September 8 is considered the birthday of the Blessed Mother by the Catholic Church. As a result, throughout Sicily this weekend, there are festivals to celebrate the Madonna. It’s not clear why this date was officially chosen as such; however, because this time of the agricultural year is traditionally a major harvest season, for centuries…
Tag: divine feminine
The Saintly Details
Santa Rosalia, as illustrated in this year’s Archi di Pasqua… Created in a mosaic style using cereals. She is depicted holding a skull, which is a reminder of our mortality.
Gifts From Mother Earth
The chandeliers that line the main corridor of San Biagio Platini’s Archi di Pasqua (Arches of Easter) are made with natural materials. Citizens of the town spend months creating these works of art that celebrate the gifts from Mother Earth.
Circular Loaves For Maria Santissima
The Maria Santissima or Madonna brotherhood side of the Archi di Pasqua in San Biagio Platani, Sicily is decorated in blue and features artwork illustrating the legends and myths of Sicily and its saints and ancient divinities. Pictured here is the entrance archway that displays the cuddura circular bread (behind the white, glazed bread loaves)…
Cuddura Bread Loaves For The Mother
Bread loaves created in the form of a circle or doughnut may be found all over Sicily. The name, “cuddura” bread (also called cuddureddi), comes from the ancient Greek word kollura (or kuddura), which means crown. The loaves are shaped as such so that shepherds and those working in the grain fields and vineyards could…
Sicily And The Myth of Demeter and Kore
The leaf-less trees along my morning walks in the New York City area are a painful reminder that winter’s arrival is imminent. And so, I think of earth’s seasonal cycles, which for centuries were explained by the myth of Demeter and Kore: Hades, the God of the Underworld, abducted the maiden Kore while she was…
The Madonna Of The Milicia River
My heart is heavy knowing about the loss of life because of the Milicia River spontaneously swelling in Casteldaccia, Sicily over the weekend due to torrential rains. When I heard the tragic news, I immediately thought of the Madonna of the Milicia, the sacred painting, pictured, that is venerated in Casteldaccia and Altavilla Milicia, coastal…
Another Black Madonna in Sicily
Tucked away near the castle that gives Castellamare del Golfo its name is the Chiesa di Maria SS del Rosario, which is believed to have been built in such a secluded corner during the Norman era, circa 1100, to hide it from invading pirates. Inside is this alter devoted to the Madonna dell’Agnuni, or Madonna…
Autumn Is Here And So Are Pomegranates
“By what guile did the mighty Host-to-Many deceive you?” the Goddess Demeter asked her daughter Persephone in the The Homeric Hymn to Demeter (As translated by Helene P. Foley). … If you guessed that Hades (the “Host-to-Many”) deceived Persephone by feeding her pomegranate seeds (based on the photo), you are correct. Hades’ cunning action condemned…
Greek Mythology: She Took The Seeds With Her
Today, the Solstice, we welcome winter. I share this picture of a pomegranate I took in Sicily because in western literature and art, the pomegranate represents the cycle of life and death. This symbolism stems from the ancient Greek cult of Demeter and Persephone. Autumn marks when Persephone returns to the Underworld to join her…