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The Black
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1. In Europe Black Madonna's are a unique phenomenon. There are some four hundred fifty of them, to be found mostly in France. Much discussion is still going on about their origin. The Catholic Church is giving its official interpretation of Black Madonna, as just being the Virgin Mary, being black for some trivial, local reasons, for instance "accidentally blackened by candlelight". Others consider Her to be "the ancient earth-goddess converted to Christianity"*. The assumption made is, that in archaic times, many regions in Europe were indeed matriarchal, a fact which is confirmed by the many megalithic findings on the entire continent. The caves of France and Spain, the motherly goddess figurines, found from France to deeply into Russia, the domes/temples of Barnanez (France), Gozo (Malta), Crete and Çatal Hüyük are speaking volumes. This is of course not only of archeological interest. It means, that the archetype of "the Mother" is deeply engraved in the European (universal) soul.
* S.Benko "The Virgin Goddess; Studies in the Pagan and Christian Roots of Mariology", 1993 Brill
2. A second momentum occurred when the memories of Middle Eastern Mothers e.g. goddesses - like Inanna, Isis, Astarte, Artemis and Cybele - were penetrating the European continent. It started with the Phoenicians and was greatly promoted by the Roman Empire, the latter connecting East with West. The effect was, that above mentioned deities had worshippers all over the place. Especially the route from Marseilles into the French mainland was intensively used. Even up to the year 550 Isis had a temple in Soissons (north of Paris). They co-existed with Celtic sanctuaries, which essentially worshipped the ancient Great Mother as well. With Christianity becoming increasingly powerful, the original places of worship were either destroyed or transformed into Christian churches. During the "Dark Ages", which followed the collapse of the Roman Empire many "pagan" groups went underground. Only to be revived at the highlight of the Middle Ages, when the crusaders returned from the Middle East, and with them many of the lost archaic spiritual treasures.
3. In the mean time in Asia Minor (Turkey), the people of Ephese, worshippers of Artemis, the Black Mother since many centuries, forced the Church to honor the Great Mother, by officially (421 ACE, by decree) installing the Virgin Mary as the "Mother of God" (Theotokos). This was clearly a compromise, open to various (confusing) interpretations. The orthodox could feel satisfied by the idea of the Virgin being the "Mother of Jesus", while those with connections to the past (secretly) would take it literally, by continuing to cherish their idol of the ancient Great Mother as the Ultimate Reality. The seed of "secret teachings" brought back by the crusaders thus found a fertile soil. It revived a tradition, which was still at the surface of consciousness. It is the explanation, why in very short time all kinds of "Mother-inspired" people, groups, poems, songs, prayers, litanies, philosophies and places of worship popped up. With regard to idols it meant, that archaic images of the Great Mother, disguised as Black Madonna's were installed in hermitages, chapels, convents, palaces and churches*. One of them was (is) the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln (Switzerland). The unique thing about this place of worship is, that the historical/ mythological/spiritual meaning of the place has been preserved, which is giving us a deep understanding about the true nature of the Black Madonna's.
* See also: E. Begg "The Cult of the Black Virgin", 1996 Arkana and P. van Cronenburg "Schwarze Madonnen", 1999 Hugendubel
4. The story starts in the ninth century with St.Meinrad, an aristocrat from Southern Germany. After many years of monastery life, he decided to become a hermit. First he lived near the Lake Zurich, but later was moving further into the forest, the Finsterwald*. Apart from the bible and some other texts, he only took a statue of the Holy Virgin with him. During the beginning of that time, it happened that suddenly he was surrounded by a horrifying numinous darkness, indeed a universe of demons, as it was said according to the legend. The only way to save himself was to prostrate himself to the ground in prayer, while commending himself to God. Only after a long time of endurence he started to see a light "in the east". Then an angel appeared in the midst of the darkness, sending the evil spirits away. From that moment on Meinrad never faced the dark horror again**. After twenty-five years at Einsiedeln, at one morning it was revealed to him, that he would die that day by two murderers. He subsequently received the men kindly, after which they indeed killed him. Decades later St.Conrad, bishop of Constance was asked to consecrate Meinrad's Holy Chapel (and the church attached to it). One day before the supposed ceremony the bishop went to the Chapel at night in order to pray. Suddenly the latter was filled with "light brighter than that of the sun at midday", while Jesus himself was standing in front of his Virgin Mother, consecrating the Chapel to Her by sacrificing the Holiest, assisted by the evangelists and other saints. Trying to consecrate the Chapel next day, a heavenly voice interfered St.Conrad's proceedings, saying loudly, so that everybody could hear it: "Cease, brother, the Chapel is (already) divinely consecrated".
* Hence, the name "Lady of the Dark
Forest", symbolizing Her True Nature.
** F.Gustafson "The Black Madonna", 1990 Sigo Press
5. As I said above, the uniqueness of Einsiedeln is the combination of the Black Madonna and the legend around Her. It is proving that Her roots are indeed archaic, originating from the time of the Great Mother. It starts with the story of St.Meinrad, having this horrible experience of darkness**. Crucial hereby is, that there wasn't just darkness or devils (within him), but that he was surrounded by it. Being immersed in this kind of horror corresponds with the descent into the Underworld - which is the destructive side of the Vacuum, the Great Mother - as has been described time and again in the legends of the Mother Religions, in which either the Queen (Inanna, Isis) or Her divine Son (Tammuz, Osiris) have to die in order to be reborn. That's why it is said, that Meinrad "did not have to face the terrors of such dark spirits anymore"*. Devils may visit you again, death in the Underworld you experience only once. Death and rebirth are THE characteristics of the Great Mother religion. The announcement of Meinrad's physical death and his gracious acceptance are only confirming this. A Great Mother's divine hero knows about his role as a "vegetation god" all the time, the fact, that (one time) he has to die in order to become reborn. It is the same reason, why Jesus - standing in the same archaic tradition - also knew in advance about his fate...***
* Ibid.
** Having gone through this website, it will not surprise you, that I feel "a
special relationship" with St.Meinrad, since he and I went through the same ordeal.
See: Realization.
*** See: www.motherchurch.faithweb.com
6. The story of the Divine Dedication is only adding up to this. First of all St.Conrad's illumination happened at night*. This corresponds with Reality As It Is, namely, that Light is born out of Darkness. There is a hierarchy between the two. First there is the Vacuum - the Great Mother - "subsequently" giving birth to the Divine. This is not only supported by the Black Madonna's themselves in the first place - and the reason that people throughout the ages felt the deep Truth about them - but also in Christian texts, orthodox and unorthodox. Gnostic texts speak of the Depth of the Original Darkness, preceding Light**; the Mother is scolding at Her Divine Son for his arrogance, thinking that he and not She is the Ultimate, Dionysios Areopagita is writing about Darkness, just like St.John of the Cross does, while "Darkness precedes Light" is written on the altar of the cathedral of Salerno. The fact, that Jesus is sacrificing the Holiest - himself - to his Virgin Mother, is the next step in the revival of the archaic Great Mother myth. It is corresponding with the notion, that Light is continuously returning to its Origin, Darkness, while being reborn at the selfsame Eternal Moment. That's why in archaic times the Son of the Mother was also Her lover. It again underlines the hierarchy: the Chapel dedicated by Jesus to his Eternal Mother and not viceversa. That this was an affair between the archaic Great Mother and Her Son - and not the business of the renegade patriarchal Church - is subsequently underlined by the fact, that the Church was prevented from consecrating it. The astonishing thing up to this very day, is, that the Chapel of the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln is (should!) thus still in its original purity, "unpolluted" by any claim e.g. sovereignty of the Church whatsoever. Even a papal bull was issued at that time, declaring "Anathema upon any who, in the future, would dare to renew the consecration of the Holy Chapel"***, only confirming the statement above. Hail to the Great Mother ("Salve Regina"), whose Presence - despite the dark millennia behind us - has never left us.
* Conrad made a reference to the Sixteenth Psalm
"in the night also my heart instructs me".
** The Holy Chapel of Einsiedeln is made of...black marmor.
*** Ibid.
7. In this most desperate of times the Black Madonna's are a refuge to everyone. Isn't the characteristic of modernity disintegration on all levels of society after all? Our inner confusion, chaos and despair is reflected by the outside world. We are rapidly moving toward social/political desorientation. Our society appears to be built on self-centeredness, greed and accumulation. In such a way, that the "Law of the universe" - the dynamic equilibrium between death, preservation and rebirth - has become disrupted. The "Cosmos" cannot tolerate this though. It will destroy this our evil, accumulation and ugliness. It is the explanation for the fact, that everything is going downhill nowadays, while nothing seems to be able to stop it. If we like it or not, we are moving in the direction of darkness. The basic suffering is fear of Nothingness. "God is dead" so he cannot save us. Thus there is nothing between us and the Cosmic Abyss anymore. A direct exposure will be unavoidable. It is here that the Great Mother in Her appearance of the Black Madonna is coming to rescue us. She is the Cosmic Womb to which everything without exception is returning, while continuously being reborn. She is the Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, the only one who is able to transform darkness into light. Rather than being frightened by the prospect of destruction, our understanding of the Great Mother saves us from becoming hopeless. The Vacuum turns destruction into rebirth after all. What seems to be a desperate situation, proves to be a cosmic Law, inviting us to comply with it. Only by understanding Her Law, the senseless is making sense, the unacceptable is becoming acceptable, fear is turning into trust. Hence, surrender to the Black Madonna and you will be saved. Through the Great Mother mankind may be overcoming its most fundamental fears. Eventually She will turn the tide.
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Last revising: 07/13/07