Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Awesome explanation: The Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe - The only apparition where Our Lady left an actual picture of herself. All other apparitions were drawn from the description given to them from the visionary. To the Aztecs: a message; To the Spaniards: a picture. The colors, lines, stars, designs, rays, moon, etc all have meaning to them Depiction - Mary as an adolescent around 14 or 15 with an oval, Mexican, clear dark face, like a little mother. The size of the image: 6 1/2 X 3 1/2 Head Bowed - Indian culture gods and goddesses looked you straight in the eye to show their power and were often depicted with large eyes. Mary, with her head bowed, showed she was neither a god or goddess, and that there was a higher power above her. Hands - joined in prayer of supplication, therefore not a goddess; there is someone greater than Her. Blue Mantel - Blue was a sign of royalty, a sign of virginity, also color the goddesses wore. Indians lived by the stars and here she wore them on the blue mantel, showing her God is more powerful than the stars. The blue mantle also represents heaven. Stars - They are the brightest gold, signifying royalty: It is said that there are 48 stars, 8 points; 22 on right, 26 on left show constellations that were in the sky at the time of the apparition 10:30 am December 12, 1531. The stars on one side represent the northern constellations, the others represent the southern constellations. One can see Venus the morning star, while Virgo would fall on the hands, Leo on the womb, crown of stars on the head. Dress - A similar to a style worn by Jewish women two thousand years ago; Mary was Jewish. The design is likely the hills and mountains of Mexico, with gold thread. Gold was important to the people. Cuffs - The sleeve cuffs with fur means royalty/Jewish nobility Black sash - Tied around her waist, it was a cultural symbol of pregnancy . The central part of dress appears bulging. This would indicate she was pregnant with the Child Jesus at the time of the apparition. Rays of the Sun- The rays are bright near her body and fade out away from her body . There are 129 rays - 62 on right, 67 on left equidistant alternating forms: 1) straight like swords 2) undulating flames. The red border indicates a rising sun, signifying new life. Surrounded by a Brilliant Light - Indians worshipped the sun god. This showed Our Lady was clothed in the sun, and therefore her God was more powerful.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 03:46:55 +0000
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