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This entry is dedicated to all mothers, human and otherwise. The occasion calls for an emphasis on beauty which prompted us to frame this page with icons and Madonnas representing the summit of artistic creativity.
Some say, we must live in the past, work in the present and dream of a future. Thus, we thank all "Mothers" for our heritage, lives and hopes.
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Charming each other |
The idea to thank mothers is ancient.To do so Greeks and Romans greatly honored Rhea, Cybele, Ceres, Demeter, and in particular, "Magna Matter" or Great Mother or Mother Nature or Ge, Gaea or Gea as in Gene, Genesis and Genetics. These vistas are the subject of another overview dedicated to Demeter or Ceres. From "mother" arises a huge number of corollary word roots and ideas. Those so inclined, can explore three illustrated overviews dedicated to "mother", "mothering" and "maternity".
The root ideas in "mother" stress that the "woman parent" is endowed with a "matrix" which is a gift that empowers a mortal to "mater"ialize energy into another a life. This is perhaps the core of the divinity of "mater"nity.
Under Hinduism there are Seven Divine Mothers, each charged to teach us how to repress evil by avoiding:
Rumor
Envy
Anger
Lust
Pride
Illusions
Fault finding
Under the Roman empire, Magna Matter or Hilaria festivities were immensely popular and took place from March 15th to March 18th. In fact, even after Christianity was well established, the Church had difficulties in extinguishing this pagan custom. Initial and unsuccessful attempts stressed the idea that it was the Church who was the "mother" of Christians. With time the popular reverence for Demeter (Ceres) shifted toward the worship of the Mother of Christ, Mary. Enthusiasts of the worship of Mary or Marians are aware that Mary is most often depicted holding the child Christ. One magnificient and rare exception is a 10th c. mosaic in the St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine.
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Lone Virgin - St Sophia - Kyiv |
From the "Anglophone" perspective, Mothers Day can be traced to the 17th. century when the "Mothering Sunday" was celebrated on the fourth Sunday after Lent. It was then that servants were given a chance to visit their mothers.
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Ukrainian Icon from a village |
In the USA, many consider that it was Ms. Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) who reintroduced the Mothers Day holiday as we know it. Others say it was Ms. Julia Ward Howe who held Mothers Day meetings in Boston. In any case, Ms. Jarvis, a spinster, moved by the death of her mother, felt compelled to campaign for the adoption of a national Mothers Day holiday. She felt children needed a greater appreciation of their mothers and with her friends began a letter-writing campaign. By 1910, West Virginia and Oklahoma proclaimed "Mothers Day" and the next year all States followed. Many countries adopted this initiative and Mothers Day became an international festivity. In 1914, Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mothers day and ordered that the USA flag be displayed on government buildings "as a public expression of our love and reverence for mothers of our country". Belgium Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, and Australia celebrate Mothers Day the same day as the USA and over 40 other countries do so at other times.
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La Orana Maria |
Free from cynicism, it is fair to say that celebrations like Mothers Day, Valentines Day and unfortunately even Christmas and Easter are energized by commercial interests. In fact, by 1923, Ms. Jarvis was so enraged by the commercialization of the holiday that she filed a lawsuit ... she stated that the festivity was to be a day of sentiment, not profit ... she died disappointed.
It seems appropriate to ask Mercenary Mercury to consult with his devotees, the Merchants, to determine to what degree their efforts are deforming the nature of this and many other sacred festivities. Perhaps their punishment, if any, should be postponed until they reach Hades or hell itself.
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