Sacred Music, liturgy, healing, writing, teaching, theology that unites not separates, spiritual musicology, poetry, Contemplative Arts and Performing Arts, healing in the ways of Hildegard of Bingen
HILDEGARD VON BINGENHildegard von Bingen was extremely gifted in many areas. She was a herbologist, healer, mystic, visionary, prophet and writer with her very own signature. She has left us many extraordinary creative works that are still deeply touching our hearts and minds, and full of relevance to our times. In the poetry and melody of her songs, she reveals the full authority, intelligence and striking originality of her genius. She wrote profusely as no woman before her. Her training came with her lifelong beautiful Benedictine rule of chanting eight times a day that inspired her to write 77 chants and the first musical drama in history which she entitled "The Ritual of the Virtues." She writes in her autobiographical passages: "I composed and chanted plainsong in praise of God and the saints even though I had never studied either musical notation or singing." Unlike the more lulling mainstream music of her day, her lyrical speech breaks into deepest heartfelt emotion; her fiery and exhilarating melodies soar up to two and one half octaves, dancing into flourishing swirls, which were certainly a challenge to most contemporary singers. All her work is rooted in her faith and poetical vision.Hildegard's music is interwoven with her holistic spiritual work that is growing from the beauty and depth of her theology, philosophy, mysticism and medicine. Her music is reflecting all of the Divine Light and essence as in a precious sparkling jewel. For Hildegard as for the medieval, music was an all-embracing concept. It was the symphony of angels praising God, the balanced proportions of the revolving celestial spheres, the exquisite weaving of body and soul, the hidden design of nature's creations. It was the manifest process of life moving, expanding, growing towards the joy of its own deepest realizations and a profound unity of voices singing the praises of God here on earth. It was beauty, sound, fragrance and the flower of human artistry. Over 300 times in her writings, Hildegard uses music to illuminate spiritual truths.Hildegard von Bingen was born in Bermersheim 16 September 1098 as the tenth child to noble parents. With eight years she is being entrusted to the Church in the Benedictine monastery of Disibodenberg, and being cared for by Countess Jutta von Sponheim, herself only aged fifteen. Jutta becomes her friend and spiritual mentor. It is only to Jutta and a monk called Volmar, who was to become her lifelong secretary that Hildegard confided in her many visions. In 1141, five years after her election as Mother Superior, Hildegard had a vision that changed her life completely and that rose her beyond her quiet withdrawn life in the monastery. She had a vision giving her instant understanding of the meaning of religious texts, and commanding her to write down everything she would observe in her visions: ‘And it came to pass...when I was 42 years and 7 months old, that the heavens were opened and a blinding light of exceptional brilliance flowed through my entire brain. And so it kindled my whole heart and breast like a flame, not burning but warming...and suddenly I understood of the meaning of expositions of the books...’ But her confidence was still very low, and therefore, she hesitated to act on her visions. She had been told to ‘write what you see’. For a while she remained hesitant: ‘But although I heard and saw these things, because of doubt and low opinion of myself and because of diverse sayings of men, I refused for a long time a call to write, not out of stubbornness but out of humility, until weighed down by a scourge of God, I fell onto a bed of sickness.’Only after she had fallen ill from this martyring inner conflict she finally listened to members of her order, and started to write. Although she never doubted the Divine origin of her visions she wanted to avoid to be regarded as one of those new schismatics that were so fashionable in her days, and who attracted large followings. She always remained critical of them and was keen to be approved by the Catholic Church. She sought the blessing of the Pope by writing to St Bernard of Clairvaux. He brought her visions to the attention of Pope Eugenius III, and a commission to determine, whether Hildegard’s visions were divinely inspired was established which came to visit Hildegard. The commission declared her to be a genuine mystic.Through her many letters she became a powerful woman in medieval times. She communicated with Popes, statesmen, heads of monasteries and German emperors. Frederick I Barbarossa, granted her and her convent protection after she had given him advice for important matters and had prayed for him many times with a successful outcome.In 1150 Hildegard finally moved her growing convent from Disibodenber, the monastery they had shared with the Benedictine monks, to Bingen, on the banks of the Rhine. From this time her life and work were extremely prolific. The poet and composer Hildegard wrote poetry and music, which were mostly liturgical plainchants in a single vocal melodic line about saints and the Virgin Mary. Every poem and song is a memory of divine harmony. Her 77 chants are a very powerful physical and spiritual healing tool, helping the singer to reconnect to the divine realm and manifesting holiness in daily life.As a healer and therapist Hildegard is ddeply connected to the universe and Mother Earth. She writes several profound treatises like LIBER SIMPLICIS MEDICINAE (Book of Simple Medicines), LIBER COMPOSITAE MEDICINAE (Book of the Composition of Medicine) , and PHYSICA, where she names 513 plants, animals, elements, stones and metals. She describes 293 plants and their effects, including vegetables, grains, herbs and roots. CAUSAE ET CURAE (1150) is reflecting her deep conviction that all is one, and that the process of healing is at the same time the way of becoming whole again. The latter two books became also known as LIBER SUBTILATUM. Her knowledge was based on the ancient cosmology of the four elements - fire, water, air and earth - with their correspondences of heat, moisture, dryness and cold and the humours in the body - yellow bile, blood, phlegm, and melancholy (black bile). If one or two of these humours were out of balance, then one had to consume the equivalent plant or animal that had the quality of what the body was lacking.Her main literary works are the triology of SCIVIAS (Know the Way), 1151, LIBER VITAE MERITORUM (Book of Life’s Merits), 1150-63, and LIBER DIVINORUM OPERUM (Book of Divine Works), 1150-79. In these books she describes all her visions and interprets them. They are also beautifully decorated, probably by the nuns of her convent under her instruction and partly transcribed by the monk Volmar. The interpretations of her visions are drawing on Catholic spirituality. The trilogy was very well-known throughout the Middle Ages, and much later it was even printed for the first time in Paris in 1513.Hildegard was extremely powerful with a natural grace and deep humility, not only by the standards of the Middle Ages. Although she often had to battle illness she still traveled and bravely held numerous public sermons and speeches. Many nobles, abbots and abbesses as well as local people asked for her prayers, healing and her opinion on a variety of subjects. This is even unusual for a woman of our time.She died in her monastery on the Rupertsberg at Bingen on the Rhine on 17 September 1179. September 17th is also her memorial or feast day.Although Hildegard was one of the first saints for which the canonization process of the Catholic Church was initiated, it took so long that all four attempts remained unresolved (the last was under Pope Innocent IV in 1244). However, people had been devoted to her and called her a saint already long before the canonization procedure even began. The ever-increasing devotion to her resulted in her name being listed as a saint in the Roman martyrology at the end of the 16th century without ever finalising the canonization process. There is a shrine with Hildegard’s relics in her second monastery that she had founded in Eibingen near Ruedesheim on the Rhine in 1165.©Ziggy Agocsi, London, 2006I AMI am the one whose praise echoes on high. I adorn all the earth. I am the breeze that nurtures all things green. I encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits. I am led by the spirit to feed the purest streams. I am the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life. I am the yearning for good.Hildegard von BingenHOLY SPIRITHoly Spirit giving life to all life, moving all creatures, root of all things, washing them clean, wiping out their mistakes, healing their wounds, you are our true life, luminous, wonderful, awakening the heart from its ancient sleep.Hildegard von BingenSPIRITUAL WISDOMOh Greening Branch you stand in all your nobility like the rising dawn. Rejoice now and exult and deign to free the fools we are from our long slavery to evil, and hold out your hand to raise us up...Hildegard Von BingenMOTHER EARTHThe earth is at the same time mother, she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human. She is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. The earth of humankind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. It is in so many ways fruitful. All creation comes from it. Yet it forms not only the basic raw material for humankind, but also the substance of the incarnation of God's son.Hildegard Von BingenMAY THE LIGHT BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU ALWAYS!
Music and all arts, especially with high frequencies that wants to inspire and heal.
Whenever we communicate truth, perform music or create a work of art, we have the choice to create elevating joy and enlightenment for our audience and ourselves by humbly doing the best work we can, and by giving thanks for the gifts we have received from God. We are very privileged indeed of being able to bring light to other people's lives by simply doing what we like best.
You are most welcome to contact us anytime:For prayer & healing requests, please state your name(and/or the name of the person who is requesting healing) and the problem/intention to focus on (optional): [email protected] us also at: http://www.freewebs.com/orderoftheholyrose/ http://www.freewebs.com/abbeyoftheholyrose/WE NOW HAVE ALSO A WEBSITE FOR OUR YOUNGER MEMBERS, the ROSEBUDS, TOO. PLEASE, VISIT US AT: http://www.freewebs.com/rosebuds-ohr/
If you want to learn more about the Tridentine Mass, go to http://www.myspace.com/tridentinemass/ It is a beautiful resource.ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR/CONFESSOR IN YOUR AREA? And don't know, whom to approach? We can match you with an Anglo-Catholic or Roman-Catholic priest. Simply write to me, and I will bring you in touch with a priest.Free study and training courses at the Jesus Christ University for missionaries and Catholic charismatic seminaries: http://www.ikmo.de/http://www.myspace.com/tridentinemasshttp ://www.myspace.com/missionchurchMarian Arts School: http://www.freewebs.com/orderoftheholyrose/marianartsschoolo hr.htmIf you are looking for an active and welcoming community in the Anglo-Catholic Church in Central London, why not visit St Magnus the Martyr at London Bridge. Sunday Mass at 11am. For more information: http://www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk or e-mail: [email protected] St Magnus is also home to the Faternity of Our Lady De Salve Regina. It is also a FIF and SSC parish.
WE OFFER FREE EVENTS, TALKS AND WORKSHOPS FOR CLERGY AND FOR READERS: READING, VOICE TRAINING, SINGING VOICE IN LITURGY, FREE VOICE- AND SPEECH-THERAPY FOR CLERGY. PLEASE, CONTACT US, IF YOU KNOW OF CLERGY AND PARISHES, WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THIS SERVICE.WE ALSO HAVE FREE WORKSHOPS ON THE VOICE IN THE CONTEXT OF LITURGY & ARCHITECTURE, exploring with the voice the beauty of sacred music in its natural setting, the church and cathedral. Explore yourself, how the architecture was designed to bring out the sound to God's glory and honour in harmony with the structure.ALL OUR COURSES ARE FREE BUT WE DO ENCOURAGE DONATIONS TO THE PARISH, WHERE THE COURSES TAKE PLACE, IF THEY ARE ATTENDED BY NON-CLERGY.We offer free courses and events inContemplative* Singing *Arts *Performing Arts *Danceworks *Film/Multi-Media *Poetry/Creative Writing *Music *DesignMarian Arts School (OHR) Course Programme:Most courses are free. Pilgrimages and retreats are cost covering. Donations are of course welcome but are voluntary. We are a catholic order but our courses are open to all, for those of the faith and for those of none.Spiritual Crash CourseOpen and ongoing courseFor those, who do believe in Jesus Christ and want to cut through confusion, cynicism and hypocrisy, and want to know, where they are standing, and where to go from here.I am grievingMonthly Support GroupFor all who have lost a loved one and want to come to terms with their grief.Little Angels Miscarriage and Babyloss Support GroupMonthly Support GroupFor all mothers and fathers trying to come to terms with miscarriage or babyloss, or are dealing with the regret of an abortion.Hildegard of Bingen and other Mystic SaintsOngoing and open classApplied and contemplative teachings from those holy women, who were blessed with the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Spirit and continue to inspire us in our spirituality, in areas of healing, religious leadership, arts, music, poetry and many other areas.PilgrimagesDay trips and longer pilgrimages and retreats.For our next pilgrimage contact: [email protected] Inner JourneyTalk - in person or on the phone or via internetWho am I? What is my calling? What do I have to offer to God and to my neighbour? We talk about, where we are at and take the journey from there.Sunday at threeOn the third Sunday we gather for a shared meal, for common prayer in various forms, for informal talks and a rereading and discussion of the bible readings.Community Leadership training for everyoneBecome a leader in the tradition of the disciples, and champion of humanity for Our Lord and King in your community to spread the word. We provide you with free training for presentation skills, voice, and communication, and basics for handling PR and funding.Women’s BreakfastNothing better than a good chat and exchange at breakfast. Most mornings in East London. Start a breakfast group in your area and get our support in how to do it.Breastfeeding Support GroupWe meet up weekly with informal chats, talks, topics and occasional trips to the museum to have a look at historic and religious paintings portraying breastfeeding.Holy Rose NightRetreatA night of talks, silence, meditation and contemplation, chanting, arts, prayer, bible readings finishing with an early morning breakfast prepared and shared by all.Morning PrayerOngoing and open to all.Evening PrayerOngoing and open to all.Holy Rose DayRetreatA day of talks, silence, meditation and contemplation, chanting, arts, prayer, bible readings finishing with an early evening supper prepared and shared by all.Holy Rose TalkMonthly evening talk with changing topic and guest speakers.From our Marian Arts School (s. also under Marian Arts School)Contemplative DancingOngoing and open class. No previous experience necessary.Contemplative ArtsOngoing and open class. No previous experience necessary.Contemplative Voice and MusicFor musicians, producers and singersHoly Rose Bibliodrama GroupOngoing.For performers, actors, singers and those wanting to learn performing arts skills.Holy Rose Poetry and Spiritual Writing Group (Roses and Acorns) Ongoing.For poets, writers, performers and storytellers and those, who appreciate the word as a listener and who live the word.