By Mary Gelfand,
The earth of all humankind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. It is in so many ways fruitful. All the other parts of creation come from it.” —Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen, the phenomenal 12th Century Rhineland mystic, created the word ‘Viriditas’ or Greening Power to describe what she considered as one of the Divine’s most valuable gifts. Viriditas is the power to bear fruit—the power to create in all ways. All of creation is “showered with greening refreshment, the vitality to bear fruit.” Greening Power makes all things grow, expand, and celebrate. She identifies moistness as a key component of Viriditas, naming the Divine as “the purest spring.”
During the last few days of regular spring rains, I’ve been reflecting on the creative alchemy of Greening Power and Moistness. Here in Maine, the spring rains serve to activate the Greening Power of the Earth. With this moistness, the very land around us grows, expands and celebrates with beauty and fruitfulness.
This alchemy of creativity is also present in the pre-Christian Celtic celebration of Beltane. Observed on May 1, Beltane celebrates fruitfulness and fertility—both intense acts of creation. The fertility of animals and humans was essential to the survival of all ancient peoples, as was the fruitfulness of the Earth.
Beltane is one of the fire festivals in the Celtic calendar. Around this time, as cattle were moved from winter to summer pastures, they were driven between two fires—intentionally lit so that the smoke would bless and purify the animals and ensure their continued fertility.
Fire was an important aspect of Hildegard’s theology, too, and was present in many of her visions. She speaks of Fire quite eloquently referring to the “living fire” of the Creator. This Fire is “wholly alive” and ‘vivifies’ all things. She describes the creation of humans by saying “The flame … poured heat into it by way of greening power and because the earth is like the fleshy material of humans, it nourished the first person with its sap (moistness)…and the flame breathed on it so that a living person arose.”
Fire is present in the emerging Viriditas of the Earth during spring. Not all the water in the world or the most fertile soil can create Greening without the fiery energy of the Sun.
The breadth and depth of this visionary mystic intrigues me—although many of her beliefs and visions are firmly rooted in the Holy Mother Church, many others read to me as so essentially Pagan. Since I am also a Pagan and much of my spiritual work involves connecting with the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—all of which are involved with Viriditas, I resonate with Hildegard in a profound manner.
And I rejoice in finding a female Christian mystic in whom the voice of the Divine Feminine was so abundantly present. She wrote, “I heard a voice from heaven say to me: ‘the all-powerful and ineffable God, who was before all ages but Herself had no beginning, nor will She cease to exist after the end of the ages—it is She who formed every creature in a marvelous way by Her own will’.”
Blessed be Viriditas and the gift of Spring.
All quotations come from one of these sources: Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, by Matthew Fox and Hildegard of Bingen: Devotions, Prayers & Living Wisdom, edited by Mirabai Starr.
Rev. Dr. Mary Gelfand is an ordained Interfaith Minister, a gifted teacher, and Wiccan High Priestess. She teaches and writes on the topics of feminist spirituality, Tarot, and Earth-centered spiritual paths. She resides in Wells with her husband Mark, two cats, and a forest full of birds, chipmunks, and other mysteries of life. You can see more of her writings at weavingthestars.blogspot.com.Weeping willow photo by Michael & Christa Richert
