Water Madonna Series 1

 Lady Regla’s Novena

Feast Day Sept. 7

Underneath the skirts of Our Lady Regla is the ancient African Water Goddess Yemaya.  One of her shrines is in Little Havana, Miami.  I had visited many Black Virgins in Europe, but it was in the USA that I found the Black Madonna that blew my heart open. 

Regla speaks to something profound inside of me.  Her primordial connection is with the Earth, the Waters, and my own emotions while simultaneously connecting with the Higher Planes.

The Royal Star Regulus, which is the origin of Regla's name, has been long associated with kings.  It is also the infamous North Star that ships at sea use to navigate their voyage because it moves so slowly in the skies.  It takes 72 years for the Star Regulus to move just one degree in the sky, which means that it takes 2160 years to go through one astrological sign.  Regulus had been in the sign of Leo since Julius Caesar, but since 2012, it has moved into zero degrees Virgo, "the sign of the Virgin.”  What does this mean as an arch-type?  The sign position of zero is like having the Virgin Mary arch-type as "Empty Space”.  That Empty Space can also translate into the Empty Heart, which is the very Essence of Love. 

Our Lady Regla's skirts are the mighty Ocean Waves, the primordial waters in the womb of every mother.  Her darkness brings each one of us to the very last atom of our DNA, which can be traced back to one African Woman. 

Lady Regla is the darkness of matter, but she does not lose her way because she is also the Guiding Star of her Higher Self.  It is called "No Self " in some circles.  Lady Regla is both a drop in the Ocean and all of the Oceans.  She is the mighty river and our very own bloodstream.  She is our Guiding Star.  She is a paradox that now stands in the very Essence of Silent Knowing, no words, no form but also within all forms.  She is the Virgin of new possibilities when we are ready to purify all the layers of our emotions, notions, and old programs that no longer serve us or this planet. 

She is the Heart Essence of Pure Unconditional Love.  She is un-yielding waves of Unconditional Love.  She stands as a lighthouse as storms rage in this world, calling us home to the Silence found in our own Heart Center.

Regla's regalia is shells, anchors and stars.  Her clothing is in the hues of blue.  Her offerings are crabs and bowls of Holy Water.  Her feast day is also hurricane season in Miami.  During this time, she is brought out of the Church and carried through the streets as a Protective Procession.  She can be prayed to for emotional healing, healing of our Oceans, or any form of water.  She also has been used for healing relationships.  Her Presence calms storms and guides ships to safe harbor.  It also includes emotional storms in one's life.  She brings protection in travel, especially in crossing the oceans or any body of water.  Fisherman and sailors prayed to her for safe passage and a good catch. 

 Why the Black Virgin?  New DNA testing has found all human DNA has originated out of Africa.  It might just be why the primordial Black Virgin Shrines have stood the test of time and hold a memory of our original origin.  The Black Virgin’s memories are recorded in our very own DNA.  "Advanced DNA testing combined with recently unearthed discoveries are bolstering the belief that if you look back far enough, all living human beings are the descendants of a small innovative and ambitious set of people on the African continent." - Quote CNN Today.