Little Sacred Spaces

     Evergreen trees have been held sacred by many cultures throughout history because they remind us that life always renews itself. German Christians were the first people to bring fir trees into their homes as part of their Christmas celebration. Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols by Americans until late in the nineteenth century. After they were made popular in England by Queen Victoria they were gradually accepted by Christians in the United States.      The Christmas tree in my home is sacred because every ornament evokes a special memory or symbolism. Some ornaments were made by our children when they were young, while others were gifts from parents and friends, now gone, or loved ones who live far away.      Among the ornaments are many angels, peace doves and origami cranes, to symbolize my greatest hope, that peace will one day reign throughout the world. This is the hope that Jesus brought to humanity when he was born on Christmas Day so long ago.      In recent yea

          Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadeloupe.   According to tradition, Mother Mary appeared to Juan Diego, who was an Aztec convert to Christianity, on December 9th and again on December 12th, 1531.  According to the traditional account,   the name of Guadalupe, as the name was heard or understood by Spaniards, was chosen by the Virgin herself when she appeared on the hill outside Mexico City.      I have created an altar to commemorate this feast day (even though I'm not Catholic!) and to emphasize the significance of this occurring on the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the year. The figurine represents Our Lady of Guadeloupe, the Divine Feminine, who is flooding the earth with Her blessings and love - to restore the balance of masculine and feminine energies to humanity and our world.      The twelve tea lights symbolize the significance of the number twelve,  a symbol of balance, as it is made up of two perfect numbers (six and three). Twelve also symbolizes