Following the Path of the Marys

A Magical Treasure Hunt

During our travels through Portugal, Lief asked me a number of times why I am so fascinated with Mary and with churches. Once he said "I didn't know you were so religious Mom". Well, me neither!  I told him that 'religious' is not the right word, but that I am curious about, honour and respect the sacred and Divine energies that can be found in the churches I was guided to visit.

I believe the artworks, sculptures and paintings that we saw in these churches were created with the utmost reverence and purest intention by the artists.

It feels a bit like a treasure hunt, or a vision quest, where I am being led by an invisible guide to different keys, signs, symbols and images leading to different message, insights and creativity. ​

I think it all started in August 2018, when I embarked on an Opus project that I titled 'The School of Wonder', as part of the year long art & yoga mentorship with Hari Kirin/Joan Hanley. The self-unfolding curriculum and classes of the School of Wonder brought a magical quality with it, leading from one thing/treasure to the next.

It was then that through meditation and daily art expressions, the symbol of the Seal of Solomon came into my awareness which eventually led to the exhibit 'Living Sacred Geometry' atEIGHT X EIGHT Studio in Daajing Giids, Queen Charlotte, November 2019. 

Simultaneously, I was introduced to the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna and the Egyptian goddess Isis. Isis took me on a bit of a transformational journey, bringing the Neteru (deities) of Egypt with her: Sekhmet, Ma'at, Thoth, Anubis, Ptah, Hapi, Khnum and Seshat. Some of these found their way into artworks and poems. 

Isis also brought with her Mary and Mary Magdalene, but I didn't quite hear or feel them in quite the same clarity.

To be honest the Christian and Catholic stories and history lessons that I heard in my childhood caused me to close myself off, and I had trouble with the words God, Jesus and Mary as painted by the Catholic Church. 

Swan Embrace (with faint Seal of Solomon), acrylic on canvas

Hapi, Egyptian God of the Nile, gouache on cotton

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The time spent in Sintra and our biking pilgrimage through Portugal opened me up to a different perspective on Mary. Different and sometimes hidden stories, symbols and keys revealed themselves, that led me on a journey that embraces the Divine Feminine and Mary. Well, I should say the Marys. As there have been so many Marys that introduced themselves to me. ​

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First introduction

Our journey in Portugal started off with being neighbours of Mary, as we found ourselves living right next door to a church dedicated to her. 'Igreja de Santa Maria' dates back from the time of Portugal's foundation as a nation. Dom Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, conquered Sintra from the Moors in 1147. At that time, a small chapel was built here. It is sparkly decorated, with an ancient plaque dedicated to Inanna/Ishtar. 

Blessed by Ishtar/Inanna

Inside Igreja de Santa Maria

17th Century gilded statue of ​'Our Lady of Conception'

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Symbolic Keys leading to Mary

While browsing an antique store in Sintra, I came across a collection of large antique bronze keys. I asked the owner what these were about and she explained these were from the 1800s. Some had quite elaborate decorations and one of them in particular stood out. The key with the coat of arms of Coimbra, which featured a crowned woman in a cup, surrounded by a serpent/dragon and a lion. On the back it had 7 towers.

Since the key had a price tag of 198 Euro, I left it where it was but for weeks it had a magical pull (it still does actually), I marvelled at it, curious about its meaning. I started to see more and more keys around Sintra, when I entered the Church of Sao Pedro (Saint Peter), the whole blue tiled wall was covered in stories relating to the keys of heaven, lined with Marys along the wall:

So keys... it told me to pay attention to symbols and signs and to be curious about the crowned lady in the cup. ​

Flowers guiding the way

The Periwinkle
In Sintra, the hillside path leading up to the Moorish castle is covered with Periwinkle. As a school project, Lief looked into the use of the Periwinkle in fairytales. He found Hans Christian Andersen used it many times with a reference to magic. At that time I did not know the Periwinkle is associated with the Marys. 

"The Periwinkle or "Virgin Flower", is an emblem of the Blessed Virgin. Blue is also associated very closely with Mary as one of her colors, traditionally her main garment being colored blue. Some species of the plant bear flowers with more pointed petals so that the shape resembles a star for Mary, Star of the Sea." [1]

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Rose Seal at Igreja Santa Maria Dos Olivais, Tomar

The Mystic Rose
In February, this precious pink rose was the only actual blooming rose I found while on my way to the Sanctuary of Fatima. 

The Catholic church creates this association with the Mystic Rose:
"The mystic rose, symbolizes Mary's mystical participation in the Holy Trinity as Heaven's Rose or Mystical Rose. The Mystic Rose was developed in her honor. In medieval times the mystic rose symbol was drawn with four petals on a stain glass background(...)" [2]

During our travels we saw symbols of the Rose everywhere. From the beautiful rose windows of churches to the Templar Rose Cross as ceiling seals at the Quanta da Regaleira in Sintra and is a reference to Mary Magdalene instead of the Virgin Mary.  

In Tomar we likely found one of the oldest remnants of the Rose symbol, at the church Santa Maria dos Olivais. Also named 'Templar Mother Church', I spotted a defaced Seal of Solomon embedded in a 5 petalled rose below its rose window.

To find the Seal of Solomon placed within the Rose makes sense, as the church was built in the middle of the 12th century by Gualdim Pais, founder of Tomar and a Master of the Order of the Knights Templar. He had served in the Holy Land and this seal is a reference to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, from which the name Knights Templar originates.

Four petalled roses

Templar Rose Cross in Lisbon

Rose window at Basilica da Santa Luzia, Viana do Castello

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Fleur-de-Lys and Iris
In front of the entrance of the Basilica of Fatima, we found a beautiful tile floor in the shape of four Fleur-de-Lys. The municipality of Azambuja has two Fleur-de-Lys  on either side of the Tree of Life embedded in its coat of arms. 

The Catholic created the association of Fleur de Lys with The Virgin Mary:
"The Fleur-de-lys is a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary because it resembles both the Iris and the Madonna Lily. The iris or "Sword Lily" is an emblem of Our Lady's Seven Sorrows. The Lily, symbol of virginity and purity. There is also a white day lily which only blooms during the time of the Assumption in mid-August and is known as the Assumption Lily among horticulturalists." [3]

On a beautiful monogram of Mary, hanging in the Igreja de Lapa (Church of the Rock), is decorated with the same Fleur-de-Lys symbols, which is actually a double M, symbol for Mary Magdalene. 

​This beautiful dress of Saint Anna (mother of Virgin Mary) found inside the Church of Santa Maria dos Olivais in Tomar, is covered in Fleur-de-Lys symbols and had a bouquet of fresh orange lily's by her. 

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The Tower

Original tower at Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra

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In Portugal there are several towers dedicated to Mary and even show up in the Coat of Arms (as you may remember from Sol'sBlogpost of the Coat of Arms of Porto). I didn't find out about the symbolic meaning and connection of the tower to Mary until now. 

In Christian tradition, the term Ivory Tower has been used as a symbol of noble purity. It originates in the Song of Solomon, and was later used as a epithet for Virgin Mary. 

​The name “Magdalene” did not mean merely “from Magdala”, but actually meant “The Tower”, as Mary’s nickname and title of prominence and importance among the Apostles. [4] Magdala means “tower”, “watch-tower,” or “fortress” in Aramaic.

​In Tomar, the Rotunda (round tower) in the Convent of Christ is dedicated to Mary, as the elaborate entrance reveals. There are rumours this rotunda is connected by a tunnel to the tower in front of the Igreja de Santa Maria dos Olivais. 

Tower in front of Igreja de Santa Maria dos Olivais

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Mary above entrance to Convent of Christ, Tomar

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Rotunda in Convent of Christ, Tomar

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Porto Coat of Arms

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The Cave

The Marys have a reputation of either appearing in caves or having lived in caves. Creating our initial travel plans I had hoped to explore caves in relation to Mary, and more specifically Mary Magdalene in Southern France, but that may have to wait a while.... 

Instead I found three caves in Portugal (so far) dedicated to her. 

The first cave to call my attention was the 'Gruta da Virgem' (Cave of the Virgin, empty of any statues)  at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra. Then there was a surprise find of a cave dedicated and actively devoted to the Virgin in the Parque da Liberdade (Freedom Park).  It has an interesting appearance echoing the Virgin and child on the ceiling. 

It wasn't until we reached the north of Portugal that we found more appearances of the Virgin in caves. After seeing a statue of Nossa Senhora da Abadia in the Basilica of Santa Luzia in Viana, we headed to her Sanctuary located inside the Peneda-Geres National Park. Considered the oldest Marian sanctuary in Portugal, originally built between the 7th and 8th centuries but which no longer exists. Here Friar Lourenco and his companion found a sculpture of the Virgin hidden by hermits of the Monastery of the Mountain during the Arab invasion in the 8th century 

'Gruta da Virgem', Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra

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Gruta devoted to Mary in Parque da Liberdade, Sintra

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Gruta da Nossa Senhora da Abadia

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Mary is everywhere!

When I grew up Mary didn't have a large role in the stories I was told or in the images seen in churches. The most familiar images I recall are the Virgin Mary depicted as  the mother of Jesus, birthing him in the stall in Bethlehem and mourning him on the cross. Mary Magdalene was not mentioned as far as I can recall. 

In contrast, here in Portugal, at least on the path that we travelled, Mary is everywhere! It seems she is revered above and beyond Jesus. Usually you find at least three Marys in each church.

Mary is looked towards for her soothing love and guiding light. We often saw people lighting candles in front of her and praying quietly to her in churches.

In 1640, the Virgin Mary was crowned by Portuguese King John VI as for him, she was the real Queen of Portugal. 

Wedding, flanked by Marys in Coimbra

Marys in order of Appearance

So many Marys and a few female Saints!! Click on image or scroll through to see full images and descriptions. 

A lot of Marys indeed... I am curious where else we will be led, whether we can continue our pilgrimage into Spain, and perhaps into Southern France, exploring more caves, or perhaps that is not in the Divine Cards at this time. Time will tell. 

To each of these Marys I brought prayers for our family, for our planet and for friends who had requested so. I will continue to do so when I can. If you'd like to be specifically included, just send me a message. 

If you read this far, wow... I'm impressed. Many blessings to you. 

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Our Mary Biking Pilgrimage so far