Be All You Can Be
Dare to declare who you are. It is not far from the shores of silence to the boundaries of speech. The path is not long, but the way is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.
I first encountered Hildegard of Bingen about 30 years ago when I was engaged in an independent studies course on folk art. Of the many artists I was introduced to, I was particularly drawn to the sacred aspect of her works and the vivid colors of her original pieces. Scivias which means “Know the Ways” is a collection of 26 of her visions. At the time I had no idea where my initial query would take me but over the years I’ve developed a relationship with Hildegard as I dug into her immense repertoire across several art forms and beyond that included nature and natural healing.
Hildegard of Bingen was born in 1098 to a family of nobility in the Rhine Valley of Germany. At a young age she experienced numerous visions and her family chose to offer her as an oblate to a Benedictine monastery in Disibodenberg. There she spent the remainder of her life in prayer, composing music, plays, and librettos, not to mention writing letters to popes and emperors of her day. Nothing seemed beyond her realm of creative imagination.
Lest you think that might have been a carefree, easy, creative life, you’d be mistaken. Much of her life was spent experiencing the trauma of years wars: the rise and fall of kingdoms, principalities, and nations. The living conditions were stark and barren the cells were small and frigid. Just getting through the day was an undeniable challenge and required tenacity. As it turned out, Hildegard came into being equipped with courage, faith, a defiant spirit, as she called out injustices and unholy behavior among clergy and representatives of numerous institutions.
The next time I studied the wisdom of Hildegard was during a health crisis. I was seeking alternative relief from a minor ailment and came across Hildegard of Bingen’s Book of Medicine. Not expecting much from an 11th century monastic I was surprised when I followed her modified instructions and healed quickly. A woman ahead of her time she cultivated an herbal garden on the grounds of the monastery and experimented with a variety of concoctions that supported health and well-being not just on a physical level but spiritual as well. Though unconventional her explorations led to results that were beneficial to her own health and that of others. You could call her the first holistic healer.
Another few years passed before I became acquainted with Hildegard’s music. It is definitely in a realm of its own with high and low ranges for the human voice and an array of sensuous, melodic original renditions of chants, hymns, and antiphonal sequences. During her time, music “was perceived as the mirror of divine order.” Though not all her pieces resonated with me with some intuitive searching I found works that soothed my soul and brought peace to thoughts and even opened spaces for my own creative expression through choreography.
There is one final thing that might make you want to engage with Hildegard of Bingen and that is viriditas, which refers to the “greening power of God.” This was more than a mere idea to Hildegard, she felt that viriditas could be cultivated by each person and like nature was realized in living life to its fullest.
Every creature is a glistening, glittering mirror of Divinity.
If you are just learning about Hildegard of Bingen you can begin with viriditas, acknowledging your own divinity and that of other creatures. Being in nature is a simple starting place. Nothing else is needed just your beingness and awe at the simplicity and beauty of natural settings. Walking in nature, listening to trees, and other sounds opens you to a different attitude of what life is really about.
However if you want to venture a little further, I couldn’t resist tempting you with this beautiful composition, “Spiritus, Sanctus.”