Illumination: “liquid varieties of sounds and silences” (Hildegard of Bingen)

Spooky Hildegard quote

Image by Kyle Oliver for prayr.cc (CC BY 2.0)
Quotation attributed to Hildegard of Bingen (unknown translator)

I came across this slightly unnerving passage attributed to Hildegard of Bingen (I did a due diligence search for the source without success) and thought it might make for a spooky quote image using some of my Yellowstone photography.

I’ve trimmed the quote slightly, for space and effect, but I don’t think the result is unfaithful to the element of holy mystery that the remarkable Hildegard seems to be connecting to her creative process. Here’s the full thing:

Underneath all the texts, all the sacred psalms and canticles, are liquid varieties of sounds and silences: terrifying, mysterious, whirling, sometimes gestating, yet always gentle. I feel them in the pulse, ebb, and flow of the music that sings in me. As I sing I float like a feather on the breath of God.

Related Media

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“O frondens virga” by Hildegard of Bingen, sung by Makemi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

This is incredibly lovely—don’t miss it.

Selected Writings of Hildegard of Bingen 

Honestly, if you read about Hildegard for like five minutes, you’re gonna wanna go deep.

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