Lady Guadalupe

Lady Guadalupe

 Symbols connecting her from the Spanish missionaries and Native Mexican people. Showed herself to Juan Diego five times. A sixth and final time was to Juan’s uncle who was dying, and prayed over him, restoring his health. Juan did not want to leave his uncle, so the fourth time she showed up to him, he had taken a different route to find a priest for his Uncle hoping to avoid her. She appeared before him and comforted him by saying the famous words- “Am i not here, I who am your mother?” She told him to collect the flowers that his Uncle had recovered.

Symbols:

Mantel/ cloak- showing the constellations on the date of her final appearance December 12, 1531. Turquoise the color or royalty and a marking of the Heavens.

Tunic- pink with flower glyph motifs. Pink means of the earth and the flowers show various intricate symbols that were important to the Aztec peoples

Ribbon- Black high waisted ribbon sowed virginity and that she was with child

Hair- parted in the middle and lose, also a sign of virginity to the aztecs

Angel- not only holding her on its shoulders (a position of high standing, of kings and high priests would be carried on the shoulders) having eagle wings, the animal form of the son god, and are colored red white and green of the Mexican flag.

Sunburst- She stands in front of the greatest Aztec god-The sun. showing she is greater than their god, and the rays are brighter around her womb where she carries Jesus

Moon-She stands on the skinned snake aztec god of the moon, who only accepted human sacrifices showing she conquered him.

Eyes- Are downcast showing humility and only discovered recently they contain images of Juan and the bishop. This could only be seen with modern technology.

Hands and face- Showing a mix of the aztec natives and Spaniards, one hand darker than the other folded in prayer to show they are one.

Knee- her knee is risen to show the native prayers are done through song and dance

Other interesting facts:

Survived a bombing, and reconstructed itself after acid solvent was spilled on it.

When a stethoscope was placed below the ribbon, a heartbeat was heard at 115 bpm, the same as a baby in the womb. 

No sign of brushstrokes, not fading/cracking 500 years later unlike paintings.

The temperature of the cloak is exactly the temperature of a living body.