The place to learn about the Black Madonna worldwide in art, literature, spirituality and pilgrimage
The place to learn about the Black Madonna worldwide in art, literature, spirituality and pilgrimage
As I develop my journey with the Black Madonna, I will develop this site for everyone to know the Black Madonna, find a relationship with her and be able to take a pilgrimage with her without leaving your home, on your time.
I have been devoted to Mary my whole life and have known of the Black Madonna through my Polish culture and family. Family is important to me and they are my muse for my creative selves as well as my devotion to Mary.
I am most myself when I create, which I do through painting, drawing, writing & fabric. I have also been in the business world my entire adult life, so I have a good balance of common sense and the love of the arts & the need for the humanities & arts
I am from the Midwest and love the very clear seasons, having both flowers & vegetable gardens. I have written about the Black Madonna & continue to research to publish a book in the next year or two.
If your question is not below, please contact me at blackmadonnasanctuary@gmail.com
in today's time, which is 2023 A.D. or C.E., the Black Madonna refers to Mary, Mother of Jesus shown with darker skin. In some images she has Jesus with her, some she is alone. But do not let the notion of skin color limit your view of who she is and that skin color is the crux of her meaning. Before there was Mary, there were many images of women with darker skin, in many shapes and sizes. I will be adding historical, art images and the many locations around the world she can be found or has been found in the past.
I think Mary visits us in the way we need to see her, connect with her and understand her, which allows us to connect to ourselves.
We all need our mother, even when we become adults. There is something about the relationship we had with the woman who carried us inside her body until we were born. She may have given your up for adoption, she may have failed you on many levels, however, our need for mother, the nurturing mother we needed remains until our last breath. And with that, Mary comes to us in many forms and places so we can access her according to our needs.
No, not that I have ever found or compiled. I have a list myself, collected from Google, Facebook and other sources. However, many Catholic churches have side shrines to her; she is everywhere and yet you must be open to find her.
I would say two of them: The Polish icon and Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico.
Black Madonna images are special because all Mother Mary images are special. That is the short answer. The long answer is too long for this area and I hope over time, I add to this answer and fill us in on her mysterious images throughout the world.
Syncretism is "the amalgamation of different religions, cultures or schools of thought." The word is on this site because that is how life works. Today the words "cultural appropriation" is commonly used but I think we really mean Syncretism. I think someone sees how another does something & wants to add it to their family or faith. It's normal, it is respectful, and it has been going on since the dawn of humankind. Images of Mary, no matter what ones, have changed, been added to cultures (I have a great book on how this happened) and change again. It is really quite beautiful. Like a kaleidoscope, it is the same yet always changing patterns and design. Rather than push it away, embrace what others bring to life.
Baring and Cash tell us the oldest images of a female as Madonna or some holy women is 30,000 years old! So the image of woman as holy and sacred has been important as long, most likely, all humans no matter where the artifacts are found.
There is none. It really depends on what you want to learn about her. Some books are personal encounters, some are Jungian in approach, some are scholarly books or articles or theses about some aspect of the Black Madonna, and some are written in a very specific context. My library of books & sources is over 400 items long but they include pilgrimage, faith, psychology & other aspects of this topic because we cannot take her out of the context of the world. To really understand this topic at its fullest will take me another 5 years or so. And I have been studying her for more than twenty years!
Start where you are. That means, are you attracted to a particular image? Or a book, Or internet articles? Choose the one you want, and start learning. You can learn my reading, looking at her, or listening to YouTube items. Beware: not everyone has a full experience of Her. Take the information & see if it fits. Do not accept it as is, not even what I write. Our inner lives are ours alone & we each have to interpret in our way, with guidance along the way.
No at all! There are some books you might read where someone did just that: travelled to France, to Italy, to Poland. However, you will find Her close by as well. Simply ask her to make herself known to you & she will. I also believe you can make a pilgrimage from your recliner. Do not spend a lot of money; She will come, be sure of that.
Since pilgrimage is personal, it's up to you. I like to journal; that is one option. If I had never met Mary like this before I would start with images. I would choose one I was familiar with, read the story of how she came to be. I would write my response, write a poem, sing a song, do a a dance - whatever moved me about this story. Then I would sit with it and my experience. I would ask if I found something new about myself, if I had something to learn or something to heal. More next post.
This white flower is called a moonflower. It grows as a bush, stalk and vine. I grow the bush variety. The white trumpet-like flowers bloom at night, in the dark, and have a sweet fragrance that makes the summer night air smell divine. The bees love this flower; I watch them at dusk, buzzing around the closed bud, knowing it will be open soon. In the morning, they are ready to go back to their hive, drunk on this night flower's nectar. For me, that is how Mother loves us, her children.
There are most likely 2: the one in Poland & one in Mexico, both in August. Pilgrims walk from points around their land to end this trek at the 2 shrines in Czestochowa Poland and Mexico City Mexico. The walking is not easy in summer heat, feet get tired. Those I know who have walked them do not regret the pilgirmage.
No, it is about many topics, because we cannot take her out of context of history, art, religion, culture, geographic locations, and other aspects of human life. My book list is about Divine/Feminine Mother, goddesses, pilgrimage, Mother Mary, religions, sociology, psychology and probably a few more topics. I like to integrate a broader, and I believe, stronger research base for the Black Madonna.
I have done a private, online pilgrimage. It started as I collected books and papers on Her. Eventually I wrote a thesis about Her and how she can offer many people help in various ways. It is what led to creating this website.
Because this site is not about me, it's about Mary.
No, the one in Czestochowa Poland is quiet famous, but have you ever heard of it? Have you heard of the Basilica in Mexico City for Our Lady of Guadalupe? It does not matter which on your find, when she is ready to appear, you will find what you need.
No; she is for everyone, regardless of who you are.
That is a good question; St. James de Compostela is very well known. You can start from a number of places, you always end up at the the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. If you are interested watch the movie The Way with Martin Sheen.
Only you can answer that. I ask myself if I have found peace with some difficulty in my lift, from childhood to the present. I ask if I feel healed in any way. I watch to see if I can respond to hardship with more grace and less anger. You have to routinely examine your inner self and have a desire to heal, grow & become a better human.
You may have read some people dream about the Black Madonna, some suddenly meet or learn about her. The fact you are here tells me she has already tapped you on the shoulder and hopes you are ready to know her better. There is no one right way; each pilgrimage of life is unique and truly your own path. I hope you can enjoy the walk instead of comparing yourself to any one else.
Not at this time. Most of my library is packed as I will be moving to another area of my country in the next few months. Once I am resettled, i will continue working on my research, which will have a comprehensive list of my sources.
Because knowing the Black Madonna & living my life are both pilgrimage. I have had this urge for years to combine them, I am answering the call.
Shrines are the most common places to take pilgrimages. There is a lot written about sacred places, places set apart & treated as holy, special, hallowed. Yet others have taken pilgrimages to the burial sites of someone famous, such as Elvis Presly or writers, artists, someone admired. Pilgrimage is about inside us, & by removing ourselves from our ordinary lives, we can find a new perspective & find inner growth.
If your question is not below, please contact me at blackmadonnasanctuary@gmail.com
No. There are a few who have studied her over the years & have written a good amount. However, you cannot research her without some personal involvement which colors each one of our work with her. You must learn & become your own expert for yourself. You must question what others write & question our resources. Do not take what any of us say as Gospel. You must find your own way.
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