For Hildegard von Bingen, the body was the temple of the divine. Rejecting cruel customs such as self-flagellation and the traditional Christian denial of physical pleasures, she instead advocated wellness for the body and soul and celebrated her femininity as a bride of the Divine. Why cover up and bow your head in shame when divinity itself is your lover?

For Hildegard von Bingen, the body was the temple of the divine. Rejecting cruel customs such as self-flagellation and the traditional Christian denial of physical pleasures, she instead advocated wellness for the body and soul and celebrated her femininity as a bride of the Divine. Why cover up and bow your head in shame when divinity itself is your lover?

Embroidered fabrics, long hair, flower crowns and stunning jewelry; Hildegard urged her nuns to flaunt their beauty and grace before the eyes of the Almighty, even after taking the veil. With her visionary writings, she unlocked the secret gate of paradise and gave us a glimpse of Eden before the fall, of what it meant to be a woman and know no shame in it. With magnificent songs like 'Caritas habundat in omnia', ('Divine Love overflows into everything'), she keeps reaching across the centuries to show us the power of love. And yes, that includes every shade of love: beyond religion, beyond traditional romantic relationships.

So, feel free to interpret Hildegard's divine devotion as self-love, and her holy matrimony as a life-time commitment to purpose and growth. Put on your most gorgeous lace and marry your inner divinity. Dare to become your own 'Carita'.