Reply #46: not Catholic, but I adore Mary

[riverwalker]

it's a personal thing, but I have always adored her, but was not raised to do so as a midwestern Lutheran (we consider cottage cheese to be too exotic.) It evolved from traveling, and I found that all over the world, there are little shrines to Mary. By a creek, in a parking garage, a roadside grotto. She is accessable to common people all over the world, as the mother, the original goddess of compassion, the earth itself. To me she is The Green Tara, Diana, Isis, Kwan Yin. I collect prayer beads from all the faiths, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, and wanted to learn the Hail Mary rosary. I found a 95 year old lady ( a patient) to teach me, because I knew she didn't care why a non-catholic would want to learn the rosary, I wouldn't even know how to explain.
I am aware though, that in countries like Peru and Mexico, the Spanish were able to impose their religion on the indiginous people by using Mary. They all had earth goddesses in their religion already, and the Spanish just transposed Mary onto what they already believed. I think it was done in Ireland as well. So it may seem that she is the mother of Jesus, but she is actually the embodiment of much, much more to people.
In other words, it's a beautiful mystery.