must be known little by little, and found here and there because mystery is at her core and should we encounter her all at once we would not survive it!