Reclaiming the Sacred Womb: Hildegard of Bingen's Legacy

In a time when women's bodies were often viewed with suspicion and fear, Hildegard of Bingen dared to proclaim the womb as a sacred temple, a holy vessel through which the divine could be born anew.

Her visionary writings shattered the prevailing notions of her era, offering a radical vision of feminine power and spirituality that continues to resonate with women today.  

Hildegard's insights would take on a deeply personal meaning for me as I navigated my own journey with endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

In this blog, we'll explore Hildegard's visions of the womb, trace their roots in ancient shamanic traditions, and discover their relevance for contemporary spiritual practices.

Along the way, we'll also uncover the broader context of medieval medical concepts and literary representations of the womb, shedding light on the complex cultural landscape that was the backdrop for Hildegard's radical ideas.

The Wandering Womb

To appreciate the groundbreaking nature of Hildegard's visions, it's crucial to understand the dominant medical theories of her era. One of the most influential concepts was that of the "wandering womb," which can be traced back to ancient Greek medicine. This theory posited that the womb was a free-floating organ that could move throughout the body, causing various physical and psychological symptoms. [1]

The idea of the wandering womb not only permeated medical texts but also found its way into literary works. In the French fabliau The Debate of the Heart and the Eye, the heart complains about the eye's tendency to lead it astray, comparing it to a "wandering womb" that causes men to lose their senses. [2] This satirical portrayal reflects the widespread cultural anxiety surrounding the womb and its perceived power to disrupt social order.

Similarly, in the 13th-century poem Le Roman de la Rose, the character Nature laments the unruly nature of the womb, describing it as a "gluttonous beast" that constantly demands to be fed with sexual pleasure. [3] These literary examples demonstrate how the wandering womb theory not only shaped medical practice but also informed cultural attitudes towards women's bodies and sexuality.

The concept of the wandering womb was not limited to medical texts and literary works; it also found expression in medieval art. In the 13th-century Rutland Psalter, a marginal illustration depicts a womb as a separate entity, with a face and a serpentine body, being chased by a physician wielding a rod. [4] This image reflects the prevailing notion of the womb as an unruly, rebellious creature that needed to be tamed and controlled.

Hildegard's Visions of the Cosmic Womb and the Greening Power (Viriditas)

Against this backdrop of medical and cultural anxieties surrounding the womb, Hildegard's visions offer a radically different perspective. In her most famous work, Scivias, Hildegard presents a series of visions in which the womb appears as a cosmic force, a sacred vessel through which the divine enters the world.

One of the most striking images in Scivias is that of a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This woman, representing the divine feminine, gives birth to a child, symbolising the incarnation of the divine in the world [5]. Through this vision, Hildegard reclaims the womb as a site of sacred power and creativity, challenging the notion of it being a source of instability or impurity.

Central to Hildegard's understanding of the womb and women's bodies is the concept of “viriditas”, or the "greening power." For Hildegard, “viriditas” represented the life force that animates all living things, a divine energy that is particularly strong in women due to their generative power. In her medical text Causae et Curae, Hildegard writes, "A woman is the work of God, perfected. She gives birth, life, and nourishment, just as the earth brings forth plants and trees" [6].

This connection between women's bodies and the earth is further elaborated in Hildegard's vision of the universe as a great cosmic egg, with the earth at its centre, surrounded by the planets and the stars.

This egg, she explains, is like a womb, nurturing and sustaining all of creation. [7]

By linking the womb to the generative power of the earth and the cosmos, Hildegard imbues it with a sacred significance that transcends the biological and enters the realm of the spiritual.

The Legacy of Hildegard's Womb Visions and
the Reclamation of Women's Spiritual Power

Hildegard's visions of the sacred womb and her concept of “viriditas” have had a lasting impact on women's spirituality, both in the Middle Ages and beyond. Her writings inspired a generation of female mystics, such as Mechthild of Magdeburg and Julian of Norwich, who also celebrated the divine feminine and the spiritual power of women's bodies.

Mechthild, a 13th-century German mystic, described the womb of the Virgin Mary as a sacred chamber, a "golden temple" where the divine and human meet. [8]

For Mechthild, the womb was not just a physical space, but a spiritual realm of transformation and grace.

Similarly, Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century English anchoress, used the imagery of the womb to convey the nurturing, protective love of God.

In her Revelations of Divine Love, Julian wrote, "Our Savior is our true Mother in whom we are endlessly born and out of whom we shall never come". [9]

By likening God's love to that of a mother's womb, Julian challenged traditional gender roles and affirmed the sacred power of the feminine.

In the modern era, Hildegard's ideas have been rediscovered and embraced by feminist theologians, eco-spiritualists, and practitioners of earth-based religions. Her visions of the cosmic womb resonate with contemporary understandings of the earth as a living, sacred being, and of women's bodies as powerful temples of spiritual transformation.

Practices such as womb blessing ceremonies, yoni steaming, and womb reiki, while not directly linked to Hildegard's visions, reflect a similar reverence for the sacred power of the feminine. By honouring the womb as a source of wisdom, healing, and regeneration, these practices carry forward the legacy of Hildegard's insights.

Shamanic and Goddess Influences in Hildegard's Visions

Hildegard's understanding of the womb as a sacred space and her concept of “viriditas” resonate deeply with the shamanic traditions of ancient Europe and beyond. In many of these traditions, caves were seen as symbolic wombs of the earth, places of initiation, transformation, and rebirth. [10]

Shamanic rituals often involved entering into these cave-wombs, either physically or through trance states, in order to connect with the regenerative power of the earth and the ancestors.

Hildegard's visions of the womb as a cosmic egg and a gateway between worlds bear a striking resemblance to these shamanic practices.

Like the shaman entering the cave-womb, Hildegard's visionary journeys took her into the depths of the universe, where she encountered the divine feminine in all its power and mystery.

Her descriptions of the womb as a nurturing, generative space also echo the shamanic understanding of the earth as a great mother,
constantly birthing and sustaining life.

Moreover, Hildegard's emphasis on the sacred nature of the womb and its connection to the earth and the cosmos reflects the central tenets of many ancient goddess traditions. In these traditions, the womb is often seen as a microcosm of the universe itself, a sacred vessel through which the divine feminine manifested in the world. [11]

The cyclical processes of menstruation, pregnancy, and birth were celebrated as powerful expressions of the goddess's regenerative power, mirroring the cycles of nature and the cosmos.

Hildegard's visions, with their vivid imagery of the womb as a cosmic egg and a source of divine creativity, seem to tap into this ancient well of goddess wisdom.

Her concept of “viriditas”, the greening power that animates all life, bears a striking resemblance to the life-giving energy of the goddess, often represented in ancient art and mythology as a green, fertile force. [12]

While we cannot know for certain the extent to which Hildegard was directly influenced by these ancient shamanic and goddess traditions, her visions nonetheless suggest a deep connection to these timeless ways of knowing.

A Personal Journey: Connecting with the Sacred Womb

Rereading Hildegard's writings, I reflected on my own relationship with my womb. Endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, and PCOS left me feeling disconnected and ashamed of my body. The pain and heaviness of my bleeds made it impossible to embrace my womb's sacred power, and I retreated from this vital part of myself.

My healing journey began with alternative therapies and spiritual practices. I had also began to experience an intuitive appreciation for the power of sexual energy. As I learned to welcome my sexuality as a sacred expression of my feminine power, I found myself connecting with my womb. I discovered that my womb was not just a source of pain, but also a space of creativity, intuition, and ecstasy.

A Vision of my Womb through Plant Medicine

Plant medicine facilitated insight and healing as I reconnected with my womb. In one session, I journeyed into my womb space, encountering a symbolic representation of the potential for life I had chosen not to manifest physically. This intuitive communication took the form of a baby, embodying the path of motherhood I consciously decided not to pursue.

Without words, I felt a deep acceptance of my decision to remain childfree, my inner wisdom expressing gratitude for honoring my truth. Joyful grief washed over me as I released repressed emotions surrounding my choice.

This experience revealed my womb as a centre of creativity, wisdom, and spiritual power, transcending its physical function. Despite not bearing children, my womb remains a vital source of energy and potential, connecting me to the web of life.

The plant medicine journey affirmed my decision to be childfree as an expression of my feminine power. By honouring my truth and directing my creative energy in other ways, I tap into the same sacred power Hildegard and the mystics recognised in the womb, reinforcing that the sacred feminine encompasses diverse creative expressions and ways of nurturing life beyond physical motherhood.

Maintaining the Connection to my Womb

Today, my healing journey and reconnection with my womb continue through daily practice and ritual.

Most mornings, I meditate, placing my hands on my womb space, sending love and gratitude. I visualise “viriditas” flowing through my body, healing, regenerating, and connecting me to the web of life.

Sometimes, I spend time at a my womb altar, engaging in practices that support my ongoing journey of self-discovery.

These rituals help me cultivate a deep sense of reverence for the feminine wisdom that resides within me and all around me.

Just as Hildegard's visions and shamanic traditions recognised the womb's sacred power, I believe reclaiming this power and reconnecting with the earth and our bodies is key to healing our modern world.

Through ritual, meditation, and deep reverence for the feminine, we can tap into the womb's creative energy and birth a new reality of balance, compassion, and wisdom.

If you are interested in finding out more about sound therapy and
how it can support you on your journey, I’d love to hear from you.

Endnotes

1. Green, M. H. (2001). The Trotula: A Medieval Compendium of Women's Medicine. University of Pennsylvania Press, p. 51.

2. Bloch, R. H. (1986). The Scandal of the Fabliaux. University of Chicago Press, p. 104.

3. de Lorris, G., & de Meun, J. (1995). The Romance of the Rose. (F. Horgan, Trans.). Oxford University Press, p. 87.

4. Green, M. H. (2005). Wandering Wombs: Representations of the Female Body in Medieval Manuscript Illumination. In J. H. Arnold & K. J. Lewis (Eds.), A Companion to the Book of Margery Kempe (pp. 205-222). D. S. Brewer, p. 206.

5. Hildegard of Bingen. (2001). Scivias. (B. Newman, Trans.). Paulist Press, p. 123.

6. Hildegard of Bingen. (1999). On Natural Philosophy and Medicine: Selections from Cause et Cure. (M. Berger, Trans.). D. S. Brewer, p. 67.

7. Hildegard of Bingen. (1999). On Natural Philosophy and Medicine: Selections from Cause et Cure. (M. Berger, Trans.). D. S. Brewer, p. 78.

8. Mechthild of Magdeburg. (1998). The Flowing Light of the Godhead. (F. Tobin, Trans.). Paulist Press, p. 67.

9. Julian of Norwich. (1978). Revelations of Divine Love. (C. Wolters, Trans.). Penguin Classics, p. 139.

10. Eliade, M. (1964). Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton University Press, p. 51.

11. Gimbutas, M. (1989). The Language of the Goddess: Unearthing the Hidden Symbols of Western Civilization. Thames & Hudson, p. 223.

12. Baring, A., & Cashford, J. (1991). The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image. Viking, p. 187.