MARY AND THE SERPENT MOON: DISCOVERING THE REAL MARY

There is no one more enigmatic and mysterious in history as that of The Lady we know as ‘Mary’, a lady of many guises and many told tales. For deep personal reasons I have always been drawn to her, mostly from the Mary Magdalene aspect of the tales, yet also from the Divine Feninine aspect too. Yet like so many tales, so many myths and legends, one needs to pull apart what we think we know as the truths, to find the real story hiding underneath; is there a real Mary and if so, who was she?

Whilst in Europe recently, at appropriately Notre Dam in Witz in Luxembourg, a notable Craft site and one of the sites on our Grail Quest and also a site of amazing energies. I was very drawn to the statue there of the Ave Maria, carrying a child with her foot on a serpent standing on the crescent moon. I was drawn towards this symbolism and needed to find out more about it, maybe the ‘energies’ contained within were calling to me. Recently I came across a similar statue in the Fitzwilliam museum Cambridge. There was also one in Boscastle Museum, Cornwall. But I have not seen many in the churches of the UK though. The statue is shrouded in layers of illusion and the more one delves into it the more the illusion becomes obvious.

For the background history and a starting point, I visited the internet and the bible and have ‘bullet pointed’ the quotes below, and whether they are correct or not, they are here in the name of research.

 

  • In the Book of Genesis 3:15 God speaks to the serpent after the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed; He shall crush your head and you shall lie in wait for his heel.” This is a correct translation of the original Hebrew text and the traditional text of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. But two ancient translations, the Latin Vulgate (revised by St. Jerome) and the ancient Coptic version (Coptic is the Egyptian language used prior to the Arab Muslim invasions), read, “She shall crush your head.” But current editions of the Bible in modern languages, translations from the original languages, all follow the translation “He shall crush.” It makes sense that the original shall be “she shall crush your head”, for that is what the statues depict.

 

  • But in Christian traditions that passage is interpreted as a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah or Jesus; they interpret Jesus as the ‘seed of the woman’. Jesus being the second or new Adam, and his mother Mary, because she was completely free from sin, both original and actual, is the new Eve, the only woman who has a perfect enmity with the devil. This passage, sometimes referred to as the Protoevangelium (Greek “first Gospel”) is the first announcement of the Good News of Salvation after the Bad News of Sin and Death. Many popes, including the Pope John Paul II, have repeatedly interpreted this passage in a prophetic sense, referring to Christ and Mary.

 

But I don’t know, I think there is much more to it. And I don’t think this refers to humanities fear of snakes or serpents either, as some scholars suggest, for this explanation is of the mundane, of human understanding and the real interpretation goes way beyond this.

 

  • Further research found this: In the Latin tradition, because of the translation “she shall crush,” the passage has had a more vivid Marian meaning. That’s where the tradition of depicting Mary crushing the head of the serpent arose. But it’s a very apt and theologically precise image, nonetheless, since it’s a perfect image of her Immaculate Conception, her lifelong immunity from sin, won for her by Christ’s saving passion and death on the cross (cf. Luke 1:47). (Although the real ‘Jesus’ did not die on the cross as any Craft person would acknowledge) This is one reason why the new liturgy of the Roman Rite, promulgated at Vatican II, retains the reading “she will crush your head.” It is part of the antiphon (a short thematic verse) used for Mass on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It’s part of the Church’s tradition, a witness to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s special role in her Divine Son’s plan of salvation.
  • Revelation also speaks of Satan and the serpent: “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world . . . ” Revelation 12:9 RSV.

 

I am not sure if it is as simple as this though for if the serpent is Satan, then who really is Satan? We do know however that one of the Tribes of the Djinn have a similar name and the figure of Mary certainly seems to be ‘crushing’ or acertaining her ‘power’ over something. The Djinn were once referred to as ‘The Serpent Race’ and in light of recent knowledge it would make sense for ‘Mary’ to have ‘her’ foot firmly upon the serpent (serpent race), thus depicting an important heirearchy of beings, if one remembers whom Mary really is…

 

  • It is said by scholars that few women are so cloaked in mystery as the Virgin Mary, mother of God. Mary had reigned supreme over Heaven for centuries (as her crown testifies), then after the Reformation the cult of the Virgin became a source of contention between Catholics and Protestants. The new Christian movements denounced the worship of saints, which included Mary. At the Council of Trent (1545-1563), at which many questions of Catholic doctrine were decided, it was established that Mary occupied a unique status as an intermediary between worshippers and Jesus Christ. Protestants dismissed this, and all declarations of sainthood, as papist idolatry. In response, supporters of the Catholic Counter-Reformation emphasised Mary’s role as victor over heresy, epitomised here, where she tramples a snake underfoot.

 

We can clearly see ‘human intervention’ coming into play here, as the truths start to change and to become manipulated for the masses, propagated by non other than the the church…

 

  • This also alludes to the biblical book of Genesis in which God curses the serpent which seduced Eve, the mother of all mankind. The creature, trampled underfoot by Mary and the worse for wear after many years, has the forbidden fruit in its mouth. In Christian theology, Mary is the new Eve, come to redeem the original sin. Ave, the Latin for hail, the greeting for Mary, is a reversal of Eva, the Dutch name of Eve.

  • In addition to trampling a snake, Mary is also standing on a crescent moon. This is a reference to the Apocalypse, described by St John in a vision of a woman ‘clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet.’ The crescent is said to be an ancient symbol of chastity; remember the virgin lunar goddess Diana, and it also refers to Mary’s immaculate conception. Her pregnancy was not contaminated by the element of sin that affects the rest of mankind’s procreation; an item of Catholic faith that was not declared dogma until 1854.

 

But why should John comment as such, for he of all people knew the truth? Maybe because he too was a huge part of the illusion of Mary? As Craft we know the sun and moon to be an illusion;  so a woman clothed in an illusion and when one knows Craft this makes perfect sense. Hidden in illusion for hundreds of years is the power of the Divine Femine and yet always there in plain site…

 

Not surprisingly ‘Mary’ is indeed a collective name for all the Marys, all are as one, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Virgin, Ave Maria, the Madonna, the Black Madonna, they are all symbolic of one universal aspect, along with other goddess figures too; one energy line. I think it may be the feminine aspect of G-d, the feminine energy line, the mother of G-d, often known as the divine feminine. Mary has also been known as the Mother of G-d and even the Queen of Heaven. This could of course connect to Mary, the name, being interpreted as The Star of the Sea, The Stella Maris, even though this is disputed as an ancient typo. But those of a devout path have used these words in respect of Mary.

 

  • The etymologization of the name of Mary as “star of the sea” was widespread by the early medieval period. It is referenced in Isidore’s Etymologiae (7th century). The plainsong hymn “Ave Maris Stella”  (“Hail, Star of the Sea”) dates from ca the 8th century. Paschasius Radbertus in the 9th century has an allegorical explanation of the name, writing that Mary is the “Star of the Sea” to be followed on the way to Christ, “lest we capsize amid the storm-tossed waves of the sea.” In the medieval period, stella maris came to be used as a name of Ploaris in its role as lodestar (guiding star, north star); it may have been used as such since Late Antiquity, as it is referred to as ἀειφανής “always visible” by Stobaeus in the 5th century, even though it was still some eight degrees removed from the celestila pole at that time.

 

So, the ‘Star of the Sea, Mary’, could indeed be referring to something celestial – not an earthly reference at all.  For in Craft we acknowledge the ‘Black Waters’ ie the waters above…

 

  • In the twelfth century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (a Templar Grand Prior of his day) wrote: “If the winds of temptation arise; If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary; If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary. Should anger, or avarice, or fleshly desire violently assail the frail vessel of your soul, look at the star, call upon Mary.”

 

  • Anthony of Padua, also with Templar/Craft connections wrote of Mary as Star of the Sea. Star of the Sea;  Stella Maris, in Latin, is one of our Blessed Mother’s most ancient titles. From the earliest centuries of the Church, Mary the Mother of God has been understood to serve as our North Star; the always visible guiding star by which we may navigate to her son. She is the patron of mariners, and all “people of the sea.” As Saint Anthony of Padua wrote, wisely, this includes those of us who’re on land but who are spiritually seafarers, an interesting observation giving that Mary’s symbol (above) is indeed an anchor.

 

  • Pope Pius XII in his encyclical, Doctor Mellifluus, also quoted Bernard of Clairvaux in saying; Mary … is interpreted to mean ‘Star of the Sea.’ This admirably befits the Virgin Mother… (for) as the ray does not diminish the brightness of the star, so neither did the Child born of her tarnish the beauty of Mary’s virginity.

 

  • Stella maris was occasionally also used in reference to Christ. Robert Bellarmine (writing c. 1600) deprecated this use of the title, preferring the allegory of Christ as the morning star as the “brightest star of all”, classing the less-bright polar star as “paltry” (exigua).

 

 

The protestant church was denying Mary her true role in more than just the Mary Magdalene aspect which we all know about, and that is probably one reason why the depiction of Mary upon the crescent moon is not widely seen in the UK. The church is still very much hiding the truths….

There are many references to Mary crushing the head of her enemy (as in the similar John the Baptist tellings)

Once one gets nearer to the truth of discovering who Mary really was/is, and what her purpose was, one also starts to get nearer to connecting to her, and discovering most importantly the dark intuitive wisdom known as Sophia, something that I am also very much drawn towards. It’s an unexplainable wisdom which has a deep inner depth to it. It’s a knowing of the unknowable, of the unattainable only attained by a few. It is said in our scriptures that ‘he who has Sophia is he who knows the Waters of Life’. (of course, these days the quote should probably read as ‘they’ instead of he) Sophia is a dark and intuited kind of wisdom. By this context, it is intended to mean only those that have Being. But do all humans have this? Some do not, at most are they empty shells

From a Templar aspect and for the sake of research, the crescent could mean other things, we speak of the fertile crescent, and the sign of the ansar is a cresent moon and star. Does the moon and the serpent relate to the serpent priesthood and the ansar, for we know the ansar/ the Serpent Priesthood to be Mary’s own army, but why then does she have her foot upon the serpent? Is it because Mary is patron of the templars and in command of her ‘army’ or is there a wider interpretation?

Also from a Templar aspect, after studying Malak and Kiam in the templar degrees, (see my Templar Archives for more) and acknowledging that the ‘apostle’ John was actually Mary, something that I did not fully comprehend at the time but I now know how and why this is so. Given my currently known lineage, and correspondences – it reads like this: I connect to MM in respect of DNA (among other aspects), but I also connect to Bors, and also connect to John and then Raguel, so that gives a connection to both Mary and John, as all of us are of the same energy line. The earthly Mary would have been aware of the ‘John energy line’ for very impotant and specific reasons. Mary is John (a male energy in a female body) and often looking male in certain aspects. John (the ‘energy line’ aspect of John) had to be in a female body for the royal energy line/bloodline to continue upon the physical earthly plain.

 

What does the actual name mean?

As we well know in Craft, many mysteries and revelations are to be found within certain words, how they are arranged and spelt, so if  Mary means Army, by the same token Army could mean Amry (a boy) or ‘brave power’ from German origins. I have a small statue, meaning boy ie brave power (old boy)

Amry, as a boy’s name has its roots in Old German; the meaning of Amry ias said is ‘Brave Power’. Amry is a version of ‘Amory’ (Old German) and a form of ‘Emery’ (industrious leader) (Merlyn?) Some related forms are: Aimory, Amery, Amorey. So to conclude, the name certianly is synomonous with being brave, power and of a leader….

New Updates: During our recent quest to Ireland (Quest 32: Atlantic Atlantis) I came across this beautiful depiction of Mary, with her foot upon the Serpent/Moon, as in the statues and depictions seen previously. With all my research in place i now understand this to represent the path of the Serpent Priesthood (her Serpent Priesthood) and the path i have studied for many years, so it is of no surprise that it called to me, and of course one needs feet so to walk the path – she has her feet upon the path!

I am truly beginning to understand the significance of this image, and the stunning window here contains so much symbology, that i have, over time learnt the meanings and understandings of. I can now, with the aid of the latest Craft books published work it back to ‘Mary’ of the Goddess and why Mary is the Goddess of the Templars – The Serpent Preisthood. Of course there will be lots more to discover over time, and i also believe that it will all tie in with the ‘hidden zodiac’ (also serpent related)

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So much more to come here and in the months to come I shall be delving deeper into the mysteries of Mary to eventually reveal whom she really is…. As this is research please feel free to add any comments to enhance my findings…

 

2022: Further thoughts and updates: Of course as i evolve and travel deeper into my Craft journey, my understandings and level of knowledge also evolves with me; my own personal ‘within and without’. I know and acknowledge that the moon is not what we think it is; it is an illusion and created for a purpose within ‘time’. Likewise the serpent could be that of the hidden knowledge, so aspects of truths hidden from mankind. And yet this aspect (Mary) of the divine feminine line is ‘trampling’ upon all the fakery and illusions… (well we shall see and more to come)

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

April 2021/updated August 2021/Feb 2022