Sign of the Cross

Joyous Mysteries Last night, I did the Joyous Mysteries. The unwinding of memories that are being revealed through my process in this novena has been very intense, and trying to put them into words difficult, but I will try to do my best. The Rosary’s mysteries can be seen as windows of archetypes, that each soul must pass through in their own awakening process. Looking back, It was after the Crusades that the Knight-Monks were inspired by the Eastern mala (prayer beads) and the rosary was developed. Most of the people of this time were simple and they did not read or write. The mediation of the rosary was often done in the great cathedrals and said standing in front of stain glass windows that inspired interpretation of each rosary’s mystery. The cathedral’s stain-glass was made by master-craftsmen of the time. The stainless glass was brought to life through color and light, while the repetation of the prayers and the visualization of the art transported the common folk into the mystical inner realm of the rosary. This was a simple yet beautiful way for people to experience the teachings of Christianity, without actually reading. This become more of a direct spiritual experience through visualization and meditation then through the intellectual process of reading or writing the written word. The traditional Sign of the Cross has for centuries been in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Catholic religion retained the Spirit of the Great Mother through Mary the Mother of Jesus, but the pagans of that time needed the Mother to be able to swallow and digest the doctrine of Christianity. Later, through the Protestant Reformation, the Mother archetype as Mary the Mother was dismissed because of her connections with the Great Goddess. A Christian reformation was needed at that time, but the removal of the Mother drove a deeper wedge into the disconnection with creation in matter of Western Culture. Disguised under the veils of the Virgin Mary, it held the different aspects of the Great Goddess for 2000 years, and still lives. The pagan religion was based on the Green Earth and the growing trees…natures seasonal changes. Their Earth Mother provided everything for them, food, clothing and the very substance which makes up the physical form. Everything in nature at this time was recyclable, especially the continuation of the growing season, when the autumn leaves fell, creating rich compost to grow new seedlings, and thus seen as the continuation of the Great Circle of Life. The evergreen trees were a reminder that something inside of us does not ever die. The Christ coming was the greatest demonstration, during this time, in history, that life goes on beyond the form of matter. The form may be destroyed, but the Eternal Spirit, the Spirt of the Father and the Son, are one in the Infinite Space of Eternity. Please remember that these are all arch-types of the time, trying to explain the Great Mystery of Life. Words can never fully explain this mystery, but can only hint at their meaning and thus can only be truly experienced through our longing, seeking and devotion through the windows of these archetypes. From an early age, I made the Sign of the Cross over my body, and it was taught to me as a powerful blessing. But still, I question this practice and its wholeness at this point in time. You begin the crossing at your head saying “In The Name of the Father” and then you go to your belly, and what is said is “In The Name of the Son”. But where is the Mother? The Mother is the belly that nurtures, she is the Source of Life here on Earth. The Son, as Christ the archetype of Jesus, is the reminder of our Eternal Nature…this was his demonstration. When we place the Infinite Presence here without acknowledging the Mother we become like lost children in paradise. This manifest as not honoring our bodies or experiencing a healthy sexuality. The unconscious collective will manifest itself as disrespect for the Earth, women, the food we eat, the water we drink the very air we breath. This is the Great Mother’s Body in form. When we put the Son in the Mothers place, we have separated ourselves from that very act of creation. Collectively for centuries, even if we do not have religion, we have all been effected. Even the approach to science has traditionally come from this disconnected viewing point. This is how deep collectively we have fallen from the Grace of Wholeness, of being one with Creation. We all are longing for the comfort of the Mother, the Mercy, the Unconditional Love that freely flows when we breath, when we eat, when we drink water…these are the God given gifts of creation through the Mother. These gifts, given from the Mother, can also teach us the lessons of becoming more merciful by practicing unconditional Love for ourselves and each other while we are in human form. Christianity has emphasized this doctrine of guilt, sin and un-obtainable perfection to such a state, that the “self hate” generated by it has been ingrained into the collective unconscious. So for those who have this devotion, please reflect on this and bring the Mother back into the Blessings of the Sign of the Cross. When you touch your forehead, this aligns you with the God Head, the Infinite Space that makes up all Creation. Place Blessed Mother at the belly where she belongs, so we can be nurtured by her Presence. Then cross yourself to the left shoulder honoring the Son/Sun, the Eternal Light, that is the Center and the Source of everyone and everything beyond the form of matter. When you cross yourself to the right shoulder, the Holy Spirit, this is a reminder that the Eternal Presence is in everything and everyone. It is in all forms, hidden within Mother Nature, all religions, cultures, people, friends, families and foes. Let the division stop here, be purified in this simple blessing (In the name of The Father and in the name of The Mother, The Son and The Holy Spirit Amen). The picture of Mary was a gift from the nuns to Ariel Farley after they taught her the mystical tradition of the rosary. Ariel made many copies of this image which she gave to her students. I have known of several people, besides myself, that have had mystical experience doing the rosary before this image. The second layer of this image is the Notre Dame of Paris rose window.

Sacred Art by Raylenea Custom Handmade Rosaries contact rayleneabbott@gmail.com This rosary is quartz crystal, sterling silver with Rosa Mystica Medal