The Modern Black Madonna

Oil Painting by Leanne Oliver

 The Black Madonna is an ancient artistic form. It seems that in cultures across the globe, some form of a dark mother has been part of the imagination since the dawn of time. During the age of exploration, manly from the renaissance on, there has been a retreat from the dark virgin. It is odd, since most of the world has people who are not pink skinned, regardless, the dominant focus has been on light skinned women in many aspects of religious art. These images are quite beautiful in and of themselves, but are also a bit alienating to those whose physical appearances differs greatly from the artistic presentation before them.

If one has ever been to a shrine honoring a Black Madonna, the mixture of intimacy with reverence is unique. These images invoke a profound response in many of the worlds peoples. Obviously Divinity does not have a specific skin color, nor gender actually. Divinity is supra sensible, and beyond much of our ways of understanding reality. Limiting Divinity can be, well limiting. But we must have a way to comprehend and understand Divinity, to feel as if we belong to these beings in some way. 

Humanity is reorienting itself in this great period of transformation. We have run the gamut of materialism and it is literally killing us and the planet upon which we depend. 

The Black Madonna is calling us back into the primordial velvet that once was our constant companion. We are more awake now, so the Black Madonna has deeper lessons for us.

May we hear and comprehend what it is the Madonna wants us to know.

We are one, yet individuals within the embrace of the cosmos. She has missed us, and await our fully conscious return.

Black Madonna Resources

Our Lady of Jasna Gora, Czestochowa Poland

 It is hard to believe, but all of my efforts, relationship and writing with The Black Madonna are coming on to 20 years! Starting when I was a student enrolled in Sofia Institute through then Holy Names College in Oakland California, and now flourishing into a series of books, a podcast, active speaking schedule, I am somewhat of an expert in a now, in a newly joyously crowded field of amazing creators, authors and poets!

Starting in November, I hope to figure out how to change all of my Social Media "handles" to reflect the podcast. Everything takes me quite a while to figure out, as I am a staff of one along with being notoriously low tech. 

What I hope to convey through this blog post is a few of the resources I enjoy as a researcher and I hope you are enriched by them as well!

Our Lady of the Good Death, France

The two websites I find invaluable are

Black Madonna Index, Interfaith Mary Website

https://www.interfaithmary.net/black-madonna

University of Dayton Ohio Marian Library Website

https://udayton.edu/marianlibrary/index.php

Longing for Darkness Tara and The Black Madonna by China Galland

https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780140121841

This was my first book on the subject, as part of the module on Feminine Spirituality through the Sophia Institute. It is a wonderful introduction to the subject, part travel journal, part historical review, part personal evolution of the author. While there is, obviously from the title, attention played to Tara a Hindu Goddess, there is much about the culture and history surrounding the Black Madonna.

The Cult of the Black Virgin by Ean Begg

https://www.sandmanbooks.com/book/9781630512705

There are two editions of this book. One is 2006 and the other which is often available through eBay, Goodwill, Thrift Books, and Abe Books and Amazon as a used book are editions from 1985 and 1996, I suggest hunting for these editions. I have both the 2006 and 1996 edition, as I see both as vital. The older version is an incredible resource as half the book is essentially an index of locations and folk lore about quite a few European Black Madonnas. I do not understand why the newer edition does not have this valuable resource, but there you have it.

The Black Madonna in Latin America and Europe: Tradition and Transformation by  Malgorzata Oleszkiewicz-Peralba

https://unmpress.com/books/black-madonna-latin-america-and-europe/9780826341037

This is an excellent scholarly overview of Black Madonnas, as the title conveys, in Latin America and Europe. It is scholarly however, and may be a bit dry to read, but he information is quite valuable, well researched and a broad overview of the cultural implications of Black Madonnas in these regions. 

These are my go to sources, and I will add more, as more amazing titles, sites and artists are worthy of exploring! I suggest that these books and website are a good start for those wanting to delve into the subject matter a bit more.

Blessings on your Journey!

The New World

Our Lady of Regula, Spain

 

As we mark the 530th anniversary of the Columbian Voyage, the world is eerily similar to the turbulent days surrounding the time of that fateful event. I sometimes wonder if at the time, everyone knew how significant and world altering such a journey would become, or they were just interested in immediate results.

It has fascinated me for awhile now, the inherent discontent humanity has with its situation and surroundings. A casual observation of the entire history of humanity is one of constant relocation. I wonder if this tendency is a subliminal nod to our spiritual nature, that we are made up of the stuff of stars, and being earthbound temporary and  uncomfortable for us. We always seem to want something else, something new, over there has more of what we need, and the people living where we want to go are this great problem we must somehow solve often to the destruction of the other.

Unfortunately, every place on earth has certain drawbacks and limits, and humans constantly try to bring the familiar to the new. This tendency is odd, since one could have the familiar where they left, but it is the tendency to move about. This was certainly done with the Spanish expansions in the 16th century. Affectionately called "The Columbian Exchange" it was the greatest and swiftest transformations of ecologies and relocations of peoples at that point in global history. It id not occur to the Spaniard that there would be food in the new world, so they brought their plants and animals with them, destroying native ecologies along the way. It was also a time of great transformation and expansion of the Christian religion. Note the word "religion" and not necessarily The Christ Impulse.

Long strangled and stifled through politics and institutions, it is a miracle that any aspect of the universal love and intimacy Christ sought to bring into human awareness through his Incarnation ever seeped through the bloodied history of Christianity. One aspect of enhancing this awareness of the original intent was and is through the Madonna, particularly the Black Madonna. 

As Europeans dominated and oppressed numerous continents with the sanction of the Caucasian church deities, the Black Madonna became an image of inclusion and divinity to those who did not resemble or understand their conquerors ways. Our Lady of Regula is one of these images. She has her origins in Africa, traveled to Spain and then the rest of the world to become one of the most beloved images of divinity in the world. Is she sanitizing oppression, softening the blows of slavery and domination? Some may think so, I however do not. 

Our Lady of Regula is reported to have thwarted all attempts to whiten her skin. Her coloring allowed the Yoruba peoples transplanted to the Caribbean through the slave trade to find solace and strength in unimaginable circumstances, not to just obey but to endure with dignity the injustice of international corporate greed.

She still inspires to this day. May she inspire us to greater cooperation and recognition of divinity in all peoples. 

The Word Became Manifest

 There are two manifestations of Mestiza Madonnas in the Americas.

One is the miraculous and famous Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico

The other is a less famous but also miraculous image of Las Lajas of Colombia.

One of the hallmarks of the Christian Impulse, is that Divinity came to Humanity. The prologue of the Gospel of St John states "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." John 1:14 This profound statement is worthy of contemplation for countless hours, but in essence describes how the being of Divinity, Christ, became a physical presence and lived among our human family. Christ incarnated at a time when humanity was so ensconced in the material, it was difficult to communicate with and sense the presence of the spiritual world.

The Christ Impulse and movement is not "just like all other religions." The main difference is that through this spiritual orientation, we understand that Divinity came to humanity, and inhabited a human body to understand and help transform the human/divine relationship. 

To have a human body on earth, one must be conceived in, gestate and be born of a woman.

A woman was essential to this entire divine process, and that woman was The Virgin Mary.

An interesting phenomena in the Americas is for the Virgin Mary to appear to natives and mixed race people, Mestizos, and ultimately imprint her image on physical matter.

The Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico imprinted her image on cactus fiber.

The Madonna of Las Lajas in Columbia imprinted her image on stone.

The Americas are the most materialistic and dense lands on earth. The elementals in these vast territories are materialistic, the Natives knew and respected this reality, which is why mining and other forms of human activity that destroy the earth were never practiced here by the ancient peoples of the continent. The Natives knew such practices would unleash powers with which humans would have difficulty living. We can see the consequences of unleashing such power has done by Europeans to the people and land of the Americas.

The spiritual world often brings counter impulses to invite humans to  healing, moral and loving alternatives in contrast to destructive ideas and actions.

The Black Madonna does just that, and the Mestiza Madonnas in the Americas use the physical, material substance of cloth and stone to offer loving presence and alternatives to those who will listen.

In both Guadalupe and Las Lajas, spirit became manifest and is dwelling amongst the faithful.

Iberia and The Black Madonna

Guadalupe of Extremadura 

 

Art is a reflection of the evolution of human consciousness. It is also a reflection of human history. The Black Madonna for me is a reflection of the first thousand years of the Christian movement.

As humans were created to be the catalyst for the transformation of the Cosmos of Wisdom into the Cosmos of Love, we were given Freedom. To love involves freedom, as anyone who has experienced unrequited love will attest. But to have freedom, there has to be choice, and this was the reason for the introduction of evil into the world.

When Christ came, his purpose was to help us heal from all our freely chosen evil, for we would have been on a karmic cycle for infinity had he not. Ultimately the Cosmos of Love would never come to existence. The forces and legions of evil who had become accustomed to their earthly power were none too keen on this new development, and set to work immediately on thwarting new opportunities set into motion by the Christ Event. The main stumbling block to the widening Christ Impulse of love, freedom and equality was humanities affiliation with materialism. Materialism politically is expressed through power and greed. It is the main reason the Romans were so aghast against the early Christians, who simply were kind and loving to everyone. 

Constantine the Great decreed the official toleration of Christianity as a religion in the 4th Century, but he also knew of the power it represented. He co-opted the power by institutionalizing the movement. This concept became quite useful to secular power structures, specifically monarchies. As the centuries moved forward with the ever increasing connection between institutionalized religion entwining itself with monarchies, eventually there was quite a revolt against both. These movements resulted in the Protestant Reformation and various dynastic wars. 

On the Iberian Peninsula, there had been great conflicts over the invasion of Muslim conquerers. The resistance to such invasions took 700 years to complete, but it was finished by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. One of the only places the Muslims did not have control over was along the Northern Spanish Camino. This was also a place where the original Christ Impulse free from Roman influence flourished. There was an alternate liturgy, music, and of course The Black Madonnas dotted the landscape.

Could it be that these images along with the rituals and practice in the region represented a deep Christian mystery? Could it be these images were harkening to profound truths that challenged institutions?

The Iberian Peninsula was the embarking point for conquest, environmental degradation and religious persecution that spanned the globe. A counter to this stream was the healing message of The Black Madonna. As we face difficulties in our modern world, many that had their origins in the conquests initiated from this famed peninsula, let us look to the healing counter message of The Black Madonna for inspiration.

September and The Madonna

Birth of the Virgin, Russian Orthodox Icon

September 2022 has been labeled as The Month of Our Lady of Sorrows. It seems a proper memorial for a very difficult time. The Virgin has so many correlations, but the most significant one is that she experienced quite a bit of sorrow, and is a model of what we can endure.

September 8 is considered the Nativity of Mary, and is also the festival of the Grape Harvest in many traditions. September 14, is the holy day commemoration the discovery of the True Cross by St Helen of the Cross, as we might guess her name would be. 

In this months Podcasts on The Black Madonna Speaks, we will explore several Madonnas and interview Graphic Novelist Carlos Nieto, as he discovers his heritage through art and historic exploration.

Yes, the Madonna is sorrowful, but she is also healing and peaceful, and brings much to us in terms of her many many stories.

Listen in, new episodes are posted every Wednesday

https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episodes
 

The Black Madonna and Modernity

Our Lady of Loretto Statue in Primošten, Photo by Silverije on Wikimedia Commons.

 

The Black Madonna as an artistic genera is quite popular in the last several years.

In the Early 2000's when I was starting my research, the Internet was still in its infancy. There were only a few books on the subject, and the main website for information was The University of Dayton Marian Library, which actually was quite detailed and informative.

Now there are numerous sites, books are also plentiful, there have been organized tours and pilgrimages to Black Madonna Sites all over the world. Modern artists are also embracing the theme, especially African Americans. Why this sudden interest and exploration in images that are often a thousand years old?

One of the main migrations of Black Madonnas to the European Continent occurred during the  Crusades. Rudolf Steiner tells us that the Crusades were a preparation for the Age of Consciousness Soul. According to his cosmology, this is the era we are enduring at present. I have always seen the Black Madonna as a gift and message from the Spiritual World that we are supported, understood and loved during our ordeals on Earth. 

No one would deny that our age is extraordinary in terms of challenges. I think this is why so many imaginations are sparked by these mysterious images. The Spiritual World is reaching out to us, and we are responding, because this is the time and we are the ones we have been waiting for all these centuries. We are loved and supported, and trusted.