*I will be re-working this painting: removing the New-Age details & replacing them with a multimedia rose frame, 12-starred crown, & other details.

In 2002, I asked the question, “Who is the goddess of the Christian tradition?” As I was raised in a protestant church, I had only heard about Mary at Christmas time. ( I had rejected Christianity about 15 years previously.) I prepared this large canvas & invited a vision. That night, I was awakened gently, with a translucent vision of her beautiful face, (much more beautiful than I was able to paint) in the air before me! I was terrified! She said, with the sweetest, most loving voice I’ve ever heard, resonating in my heart rather than my ears, “Why are you so afraid, daughter? You have called, & I have come!” I answered in terror & awe, “ I didn’t know you were real!”

The rest of the journey creating this beautiful painting was filled with her presence. She taught me, although I could barely take it in. Her messages were about the coming wars & natural disasters of the earth, with an emphasis on praying for those people suffering & dying, helping the remaining orphans, & turning towards God. “Do not lose yourself in grief for the dead, but pray for them with feather prayers.” (This is a native & earth-spirituality practice of sending herbal smoke upwards with a feather during prayer.) She told me that there will come a tremendous event wherein great evil will be revealed & the hearts of people laid bare, which will send many poor souls “running & calling for the rocks to fall upon them”. Many people will turn back from their evil-hearted ways & seek repentance, forgiveness, & reconciliation with God. She told me that they must not be rejected, but accepted & assisted.

Please see Christine Watkins’ book “The Warning: Testimonies & Prophecies of the Illumination of Conscience”, which contains a collection of similar messages from multiple people over many years.

Opening myself to Mary’s love was a crucial step in my journey towards loving & accepting her son Jesus. At the time, I noted what she said, but could not really understand it, nor was I ready to accept God the Father or her son Jesus. In my experience of her, & what I have learned since then, this is her entire goal: to assist in turning people’s hearts & minds towards the trinity: God the Father, her precious son Jesus Christ, & the Holy Spirit. Mary’s example has taught me how to love, respect, & obey God. Without her, I do not know how or if I would have softened my heart enough to begin to consider that Jesus might be anything other than the symbolic leader of what I viewed as an oppressive historical wave of self-righteous & indignant people.

Here is the crux of what I learned: the example of Mary & Jesus in abandoning their own will to that of the Creator illuminates the way to walk for all of us. The essence of much of Wiccan/New Age/Pagan practices is to exert one’s will upon one’s own life and/or the lives of others. The Wiccan “Do as you will, harm none” was my creed for many years. As it turns out, acting out of accord with the will & design of the Creator causes harm, regardless of our intention. I certainly caused myself grievous harm. To those in my past who were harmed by me, please accept my apologies & an invitation to peace & lasting healing through Creator’s messenger of peace & the savior of our souls, Yeshua, Jesus the Anointed One.

Christians, here I must say a word to you…He came for those who are lost, who need a doctor & a savior. He did so without judgement, with love. He still actively seeks his lost sheep, as he did me. Please, do him honor by doing likewise, with his spirit of love. There is a whole subculture who can never accept him if all they see is self-righteousness & pointing fingers. God is love.