hildegard of bingen

Notre Dame Cathedral, Hildegard of Bingen and the Brandenburg Choir

colleen General, Poetry , , , , ,

 

Notre Dame  

A story of ritual,
                          of resolution
                                              and resurrection. 
by the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra.

Live, vulnerable and raw, the story  . . . . Notre Dame  . . . with the Baroque music , the bringing in Victor Hugo with the Hunchback of Notre Dame,  the bells, the continuing restoration, the horrific tragedy of the fire in 2019 and the rising up again from the ashes was a very rewarding  musical, afternoon experience.

As the music played, the large screen through church panels told the story in slowly moving  pictures .

And the most delightful surprise of my afternoon was hearing the music of Hildgard of Bingen chosen for the climax of the performance.  Out of the silence  it was her music that was chosen to speak of hope in the moment of despair. 

It was in the stark climax of destruction as one turns in despair for the next step to move out of this dark place, to rise again  . . . and the soprano  of their choir, I think Bonnie  de la Hunty,   who walked out in white amidst  the left over smoke  and smouldering ash and with her exquisite soprano voice sang  O Virga ac Diadema  (from Hildegard of Bingen, written while she was building her own church and Abbey in the 12th century as Notre Dame was also being built. ) 

She sings Hildegard’s song here today 2nd March 2024 originally written in the 12th century .

O blossom, you did not spring from dew 
nor from the drops of rain
nor from the windy air flown over you;
but divine radiance has brought you forth 
upon that noblest bough

For a moment I was Hildegard gazing at the young sister, Richardis  whom she had trained in music from when she was young , listening to the beauty of her voice,

When the sisters harmonise in a chorus
and Richardis sings the solo to end the opera
tears fill Hildegard’s eyes, she bows her head.   (from Hildegard of Bingen C Keating)

and I remember Hildegard’s anticipation in the poem before this which works so poignantly for  the story of Notre Dame

Amid the blossoms of their second Easter
birds fly to and fro building nests
and hildegard sends out her invitations.
Music will bring light to the dark.
Stillness will become dancing.
The Bishop of Mainz
will bless our newly built church.
There is to be a concert.
All are welcome.       (from Hildegard of Bingen by C Keating)

  I especially loved the  the sense of warmth and fun and lightheartedness in the performance with the story of the young Australian restorer  ( a bit brash but i understood her being there)and Victor Hugo (well the ghost of Victor Hugo)

The Australian review  proclaimed  that a ”concert with the Australian Branadeberg Orchestra is like stepping back in time as the sound of the period instruments resurrect Baroque and Classic works with reverence and authority.

How Michael and i remember Notre Dame Cathedral from our cruise on the Seine on our Europe tour in 2015.

Notre Dame Cathedral  2015 from The Joy of paris

by Colleen Keating

1.

from our cruise on the Seine 
we gaze in awe at your aged beauty
your spires, domes, flying buttresses
reaching upwards like arms open in praise
dressed in a grandness  of ancient glory
standing for so many centuries 

2.

close up we stand on your sacred  land
where in ancient times a pagan temple to Jupiter stood
lightness of leaves a tracery on your flaxon stone
intricacies and details of story carved into you 
like tatooes  marked on your body to tell a story
mythical and demonic creatures  grotesques  
and  gargoyles touch of pagan  . . . stamp of christanity
all for the Mother, mother of earth, mother of us all 

3

we enter your cool dark sanctuary 
looking up into the heavens of your spires
feeling so small    yet safe 
as if your arms  sturdy and forever hold us
burn candles with murmur of ancestral prayers
on your breath. Flickers of rainbow light play
in hazy dust motes as your Rose windows l

ike the eyes of a goddesses catch 
the cosmic sun to channel into you
the light making  miracles in your spectrum of emotions
blues ,crimsons,golds  shine for our memories

 

4

burning
smoke gives the warning  
flames orange red purple rage
burning into our hearts

our mother is burning
our earth is breaking
her oak spires –  collapse

treasures grabbed
spared  saved
peoples lives spared

 days of heart break 
we stand in our kitchen
thousands of miles from Paris

grasping our throats
as if the smoke chokes
we grasp at the breath of ancient oaks

burning and later we stand
hands on our heart in mourning.
till we hear the leader

and people of Paris declare

‘we will work to save her
we call on the world send your best craft people
she will rise up in glory

in glory once again’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into the Living Light, composed by Anne Boyd, with thanks to Hildegard by Colleen Keating

colleen General, Poetry , , , , , , ,

 

O fleeting soul, be strong.
Clothe yourself in the armour of light.
You are surrounded
With the embrace of Divine mysteries.

It is affirming when I hear Hildegard of Bingen, a Poetic Journey, my book published a few years back has an effect on the reader. Because my story is read mostly in USA with book groups and retreats, I love hearing of experience from a distance but when it is from home and from a friend that it has been inspiring for her through grief and lost and deep sadness  into  new creative musical writing,  I feel very affirmed and give thanks to Hildegrad who is with us today in 2023 to lead us in  this broken world.

Thank you  professor Anne Boyd. I feel very honoured to be included in your creation and so happy you are being praised as one  of the top women composers at this time.  And congratulations being on the new CD of music Women of Note Vol 5. published this month March 2023 for International Womens’ Day

Short Programme Note

Into the Living Light

For me, composing is deep listening, seeking a presence beyond the Self, an activity akin to prayer. Grieving the recent loss of two family members, one of whom was my older sister Helen, who died on Christmas Day, I discovered the loss of a sibling leaves a strangely hollow place in one’s sense of being. My very special friend David Iverach was similarly affected with passing of his elder brother Don a few days later.

Seeking comfort and meaning, I found myself drawn to the vividly colourful imagery in the verse novel by Sydney writer Colleen Keating Hildegard of Bingen. One verse stood out in the Section she titled ‘Unearthing Heaven’:

O fleeting soul, be strong.

Clothe yourself in the armour of light.

You are surrounded

With the embrace of Divine mysteries.

I had been looking forward to composing a work for flute, viola and harp and in the context of the grieving process one of Hildegard’s antiphons O rubor sanguinis inspired by the martyrdom of St Ursula floated into my mind.

The image of Light so important to Hildegard’s sense of the Divine presence, reaches across many spiritual beliefs. I sometimes think of Australia as the land of living light.My sister, to whom the vibrant colours of Nature were soul food,believed her onward journey to be ‘to a place beyond the stars’; Don had no doubt that his resting place would by with his wife in the loving arms of Jesus. Light is central to and connects both their personal beliefs. This music, resting upon inspiration from Hildegard, reaching across the centuries, is a kind of prayer to accompany them both into eternity.

Vale Helen and Don, both so loved by your families and friends in this life, may you now rest in peace.

Anne E. Boyd

Sydney

20.02.23

Anne Boyd leading a walk in the Olive Pink Botanic Garden
and Anne and I at the launch of Olive Pink : her radical & idealistic life.
The evening before Anne Boyd’s Opera of Olive Pink set in the garden.

AUSTRALIAN DEBUSSY TRIO

The sumptuous combination of flute, viola and harp unites three soloists as they deliver a thoughtfully curated program. The newly established Australian Debussy Trio has crafted an illuminating blend of tranquil dreams, pastoral scenes and deep, introspective music for this unique instrumental combination. Imbued with flickers of light, Debussy’s second sonata is told in a fragrant language of ambiguity and fleeting suggestion. In a masterful display of timbral manipulation, Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu pays homage to Debussy with his own trio “And then I knew ’twas Wind” – a musical depiction of the human subconscious played out across interconnected musical episodes. Amongst the intriguing lineup of works, the programme features two Australian works, by Ross Edwards and Anne Boyd, written especially for the trio. This thoughtful programme will engross audiences from start to finish.

ARNOLD BAX
Elegiac Trio
TORU TAKEMITSU
And then I knew ’twas Wind
ROSS EDWARDS
Three Mystic Dances
JEAN-PHILIPPE RAMEAU
Pieces de clavecin en concerts No. 5
ANNE BOYD
Into the Living Light
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Sonata for flute, viola and harp, L.137

Granger, Wannan and Henderson impressed with some spectacular playing, both skilled technically and emotionally poignant.

Limelight Magazine

 

Subscribe and save

Book your tickets now

EMILY GRANGER

Harp

See profile

American-born, Australian-based Emily Granger effortlessly straddles the worlds of classical, popular, and art music – including glittering appearances with Yo-Yo Ma, Sarah Blasko, and Renée Fleming. Emily’s considerable talent finds her equally at home in intimate chamber recitals and thrilling performances of daring new works. Emily has performed recitals from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center and has appeared with the Chicago, Sydney, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. Her debut solo album, In Transit (AVIE Records), was Featured Album on ABC Classic and praised by BBC Music Magazine as “beautiful” and Limelight Magazine as “an impressive debut”.

JAMES WANNAN

Viola

See profile

Violist James Wannan is a founder of the Australia Piano Quartet (APQ), Co-Artistic Director of the Ensemble in Residence at the University of Technology Sydney, a member of Southern Cross Soloists and an Artistic Associate of Sydney Chamber Opera. He teaches chamber music and viola at the Sydney Conservatorium’s Rising Star program and has been a guest teacher at the Australian National Academy of Music. He explores his passion for music from ancient to contemporary on a number of instruments. James enjoys exploring the possibilities of other instruments including violin, oud and viola d’amore. He has commissioned many new works, including a concerto by Jack Symonds that was premiered at the Bendigo Festival of Experimental Music.

JONATHAN HENDERSON

Flute

See profile

Flutist Jonathan Henderson trained with Europe’s leading flute professors and has carved out a multifaceted performance career spanning from Australia to the Nordic countries. Jonathan was appointed Principal Flute of the Estonian National Opera Orchestra at age twenty-four, whilst still a student at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. He has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra and MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Richard Tognetti, Klaus Mäkelä and Leif Segerstam.

DECEMBER 10: OUR MONTH TO BE AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD by Colleen Keating

colleen General , , , , , ,

Saturday 10 th DECEMBER

Day 10

You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.   ~ Hildegard of Bingen

These words of Hildegard came to me when I saw the duckling being protected across the bridge . If a mother and father ducks protect their babies like these two did how much more would are we protected by a great Spirit of love? (Father is just ahead, leading the way)

 

Peace is not a noun;

it is a verb.

It re- quires us to spend ourselves in its pursuit. 

Our seasonal walk called a Ginko. Today it is the second Saturday of summer and we gathered as a group of haikuists to walk in the Japanese gardens in East Gosford  and write down our reflections and share our observation and drafts  as we work them into haiku. Our group called White Pebbles included meeting, coffee, walking and then our work together. This is the 10 th day of my birthday month and it was lovely the group sang Happy Birthday to me and surprised me with a birthday card. (How Beverley remembered I am not sure).  

The Edogawa Commemorative Gardens and  Gosford Regional Gallery is the venue for White Pebbles 

December is unfolding as a very special birthday month. Every day is special.

garden

harmony of  magpie song

and sözu

 

     

A sōzu is a type of water fountain used in Japanese gardens.

It consists of a segmented tube, usually of bamboo, pivoted to one side of its balance point.

At rest, its heavier end is down and resting against a rock.

A trickle of water into the upper end of the tube accumulates and eventually moves the tube’s centre of gravity past the pivot, causing the tube to rotate and dump out the water. The heavier end then falls back against the rock, making a sharp sound, and the cycle is repeated.

These fountains were originally intended to startle any herbivores, such as deer or boars, which might be grazing on the plants in the garden, but shishi-odoshi are now a part of the visual and aural design of gardens, and are used primarily for their aesthetic value.

 

DECEMBER 6: OUR MONTH TO BE THE PEACE WE WISH FOR by Colleen Keating

colleen General , , , , ,

 Tuesday 6th  DECEMBER

Day 6

 Humanity, take a good look at yourself. 

Inside, you’ve got heaven and earth, and all of creation. 

You are a world—everything is hidden in you.

-Hildegard of Bingen

Olive Pink was a woman who spoke for all humanity. She used her life to call for social justice for the Indigenous people, the First Nations people. She fought the ideas of Missions, of assimilation, of the Stolen Generation,  of the over crowding in the prisons.  Only when we realise our commonality: how all peoples whatever race, culture or creed  or colour want the same things for their families, clean water, food, shelter, happiness and safety for their loved ones. Here in Australia we must work towards that outcome.   This is the only way to have peace in our country and peace in the hearts of our people.. . all our people.  

Very affirming for me this morning to realise Olive Muriel Pink is listed in the Top 10 Poetry books for 2022. I feel so proud my epic poem  

Olive Muriel Pink: her radical & idealistic life 

stands by the side of the talented Stella Prize Winner Evelyn Araluen’s book Drop Bear which I  have read over and over and  which has been included as a study book for our U3Aand the other books including  Leni Shilton ’s poetry collection Walking with Camels: The Story of Bertha Strehlow.

Thank you to Red Kangaroo Book Shop and Ginninderra Press  for their support in the Australian story of poetry. 

Proud to affirm a new Hildegard book, Forbidden Grace by Shanon Sterringer

colleen Hildegard of Bingen, Poetry , , , ,

 

Throughout history women are redacted from the story.  The narrative of our grief is still unripe. The green acorn still waits to fruit.  The new song still hammers in the dark in search of the music for our time.  It takes prophets living on the edge to listen for the song, to call us forth, to proclaim the will of God and hold us to account.   Forbidden Grace is a compelling story of just such a prophet. Rev. Shanon Sterringer writes honestly of her story with its struggles, its messiness, its crests and troughs, with the mystic and prophet Hildegard of Bingen as the wind that carries her.  The juxtaposition of the two words in the title is a paradox of our time and it takes a brave woman to carry that.  I was captivated by her journey.

Learning to consciously live in the light which is sometimes bewilderingly dark (how else can one see the stars?) Shanon reminds us of the lone falcon ‘turning and turning in the widening gyre.’  As the poet, WB Yeats continues, ‘Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold’

What Shanon knows – it is in the ‘fall apart’ comes the song of a new way, as it is the invisible sap running in the veins that ripens the fruit . . . what Hildegard called veriditas, that brings humanity to its fullness.  Even as the hammer pounds, the prophet in Shanon sings us forth. For what is this song if not hope?

Reincarnation? We cannot know these things. However, for those who are open we do know Spirit abides us. And for us Hildegardians we know Hildegard is speaking today.

– COLLEEN KEATING, Poet and author of Hildegard of Bingen: A Poetic Journey

Forbidden Grace is an extraordinary account of the lives of two women separated by 900 years, yet touched by the same divine grace. Sterringer offers readers a front row seat as she examines the synchronicities that connect her faith story to that of Hildegard of Bingen. The thematic treatment of their journeys allows a forward and backward movement like the waves of an incoming tide that allows ideas and events to seep into one’s consciousness. The reader comes away with a deep recognition of the spiritual bond between two women who have both wrestled with God.

This memoir is a stunning tapestry woven of two parallel lives. Throughout, the author assures us that God’s grace is forbidden to no one despite over 2,000 years of history that has often maintained otherwise. As an ordained woman priest, Rev. Sterringer has joined the ranks of women who refuse to participate in erecting barriers against divine energy.     — JOYCE RAY, award-winning author of Feathers & Trumpets, A Story of Hildegard of Bingen

This beautifully written book recounts the compelling spiritual journey of a young woman whose love for God moves her to seek ordination to the priesthood. Autobiography and biography meet as the Rev. Shanon structures the account of her life’s itinerary with parallel episodes from the Life of Hildegard of Bingen. With humility and good humor, Shanon draws us into her candid memoir of call, courage, and commitment, with its blessings, disappointments, and upheavals. Retreat from her goal never surfaces as an option for this strong, courageous woman. Her energy, like her faith, radiates from the pages of this book. Readers will wonder how she keeps going, and they will not want to put the book down until reaching the end. Buoyed by the ever-renewing vitality of the Holy Spirit, Rev. Shanon learns, in Hildegard’s words, “to be carried like a feather on the Breath of God.”

–-BEVERLY KIENZLE, professor emeritus, Harvard Divinity School, author of The Gospel Homilies of Hildegard of Bingen.

This is a fascinating and innovative book weaving a number of different themes into a many-layered tapestry.  The story of the medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen is interwoven with the author’s own journey into the priesthood. The significance of role models who are like you is clearly charted, along with the search for a theology to challenge the dominant culture. Both women’s stories are told in a lively way that will draw readers in and enable them to find their own story in both contemporary culture and in history – or should it be her story?   The author likens both stories to chipping away at a tunnel into a seemingly forbidden cave. This book is a significant addition to the clearing of the rubble that has blocked women’s entry into positions of authority within the Christian church.

—THE REV. DR JUNE BOYCE-TILLMAN MBE PhD, MA, LRAM, FRSA, FHEA, FISM, Professor Emerita of Applied Music University of Winchester, UK; Extraordinary Professor at North-West University, South Africa

Two photos of Rev. Shanon Sterringer a presence of Hildegard in our world today. Doing what Hildegard would struggle to do in the 21st century.

Two Hildegardians today

BEVERLY KIENZLE, professor emeritus, Harvard Divinity School, author of The Gospel Homilies of Hildegard of Bingen. and

 Shanon Sterringer, Rev. and Dr. Pastor and Professor, Pastor of Hildegard Haus,  Owner of The Green Shepherdess

Hildegard of Bingen by Colleen Keating just keeps giving.

colleen Hildegard of Bingen, Poetry , ,

One of my favorite books is Hildegard of Bingen, A Poetic Journey by Colleen Keating.

It is a brilliant approach to sharing St. Hildegard’s story.
(I have a few copies of it in The Green Shepherdess!)
Today, I was reading the poem, “A New Earth” from this book and I just love the following: 

“Hildegard looks across the gardens 

pleased to see Guda with her workers, 

breathes in the scented blooms of jasmine. 

Raspberry leaves catch her attention, 

crunches them between her fingers, 

murmurs approval, 

‘almost ready for the teas.’ “

Thank you Professor Shanon  Sterringer, Pastor of Hildegard Haus and owner of The Green Sheperdess LLC in Fairport Harbour, Ohio.USA
for your affirmation and for the amazing story you are creating for our future. I love Hildegards of the 21st century.

Cultivating Curiousity by Colleen Keating.

colleen General , , , , , , , , , ,

“Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greenings. Now, think. What delight God gives to humankind with all these things . All nature is at the disposal of humankind.  We are to work with it.For without we cannot survive.” – Hildegard of Bingen

I love this quotation by Eleanor Roosevelt: 

“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” 

Curiosity is the precursor to scientific breakthroughs, to all great literature and art. Albert Einstein said, 

“I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious.” 

He also said, “Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”

That’s exactly what Hildegard possessed–a holy curiosity. She must have jumped out of bed every morning, eager to discover something new. She walked the earth with the fervent belief that God placed everything here for our discovery and enjoyment. In her science book Causae et Curae, Hildegard writes about topics as varied as medicine, human sexuality, astronomy, and theology. Her science wasn’t always spot on. “There are also the five planets….And as a human’s five senses hold the body together, so too these five planets hold the sun together and are its ornament” (Causae et Curae page 29, as translated by Margaret Berger). 

But the breadth and depth of her investigations into the world around her were truly staggering for a 12th century nun.

I’m sure if she were here today, Hildegard would tell you that curiosity, just like her 35 virtues, could be cultivated and enhanced with a little effort on our part. 

Sarah’s suggestions in her daily Living Hildegard blog are

Explore an old path and look at it with fresh eyes. Read a magazine you wouldn’t normally pick up. Learn something new. Make a new friend. Travel to a different place. Take a class. Pick up a new language or a musical instrument–proven ways to keep your brain sharp into old age. 

Hildegard may be the first and best example of a commitment to lifelong learning coupled with the courage to branch out into the unknown. 

It’s good for your heart, health and brain to step outside your comfort zone and explore something new.

 

Thank you to  the brilliant blogs Healthy Hildegard  and   the daily blog Living Hildegard with Sarah Rhiem

Explore an old path and look at it with fresh eyes.

Curiosity on our local walk today

The play of light on the Red Gum with the peeling of bark stoped me in my tracks.

Michael  enjoying the calm greeness of the stand of Red woods

The ferns in the forest today were very active. I love the way this koru has unfolded and now all the secondary korus are unfolding.  I have caught it in a moment of time.

Curiosity:  Here we were amazed at the uncurling stage of the new fronds. I don’t think this photo does it justice but up close for Michael and I we were full of wonder at the unfurling of creation.

 

Wet and dry reflections.Beneath my feet. The ferns reflected.  It takes a moment for your eyes to see the play of light and silhouette.

 

What an amazing fungus. And the blood red colours of the trunk and play of light caught our attention for ages.
So lovely to be in our Cathedral of light and peace with the music of the tinkling creek backgrounded by bird song.

Reflections along the creek. We enjoyed the tinkling and bubbling sound of running water too.

Our monarch butterfly  danced for us a graceful beauitful performance.

Back home we were  still full of wonder and gratitude for a refreshing and healing walk. Our curiosity sated for today.

Countdown to COP 26 Glasgow from Hildegards point of view by Colleen Keating

colleen General , , , , , , , ,

Hildegard speaks out today reminding us to care for our planet,
with her words,
her music,
her knowledge of healing plants,
her writings on the cosmos,
her understanding of the interdependence of all of creation,
her instruction of not demanding over yields from the earth
and how the earth is our mother.

Hildegard writes,
“The earth is at the same time mother, She is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human. She is mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all.”
~ Hildegard of Bingen

Her words are even more important in the 21st century, 842 years after her last breaths, Hildegard’s voice is crying out for humanity now .

This year is our watch . We are the witness.

Our silence is our complicity

The 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian , Søren Kierkegaard, offers an allegory for our dilemma now at this time of red code for our planet.

 

“A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded. He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. I think that’s just how the world will come to an end: to general applause from wits who believe it’s a joke.”

 

However today it is more traumatic for on that stage we have a chorus of pearl- dressed women and dark-suited men serious, educated, sometimes religious who sing from the side that is all a hoax lulling the audience even sabotaging anyone who gets up for action while behind the curtain their self serving pork barrelling hurriedly goes on. Also leaders who reassure anyone in lullabies of reassurance we the masses of humanity will be kept safe and they speak for us, make decisions for us. and we will be safe.

How we treat mother earth is a reliable measure of how we treat ourselves.

The way we treat our people mirrors the way we treat the earth

How we treat the vulnerable, women, the aged, indigenous peoples children, handicapped mirrors how we treat the earth.

Ask, how many women have died as a result of Domestic Violence this year?

Ask, how many Australian Indigenous people have died in custody this year?

Ask, how many children have been abused this year?        

This year is our watch . We are the witness.

Our silence is our complicity .

counting dead women

i rose towards dawn
to sit by the big picture window

the sky black as raven wings
lay still and silent
like a dark night of the soul

i was desperately seeking
some colour some hope
upon the dark edge of the world
where sea and sky meet

my mind kept scribbling
names of women dead women
words of violence can’t be erased

as the darkness of the first news
counting dead women
crowds my mind
blankets my heart
even as the breath of dawn
spreads its radiance

Colleen Keating 2014

Published in A Call to Listen by Colleen Keating

Hildegard of Bingen on the pedestal all week on the ABC Classic with Martin Buzacott

colleen General, Hildegard of Bingen , , , , ,

What a tribute to Hildegard of Bingen  being chosen  by Martin Buzacott for the pedestal all this week dedicated to mental health.  Listen to ABC  Classic at 10 am  each day this week to lift your spirits.
Her story,  Hildegard of Bingen: A poetic journey by Colleen Keating is available from Ginninderra Press 
and has been acclaimed ‘ a masterpiece’

As the host Martin Buzacott says :

A week of Hildegard’s music for

Health and healing

Comfort and consolation

Mystic marvel

Musical adventurer

Hildegard of Bingen

delivering eternal hope.

for us in this week 11th to 15th October 2021  . . .also the week we come out of lockdown with all its possibilities and uncertainties.

 

The story of Hildegard of Bingen as told by Colleen Keating .

Become immersed in her environment, feel her joys and suffering, loves, passions, betrayals and loss. Live with Hildegard, a medieval mystic and prophet  through her more them 80 years and be renewed with hope. It has taken a thousand years for her to be acclaimed. 

What a treat and how wonderful in Mental Health Week Hildegard is being acknowledged for her music, her poetry,  thoughts of health  and healing and caring for her Abbeys conscious of well being and all this in the 11th-12th century.

 

Countdown to Hildegard’s Anniversary 17th September by Colleen Keating

colleen General, Hildegard of Bingen , ,

Countdown : Hildegard’s Anniversary 17th September. She still speaks to us today . Her encouraging words to us to care for our planet, her sacred music, her knowledge of healing plants, love of the cosmos,

is all there for us in the 21st century . . . 842 years after she passed.

We celebrate you Hildegard.

Hildegard writes,
“The earth is at the same time mother, She is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human. She is mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. The earth of human kind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. It is in so many ways fruitful. All creation comes from it. “
~ Hildegard of Bingen
My photo “Veriditas” was taken of the moist undergrowth in the Wyrrabalong National Park on Darkinjung country Central Coast.
Veriditas – ‘the greening power of the divine’ – or ‘the healing power of green.’ Hildegard believed in the unifying power of the divine as reflected through growth. The “greening” in nature serves as a symbol of spiritual and physical health and reflection the divine in nature