Mary, the quintessential mother, emerges in many of my collage creations. On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, I am reminded how Mother Mary appears in many forms across religions and cultures. She brings visions and messages uniquely tailored to those who receive them, like Juan Diego.
On the site of an ancient shrine to the Aztec mother goddess, on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City, a young Nahuatl Indian named Juan Diego had a vision of a young Indian woman. Speaking in his native tongue, she directed him to take roses to the bishop and tell him to build a church on the hill. The bishop dismissed the story, but the young maiden appeared to Diego once more, identifying herself as the Mother of God. She instructed him to gather roses that grew at her feet, during the winter no less, and take them to the bishop. When Diego opened his coat, roses tumbled out and a colorful impression of Our Lady, with dark skin, was imprinted on the fabric.
“My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego on Mount Tepayac, 1531
This story has been told for five hundred years, standing as an “image of divine compassion for a demoralized people. Speaking to Juan Diego in his own language, (Mary) presented herself in terms of compassion and solidarity, not power and domination.” (Blessed Among Us, December 12, 2020) The image of Our Lady attracts millions of pilgrims each year at the basilica in Mexico City, one of the world’s most visited sacred sites.
One of the Mary cards I created during a Full Moon retreat with anam caras, women friends on the spiritual journey, features Our Lady of Guadalupe and her role in the life of all women, particularly those who are marginalized and suffering. In the upper left corner is an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, framed by roses that bloomed out of season. Our Lady watches over us—Mother of the Universe, outside time and space. Whether you call her Tonantzin, “Sacred Mother” in Nahuatl, the language of Juan Diego, or Holy Mother, Mother Mary, the Mother of God, or the Virgin Mary, she offers a divine motherly love and protection available to all. Mary empowers women to give that same love and compassion to others.
Miraculously, the SoulCollage® process goes beyond creating a card. In the ancient prayerful practice of Lectio or Visio Divina, Latin for “divine seeing”, we allow words and images to speak into our hearts, using the cards that reflect your innermost thoughts and feelings. As a prompt for journaling, I often begin with “I Am One Who…” My reflection titled “Our Lady: I Am All Women.”
I am all women. I am one who is watched over by our Mother, the divine feminine, who understands what it means to be a woman.
I am a woman who has been hurt. I am a woman who stands in the shadow of women who are hurting now. My heart feels the pain of women who are used, abused, and trafficked. Sheltered from the storm, we may not realize how other women are suffering. We lose sight of the fact that women are used as property throughout the world.
I am a woman living my life, on my own journey of learning and growing both in solitude and with a circle of friends. I am a woman who must stand in solidarity with all women, connected to all women. The Divine Mother connects us, but we only come to wholeness when we all have healing. I am a woman who watches and is watched over. I am a woman who is protected and protects.
I am one who is bringing my own divine feminine out of the shadows—it is a gift to the universe to mother, to protect, to watch over another, and to live with compassion. The healing and growth of our planet, our cosmos, and our souls depend on others. Our relationship with others is our opportunity to practice kindness and compassion.
I am one who stands with, but who also goes within. I am a woman who wants to be remembered for a spirit of compassion and a heart for lifelong learning.
“Mary offers us another perspective. She is the embodiment of the sacred feminine, a window into another understanding of how the presence of the sacred can manifest in the world.”
-Christine Valters Paintner, Birthing the Holy
With gratitude for so many amazing women in my circle of friends, I hold a place in my heart for those in need of mothering love. Pregnant with the holy, we are called to incarnate God, to be Christ in the world. Our life is a perpetual birthing, a becoming SoulFully You. May it be filled with love, hope, joy, and peace. Pray for us, Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Are you drawn to Mary? Is there a name, quality or story in the gospels that particularly speaks to you about Mary? Contemplate the poem “How do I see her?” You are welcome to share your Mary insights in the comments.
More posts on Mother Mary:
A Child in a Straw Hat (insights from retreat I led titled “Pregnant with the Holy: Exploring Your Inner Mary”)
You Are A Sanctuary of the Divine ~ Sprigs of Rosemary Advent Retreat (Closing Session
Being Benedictine 
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