A year ago, I sat on the stoop of my flat when a friend passed by, "what are you doing?" she asked. I blithely responded "I'm waiting for Revelations of Divine Love!" she looked at me oddly, wished me luck and went on her way. Only later did I realize sounded like a crazy person.

I was waiting for a book (postmen often get lost on the way to my house), the first, in fact, written by a woman in english: Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich.

I'd heard about Julian from time to time and often had her famous mantra quoted to (and at) me: all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things will be well.

I was finally inspired to get the book when I learned that Julian had been an anchorite: a now defunct monastic role, where someone (usually a woman) was installed for life in a room near the cathedral to pray, advise, and comfort the local people (wish we still had this!).

About sick to death of lockdown at that point, I thought perhaps she had something to teach me. And, she did. It felt like letters from a beloved mentor, a spiritual mother in the past. I'll post a few of my favourite passages below:

Julian of Norwich's famous vision of the Hazelnut:

"In this little thing (the universe) I saw three properties: the first is that God made it; the second is that God loves it; the third is that God cares for it..."

Julian of Norwich on the Motherhood of God:

"Mother Jesus can feed us with himself, and does, most courteously and most tenderly, with the blessed sacrament..."

(a theme often picked up by Church Fathers)

Julian of Norwich on periods of depression and spiritual dryness (and how they are not usually the result of sin!):

"God wants us to know that he keeps us equally safe in joy and in sorrow, and loves as much in sorrow as in joy."

Julian of Norwich on the Safety of God's Beloved:

"If there is, anywhere on earth, a lover of God who is always kept safe, I know nothing of it..."

Julian of Norwich on Happy Sadness. As a depressive person, this meant a lot to me.

There are many other beautiful and delightful passages. At one point, Julian advocates for laughter as a spiritual practice advising that the devil, like Mr. Darcy, hates to be mocked.

Her feast day is celebrated May 8th by Anglicans and May 13th by Roman Catholics. Perusing my emails today, I just realised that last year I inadvertently ordered her book on May 8th, and had it arrive on May 13th (I believe). A beautiful serendipity I think she'd enjoy.

Anyway, I hope you all have a beautiful day, and that you read Lady Julian one day. She is a good one and helps me believe that perhaps, truly, all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

(I should prolly just have made this a blog post. Oh well!)

lo! I did in fact write a blog post about her last summer. silly me. https://joyclarkson.com/home/2020/9/11/gods-hazelnut