Inside the Eunate Templar Chapel (Navarra) with Madonna at the background

Maybe you allow me to start with something personal. Through intuitive visions I discovered my (fathers) ancestors. They can be traced back to as far as Canaan (my mother's ancestors come from Germany), sailed as Phoenicians to Sardinia (Alghero, Spanish territory for several centuries), where one of my ancestors joined (was forced? to serve) the Spanish Army in the Netherlands (17th century), staying there after the Spanish withdrew. Ever since, my family has been part of the 3% "ghettoCatholics" (in Groningen city) in the midst of a Calvinist culture. Is that the reason why I always deeply felt, that Spain is my true homeland? Returning to it fills me with tremendous joy....

Prehistoric hunters
(Bison-Altamira Cave)

"Cova de Daina" near Romanya de la Selva (Girona)

Unlike many other places in Europe and beyond there are to my knowledge no findings of pre-historic Mother Figurines ("Venusses") in Spain. Although in caves like Altamira people for sure have worshipped Her. Let's hope that one day the "Primordial Mother" of Spain will be found....Instead, in Catalonia there is the LINK: Cova d'en Daina, a Womb-shaped pre-historic burying site...quite remarkable, indeed

Womb shape of the Cova

Astarte i.e. Dama de Galera (near Granada)
with the Vessel of Abundance (Grail!)

Iberian Dama de Baza

The archeological history of the Spainish MotherGoddess starts with the "Dama de Galera" (Tutugi, near Grenada). It is a statue of Astarte, brought to Spain in the 6-7th century BCE. all the way from Phoenicia. She carries the Cauldron of Abundance in the form of a basket , clearly a early symbol of the Holy Grail. The Grail in its turn embodies the Cosmic Womb. The Galera Vessel probably shared milk with Her devotees, like She did on Cyprus f.i., later copied by the milk-spending Virgin Mary (Mater Lactans)

Iberian Dama Oferente

Iberian Dama de Elche

Phoenician Lady of Ibiza (Tanit)

The original tribes of Spain - the Iberians - have also been worshipping the MotherGoddess. Often inspired by the Phoenicians they created wonderful statues, like the "La Dama (Lady) of Elx (Elche), La Dama de Baza and La Gran Dama Oferente (also: Dama del Cerro de los Santos). Like the Dama de Galera, the latter keeps a Vessel in front of Her, sharing abundance and ever-lasting life with Her worshippers. These MotherGoddesses had male "Son/Lovers", in Spain there have been found the "Biche de Balazote", probably having functioned as a "temple guard" and the "Bulls of Guisando", showing that the bull cult really goes back to the times of the Mother and Her Son/Beasts. The Phoenicians left many more traces in Spain. One famous statue is the Dama de Ibiza, probably representing the Goddess Tanit*

* All previous sculptures can be admired in the National Archeological Museum in Madrid.

Biche de Balazote
(Green Beast of the MotherGoddess)

Bulls of Guisando

Ruins of the Empuries

Greek-Roman culture was equally strong represented in Spain. Example of this is the magnificent site of the Empurias (Catalonia). As everywhere else cults of Isis and Cybele must have been flowered in Spain. That their memory even survived at least 700 years is proved by the impressive "Fuente (Plaza) de Cibeles" (Cybele) in Madrid. Its initiator (in 1782) was Carlos III Bourbon, King of Spain, Naples and Sicily. His source of inspiration was twofold. First he must have been in contact with the many Cybele sites on Sicily, secondly he had been in conflict with the Pope for many decades. He was known as both an enthusiastic and a slightly cynical man, a combination good enough for building such a marvellous pre-Christian symbol in his capital.   

Roman theater Tarragona

Fuente de Cibeles

Virgen del Pilar

I have not forgotten the most impressive memories of the Original MotherGoddess to be found in Spain: the Black Madonna's. For that we have to go back in time to at least the 9th century. Two different Black Madonna's are emphasized here. The first is the Virgen del Pilar in the "Basilica del Pilar" in Saragossa. She is standing on a single pillar. It reminds one of the "Pillar of Asherah" in ancient Canaan. Many  other Spanish Madonna's - especially Black and Romanesque Ones - are standing on a pillar, mostly in the centre of the altar. The second one is the Moreneta, the Holy Black Madonna of Monserrat and Patroness of Catalonia. Around 880 CE She has been found - hidden in a tree - by shepherds/farmers. Another version is that She was carved in Jerusalem and brought back by Crusaders (Templars?) in the 12th century. Typically, both Madonna's (like the Swiss Madonna of Einsiedeln and the Italian Loreto) "refused to be brought to a church". Simply because they weren't part of the Catholic faith. So, the Church forced Her, building forts ("basilica's") around Her, closely guarded by monks and priests. Sadly, She was then used (abused....) to attract believers. Without Her the Church would have decayed a lot earlier, already.

La Moreneta

Shell
Cosmic Mother Womb
(Templar Headquarters, Tomar, Portugal)

Milk spending Madonna of Osiera Monastery (Galicia)

The Templars played indeed a major role in the worship of "the Lady". Their mentor was Bernard of Clairveaux who spend his whole life in veneration of the Virgin. The Madonna is said to have given him some drops of Her milk dripping from Her breast. Which is a direct connection to the milk-spending Astarte! The Templars (probably) financed a great deal of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, most of them dedicated to the Lady ("Notre Dame"). The fact that they called Her "Lady" rather than "Mary" speaks for itself: their source of inspiration was the ancient MotherGoddess of the Middle East. Her symbol was (is) the LINK: Mother Shell ("Womb!"), tens of thousands to be found everywhere in Europe on churces and other buildings. It also became the symbol of the Camino de Santiago, of course deprived of its original meaning! LINK: Santiago

On the Camino

Ponferrada
Original Templer Black Madonna

Templer Castle Ponferrada

Their daily prayer was like this: 

"Our Lady, who was there at the beginning of our religion, in Her,
and in Her Honor shall be, if it pleases God, the end
of our lives and the end of our religion, whenever it
shall please God that they end"

The religion that had "as its beginning the Lady" was the original ancient (pre-Christian) Great Mother religion!

Salamanca Cathedral

Grail Chalice with two ladies

Salamanca Cathedral
One of the many Grail Vessels

Since the Templars played a very important role in Spain (France and Portugal) it can be assumed that their ideas were widespread. Through them the Black Madonna became associated with the Holy Grail. This too they had brought back from the Middle East to Europe, where it merged with already existing Celtic symbols of the "Cauldron of Abundance". Innumerable Spanish (and Portugese) churches include images and carvings of the Grail. Especially Salamanca - LINK: the Old Cathedral - seems to have been an important Grail centre. See also: LINK. Calatayud. Later, in the 17th century St. Teresa of Avila would write her ""Interior Castle", a mystical book inspired by the Grail. The jewel among all is the Templar Church of LINK: Eunate in Navarra. In the typical octägonal chapel there is a Madonna at the centre of the altar (as one could expect!), with around the church quite a number of Green Beasts i.e. Green Men

Eunate Templer Chapel
(Navarra)

Eunate Green Beasts/Cats

The King of Leon as Green Man

There is a close connection between this Templar chapel, the Templar's Headquarters in LINK: Tomar (Portugal) and the Dominican nuns monastery in Salamanca f.i. (can be extended to many other places. See the LINKS in the Spanish section of the European Pilgrim Network).  It appears that the MotherGoddess was not alone. From ancient times She had Daughters and Son/Lovers. Example of the first were Penelope (Demeter) and Her Daughter/Goddess Kore. The latter representing the Death and Rebirth aspect of the Mother. Later this "function" was taken over by Vegetation Gods or Green Men: Tammuz, Osiris, Attis, Baal, Dionysos and....Jesus., all dying and resurrecting dieties....In still older times these Gods were represented by animals: goat, bull, deer, pigs, cats.....a remainder of the hunters who identified themselves with their prey. This explains why one finds so many Green Beasts/Men as guards of the Madonna - sometimes called LINK: "Lady of the Beasts" -  in and around churches. Spain is an overwhelming treasure of Green Men....

Green Man of Santiago de Compostela

Teresa of Avila

Add Teresa of Avila to it, the mystical woman, with whom I feel personally connected, her colleague St. John of the Cross who openly speculated about Darkness and Nothingness as the Origin of all life and Ignace of Loyola (founder of the notorious Jesuits), who's conversion was initiated by the Virgin of Monserrat, together with visions he had of a mystical Serpent, surely a symbol of the Original Mother, add much more to it, and you will get an idea of the great potential Spain has to once again taking the lead in spiritual matters. It consists of going back to the Original Cosmic Mother as the Source of both God and the universe. The nice thing about this: wherever you go in Spain, you meet Madonnas, the local manifestations of the One Mother. It is very inspiring indeed and reason for joy and gratitude. I always approach them with great respect. I will start our interreligious work with emphasizing the Healing Aspect of the Cosmic Mother*. So, join my mission to the greater benefit of Spain and the whole of mankind!

* LINK: Treating pain along the Camino de Santiago

Virgen del Puy
(Estella)