The Sorrowful Mysteries

Carrying of the Cross

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TW: DEATH

I have been thinking a lot about The Sorrowful Mysteries in the rosary this week. Two weeks ago, I covered The Glorious Mysteries, and they are still my favorite. As we approach winter and Scorpio Season, my mind is on The Sorrowful, that death before the rebirth.

The Sorrowful Mysteries are the lead up to the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth and have the following chapters:

• The Agony in the Garden

• The Scourging at the Pillar

• The Crowning of Thorns

• The Carrying of the Cross

• The Crucifixion.

About a month into my rosary journey, one of my partner’s best friends died suddenly from acute leukemia. I began to really tap into this mystery and feel the collective grief of my partner and his friends, his friend’s family. I prayed ardently for a recovery. He passed after 21 days of being unconscious in the hospital. Through this, I also tapped into the anxiety, fear, and worry of Mary throughout these mysteries.

I feel like these mysteries can feel very Christian, very Catholic. This series of posts is about how I am reclaiming a conversation with Mary through the rosary while leaving the Christian meanings behind and seeing how each mystery, each story, each key phrase situates into my life, my path, my beliefs.

The Agony in the Garden is when Jesus first learns of the sacrifice he will make. He wonders the garden as he processes this information. He is alone in this as everyone else sleeps. I was hiking Latourell Falls surrounded by an abundance of flowers and water when this moment clicked for me. Where else would you want to be other than a garden when your heart is heavy? Earth and Water are grounding and cleansing, protective and nurturing. Give forth your worries to The Earth, and cleanse you energy with Water.

The Scourging at the Pillar can be a hard one to stomach if you are visualizing a person being beaten. I think this one for me is a reminder of climbing out of the pit of self hatred, the pit of depression and anxiety, the pit of misery and judgment. We go through those things, and they hurt, damage us, but we can pull through them to continue the journey to change because that’s what at the end of this: death of the old. Change is hard. Change is scary. Change brings out the worst in ourselves and others. Change hurts.

The Crowning of Thorns is probably one of the most iconic and memorable aspects leading up to the crucifixion. Most of the crucifixes you see have Jesus adorned in these thorns. This action is one of mockery. You believe you’re the Messiah? Let us make a king of you, and they crowned him with thorns and pushed until he bled. Again, this can be a tough one to fit into our daily lives, our modern lives. It’s the verbal abuse, the bullying, the element of air used to hurt. I wear the words you give me, and instead of crumpling, I find the truth or I find my own comfort within them. How can I change the narrative? How can I manipulate these words to show your hand vs. mine? The crowning of thorns reminds me of my Mercury in Scorpio placement. I will find the truth. I will communicate it when I am ready. Your words will only tear you down, not me.

Carrying the Cross is my favorite in this set of mysteries. It is the reminder that we don’t have to do this alone. The Hermit doesn’t need to do every ounce of self reflection and change alone. Instead, it’s about discernment. Who are you letting into your life? Are they worth the time and effort? Is there reciprocity? Are the divine powers you’re working with there for you as much as you are for them? Can you trust yourself and your intuition enough to hand over the hurt and heartache until you’re ready to process it? I often tell people that I will hold their hope, their disappointment, their grief until they are ready to have it back. Some people never come back for it. I release it back to them. Others take it back when they have the time and energy and space to process. This mystery gives me six of pentacles energy: reciprocity, not for power but for care. This is a reminder that you need not always be the giver, though you should never only be a taker. Balance.

The Crucifixion is sometimes the scariest because it implies a painful death, but death can just be change, which is still terrifying and painful. On Tuesdays and Fridays, I end my rosary without the relief of The Resurrection, and instead, I must sit in the discomfort of a sad ending before the next morning comes and hope is present. The Crucifixion is a reminder for me to sit in discomfort, not to distract or dissociate my way out of it. Change is uncomfortable, but it is necessary. The feelings from the previous mystery must be processed here. The crucifixion is where we take back what others are holding in order to work through them and grow. Here is where you need to feel to heal.

I started this journey with The Way of the Rose. I am so happy to be on it. One of the things I loved most about this book and what truly made me feel comfortable enough to try without worry of perfectionism was Strand’s mention of the rosary is a conversation with Mary, one that is often interrupted by dishes and child rearing, but one that can always be picked up at any time. Interruptions, ADHD, etc. aren’t going to ruin anything. Instead, we get to be just who we are without having to worry about “finishing before I am interrupted.”

If you have done the rosary, how do you relate to The Sorrowful Mysteries? Do they stay in the last Christianity or have you adapted them to a more personal practice?

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

With love,

Aventurine ✨