#Marian spirituality

[psalmlover]

baby mary icon <33

[blackbrownfamily]

Negro Spirituals

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Marian Anderson - My Lord, What A Morning - Avon - 1964

[seekingtheosis]

Mother Mary in the Oriental Orthodox Tradition: Her Spiritual Motherhood and Intercession

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus All of us have been observing the 15-day Lent in commemoration of the Dormition (Assumption) of Mother Mary and we have now come almost to an end to the Lent, and we are all preparing to celebrate the Feast. During these days, we have been contemplating on the various titles that have been used to describe Mother Mary in our liturgical hymns and…

[wordsthatmattered]

3.20.2023

Happy first day of spring, everyone!

I'm reading They by Marian S. Bush. Of course, my copy is an arts-and-crafts version that I cut up and taped into a journal, but hey a book is a book.

Marian S. Bush has been on my mind for a few years now. The idea that spirits from the other side could paint scenes of the future by using someone living as a conduit is fascinating. No matter what you believe, it's at least an interesting read.

[wakingeve]

When will the End Come?

So much of life remains with little meaning without first seeing what was and what is and what is to come. Today’s Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) comes from 1 Kings 21:10-16 in juxtaposition to Matthew 5:38-42, with further study into the rest of a Kings 21 and 22. It still fascinates me how the answers still lie hidden between the pages and written with the stars. Some say he is Elijah. Wrong.…

[00waywardalma00]

How beautiful!

Que hermoso!

Mother Nature. 🌿

[arielkroon]

Throwback to an old post on my blog about the concept of the Dark Night of the Soul

[frenk-93]

SOLENNITÀ DELL' IMMACOLATA CONCEZIONE DI MARIA

[onefleshonepod]

ID: A digital collage of "The High Priestess” tarot card as the Body from the Locked Tomb series. The card depicts the Body as a ghostly figure with both arms raised, dressed in a diaphanous blue-white robe, standing on a large crescent. In her left hand is a sword. In her right hand is a scroll. She is crowned with the headdress of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, a red sun disc with cow horns. At the top is another representation of the Body reaching out of a river, from Mermaids by Arthur Rackham. In the background is the Bird and Pomegranate pattern by William Morris. Behind that, providing the abstract landscape, is Avignon by Ralph Hotere, an influential Māori artist. The image of the Body is from Allegory with a Woman by Luděk Marold. The left side of the card shows the upright meaning of The High Priestess and reads, “Inner Voice | Unconscious | Intuition | Mystery | Spiritual Insight in all caps. The right side of the card shows the reversed reading and reads “Repressed Feelings | Secrets | Hidden Motives | Cognitive Dissonance” in all caps. The base of the card reads "The High Priestess | The Body” in a retro 1970s-style font.

My goal with these tarot cards was to choose characters who embody the meanings of the cards when you think of them, to make the cards intuitive to grasp for Locked Tomb fans who might not be very familiar with tarot. Discussion below:

The Body haunting Harrow is quite literally an inner voice and a representation of Harrow’s subconscious. She’s the perfect figure for the High Priestess card. It’s hard to represent spiritual insight better than with. well. um. a spirit who is a religious figure who also provides insights. The nature of the Body is also one of the central mysteries of Harrow the Ninth.

Regarding the reversed meanings, the Body is also emblematic of Harrow’s secret which is hidden even from herself. My personal interpretation (along with many others') is that Harrow sublimated her forgotten and repressed feelings for Gideon onto the Body throughout Harrow the Ninth.

With my visual interpretation of this card, I tried to preserve or nod to some elements of the Rider-Waite-Smith High Priestess card. As a disclaimer, the hodge-podge orientalist imagery of the RWS deck is a shameful product of its time, but the illustrations are iconic and well known, so I wanted to acknowledge them. I also wanted to use images which evoked the dark wet ghost imagery of pre-Nona art and fanon of the Body.

The RWS High Priestess, and mine, presides over two pillars, representing the balance between them. The RWS pillars can be seen as multiple different dualities (such as good and evil), but are often called are the Pillar of Establishment and the Pillar of Strength. I interpreted the left side (with the scroll) as Harrow’s path of completing the process of Lyctorhood and becoming a fully functional tool of the empire. The right side, where the Body is holding a sword, represents Wake, Gideon, and the path of heresy. Just as the High Priestess’ role is to mediate between the two extremes, the Body’s role seems to be to help Harrow on her own chosen path.

The crescent moon at the Body’s feet, in the same place as in the RWS card, is seen also in many depictions of the Virgin Mary. This is meaningful because (as has been more thoroughly discussed elsewhere) the Ninth House’s worship of the Body and the way this is viewed as heretical and idolatrous by the other Houses can be seen as a parallel to Catholics’ veneration of Mary. I tried to continue the Marian imagery from the RWS card with a subtle blue tint to the figure’s robes.

The pomegranates in the background, also a detail preserved from the RWS card, are a symbol of — well, what aren’t they a symbol of. Many things that resonate in the Locked Tomb series. Death, eternal life, Hell, being torn between two realities… I used the William Morris pomegranates because I love his prints.

Finally, the RWS High Priestess wears the headdress of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, which I kept specifically because the cow horns are perfect: the Body being the Earth and wearing the symbol of John’s first transgression against the Earth while also trying to save it. Hathor’s domain was to help souls transition to the afterlife, and she was often depicted as a cow.

[angeltreasure]

Catholicism Masterlist

NOTE:::: Items highlighted in red are my favorites for learning Catholicism.

Books for Learning Catholicism:

The Word on Fire Bible

Catechism of the Catholic Church second edition (pdf here)

Catholic Faith Handbook For Youth by Brian Singer-Towns and other contributors (pdf here)

Books About Prayer:

The Liturgy of the Hours by Word on Fire

The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort

The Rosary for the Holy Souls in Purgatory by Susan Tassone

10 Wonders of the Rosary by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC

The Memorare Moment by Rev. Francis Joseph Hoffman

Blessed Sacrament Prayer Book edited by Bart Tesoriero

Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on Holy Mass by Pope Benedict XVI

Meet the Witnesses of the Miracle of the Sun by John M. Haffert

Our Father: Spiritual Reflections by Pope Francis

The Prayers & Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica, introduced & edited by Raymond Arroyo

Books About Saints:

Lives of the Saints: For Everyday in the Year by Fr. Alban Butler

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Send Me Your Guardian Angel by Fr. Alessio Parente

Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco: From Saint John Bosco's Biographical Memoirs by St. John Bosco

Saint Charbel by Paul Daher

Mornings With St. Thérèse by St. Thérèse Editor: Patricia Treece 

The Secret of Mary by St. Louis de Montfort

The Confession of St. Patrick by St. Patrick

Saint Rafqa the Lebanese Nun (1832-1914) Teacher of the Generations and Patron Saint of the Suffers Father Elias Hanna (L.M.O.)

Rediscover the Saints by Matthew Kelly

Other Books:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn

Our Grounds for Hope by Archbishop Fulton Sheen

How to Share Your Faith by Bishop Robert Barron

How to Discern God’s Will for Your Life by Bishop Robert Barron

An Exorcist Tells His Story by Gabriele Amorth

This Is My Body by Bishop Robert Barron

Apps:

EWTN

Relevant Radio

Formed

iBreviary

CatholicTV

Mass Times for Travel

Websites:

EWTN

Relevant Radio

The Divine Mercy

Word on Fire

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Some social media:

Bishop Robert Barron

Divine Mercy

Breaking in the Habit

Sensus Fidelium

EWTN

Sacred Music:

Harpa Dei

Floriani

Groups:

The Association of Marian Helpers

Rosary Confraternity

Brown Scapular

Adoration Sodality of the Most Blessed Sacrament

What really happens at a Catholic Mass, short film

— —- —— — —- —— — —- —— — —- ——

This is by no means a complete list because I keep reading more books and finding new resources as a pilgrim in this life. Maybe you’ll find something here to help you grow in faith. May God bless you abundantly.

[psalmlover]

our lady of zeitoun

our lady of zeitoun is a marian apparition that appeared on april 2, 1968 at saint mary’s coptic church in cairo, egypt

the apparition would appear for a couple minutes at a time, sometimes on multiple days of the week before the last sighting in 1971

[ohwormwood]

✧ welcome, traveller. what is it you seek? ✧

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art tag: #oh wormwood

COMMISSIONS STATUS: OPEN (3 SLOTS)

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hello! this is artemisia speaking (artemis or ari for short)! nice to meet you!

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current fandoms: in stars and time, witch hat atelier, the legend of zelda, dungeon meshi

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✧ here are the basics... ✧

artemisia ✧ artemis ✧ ari

she/her/they/them ✧ nonbinary ✧ demisexual/sapphic

20 ✧ libra ✧ INFJ-T ✧ adhd

arts major ✧ illustration certificate ✧ gender/sexuality studies minor

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here is some stuff about me and what i do!

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✧ inside my brain... ✧

✧ my special interests lie in crows/corvids/birds, symbology, spirituality/religion, creative writing, worldbuilding, and gender/sexuality studies ✧ i dabble in a lot of art mediums, but mainly specialize in illustration, digital art, watercolor, printmaking, and writing ✧ when i'm not drawing i play rpgs, write stories, kick ass at boxing, listen to music, garden, or research random topics of interest ✧ i have a pet leopard gecko, her name is circe and i love her very much

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✧ about my art...✧

i primarily work in digital illustration and sketches, but I like to do larger pieces with watercolor, ink, acrylics, or linocut printing.

i post a lot of fanart currently, but my primary goal is to eventually make the majority of my content about my original characters/stories/worldbuilding and life experiences.

i take a lot of my stylistic inspiration from the golden age of illustration, art nouveau, vintage storybook illustration, tattoo art, contemporary comic styles, woodblock printing, botanical/zoological illustrations, and abrahamic/biblical iconography.

most of my work outside of my fanart includes imagery derived from nature, birds (specifically crows), spiritualism, religious iconography, and fantasy.

my favorite thing to draw are birds and celestial beings!

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✧ current interests...✧

✧ current fandoms: In Stars and Time, The Legend of Zelda, Witch Hat Atelier, Dungeon Meshi ✧ currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ✧ currently listening to: Winter by Yabadum, Blurt by Mega Mango, FIRE4FUN by Jhariah ✧ favorite food: mangos... ✧ favorite drink: strawberry-mango tea with mango popping boba, mango chunks, and lychee ✧ favorite season: autumn ✧ favorite plant: wormwood (duh) ✧ favorite color: olive green ✧ favorite animal: crows

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✧ top 3's...✧

✧ top 3 games: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Deltarune, Little Nightmares ✧ top 3 music artists: The Crane Wives, Mother Mother, Eve ✧ top 3 visual artists: Lauren Marx, Marian Wawrzeniecki, monsterSOVKA ✧ top 3 comics/graphic novels: Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden, Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama, Nimona by N.D. Stevenson ✧ top 3 books: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand ✧ top 3 movies: Kiki’s Delivery Service, Nope, Romeo + Juliet (1996)

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thanks for reading! i usually post at least once a week, on thursdays, so keep an eye out for more content in the future!

[nightbunnysong]

do you have a creed?

I am a Christian Catholic, and my faith is a central part of my life. In Italy, and particularly in Friuli, Catholicism has deep roots and is closely intertwined with local traditions and a strong devotion to the figure of Mary. Marian devotion, especially in rural areas like my valleys, plays a significant role in shaping the spiritual life of the community. The Virgin Mary is seen not only as a motherly protector but also as a symbol of humility, compassion, and faith, guiding individuals through life’s trials.

In Friuli, faith often blends with the natural environment and ancient folklore. Figures like the sbilfs or spirits of nature, commonly found in local myths, are seen not in opposition to the Christian worldview but as part of God's creation. These entities, representing the forces of nature, fit into a broader understanding of the world as a harmonious expression of divine will. Even in folklore, there's a sense that all life, visible or unseen, contributes to the tapestry of creation. <3

[drconstellation]

Uriel's Star Ring

Thank you @fuckyeahgoodomens for sharing the image

Getting the high-res image of Uriel and their ring today was an unexpected gift! It's not that I haven't done any work on them before now - I have, you just haven't seen it yet, because I needed a bit of a "key" to unlock it and the ring was always a major element of that. Because they are one of the archangels they do have a role and purpose, it just hasn't been made all that clear yet, and I don't think we've seen the best of them yet, either.

Uriel's name means "the light of God" and they are included as part of the main four archangels as they are considered needed to balance out the fourth compass point, the North. Their colour is yellow, and they carry a scroll signifying wisdom.

Up until now that was how I was considering Uriel, as playing a balancing role to hold Michael back. But now it looks like Uriel might have a bigger role in the future. I hope so.

Anyway, here's the ring:

It's a star! - a Marian Star, which is one of the symbols of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Its a modified star of David, used to highlight Mary's role in as a helper in bringing humans towards salvation - that is, the restitution of the original harmony between God and humanity brought about by incarnation and redemption (Second Coming, any one?)

Stars are symbolic of faith, hope and inspiration (and yes, I am including some Tarot symbolism here.) They are a guiding light in the dark just before the dawn, they aid the navigators to cross the seas and one guided the Wise Men to Bethlehem. Without that starlight giving us a sense of purpose it can be hard to continue on in challenging times.

In the Tarot, there is a dark side the The Star: Ideals and expectations can be too high, abandonment, arrogance, haughtiness, theft, loss. The GO Uriel does tend to maintain a rather cold, distant and haughty demeanor.

The card for The Star in the classic Rider-Waite deck, Number 17, is perhaps an interesting one to include for discussion here.

In the back right of the card is the Tree of Life, the companion to the Tree of Knowledge, from where the apple was taken. Eating from this tree is said to give you immortality, and this is what Aziraphale as Guardian of the Eastern Gate was really supposed to be protecting humans from getting back into the Garden to. The bird sitting on it is an ibis, a bird connected with immortality in Egypt. The nudity of the maiden represent truth unveiled, and she is young to represent a new start and renewal, because the card before this one is the Tower.

You've already seen the Tower card in S2 - it was in the Job minisode, when lightning struck Job's house to start the destruction. The Tower is card that signifies great change, often in a sudden and catastrophic way, and the breaking down of the structures that once supported and protected us, so we can move on. (Sound familiar?) So, I'm wondering, perhaps Uriel will have some surprise role in helping to reshape the order of things in S3?

There are twenty cards in the Major Arcana of the Tarot and they can be looked as a spiritual journey of sorts, starting with The Fool then working through to the World. Now I've seen Uriel's star ring, and knowing how many other Tarot connections there are, perhaps we need to look at that as well - I know there are other Tarot experts out there who are probably better readers than me!

[incomingalbatross]

Top 5 tropes, top 5 dog breeds, top 5 saints

Ooh, good questions! Thank you for the ask :)

tropes:

Happy endings emerging from the jaws of despair; eucatastrophe

When you have two guys who are friends but they like pretending to hate each other (I was a sucker for this at eleven when I saw Star Trek: TOS, and I have remained a sucker ever since)

Mortal-immortal friendships, in all their variations

Characters getting trapped in their nightmares and other characters having to save them

Anything with memory loss/wipes, especially if it's thoroughly explored

dog breeds:

Labradors are a classic kind of dog.

Cocker spaniels are very different but also classic, and I think they're cute.

Terriers! Is this partly because of Snowy from Tintin? yes.

Newfoundlands are BIG and FLUFFY and I appreciate this.

Beagles because the only dog I've taken care of long-term was a beagle. She IS loud and she IS an inveterate food thief but I love her anyway <3

Saints:

Mary, Mother of God. Of course she's at the top of the list. She's Our Lady.

Saint Joseph is equally clearly next! Most valiant, most humble, most obedient, guardian of virgins, protector of family life, model of laborers, patron of the dying... Chaste Guardian of the Virgin and Foster-Father of the Son of God.

St. Mary Magdalene - I don't know if I exactly have a special devotion to her, but I do love remembering her life. Model of penitents and one of the holiest and most beloved of Christ's followers. (I do also adhere to the belief that she is the same person as Mary sister of Lazarus; this is a long-standing tradition, and it makes sense to me.)

St. Alphonsus Liguouri - his month's worth of daily meditations for Adoration are beautiful and have made him familiar to me, even though I know very little about his life. (He also wrote a set of prayers/reflections for the Stations of the Cross that a lot of parishes use.)

St. Frances of Rome - my confirmation saint, a 14-century Roman noblewoman who was wife and mother over a large household, and founded a religious order for widows after her husband's death. Is the patron saint of automobile drivers, because an angel is said to have lighted the way for her when she went out on charitable works at night. I love how well she followed God while fulfilling her duties in the world.

Secret sixth spot (because Our Lady's spot is hardly information): Blessed Herman the Cripple, 11th-century Benedictine polymath who wrote Salve Regina, the Advent and Christmas Marian antiphon Alma Redemptoris Mater, and Veni Sancte Spiritus. If you ask me, that alone should qualify him for canonization, but I suppose his cause is waiting for more posthumous miracles.