1. Silvesternacht: Cologne’s Retrograde
How "synchrono­logically appro" to be having a meeting among religious artists, feminine theologians,
musicians, feminists, ecologists, artists, those w/medicinal interest & natural practices of the healing arts
­­ regarding shifting awareness of ​Viriditas ​to open our eyes and move our hearts for freedom, justice
and integrity of creation ­­ in the epicenter (​Kölner Domplatte ​­­ Cologne Cathedral) of what’s currently
emblazoned as a symbol of exploitation, violence and the clashes of cultural imperatives.
. . .why the remarks of “the Mayor of Cologne in the wake of mass sexually violent attacks against
women on New Year’s Eve are so very problematic, after she implied that females facing attack should
do more to protect themselves​.” ​ ​~ Claire Hubble, Irish Examiner, 6 Jan, 2016
As we commenced this gathering to organize the 2nd International Conference: ​“Viriditas – Grünkraft –
Green Power of Life​” to “herald” Hildegard von Bingen's great enthusiasm for the divine Feminine, we
were reminded in doing so, how her words ring true today as much as it was in her own time, providing an
alternative path to the fundamentalist views in belief systems that “revere the dominating power of the
authoritarian mind” shifting the balance off the intuitive aspects of our inner selves.
In capturing some of the sacred, theological, medicinal and ecological stories inspired and living in our
hearts, minds, and souls through St. Hildegard we strive to recreate them in a forum that serves to

2. “intermediate” expression of the journeys, struggles, and reflections on representations of the divine and
the divine's interactions with creation.
“Really? Anybody surprised?!? The violent vestiges of
misogynistic retrograde refuse does not suddenly entertain civil pretense by entering a country bound by rule of law.
Brace yourself ­­ there's a lot more where that came from!” ­​ R. Eady, Int’l SCIVIAS Member
"Respect us! We are not fair game even when naked," read Mila Moiré’s
sign, as she stood for 20 minutes in 4C temperatures watched by onlookers. "I am firmly convinced that
women will no longer be treated as sex objects when a naked woman is treated with as much respect as a
clothed one," Moiré told German newspaper Bild.
At this now highly provocative conjunction of transit, commerce, culture and divinity (​Kölner Domplatte
being the number one tourist destination for the nation's natives) it may best serve this posting to share an
example of a religious artist counted in our Scivias Institute for Art and Spirituality (SIAS) membership:
Caroline Mackenzie.

3. In her nascent interest in capturing theological images in art, she early on recognized the fact the art
books in her school library had no examples of women artists. This led her to explore feminism,
spirituality, and religion as Caroline noted being the artist was normally a white male enterprise with
women playing the role of the beautiful, inspiring muse, or model. Visiting the British Museum, she
discovered Indian sculpture and found an art world replete with meaning beyond entertainment and she
also found some resemblance with her own body.
In pursuit of this new found awareness she formed her theological underpinnings (via the devotion and
integral experience of prayer at a small Christian community in India named INSCAPE Art Ashram) to
influence her art ever since. In her attempt to integrate the inner and outer aspects of her life, she became
increasingly interested in feminist theology and now works with inter­mediation of the sacred and the
secular as it has developed in Europe.
​Three Women and an Angel inside the empty Tomb ­ St. Helen’s Parish​ ­ C.
Mackenzie. ​ Drawing on the iconography of divine women in Indian religious art she expands the idea of
the sacred to include the full humanity of woman: expressively active, creative, and empowered with rights
and dignity. Her art brings insights from theologians into the wider public domain and helps scholars,
cultural manifesters, healing arts practitioners and lay people understand this art and how it relates to
sacred text, tradition and the turmoil of our contemporary context.
For example, a sculpture is entitled, "The Victim" finds us challenged to discern the shape or
form of the sculpture. Peering closer we can see a figure of a woman holding herself in a crouching state.
She is vulnerable, weak, fatigued, and shamed: a state in which many women around the main train

4. station in Cologne found themselves. Victimized sexually, verbally, and physically, this was part of the
tactic organized perpetrators employed this 2016 ​Silvesterabend​ (New Year's eve): to reduce these
women to a tragic state of helplessness.
By R. Eady, Therapeutic Program Director, Pamuya Healing Sanctuary​
In 2015, Eady facilitated the ​nature discourse portions​ of the ​Heralding Hildegard Pilgrimage ​for
visiting Intellectual Spiritualist, Mystic Theologians & Healers. This included visit to the Barfußpfad
Bad Sobernheim an der Nahe and the canoe excursion (Kanufahrt) auf dem Glan von Meddard
nach Meisenheim.
His “foot­workshop” on 26 May, 2016 @ Disibodenberg’s Labyrinth and
surrounding paths touches on: ​How to Condition Soles & Souls for Pilgrimage​ to best convey the
"importance of foot health & spiritual preparation for walks."
This specific article is in reference to curriculum development for the forthcoming Pilgrimage & Study Tour on
“Women Mystics” (May 12­31, 2016)​; this tour starts in Belgium and includes the 2nd International
Conference of the Scivias Institute in Bingen. The theme of this conference is “​Viriditas – Grünkraft ­ Green
Power of Life​” taking place May 26­29, 2016 in Disibodenberg, Bad Kreuznach and in the new hotel of the
Hildegard­Forum on the Rochusberg in Bingen. An ultimate goal of this process is to create the
Hildegardweg​,​ a walking path for pilgrims (a ​Camino ​in the Naheland from Idar­Oberstein to Bingen). Plans
to open it publicly are scheduled for Hildegard​ Fiesttag ​September 17, 2017.