In the Land of St. Hildegard in Germany, the pilgrimage walk begins in the town of Idar-Oberstein. Dr. Annette Esser, founder of the Scivias Institute in Bad Kreuznach, Germany is also the initiator of the Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Way. In her pilgrimage book (published by Liturgical Press 2022), she begins by taking us to the importance of gemstones in Hildegard’s healing work. Gemstones are found in the Bible in both the Hebrew (Old Testament) and Christian (New Testament) scriptures. Dr. Esser wrote the following regarding Idar-Oberstein and gemstones:

In this region that is enriched by gemstones, Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) lived between Niederhosenbach, the Disibodenberg and Bingen. So, her teaching of the stones belongs to the Hildegard Way. We find it in the fourth book of her Physica… Hildegard was convinced that certain gems can support healing in various afflictions and she describes in detail the healing effects of twenty-six (gem)stones.”

Over the centuries, many Christians have regarded the use of gemstones for healing as potentially evil, however, Hildegard states that gemstones are from God and are powerful for healing because “the devil abohors, detests and disdains precious stones.”

She recounts the story of the fall of the first angel Lucifer (the name means light-bearer).  In Physica she wrote: “God had decorated the first angel as if with precious stones. Lucifer, upon seeing them shine in the mirror of the Divinity, took knowledge from them and recognized that God wished to do many wondrous things. His mind was exalted with pride, since the beauty of the stones covered him shone in God. He thought that he could do deeds both equal to and greater than God’s. And so his splendor was extinguished.”

Gemstones were not only important in the Hebrew Scriptures (Exodus 28:16-20 and 39:10-15) where they are incorporated into the priestly vestments, but in the Christian Scriptures (Book of Revelation 21: 19-21) where they are listed as the materials from which the heavenly Jerusalem will be built. In this spirit, we finely crushed raw emeralds and sapphires and added them into the paint used to create the “Fallen Stars” image on the back wall of the sanctuary.

It seemed most appropriate that we include in the Hildegard Haus a crystal case. In this case we have a collection of crystals from Idar-Oberstein as well as from other places in the world.  There is signage in the case, much like the signage outside in the gardens, naming each of the gemstones and referencing where one can look them up in Hildegard’s works.

In addition to the gems inside of the case, we have incorporated into our outdoor gardens, a collection of raw geode rocks from Indiana.

St. Hildegard wrote a collection of musical antiphons. One of the antiphons written in honor of the Virgin Mary is entitled, O splendidissima gemma (O jewel resplendent). In this antiphon, Hildegard compared the beauty and splendor of Mary to a precious gemstone.

O resplendent jewel and unclouded beauty of the sun poured into you a fountain leaping from the Father’s heart.

This is his only Word by which he did create the primordial matter of the world, which Eve threw into chaos.

For you, the Father fashioned, this Word into a man. So that you are luminous matter through which the word breathed forth all virtues,

As in the primal matter, he brought forth all creatures.