Guadalupe - The only apparition where Our Lady left an actual picture of herself All other apparitions were drawn from the description given to them from the visionary.
Index to Annotated Image
1. Stands before a Brilliant Light - Indians worshipped the sun god. If the sun did not rise each day, the had offended their god, so they would sacrifice humans to appease him. This showed she was clothed in the sun, that her God was more powerful.
2. Blue Mantel - Blue was a sign of royalty, a sign of virginity, also color the goddesses wore. Stars in mantel are the exact same constellation as in the sky the night of December 12, 1531. Indians lived by the stars and here she wore them showing her God is more powerful than the stars.
3. Head Bowed - Indian culture gods and goddesses looked you straight in the eye to show their power and were often depicted with large eyes. Mary, with her head bowed, showed she was neither a god or goddesses, that there was a higher power above her.
4. Grayish skin - Color of the skin of the 1st generation of intermarriage of the Spaniards with the Indians of the Americas. Message for us is: we are neither Indian, Spanish, French, American, etc ... but all ONE people in the eyes of GOD.
5. Forehead - Dove (Holy Spirit)
6. David the King (Prophet)
7. Right Eye - Scientific examination shows reflection of three men, one is Juan Diego, one is Bishop Zumarraga's, and the third is unidentified. This is NOT a painting but proves Our Lady's actual presence.
8. Brooch with black Cross - the Cross, a sign of salvation on the mast of the Spaniards ships.
9. Solomon the King
10. Heart on the back of the hand - Sacred Heart as we depict it with flames above. Only in Guadalupe and Fatima apparitions have this sign on the hand appeared which shows they are related.
11. Key between her hands - hands are folded pointing upward towards Heaven. Prayer is the KEY to Heaven.
12. The Nativity, The Babe lying in the manager, the ox, a mule, and the lambs.
13. Scourging of Jesus at the pillar or Christ dying on the cross.
14. The Cross of Calvary, the Cave of Bethleham and the rivers of Living Water (Jesus).
15. Fur Cuffs - Symbolizes royalty.
16. Abraham
17. Holy Face
18. Black sash? (can't tell) - In both the Indian and Spanish language means pregnancy (new life). This would indicate she was pregnant with the Child Jesus at the time of the apparition. Mary would possibly be around the age of fourteen.
19. Sun Flower - Aztec symbol that represents the sun god. She has it on her belly. (The Heart of Heaven - Jesus).
20. Jewish dress of two thousand years ago - Mary was Jewish.
21. Gold thread design in dress - gold was important to the Spaniards. Design is said to be the hills and volcano of Mexico.
22. LUZ - Light in Spanish
23. Daniel the Prophet.
24. Jesus in the Sepulchre
25. US (United States) - There were no states or countries at that time, only known as the Americas (Patron Saint of America).
26. Crested Moon - Indians worshipped Quetzalcoatl (Stone serpent) represented as a crested moon, as one of their gods. Mary's feet are standing firmly on the moon symbolizing she is crushing their god. Guadalupe means LIGHT in Spanish and CRUSHER OF THE STONE SERPANT in Indian language. #22 LUZ - Light, #26 Quetzalcoatl - Stone Serpent
27. Bible - Old and New Testaments. In Genesis, Mary is the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.
28. Cherub (Angel) - Shows she is a heavenly being
29. The Angel has the face of an adult, but the forehead of a child. This is for us to understand that only those who are like little children will enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
30. The Angel's wings are the colors of the Maylean(??) flag.
31. Jesus's hands blessing the bread at the Last Supper. (bread - Mary's shoe)
32. Hands raised with Child - Presentation of Jesus in Temple.
33. Angel holding up big baby bauting(???) with Child in It - could also represent the Presentation in the Temple of Jesus.
34. Judas and the demon face (two-faced). In his hands he holds the money bags (Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.)
35. Agony in the Garden of Gethsemene - Jesus kneeling in prayer by a rock in the garden.
Please Note: This was created by: Chris Miller (December 6, 1995); however, the original URL "http://web.sau.edu/~cmiller/image.html" no longer works. If anyone knows of the existence of this page elsewhere, please let me know so I can create a link to the original. The new EWTN page on the image covers the symbols also.
Links
Study of the Images in the Eyes of the Virgin | Another Page
Our Lady of Guadalupe (mainly in the Spanish language)
EWTN's Page on the Image of Our Lady
Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
other sites
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/apparitions/pr00006.htm
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saints/guadalupe.html