|  Two
        guardians at the entrance of the church |  
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        |  | THE
        CHURCH OF THE MILK DONATING MOTHER Originally from Egypt, Babylon and Canaan
        (Astarte) finding Her way through Cyprus (where She is called Panayia Galaktorofousa) to
        Western-Europe, the Milk Donating Mother was a central event - a true apparition - of the
        Madonna to St.Bernard to whom She let drip a few drops of milk on his tongue.....through
        which he became a passionate devotee to the Eternal-Feminine for life.... |  | 
      
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        |  | CHAPEL
        HOUSE Only initiates i.e. members of the
        community were allowed to enter here. It is the Hall for important meetings i.e. decision
        making. Again entirely symbolic: the entrance (tympanum) - or does it hide an altar? -
        with Mother Scallop, while surrounded by three beautiful Green Men/Custodians. Something
        like this wouldn't be in the Chapter House, unless having a central meaning to the
        community....and they are certainly not Christian symbols... |  | 
      
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        |  | Again rather dark here. Add to
        it that it was forbidden to photograph (there were only guided tours), later turned into a
        prohibition to flash......you can understand that everything was a little confusing.
        Indeed a pity, for the monastery is in dire need of good PR. Good pictures are a part of
        it! |  | 
      
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        |  |  | Two times three faces. Those
        who have buried themselves a little in the Mother Mysteries, know that these are male
        copies - Green Men - of the Threefold Goddess.....The Church has nothing else to say, but
        that these pictures are "puzzling".....LINK: Zwickau | 
      
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        |  |  Phoenix
        and Green Man are two sides of the same coin. Because the core of both is: "death and
        rebirth". Above the emphasis lies on the Green Man - in ecstacy - left and right on
        the Phoenix. Again it is an indication of the fact how intensively this monastic community
        had committed itself to mystical spirituality....... |  | 
      
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        |  Gegenstand
        - again a Three-faced God? - aus dem (kleinen) Museum | CLOISTER |  | 
      
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        |  | In the middle of the cloister
        there is a fountain with images that you don't recognize immediately. They are our
        brothers Green Men Indians from South-America. As is known it were them who were almost
        totally wiped out by the Spaniards. Unfortunately, the Templars (as well as other monks)
        have played a (major) role in this, after they had changed their continental life into a
        colonial one... |  | 
      
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        |  |  Naturally
        green...... |  | 
      
        |  Private |  |  Entrance to
        the compound | 
      
        |  |  | At the gate a statue of a
        person who is crushing another man with his feet. Until know I have no idea who they are   | 
      
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