Hildegard von Bingen
Medieval Mystic and Brilliant Visionary
Born in Germany during medieval times to a knight, Hildegard of Bingen was the 10th child. As was customary, the 10th child was dedicated at birth to the church. Accordingly, she lived, and was educated in monasteries, in particular the Benedictine monastery at Mount St. Disibode, in the Celtic tradition. At age 18 she became a nun.
Hildegard of Bingen wrote and spoke extensively about social justice, sexual relations, and about the natural world as God’s creation, entrusted to our care. She also concerned herself with the curative and medicinal powers of plants, animals, trees and stones. She was a revolutionary composer and a visionary; a brilliant spiritualist, ecologist, naturopath, artist, and intellectual. When few women were accorded respect, she was consulted by and advised bishops, popes and kings.
St. Hildegard began having visions by the age of three. She concealed these visions, only sharing them with her instructors. Often her visions were accompanied by illness, specifically migraines.
In 1141, at the age of 42, she had a life-altering vision, which imbued her with the capacity to understand the meaning of religious texts. She was instructed to write everything down, but she hesitated to act due to feelings of inadequacy. Her fears around her…
