Day 1 Fire and Water

Sacred Altar in the Temple of Mary garden

Welcome to the Temple of Mary where we will dedicate ourselves to the Sacred Heart
of the Mother for the next thirty days.

Together we will tend to the holy hearth within and fan
the fires of  devotion and transformation.
The Yoga of the Mother leads us to the mystical marrying of the physical
and spiritual in the bridal chamber of the heart.

Today we step into our sacred spaces.
(See my previous posts on preparing and purifying which
you can do before you sit down to start this communion with Divine Mary.)

Never underestimate the power of ritual and ceremony.

You only need a small table or surface on which to create your altar.

The ritual of preparing the altar, lighting candle and incense, etc

indicates to the subconscious and unconscious that you are now entering

sacred time and space.

I use white for my altar cloth and prefer a white candle.  You can add
the colours of the elements of each week if you choose to do so.

Work at your own pace.  You can catch up at any time.

If possible, enter into sacred communion with Mother Mary  more or less at the same time

of day every day.  The most powerful time for meditation is just before dawn

as the energies are new and fresh and it is a daily re-birth.  And on a practical level, one is

often too tired to do so after a long and busy day. But do not let that stop you.
If the practise does not fit in with your lifestyle then you will not keep it up, so no
hard and fast rules here!

The sun rising over one of the Mary shrines in the garden


I will try to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible.

I will start slowly by sharing only one or two sacred practises and rituals at a time.

These will build the heat in your inner furnace and ignite the sacred fire

slowly and gently.

The Immaculate Practise
This body of ritual and devotion is called
the Immaculate Practise of devotion to Mary.

Today we will invoke a blessing and sacrament from Mary on our sacred work
to be done over the next month.  We will also sanctify our meditation shawl, rosary
(and/or mala) and any other items to be used as sacred altar. It is a good idea to place
 a glass or bottle of water on your altar.  You can drink this water after the
blessing ritual.
Should you want to, you can repeat this invocation daily.

After you have blessed your space, open the ritual with a prayer to Mary.
You can use one of your own and if you want to, (you can share it with the community.)
Or you can use one of the prayers that I am sharing with you.
The first prayer follows below.

When you have said the prayer with intent and focus, pick up your rosary and repeat the daily mantra.
Please complete the rosary at least twice and a 108 bead mala at least once.
As you become more comfortable, or if you are already a seasoned meditator,
then repeat this mantra up to 6 times around the rosary.
For a mantra we use the rosary in the same way as we do a mala or prayer beads :
you move the beads one by one through your fingers, repeating the line of the mantra on each bead.

This mantra is to be repeated daily for seven days.  The more we work with a mantra, the more
it vibrates through our cells and energy and transforms our mind and etnergy bodies.

Close your communion with repeating the prayer again.

As you feel your heart filled with peace and gratitude to the blessings received from
Mary, the Rose of the World, you can scatter some of your fresh flower petals, or sprinkle some
of your blessed water, over her image.

thank you
thank you
thank you

And so it is.

The sanctification of our sacred altars

Mantra for blessing and sanctification

Ave Maria Sanctum Gloriae
Ave Maria Sanctum Gloriae
Ave Maria Sanctum Gloriae
OM

Repeat the full mantra 3 or 6 times.  You can keep count with your rosary
or prayer beads. Then place your hands on your shawl and move to the rosary
and all items on your altar.  Place your hands on the container with water.  If you choose
to drink the water afterwards, keep a small amount for the next day.  You can
daily add to the water and by the end of the thirty days you will have water
with powerful healing properties. 

You can add this healing (holy) water to your bath or food.  

Daily Prayer
Oh Mary, Mother of All, grant our hearts be filled with love,
compassion and peace no matter the circumstances of our lives
OM

Oh Mary, the Wise, grant to us ever wider eyes with which to see the
true power and beauty of your world and our world. Let harmony and
wholeness be established within all kingdoms.
OM

As it is above. so it is below


Mantra
The Sanskrit word 'mantra' means protection of the mind.

Om Jai Mata Mary Ma



Sit quietly for a few minutes, just allowing yourself absorb the energy you have invoked.
Enjoy it ...... feel the presence of the Sacred embracing you, flowing all around you.
We rejoice in our physical nature, appreciating this time to pause and remember the holy
purpose of our lives.  We feel gratitude for those travelling with us on this path of love
and freedom.  Feel a smile forming on your face.  You are happy to be here in this
peaceful inner place.  Let there be peace.  Gently refocus on the outer world and carry this peace
with you into the world.

blessings to you
love
Hettienne