Cards 11-19: Anne - Blasius - Voices of the Saints
Cards 11-19: Anne - Blasius - Voices of the Saints
Cards 20-29: Bonaventura - Cosmas & Damian
Cards 30-39: Cyrus - Francis of Paola
Cards 40-49: Francis Xavier - Joachim
Cards 50-59: Joan of Arc - Mark
Cards 60-69: Margaret Alaoque - Peter
Cards 70-78 : Philip Benizi - Zita
Voices of the Saints: Keyword Guide
Transversal Theology: Technical Glossary
11. Saint Anna Mater B.M.V. (1st.-cent B.C. Israel-Palestine)
Hagiography
Feast: July 26
Saint Anne: Mother of Our Lady. Grandmother of Jesus Christ. Wife of Saint Joachim. Probably well off. Tradition says that Anne was quite elderly when Mary was born and that she was their only child. Believed to have given Mary to the service of the Temple when the girl was three years old.
Patronage
against poverty
against sterility
broom maker
cabinetmakers
carpenters
childless people
equestrians
expectant mothers
grandmothers
grandparents
homemakers
housewives
lacemakers
lace workers
lost articles
miners
mothers
old-clothes dealers
poor people
Pregnancy
seamstresses
turners
women in labor
Archetypology
As a B.M.V. card, Saint Anne presents long held maternal or feminine tradition or development in a situation. The archetypal grandmother/great grandmother she presents both kindness and wisdom in feminine form. Having given her daughter over to temple service in the proto-gospel of James, she represents those mothers who give of themselves and sacrifice for their offspring and for the betterment of both offspring and society.
Visual Symbology
The image shows Saint Anne seated like an ancient teacher and instructing the young Virgin Mary from a book. Everything about their composure speaks of maternal and matriarchal lineage and wisdom being passed on. Saint Anne’s halo seems to seamlessly merge with a decorative pillar situated behind the pair at study, reminding the querent of the stable and foundational nature of matriarchal inheritance. Up the pillar winds a vine focusing the observer on life springing from dead tradition (a shoot from the stump of Jesse). At their feet is a vase of lilies signifying their purity of focus on their role in salvation history.
Saint Mary kneels in prayer before the book implying that the knowledge imparted is not cognitive/intellectual, but spiritual, relational and intuitive. Saint Anne looks peacefully down at her with one hand on the book and one hand held in a position which signifies both the hypostatic union of Christ and trinitarian consubstantiality, at the same time pointing to the heavens in deference the greater telos in which they are both involved. In the background, there are palm trees stretching to the sky signifying the impending victory in the passion and death of Christ so long prepared for and just on the cusp of fulfillment.
Application
As noted a B.M.V. card brings to mind the need to have long term plans and structures of support. Or that one is in the midst of an “unfolding” story of life that is far beyond their singular existence and awareness. There are three different relationships presented by the three B.V.M. cards. Saint Anne presents the matriarchal line, thus the querent will want to reflect on maternal influences in their lives or their own influence as “mother”. It also advises the querent to seek out matriarchal elders for advice and instruction.
In reverse Saint Anne as a B.M.V. card could indicate the taking of one’s maternal influences for granted or that one is tending toward masculinity to a dangerously exclusive degree. It could also indicate the need for a paternal figure in one's life.
12. Saint Antonius Abb. (4th-cent. Egypt)
Hagiography
Feast: January 17
Saint Anthony the Abbot: Following the death of his parents when he was about 20, Anthony insured that his sister completed her education, then he sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned, gave the proceeds to the poor, joined the anchorites who lived nearby, and moved into an empty sepulcher. At age 35 he moved to the desert to live alone; he lived 20 years in an abandoned fort.
Anthony barricaded the place for solitude, but admirers and would-be students broke in. He miraculously healed people and agreed to be the spiritual counselor of others. His recommendation was to base life on the Gospel. Word spread, and so many disciples arrived that Anthony founded two monasteries on the Nile, one at Pispir, one at Arsinoe. Many of those who lived near him supported themselves by making baskets and brushes, and from that came his patronage of those trades.
Descriptions paint him as uniformly modest and courteous. His example led many to take up the monastic life and to follow his way. Late in life, Anthony became a close friend of Saint Paul the Hermit, and he buried the aged anchorite, leading to his patronage of gravediggers. His biography was written by his friend Saint Athanasius of Alexandria.
His relationship with pigs and patronage of swineherds is a little complicated. Skin diseases were sometimes treated with applications of pork fat, which reduced inflammation and itching. As Anthony’s intervention aided in the same conditions, he was shown in art accompanied by a pig. People who saw the artwork, but did not have it explained, though there was a direct connection between Anthony and pigs – and people who worked with swine took him as their patron.
Patronage
against eczema
against epilepsy
against ergotism
against erysipelas
against pestilence
against Saint Anthony’s Fire
against skin diseases
amputees
anchorites
animals
basket weavers
brushmakers
butchers
cemetery workers
domestic animals
epileptics
farmers
Gravediggers
graveyards
Hermits
hogs
monks
pigs
relief from pestilence
swine
swineherds
Hospitallers
Archetypology
Saint Anthony is the progenital hermit and monastic. He represents retreat from the cares of the world to a quiet place in order to gain wisdom, wisdom that is then eagerly sought out by the world weary. Though pictured as one with nature, it is nature at its most desolate and impoverished. Having lived in a tomb, nature bereft of life, and an abandoned fort, civilization decayed, he represents one who well understands the faults of humanity and seeks to avoid them. This is not a creative or synchronizing solitude, but one of ascetic denials.
Visual Symbology
On the card, Saint Anthony is pictured among animals near a dwelling. The animals seem fixated on him as he raises his hand in blessing, but he himself is focused on a small but wild fire that burns in front of him. He holds a walking stick with a begging bell and wears a simple monastic garb. It seems that he may be off to beg at the nearby house, but prefers the company of animals, yet even there he is not completely at home.
Application
If Saint Anthony appears the querent may contemplate whether they need solitude or maybe evaluate what should be cut from their life. The card evokes simplicity of life and the denial of material goods toward the goal of attainment of spiritual ones. In reverse Saint Anthony may be bring to mind that the querent should invest in social relationships or good use of material possessions. Or, the oppositional position could be a meditation on how one is isolated in unhealthy ways.
13. Antonius of Padua (13th-cent. Portugal)
Hagiography
Feast: June 13
Saint Anthony of Padua: Anthony’s wealthy family wanted him to be a great nobleman, but for the sake of Christ he became a poor Franciscan. Priest.
When the remains of Saint Bernard and his companions, the first Franciscan martyrs, were brought to be buried in his church, Anthony was moved to leave his order, enter the Friars Minor, and go to Morocco to evangelize. Shipwrecked at Sicily, he joined some other brothers who were going to the church in Portiuncula. Lived in a cave at San Paolo leaving only to attend Mass and sweep the nearby monastery. One day when a scheduled speaker failed to appear, the brothers pressed him into speaking. He impressed them so that he was thereafter constantly traveling, evangelizing, preaching, and teaching theology through Italy and France.
A gifted speaker, he attracted crowds everywhere he went, speaking in multiple tongues; legend says that even the fish loved to listen. Miracle worker. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
Patronage
against barrenness
against shipwreck
against starvation
against sterility
American Indians
amputees
animals
asses
boatmen
domestic animals
elderly people
expectant mothers
Faith in the Blessed Sacrament
fishermen
harvests
Horses
lost articles
lower animals
mariners
oppressed people
paupers
poor people
pregnant women
sailors
seekers of lost articles
starving people
swineherds
travel hostesses
travelers
Watermen
Archetypology
Saint Anthony of Padua is the universal wonder worker. This is the saint that people the world over turn to in order to find lost items. His powers extend far beyond his terrestrial existence and in that he represents not simple legacy, but the effect one can have beyond one’s own community, beyond one’s own life, and even from beyond the grave. The most striking example of this is in India, a small ashram named for Saint Anthony is located in the village called Pothiyanvilai. For over three decades thousands of devotees attend every Tuesday and Friday to receive his blessings, miracles, and guidings directly from St. Anthony's soul entering into the body of a holy person.
Visual Symbology
Generally, Saint Anthony of Padua is pictured standing, but in this image, he is seen sitting. Typically, with one arm he is holding the Christ child, who holds lilies in his hand and with the other hand, Saint Anthony is offering bread to a beggar. In this image, there is actually more than one beggar, and there is a basket of bread overflowing at Saint Anthony’s side, ready to be doled out. The beggar he is offering the bread to is kneeling with his hat in hand. He is dressed like a European peasant, but his face is oddly Asiatic. The abundance of both beggars and bread indicate the giving nature of Saint Anthony in life, and in his miraculous legacy. In the backdrop looms a large church and a forest of tall trees, seeming to indicate structures that can house large populations. Everything about this card seems to indicate intercessorial generosity with universal reach.
Application
When Saint Anthony of Padua presents in a reading the querent should be on the lookout for the miraculous or not be afraid to dwell on petitions. If miracles are noticed or petitions granted, the querent should be ready to spread the wealth of these blessings beyond where they would be expected to go. In reverse this card could focus the querent on use of one’s blessings close to home. It could also evoke ingratitude for blessings on has received, and call the querent to action rather than supplication.
14. Saint Apollinarius Ravennae M. (2nd-cent. Turkey)
Hagiography
Feast: July 20
Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna: Spiritual student of Saint Peter the Apostle. First bishop of Ravenna, Italy; as such he faced nearly constant persecution. He and his flock were exiled from Ravenna during the persecutions of Emperor Vespasian. On his way out of the city, he was identified, arrested as being the leader, tortured, and martyred. Noted miracle worker.
Patronage
against epilepsy
against gout
Archetypology
Saint Apollinaris represents the new initiatives under attack and the struggle for establishment. He was many times exiled from the city of Ravena and was martyred there. Though he sacrificed his life, the Church ultimately thrived.
Visual Symbology
Saint Apollinaris holds a scroll stating in Latin that he is Peter's disciple. Tucked in his left elbow he holds a processional cross, a palm, and an oar. All of his symbology seems to imply transition and travel. This travel is summarized in his missionary activity, his exiles and the travel of time given that he symbolizes as the second generation of leadership in the church.
Application
Saint Apollinaris brings transition toward stability and the process of establishment of a tradition and/or a legacy. This process is difficult and halting but will succeed. In reverse, Saint Apollinaris asks the querent to take bearings of where one is at the moment and appreciate it. The card would also indicate that one is going in the wrong direction.
15. Saint Barbara V. M. (4th-cent. Turkey)
Hagiography
Feast: December 4
Saint Barbara: A beautiful maiden imprisoned in a high tower by her father for disobedience. While there, she was tutored by philosophers, orators, and poets. From them, she learned to think, and decided that polytheism was nonsense. With the help of Origen and Valentinian, she converted to Christianity.
Her father denounced her to the local authorities for her faith, and they ordered him to kill her. She escaped, but he caught her, dragged her home by her hair, tortured her, and killed her. He was immediately struck by lightning, or according to some sources, fire from heaven.
Her imprisonment led to her association with towers, then the construction and maintenance of them, then to their military uses. The lightning that avenged her murder led to asking her protection against fire and lightning, and her patronage of firefighters, etc. Her association with things military and with death that falls from the sky led to her patronage of all things related to artillery, and her image graced powder magazines and arsenals for years. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
Patronage
against death by artillery
against explosions
against fire
against impenitence
against lightning
against mine collapse
against storms
against vermin
ammunition magazines
ammunition workers
architects
armorers
artillery
artillerymen
boatmen
bomb technicians
brass workers
brewers
builders
carpenters
construction workers
dying people
explosives workers
fire prevention
firefighters
fireworks
fortifications
Foundry workers
geologists
gravediggers
gunners
hatmakers
against lightning
mariners
martyrs
masons
mathematicians
military engineers
milliners
miners
ordnance workers
prisoners
safety from storms
saltpeter workers
smelters
Stonemasons
gunners
hatmakers
against lightning
mariners
martyrs
masons
mathematicians
military engineers
milliners
miners
ordnance workers
prisoners
safety from storms
saltpeter workers
smelters
stonemasons
stonecutters
storms
sudden death
tilers
Warehouses
Archetypology
Saint Barbara represents justice against repression, especially femenine repression. Her tale mirrors the classic rapunzel style narrative, but even in captivity she excels in learning. Her knowledge, however, is completely reserved to herself. After she is brutally dragged to her death, her executioner/father is swiftly struck by lightning. She represents potentiality waylaid and suppressed but offers hope that forces seeking to confine goodness cannot endure without experiencing justice.
Visual Symbology
The image for Saint Barbara overflows with detail. She holds a tower and a quill to represent her captivity and all her knowledge that will never be written due to her tragic end. Yet she stands atop her father, who has been crushed into the ground. Though he wears a crown and kingly armor he is in a position of absolute defeat. These together symbolize both the frustration and triumph of this card. Vaginal symbols pervade the picture. One is that the father seems to be suspended over a well, returning to the abyss. The entire picture is framed in a valley which couches a city main street, a symbol of unrealized life. A last vaginal symbol is placed on the other side of the valley, a railroad with two tunnels, a train emerges out of one. All trades associated with darkness and the use of explosives have recognized Barbara as their patron saint. Tunnel engineers see themselves as fitting that description. All of these images work together to present the cosmic dance between dynamic and static / creation and destruction one senses in the life of Barbra. The end result is of this dance in the narrative is a feeling of personal helplessness, yet hope in the dramatic and sure destruction of all that seeks to exhibit cruelty in the process, again, symbolized by the father.
Application
When one meets Saint Barbara one meets hardship beyond personal control. One can trust in forces beyond oneself to rectify the situation. Though the overall feeling is one of ultimate justice Saint Barbara speaks of stalwart perseverance and acceptance of poor outcomes. The querent may consider cultivating an attitude of buckling down and getting to work despite evident lack of fruits to the labor, and even hardships developing from honest effort. In reverse, Saint Barbara can bring to focus immediately rewarding labor, or a lack of justice in a situation.
16. Saint Bartolomaeus Ap. (1st-cent. Israel-Palestine)
Hagiography
Feast: August 24
Saint Bartholomew [Nathaniel]: One of the Twelve Apostles. Probably a close friend of Saint Philip; Bartholomew’s name is always mentioned in the Gospels in connection with Philip, and it was Philip who brought Bartholomew to Jesus. May have written a gospel, now lost; it is mentioned in other writings of the time. May have preached in Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India and Armenia; someone did, leaving behind assorted writings, and local tradition says it was Bartholomew. Martyr, flayed alive at Albanopolis, Armenia.
Patronage
against nervous diseases
against neurological diseases
against twitching
bookbinders
butchers
cobblers
leather workers
plasterers
shoemakers
tanners
trappers
whiteners
Archetypology
Saint Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, represents an honest and humble seeker of righteousness. When Natjhaniel meets Jesus in John’s gospel he is contrasted with Jacob (the archetypal trickster). He is one who says what he means and means what he says. Jesus promised Nathaniel that he would “see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” a reference to Jacob’s dream of the ladder to heaven, but fully realized as Christ. He represents a visionary and one who sees truth and does not hesitate to abandon skepticism and publically embrace it.
Visual Symbology
The image on the card is Saint Bartholomew’s Martyrdom. The entire scene is bucolic and peaceful, a small homestead is in the background surrounded by a green landscape dotted with trees. In the center of the card is Bartholomew, one arm behind his back tied to a tree while the other arm is tied above his head. He is being skinned alive. This method of death speaks to his candid nature, what is inside is what is outside.
His captor looks busy about his work. His face presents neither cruelty nor joy, just focus. Bartholomew is wearing a loincloth, the rest of his soft pale skin presented to be removed from his body. His humanity stands in contrast to the torturer who is dressed in animal skins, demonstrating the brutality of the act. The entire scene clearly images how we become all to familiar with horror in our lives, how we can see obvious goodness and destroy it, without a second thought. This attitude contrasts Saint Bartholomew’s readiness to change his perspective and accept the goodness he meets, even the goodness of martyrdom.
Application
When one encounters Saint Bartholomew in a reading one needs to consider candid honesty in one’s self or one’s neighbor. One might seek a point blank assessment of a situation. In reverse, one should pay attention for signs of self deception or cruelty. It could also advise that patience or tact is needed when communicating.
17. Blessed Beatrix II Abb. (13th-cent. Italy)
Hagiography
Feast: May 10
Born to the dynastic house of Este. Aunt of Blessed Beatrix of Este the Younger. Nun in the convent of Santa Margherita at Solarolo, Italy. Feeling a need for more seclusion, she took over a deserted monastery at Gemmola, Italy, and founded a new convent where she apparently spent the rest of her life.
Archetypology
Saint Beatrice presents a need for seclusion and withdrawal. She moves from a cloistered monastery to found a new house in a deserted monastery. Hence her withdrawal is done in order to bring something new from something old. First a renewal of solitude. Also the establishment of a new order from an existing one and the rejuvenation of an abandoned edifice to a new community.
Visual Symbology
Saint Beatrice occupies the center of the card, dressed in her habit. She holds a small church in her left hand symbolizing the establishment of her new community and a lily in her right hand symbolizing purity and focus concerning her direction in life. Behind her is a sprawling compound representing the legacy of her establishment. At her feet is a crown and rod symbolizing the power of the house of Este, which she left behind.
Application
Saint Beatrice leads the querent to contemplate a withdrawal and regrouping. She beckons one to a place free from distractions so that one can rejuvenate oneself, one's actions and one’s world. In reverse, Saint Beatrice pushes one to intense social engagement or could point out stagnation in solitude rather than creativity.
18. Saint Bernardinus Senensis Conf. (14th-cent Italy)
Hagiography
Feast: May 20
Saint Bernardine of Siena: Franciscan Friar Minor. Priest. Itinerant preacher. Theological writer. His preaching skills were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc.
Bernardino’s charismatic preaching filled the piazze of Italian cities. He was especially known for his devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. Saint Bernardine traveled throughout Italy on foot, spreading this devotion and promoting peace. He persuaded cities to remove their warring factions’ insignia from church and palace walls and replace them with a symbol he devised: the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, IHS, on a blazing sun. While preaching, he would hold a plaque in front of him with this monogram on it, and afterwards expose it for veneration. He argued that the catalyst of civil discord in the urban setting was malicious gossip, which led to insults and, too often, vendetta by aggressive males. His surprising allies in his peacekeeping mission were the women who comprised the majority of his audience.
Thousands of listeners flocked to hear him and to participate in dramatic rituals, which included collective weeping, bonfires of vanities, and exorcisms. He was a renowned peacemaker, in the Franciscan tradition, who tried to calm feuding clans and factions in the turbulent political world of the Renaissance.
Patronage
against hoarseness
against chest problems
against respiratory problems
lung problems
lungs
advertisers
advertising
communications personnel
compulsive gambling
gambling addicts
public relations personnel
uncontrolled gambling
Archetypology
Saint Bernardine represents speech and communication as well as the peacemaker who is not shy about the need for reconciliation. He is one who is in a world of payback and vendettas, but his way is a compassionate urging toward reconciliation. He also represents the antidote to a feedback loop between malicious femenine gossip and aggressive “toxic masculinity” as a male who is able to relate to the feminine and calm needless aggression.
Visual Symbology
This card is almost completely bare save the figure of Saint Bernardine, who stands in the middle holding his famous plaque dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus in his left hand. This is a sign of the way Saint Bernardine used communication. His maneuver to replace insignias of pride and conflict with the peaceful name of the word of God incarnate was his most ingenious communicative strategy for replacing evil for good. His right hand is pointed to heaven, the direction which he distracted those too immersed in worldly vendettas. His halo is opaque and decorated with one simple star demonstrating his simple but sure guidance as a speaker. The only other image on the card is three miters in the back representing three times that Saint Bernardine refused appointment as a bishop reminding the observer of his dedication to Franciscan humility and his singular focus on his methodology of peacemaking.
Application
When a querent encounters Saint Bernardine it is time to focus on communication, especially words and how the querent or people in their life uses them. Saint Bernardine focused on the communicative symbols of warring factions and gave them a new symbol drawing their attention to words, the words of the name of Jesus who is the Word of God according to John’s gospel. The card begs clarity of communication toward a macrocosmic end, especially concerning the making of peace. In reverse Saint Bernardin presents poor communication, discord and overly aggressive masculinity.
19. Saint Blasius EP. M. (4th-cent. Turkey)
Hagiography
Feast: February 3
Saint Blaise: Physician. Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. Lived in a cave on Mount Argeus. Healer of men and animals; according to legend, sick animals would come to him on their own for help, but would never disturb him at prayer.
Agricola, governor of Cappadocia, came to Sebaste to persecute Christians. His huntsmen went into the forests of Argeus to find wild animals for the arena games and found many waiting outside Blaise’s cave. Discovered in prayer, Blaise was arrested, and Agricola tried to get him to recant his faith. While in prison, Blaise ministered to and healed fellow prisoners, including saving a child who was choking on a fish bone; this led to the blessing of throats on Blaise’s feast day.
Thrown into a lake to drown, Blaise stood on the surface and invited his persecutors to walk out and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land, he was martyred by being beaten, his flesh torn with wool combs (which led to his association with and patronage of those involved in the wool trade), and then beheading.
He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
Patronage
against angina
against bladder diseases
against blisters
against coughs
against dermatitis
against dropsy
against eczema
against edema
against fever
against goiters
against headaches
against impetigo
against respiratory diseases
against skin diseases
against snake bites
against sore throats
against stomach pain
against storms
against teething
against throat
diseases
against toothaches
against ulcers
against whooping cough
against wild beasts
angina sufferers
Animals
Cattle
children
healthy throats
motorists
pack horses
pets
pigs
bakers
brick layers
Builders
carvers
cobblers
construction workers
Cowherds
farm workers
hat makers
hatters
Millers
musicians who play wind instruments
plasterers
shoemakers
sock makers
stocking makers
stone workers
swineherds
tailors
tanners
veterinarians
wool workers
Archetypology
Saint Blaise represents a healing in the rift between humans and animals. Much of his narrative revolves around him being in communion with animals. When he is captured the people find him because they are trying to capture and corrupt animals, instead they capture and attempt to corrupt Saint Blaise. Rather than of corruption in his captivity, he turns his healing ability from animals to humans harmed by them. Lastly, in a second standing in for the animal world, he is beaten to death with the very combs used to objectify and exploit sheep. Saint Blaise is much like saint Giles in his connection with nature. They even share a substitution hagiography. But where Giles represents existing symbiosis between humanity and nature, Blaise focuses more on healing needed and achieved between the two.
Visual Symbology
On the card Saint Blaise in not dressed as a bishop, but is clad in a simple robe. Sitting before him is a mother with her small child in her lap. The child has his mouth open and Blaise is touching his tongue with his left hand. His right hand is held in a gesture of blessing. This is the scene of his healing of the boy’s throat who had choked on a fishbone. It is the scene that focuses us on how he heals humans who have been wounded by their own cruelty and devouring of animals. Our cruelty does harm to us as much as those we hurt. Yet the compassionate soul heals even here. There is a white rose at the bottom of the image, a symbol of pure love, one that heals humans, animals, and humans spiritually damaged by their own cruelty to animals.
Interestingly his eyes are turned up toward a small host of cherubs in the upper right corner of the image. His halo is opaque and stands out against the background. These things represent his focus beyond even this world of humans and animals to the larger context of the cosmos and complete healing of reality.
Application
A querent who encounters Saint Blaise encounters a universal healer. He is in sync with nature and heals animals as well as humans. But his healing is not just a particular element of a particular being, it is a healing of the deep rift between animal and human. Thus the querent can look for fundamental healing of relationships at their deepest levels. In reverse, the querent can look for temporary healing, but not lasting. Or one can look for cruelty to the vulnerable, especially vulnerable companions.
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