The Glorious Mysteries

The Descent of the Divine

💖 Before jumping into this post, I just wanted to take a minute to let you know that this love letter contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using the links, I can make a small commission. Thanks a million 💖

When I pray my rosary, I follow the prayer schedule of starting on a Monday and praying one set of mysteries each morning. There are The Joyous Mysteries, The Sorrowful Mysteries, and The Glorious Mysteries. I’ve posted about how I started with my rosary practice, and how I have adapted it to fit my needs but also honoring the essence of this conversation and connection to Mary. Now, I want to tell you about the connection I feel with The Glorious Mysteries.

The Glorious Mysteries happen after the crucifixion of Mary’s son and have the following chapters:

• The Resurrection

• The Ascension

• The Descent of The Holy Spirit (or The Divine if you’re looking for something less Christian)

• The Assumption

• The Coronation

As I’ve been praying this mystery 2-3 times per week since February, I have found that this is the one I get most jazzed about. It is the one I feel most connected to, even when The Sorrowful Mysteries are more the energy of my life most of the time. I have been trying to figure out why, and I think I have it.

Life is about constant change, growth, etc. To be stagnant, for some, can feel like a punishment worse than death. We want to be conscious, growing, learning, changing. I know that when I have been stagnant, those have been some of my darkest and deepest throes of depression, anxiety, self hatred, etc. In order to move out of those moments, out of the severity, pain, and grief of these moments (The Sorrowful Mysteries), we need to metaphorically die. Like in tarot, this death is not indicative of losing life, but instead of releasing what is weighing us down, keeping us stuck, keeping us under water struggling for air. We must experience the death of the old to welcome in the new.

From The Sorrowful Mysteries, we go straight into The Glorious Mysteries. To me, The Resurrection (outside of religious context) is about what happens after that release, that change, that monumental shift. It is closure. It is your opportunity to say goodbye to the lifestyle, the people, the habits, etc. that you are releasing/have released. Christ resurrects and has his closure. He says goodbye to his love, to his mom, to his disciples. This is the moment of confident closure after that major, painful change in our lives. The hope within it strikes me every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Then comes The Ascension. This is that actual act of moving up into your new stage of life, the new phase of spirituality, the new wisdom that has been bestowed upon you. Here is where you begin to start again with a fresh environment, new relationships, and the motivation to push through, learn, and grow. If you’re coming out of a very toxic situation, this is the equivalent of giving the finger and knowing you’re worthy of more. You move forward without looking back.

Here comes my favorite of all 15 mysteries: The Descent of The Holy Spirit.

The Descent of The Holy Spirit (or The Divine if you prefer) is when I acknowledge the animal guides in my life. I love this set of prayers. I name the animals. I think of what they mean to me. I acknowledge the goddesses I work with. I feel connected. There are 10 Hail Marys per mystery so I choose 10 animals.

• The Dove (Mary)

• Wildcard (Whatever animal pops into mind that day)

• Deer (Artemis)

• Bear (Artemis)

• Rabbit (Persephone)

• Bat (Persephone)

• Snake (Hekate)

• Wolf (Hekate)

• Crow (The Morrigan)

• Spider (The Morrigan)

The intentionality of this set of prayers is what I hope to achieve for the other 14 mysteries. I feel most connected here. I feel most empowered. By acknowledging animal guides that I work with often, I feel even more connected, and it feels like a good way to honor and express gratitude for their guidance, strength, and support. It is also the last set before I tune back into Mary’s energy and story.

The last two mysteries are The Assumption and The Coronation. We get back to Mary’s story, her power, her divinity. The story goes that Mary did not die, but instead was assumed body and all into Heaven, then crowned Queen of Heaven. For me, these two messages are a reminder to never leave out femininity. It is an essential energy for everyone. It is soft, powerful, creative, enticing, romantic, chaotic. It is the balance needed, and that is often overlooked within patriarchy. Not just Mary’s soul was taken, but her entire being. She is whole. She is full. By the end of the 153 Hail Marys, Mary is whole again. She is not just Maiden or Mother or Crone. She is no longer fragmented into what the patriarchy wants her to be. She is every aspect of the Divine Feminine. She is us. We are her. She is all encompassing. She becomes not ruler, but instead, she becomes home wherever we are.

If you are looking. to get started with a rosary practice, I can’t recommend The Way of The Rose more. I wanted to reread it the second I finished it.

How do you best connect with your spirit guides, deities, animal guides, etc? Does it take you a while to hear and understand? Do you get it right away? For me, it can take years to understand what is happening. What was being said in the moment. I’d love to hear about your experiences below!

Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.

With love,

Aventurine ✨