Water Offerings series 2

I wanted to share with you how the water offering prayer I say came to me. My French is far from perfect so is my English as far as that goes, but never the less my prayers are heard.

The Church of St Francis in Port Grimaud

We were staying with friends in the enchanting village of Port Grimaud. Port Grimaud is referred to as the Little Venice of the Riviera. Francois Spoerry created this architectural wonder in 1966 in the Gulf of St.Tropez. The site was originally the ancient Greek Athenopolis 2000 years ago.

Spoerry’s vision was to create a Provence-style housing, built on a canal system with old world charm but with modern day convenience. Everyone has a boat and there are boat docks rather then a car garage for every house. The small condo size houses are painted in ochre or pale coral colors and complete with terra cotta roof tiles.

We enjoyed seeing young boys handling their little motorboats, steering their way through the canal system as we sipped our morning coffee at the local cafe. But there were also boat taxis for the tourists that drop you off at the beach or the village for shopping.

What I found sacred in Port Grimaud was the Church of St Francis. St. Francis is an unusual church since it is shared both by the Catholics and the Protestants. Each Sunday the Catholics serve mass and after that the Protestants have their own services.

We were there for August 15th, the day of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption. This is a very big holiday in France and throughout Europe. I woke up in the morning and went out to the dock to sit and enjoy the morning sun.

There were wild fires burning in the mountains in the distance. The locals informed us that over the last few years the south of France had some bad fires that destroyed the natural environment. I reflected on the Spirits of the Elements and many things they had taught me over the years by my close observation of nature.

The Earth absorbs the negative thoughts, feelings and actions of humans. When the Earth becomes overburdened by that negativity, it goes through a purification process much like our body does if we have not been honoring ourselves with proper food, rest and right thinking. When the element of fire sweeps through a forest, it becomes the ultimate purification for the Earth. Everything is destroyed in its path, but as the seasons turn, we will see new life sprouting from the ashes. This was the process that I witnessed as I sat on the dock, looking over the calm sea.

My friend Albine came and quietly sat beside me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a handful of roses that I had bought at the local market the day before. A beautiful chant came to my lips in French. I placed roses in Albine’s hand and we began to chant together….

Ave Maria de la mer

Ave Maria de la terre

Ave Maria du feu

Ave Maria de l’air

Ave Maria of the Sea

Ave Maria of the Earth

Ave Maria of the Fire

Ave Maria of the Air

Every Ave Maria we chanted, we placed a rose in the sea. The sea was like glass and the roses floated gently on its surface with each prayer. The beauty before me was breathtaking and it brought tears to my eyes. The chant honored the Divine Mother’s Presence in the sea, the earth, the fire and the air. It was a gift of song, inspired by angels on the sacred day of Assumption.

That afternoon we went to the Church and a large community gathered to celebrate the Virgin’s Assumption into heaven. A beautiful golden statue of Stella Maris, the Virgin of the Sea, was carried from the main altar in the church through the crowd of people. The priest and his assistants brought the Virgin to a boat. One of the most beautiful girls of the community also stepped into the little seaworthy craft for the voyage. What we were about to witness was an ancient tradition of blessing every boat in the harbor with the sprinkling of holy water.

The choosing of a young woman to accompany the sacred voyage was from an ancient tradition much older than the Catholic Church. It was the tradition of the Goddess or Sacred Feminine Energy being represented not only by the Virgin, but also by the most beautiful young woman of the village.

Our friends swiftly took us to their boat. The captain of our ship handed me a bouquet of fresh roses. We took position right behind the vessel of the Virgin and began to wind our way through the canal system of Port Grimaud. The priest was flinging holy water with his brass dipper to touch the boats with the blessings of the Virgin of the Sea. I sat in the boat, feeling like a queen in her white sundress and peach-colored roses. The moment was truly magic. We were blessed and so was every ship in the harbor was that day.