Holy Water and Red Madonna

On the 6th of January, Shiloh shared a lovely practice of making Holy Water for our painting process this year for Red Madonna. She attended the Theopany ceremony at her church Russian Orthodox), and guided us through the process to craft our own, using what we had on hand. Our community will have the opportunity to make Holy water for painting at our February Red Thread Circle. (Registration for this year's Red Madonna online is open for one more week, through January 27.)

Altar with Magïc brushes and Holy Water

My blessed water included well water, Bulgarian Rose Oil, Hathor oil blend, and Our Lady of the Cosmos flower essence bouquet (formulated for Red Madonna 2015). I placed it in a cut glass, stoppered bottle, which I'd used for Holy Water from a Buddhist lama in the mid 90s. We also added some to one of our spray bottles. 
On my altar: my Magïc paint brushes, crystals and coral, a carved red turtle (Kenya), reindeer antler, a goddess of fossilized horn and silver, Hathor oil, rose  beads (around the angel), the flower essence bouquet, smudge sticks, a Red Jar candle, and chocolate!

Then last week it snowed here and in various other Northern cities, and several of us added snow melt to our holy water bottles. I also finished getting my table cleared and the altar reset.

Snow for Holy Water

We "painted" symbols and designs on our black gessoed canvases with some of the water (no pigment added), after blessing them. The photo was taken in the evening, so the water shows up dark, and gold.

Canvas "painted" with Holy Water

I have been purchasing fresh flowers for the altar, with a rose each week. I'm enjoying having the new smaller table, and have several books, my Mother Mary Oracle cards, and my drum on the shelf beneath.

This week we received our first painting videos on the full moon (January 12) ... I spent several days across town at my daughter's during the snow time, I've watched the videos, but not yet added paint! Soon, ...
Happy Paint Party Friday