Dare to shine your brilliant light
This season, we travel into the mystic with 12th century polymath, proto-feminist and powerfrau Hildegard von Bingen. Living by her credo 'the soul is symphonic', the German visionary harmonized and manifested her soul's manifold desires in a magical way that continues to inspire us. Founding two monasteries, composing an entire catalogue of sacred music - still hugely popular on Spotify! - and penning nine books on subjects ranging from botany to cosmology to human sexuality (including the Western World's first known description of the female orgasm); Hildegard was a Renaissance woman long before the Renaissance. Most importantly, she was a creator.
Listen to Hildegard's heavenly songs, read her radiant, colorful visions - she is inviting us across the centuries to tap into the luminous life energy that connects us all - the 'Greening Power', as she called it - and CREATE! After all, if we were really made in the image of our Creator (a female energy, in the nun's visions), aren't we all creators too? By urging us to visit our 'Ecclesia' or 'inner church' and discover the multi-colored mosaic of our hidden talents, Hildegard dares us to dream. With her philosophy of self-healing and self-realization, she dares us to grow. Hildegard may have been a nun, but her mission went beyond religion. It was about choosing love and light and daring to be.
My 'Ecclesia' Couture Collection was inspired by Hildegard von Bingen's unforgettable, multifaceted life. I created a stained-glass mosaic print in luminous colors, using unique symbols that shine a light on your own talents and passions. Lingerie meets 'high' fashion in the bold, graphic straps that frame your curves like the uplifting, high-rising arches of a cathedral. To bolster your spirit, I enriched the lining of the bottoms with one of Hildegard's most beautiful quotes: 'Even in a world that is being shipwrecked, remain brave and strong.'
Dare to shine your brilliant light!
MD Friends
Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
MD Friends
More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.