First: the story behind this week’s KnotWork Storytelling episode.
Second: a special invitation to
’s next free workshop on accessing the magic of the ancestral mothers. (Scroll down for the registration link!)“Some stories are better served medium rare!”
I am so grateful to
for that brilliant phrase.She was commenting on my latest podcast episode, a solo ep that includes what I was calling “a half-baked story.” I had the distinct sinking feeling that comes with a vulnerability hangover after releasing it into the world because it all felt so “in process.”
This episode offers the human dimension of the story of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. Here are the basics we have from history/ church lore:
Sophie and Wolfgang’s marriage was in trouble. Seeing as it was 1612 in Augsburg, they didn’t go to couple’s therapy, they sought the help of a brilliant Jesuit priest who had a reputation for working miracles.
Wolfgang brought their marriage ribbon to Father Jakob who was known for seeing apparitions of Mary, “Mother Thrice Admirable.” In the midst of deep ritual, the priest lifted the ribbon and untied the knots in the fabric. The ribbon glowed an intense white, and when Wolfgang returned home, he and Sophie were reconciled.
A few years later, Our Lady, Untier of Knots became part of the collective consciousness when the couple’s grandson commissioned a portrait of Mary in full Revelations regalia, including the sun, moon, and stars. She is untying a white ribbon that represents the challenging beauty of married life. Mary as undoer of knots was first introduced by Saint St. Irenaeus in the second century; Pope Francis has further popularized her in the last few decades.1
In what is a fully unscripted podcast episode (I recorded it all in one breath with my eyes closed!), I tell most of that story (though I think I got their ages wrong, I just realized I gave the priestly ritual rather short shrift in my retelling).
Mostly, it is an exploration of what a writer with a deadline might do when the characters refuse to reveal their secrets and motivations. (In my case, talk about the knots and wastelands of the creative process.)
Speaking of the Great Healing Power of The Mother
When the idea of KnotWork Storytelling came to me a few years ago, I never imagined I would be telling stories of Jesuits in Germany or be speaking much about Christianity at all. The show was rooted in Irish mythology, after all, and though the monastic scribes are essential to our understanding of those ancient stories, I wasn’t assuming that Jesus, or his mom, would be my subject matter.
Then I met
.Well, first I read the book that she co-wrote with her husband, Clark Strand.
The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary put my grandparents’ beads back in my hands, again for the first time. And I finally had an anchor for my lifelong devotion to Mary - the first goddess I ever knew by name.
On Saturday, July 13 at 3 PM, Perdita is leading a free workshop called Connect With the Magic of Your Ancestral Mothers.
And oh, I am so excited for this. Perdita has a way of inviting in the infinitely loving, nurturing mother energy. This is true every time I am lucky enough to be wrapped in her arms, and it’s true every time she appears on the podcast. (She’s visited my at KnotWork Storytelling twice!)
During this workshop, Perdita will guide us through deep, deep meditation, in which we’ll invite a maternal spirit from the other side to assist us with a personal challenge.
The perfect time to connect with the Mother Thrice Blessed, the Undoer of Knots?
https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/u/untier-of-knots.php
I enjoyed this read, Marisa. Thank you!
I discovered Perdita Finn’s work this year and am forever changed by her soft and gentle invitation to rediscover the mother Mary and the rosary. I also read both inspiring books. Thanks for sharing!