Julian? Julian.

Julian of Norwich was a 12th century Catholic mystic, and is, apparently, the first woman to compose a still existing literary work in English.

I didn't read the Revelations first, though. I found Julian in a song, via the Rise up Singing songbook (a book everyone should own. Go find it. Yes, right now.) I was in college at the time, and having rather a lot of trouble, and this song

("Loud are the bells of Norwich and the people come and go

"Here by the tower of Julian I tell them what I know

"Ring out bells of Norwich and let the people come and go

"All shall be well again, I know.")

helped me out a lot. It wasn't anything particularly earthshaking, but it was a nice reminder that, somehow or other, everything will come out pretty much ok in the end. It's a nice tune, too...

In any case, I had no idea who this Julian person was, so I went and found out.

I'm not a Christian, really. I find my inspiration from what sources I can. Occasionally, from Christian sources, occasionally from random neo-pagan sources, occasionally from random books I pick up at the library. I read a lot, I hardly know where some of what I believe comes from.

In any case, Julian of Norwich is utterly Christian and occasionally makes me uncomfortable, but she said such laudable things as "[The world] lasts and always will, because God loves it; and thus everything has being through the love of God," and, more importantly (at least to me), "God is love."

She also said "But all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well again."

Happily enough, she is also a big advocate of the Mother-aspect of God, something entirely lacking in many takes on Christian theology.

So in any case, I use it as a pseudonym when the occasion calls for a pseudonym, if I'm not using Starsinger, and I still think of it when I'm having problems. *shrug*

Oh. And her Day is May 8th. Suddenly, the second verse All Makes Sense. ( "Love like the yellow daffodil, the flower in the snow...")

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