All of creation
“The word stands for the body, but the symphony stands for the spirit. All of Creation is a symphony….which is joy and jubilation.”
-Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
My own experience as a channel for spirit, both in writing and in singing, tells me that there are many aspects or faces of spirit working with each of us. I believe that those who whispered to a woman named Hildegard nearly a thousand years ago are whispering to us now. What are they saying?
A prophet, author, composer and abbess, many know Hildegard of Bingen for her healing gemstone waters, for the film based on her life (Vision), or even for her healing chants.
Born in Germany in 1098, the tenth child of a noble family, Hildegard wrote books concerning medicine, herbology, theology and two biographies of saints. Gifted from childhood with visions, she experienced both images and sounds which she attributed to heavenly sources. She described her music as translations of the sounds of the Celestial Symphony which she heard during these visions.
Hildegard was far too radical for many of her peers in the Church, which caused ongoing political struggles throughout her life. And yet she was renowned as a seer and prophet; she had the courage to speak truthfully to those who sought out her consul, including many kings and popes. She will be celebrated for her unique and unwavering commitment to expressing Spirit by the very same Church who only a few years ago pushed aside those who brought her work out of obscurity and into this modern era.
I do not believe for one moment that her teachings and ideas are being fully embraced by the current Church. But by the proclamation of Hildegard of Bingen as a Doctor of the Church (only 3 other women have been bestowed this title) there is an opportunity to reexamine the role of the Divine Feminine leader within ourselves and within the world. Matthew Fox has called the 12th and 13th centuries the time of the “Feminine Renaissance.” Hildegard was at the forefront of this movement. Other historical scholars have noted the extraordinary power, influence and control exerted by women of that period within society, and particularly within the Catholic Church. A power that has never been equaled since.
Why is this important?
Because we have arrived at a similar point in time. I consider history as a sequence of events unfolding along a spiral course, rather than a straight line. This metaphor allows me to consider events not as concluded, but simply as moving along in their natural unfoldment. Many numerous subtle energies present in Hildegard’s lifetime 900 years ago are present today also. Not that they are translated into the same physical forms, but the underlying principles which were at work then are again being actively engaged.
Hildegard left behind a legacy of writings on theological topics, health and healing, herbology, and two biographies of saints. She wrote the text and music for a play and seventy-seven songs, all in Latin. She watched over the production of a number of colorful illuminations based on her visions, corresponded with politicians and church officials, including Popes who sought her consul, and oversaw the daily running of two monasteries which she founded. She traveled throughout northern Europe, and is commonly acknowledged as one of the most influential people, male or female, of the 12th century.
When I first began to sing and record her music around 1990 few had heard her name. Nowadays she is everywhere – with my own and other’s recordings of her music, replicas of her illuminated artwork, translations of her books and even a movie about her (Vision). Just as her guides and angels spoke with her during her spiritual visions, I believe that a version of these guides and angels are available to us here today to inspire even more creative works. Being a musician, my interest is to connect with those spiritual beings who provide healing within music.
After singing chants written by Hildegard for more than twenty years, I find that her music has a mystical and unusual quality to it. While it falls into the category of Gregorian Chant, it is much more than that. Hildegard was not trained in music theory or notation. She lived in a monastery beginning at the age of eight, and heard the Divine Office being sung night and day by the Benedictine monks who surrounded her. Her own music is based upon the modes of the time, yet she uses the notes to form small motifs, bringing out the meaning of the words in melodies which often span an octave and a half.
More than most chant, Hildegard’s music has a melodic character to it which captures the ear of the modern listener. Whether it is accompanied with instruments or sung alone, her music is a bridge which allows us to access those same spiritual energies with which she was in touch long ago.
I believe that the experience of union with the Divine which Hildegard sought to convey through her music and writings is even more deeply possible today. And as we travel along the spiral path of life’s unfolding we have come again to a point where the honoring of the Divine Feminine is needful. The innate feminine qualities of stillness, deep perception and compassion bring healing to our world. Nourishing our inner Divine Feminine, regardless of our body’s gender, allows us to also receive insights more readily from our own guides and angels.
As Hildegard wrote; “The body is the garment of the soul and it is the soul which gives life to the voice. That is why the body must raise its voice in harmony with the soul for the praise of God. All of Creation is a song of praise to God.”
For more about Hildegard of Bingen see www.healingchants.com
Norma Gentile
Sound Shaman Norma Gentile is a classically trained singer (Master’s of Music), with four CDs of healing chants, over thirty recorded meditations, and is a channel for the Hathors and Archangel Michael. Her most recent album, SONGS of SPIRIT, includes four of Hildegard’s healing chants and is available in the Maat Shop. Find more at Norma’s website: www.healingchants.com