There are many Black Madonnas in the South of France and often there are veiled in mystery.
The Black Madonna inspires us to connect with Mary Magdalene, Isis, Inana and Ishtar, the lineage and the power to embrace the darkness and the light; the sacred knowledge of alchemy, to transform shadows and harsh experiences into wisdom; to be whole, embodying our truth and shining our light.
She is a beautiful symbol of the Great Mother and the cosmic void of potential and creation, that can offer us sacred rest and the space to dream beyond our expectations, in her embrace, like floating safely amongst the stars.
On the last night of my Magdalene retreat, we gathered in Rennes le Chateau to gaze up at the twinkling sky and the Milky Way. We could not stop looking at the beautiful tapestry of stars. I took this photo (thanks i-Phone for having such a great camera)
One of my favourite histories - or her-story - is about the Black Madonna found near Caunes about 30 minutes drive from Carcassonne. The farmer who came across her took her to Caunes Abbey.
Overnight, she disappeared from the Abbey and the farmer found her again in the same place. He took her back to the Abbey, and once again, overnight she disappeared and the farmer found her again the next morning.
Still not understanding the miracle of first her appearance, and then her return again and again to the same spot, the farmer tried a third time to take her to the Abbey, And, for the third time, the Black Madonna disappeared and reappeared in her original and clearly preferred place. After this, a chapel was built where she wanted to be, and now it is possible to be in her presence.
We are already feeling the thinning of the veils ahead of Samhain, like an electrical charge, as if molecules are vibrating faster, our chakras expanding, and the need to rest, which so many of us, I know, feel guilty about taking fully. If we think of it as sacred rest, it becomes an opportunity to journey among the stars and connect deeply with the Black Madonna and the Great Mother.