The Flowering Gifts of Midlife
Hildegard’s first vision came as a child, She entered into monastic life at 8, But it wasn’t until the age of 42 that she began to write. All of what we know of Hildegard - her writings, musical compositions, teachings, leadership and founding of two abbeys - begins in these years we call midlife. And what a flowering of creativity! Her legacy is unparalleled for a woman from the Middle Ages.
Today was another pilgrimage day and we visited the site of the first abbey founded by Hildegard, Rupertsburg, and then onto Eibingen, where the present day Benedictine Abbey continues. This quote from Hildegard seems appropriate as we celebrate the flowering gifts of mid-life:
"Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap."
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September 9-19 Rev. Shawn is on Pilgrimage in Germany: “Hildegard of Bingen and the Greening Power of God”.
St. Hildegard was a 12th century German Benedictine abbess. She was a mystic, composer, artist, poet, healer, and preacher. These short blog posts share some highlights from Rev Shawn’s pilgrimage.
Very nice Shawn…hope you are having a great time…miss you!