MatriTalks 63
BLACK MADONNA'S
Questions
& Answers
with
Han Marie Stiekema Sermes
Q. Personally, I feel, that "Black
Madonna's" are one of the most exciting features in Western religion. Hence, I look
forward to your comments.
A. Indeed, they have been
and still are objects of greatest devotion, exceeding the common Virgin and even Christ.
Q. What could possibly be the reason for that?
A. Despite all oppression,
indoctrination and manipulation from the side of the church, people have always preserved
their intuition for True Mystery, which is symbolized by blackness.
Q. Despite slogans like "Christ is the
Light that overcomes darkness", the centuries' long intimidation, frightening people
with "the forces of darkness", the fear for the "devil" etc. etc.?
A. Absolutely. The Deepest
Insight cannot be manipulated. Thus people have been coming again and again to the sites:
Rocamadour, Chartres, Le Puy, Montserrat, Loreto, Tindari, Einsiedeln, Altötting,
Guadeloupe and countless others.
Q. Why the church has not simply closed the
sites?
A. That would have caused
widespread revolt. Anyway, from the beginning, the strategy of the church has been either
destruction of "pagan" sanctuaries or "incorporating" them, hoping
that the latter would lead to increased devotion to their own saints.
Q. Which in a way seems to have been
successful.
A. That's right. On the other
hand, they are still very nervous about "their" Black Madonna's. Even today
Black Madonna's have "mysteriously" disappeared. Others have been imprisoned in
colossal structures (churches), like the Loreto and the Einsiedeln Madonna's.
Q. Going back to the beginning. What exactly is
the attraction of the Madonna's?
A. In order to come a little
closer to the Mystery, we have to go back in time. As you know, people have worshipped the
Eternal Feminine for hundred thousands of years. The earliest proofs of this are the
Mother statues, f.i. found in Europe, Asia and Africa*.
* See "Return of the
Mother"
Q. Please, go on.
A. One of the most impressive
examples is the Mother Goddess Nuth from Egypt. That She was considered universal, is
demonstrated by the inscription on Her temple saying: "I am all that has been, that
is, and that will be". Nuth was black, symbolizing the dark Cosmic Womb. Every
morning the Light (Sun) was born out of Her, while returning to Her at sunset. Hence, She
represents the Original Mother, Who rules over life and death.
Q. Nuth isn't very well known in contrast
to Isis, for instance.
A. Yes, indeed. The Original
Great Mother suffered from decline, "giving birth" to local (Mother) Goddesses,
representing only a part of Her Original Power. The Goddesses, that still come very close
to Her are Isis, Cybele and Artemis. Proof of the lineage is, that all three of them were
black. It were these three Goddesses, who were incorporated in the pantheon of the Roman
Empire. Through the latter, they found their way throughout Europe.
Q. Some say, that the crusaders have brought
the Black Madonna's to Europe.
A. That cannot be excluded. For
instance, the Knights Templar for sure, were devoted to the Black Madonna. On the other
hand, local (Celtic) Goddesses existed in Pre-Christian Europe, together with their
"exotic" sisters from the Middle East, who had already penetrated large areas,
e.g. Soisson, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Sicily and countless other places being under the
patronage of one of the Goddesses. Even in the sixth century ACE....there was still an
Isis temple in Northern France.
Q. Thus, a direct connection between the
"pagan" Goddesses and the Black Madonna's cannot be excluded?
A. That's right. Returning to
your earlier question. The attraction of the Black Madonna's consists of the fact, that
they are representing the Original Great Mother. As has been stated above, there has been
always a underlying continuity with regard to the devotion. Prove for this, is the legend
of St.Meinrad, saint and devotee of the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln, Switzerland.*
* See: "The
Black Madonna of Einsiedeln".
Q. Could you elaborate?
A. For the details, I would
like to refer to the link mentioned above. In short, the legend is a rare account of the
Madonna, representing the Original Great Mother. She was the Deity of the Black Forest
("Finsterwald"). Her sanctuary was devoted to Her by Her Son Jesus (instead of
the other way round, as it is usually the case). The church was forbidden to inaugurate
Her place, emphasizing, that She - and not the church - is the highest authority, etc.
etc.
Q. How would you evaluate the
status of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic church?
A. As you know in 431 c.e.
during the Concilium of Ephese the people forced the church to re-install the Great Mother
as their main deity. Hence, it was decided that Mary is the "Mother of God".
Note: not the "Mother of Jesus" but the "Mother of God".* The purpose
of this definition was, that all parties could read "their own truth" in it. For
the church she is the fomer, while for the latter She represented the ancient Great
Mother.
* The church defended its
position by emphasizing that Jesus as Christ is "God", deliberately creating
confusion about the matter.
Q. An ambiguous figure.
A. During the centuries the
church did everything to strip Mary of "Her" original power. What was left was a
symbolic figure. As always the church preferred to have a diplomatic answer to the
problem, instead of a truthful one. It wants to please the millions of Mary devotees,
without endangering its power position. It wants to conceal, rather than to reveal, taking
the advantage but not willing to face the consequences of its own "dogma's". I
on the other hand emphasize the Truth, taking the definitions of the church literally.
Mary as the image of the Great Mother is indeed the "Mother of God" and the
"Queen of Heaven". It means that She as the Cosmic Womb is giving birth to
the Divine. God appears not to be the Father, but the Son.
Q. Which is quite a
revolutionary thought.
A. It seems that way. In
reality people have always felt that Mary should occupy the highest position in the
"pantheon". That explains why She and not God or Jesus is generating the
greatest religious passions and devotion. In Spain and not only there, She is often
occupying the central position behind the altar, while Christ has a very decisive second
position. In the Middle Ages for instance, people revered the "Shrine Madonna". She had two doors in
front. If you opened them the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost appeared, symbolizing the
birth of all three out of the Great Mother.
Q. Reason for a revival?
A. The "Revival" of
the Great Mother is in and all around us. Those, who have eyes, see it. Others will see it
later. The Mother has revealed Herself in such an overwhelming way. She will be
unstoppable (laughing).
Help, the Mother is coming!
Don't worry, She will find you.
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