Hildegard of Bingen

The word “Polymath” is one that gets used for quite a few people that are already residents of the Fools Gallery, but I don’t think anyone deserves that title more than the mystic and visionary medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Given to service god by her parents at a young age, Hildegard didn’t start to flourish and share her uniqueness until middle age. Someone who would have been an extraordinary person at any period of history, Hildegard has something for every one of us to admire. An absolute favourite and someone who stands tall in the Fools Gallery.

Care for some musical accompaniment while you scan through the Show Notes? By all means, have a listen to some music composed by Aunt Hildy!

Show Notes

2 thoughts on “Hildegard of Bingen

  1. Hello, Douglas!

    I’m listening to your podcast and really getting a lot out of it. I have a personal distaste for that particular branch of Christianity, but have admired Hildegard’s fierceness nonetheless. That she’s a patron saint of late bloomers and polymaths gives me validation of my own journey as a late bloomer. It seems that I am at a point in my life where I am open to new possibilities. I retired from my IT job 6 months ago and am casting about for direction. Full time work really removed me from persuing many of the interests I had when I was younger. I dipped into my savings to buy 5 years of retirement credit, and am really glad I did. I have time and money to do what I really want to accomplish.

    I am glad that you did an entire solo episode on this incredible woman. I know her from her music and her Cookies of Joy recipe. Ironically, I was stationed near the areas that she visited and preached in Germany, and now have an excuse to revisit that part of Germany (I was stationed near Kaiserslautern). I am going to do some deep digging to learn more about her, and how the people of the middle ages lived relatively harmoniously with what we call ‘nature’ now. Your observation about nature only existing to those who are separated from it struck a chord. I also like the idea that veriditas being a form of animism- another aspect of this world I am studying.

    What really got my attention was the use of the phrase “Living Light”. I had not heard it used in context with Hildegard before today. What’s really synchrondipitous is that I have the phrase “living light” translated into Vulcan and tattooed on my upper arm in Vulcan script. I’d asked a conlanger (constructed language enthusiast) to translate that English phrase into Vulcan, where it came out as ‘light with life’. Even better, I had a lovely faience blue Ankh symbol tattooed over the script, and the word ‘light’ fills the loop, and ‘life’ is on the stem.

    Suffice it to say that I am getting all sorts of solid directional signals from this episode. And I’m going to have to check out your other shows, too. As a Mage (MAgical GEneralist!) I enjoy learning about some of the more interesting aspects of magical practice (Babalon anyone?) but get a lot more from the ‘out of the Magic box’/ Fools Gallery subjects like St. Hildegard. Magic is everywhere, and it’s real. And you don’t need to swan around in Renfaire garb with a wand, a sword and all the smells-n-bells that have become almost stereotypical in some circles.

    This might not be a popular opinion, but if a magician can’t be rousted out of bed, yardwork, or shopping to do some magic work that is needed NOW, with decades of study and practice under their belt, maybe it’s time to re-examine motives and purpose. Being a late bloomer means having the ability to do magical stuff off the cuff, because you trust your gut, your Spirit Posse, your inner compass and all the other talents and insights you’ve accumulated over the years.

    Again, I want to thank you for a wonderful and insightful episode. It was a very pleasant listen, and I hope to stash it in my own archives if possible. Wishing you and yours all the best!

    Sunfell (Lorie Johnson)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Wonderful to hear Lorie! So glad that you enjoyed the episode!
      Hope that the other episodes are interesting to you as well! Ah yeah! Her Cookies! I’ll add a link to the Show Notes! Thank you for the reminder! 🙂
      Thank you so much for sharing, I loved it! Hope the searching for direction goes great, I know it will!
      All the best, all ways and happy holidays!

      Liked by 1 person

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