It’s strange that I hadn’t painted Mother Mary yet. I’ve got paintings of angels, Buddha, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kwan-yin, Mary Magdalene, my totem animals and various representations of Source, but hadn’t yet honoured Mary or her son Jesus.

My spirituality has expanded from my Catholic roots to a more Universal philosophy. But Mary and Jesus are still very much a part of my Team of Divine Helpers. 

I’ve felt a painting of the blessed mother germinating for some years. But it’s almost as if I’d taken this part of my foundation for granted.

When I went to Ottawa in September, I attended mass at the Notre Dame Basilica. It was my first time there alone with my father since my mother moved into a long term care home.

The light was shining through the stained glass windows in mesmerizing ways. We used to go in the evenings, so the morning light here was new to me.

During that hour, I felt a whole new body of artwork calling me. And I knew that Mother Mary was going to be an integral part of it.

 

A month later, I went to a panel discussion called “Walking and Healing: on feminism, spirituality, land”.

One of the presenters talked about the Mother Mary grottos here in Newfoundland and her doctoral research on their role in their communities.

It stirred something within me.

I remember visiting Lourdes in France as a young girl. I’d had a little booklet on the story of Saint Bernadette and her visions of Mary in a cave in the mid 1800s.

Although I was partly overwhelmed by the touristy aspects surrounding the sacred site, I remember feeling touched by the evidence of healings and miracles.

The sacred was palpable through the commercial veneer of this pilgrimage site.

Having said that, I did go home with 3 big plastic Virgin Mary bottles full of holy water that I kept for another 20 year. I wish I still had them now.

The weekend after the discussion panel, 4 of us traveled to Renews-Cappahayden to hold ceremony at the Grotto de Lourdes on Mass Rock. You can read more about its interesting history on Canada’s Historic Places website.

As I placed my hand on the Mass Rock, I connected through my heart to people throughout history and around the world who have had to hide their spiritual beliefs for fear of prosecution.

Still, they believed and gathered in secret to celebrate as they did here in the 1700s when the colony of Newfoundland fell under England’s Penal laws.

I’m so glad I live in a part of the world where I’m now free to be and believe as I do. 

Having learned at a young age to be quiet about my own visions and some of my spiritual experiences, I’m amazed at how open the world has become.

I feel so grateful for the increasing acceptance of what I’m being called to channel or participate in for the service of others.

Our time in Renews – open to each person’s background and contributions – was a part of that.

We took in the energy, held a beautiful collaborative ceremony, drank the waters, remembered the stories of how significant this place was to the local community and walked on Midnight Hill.

In our closing, we each offered names in prayer. I included my mother, Rita.

Not 2 minutes later, one of the women in the group found wind chimes on the ground, likely blown down in that week’s 140km/hr windstorm that literally shook the island. On its pendant was written “Rita’s Chimes”.

We all recognized the undeniable sign. It took 3 of us to fix the clasp and hang it back in its tree, symbolizing the support needed and manifested so that Rita’s chimes, my mother’s voice, can still be heard.

As part of our ceremony, I channeled this meditation.  We stood in a circle holding hands, closed our eyes, and journeyed together within the visions I was being offered.

When I got home, I added the music and photos to create the video below.

I recommend you listen to this Mother Mary meditation with your eyes closed the first time and then re-experience it with the photographs afterwards to anchor your internal journey and any messages you received along the way.

I’ve also included the audio-only track below and the photographs for you to contemplate at your leisure.

May this post help you connect to your Divine Feminine, to Mother Mary, and to self-love.

Next week, I’ll share the painting that was born from this experience.

Note: You can find this and other meditations on my YouTube channel.

Feel free to click on the first photo to scroll through them one at a time.