The seven-arrow icon of the Mother of God is an expression of the fullness of the grief of the Mother of God over the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In Orthodoxy there is an icon that is considered equivalent to the seven-shot, but has a different image of the Heavenly Queen.
The seven-arrow icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered in Orthodoxy. It is believed that it is more than five hundred years old and the original image has not survived to this day. There are the most famous copies of this icon, one of which is considered completely identical to the original. It was painted on a piece of canvas glued to a board and was made in the 18th century. In pre-revolutionary Russia, this list was kept in the St. John the Theological Church, located not far from Vologda.
What does the icon of the Mother of God "Seven-shot" symbolize?
For an Orthodox Christian, she is an expression of the deepest suffering of the Mother of God, which she experienced during the torment and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The fullness of her grief is reflected in 7 arrows (or swords) that pierce the breast of the Mother of God: 3 on the right side and 4 on the left. It is noteworthy that the “Seven-shot” icon depicts the Mother of God without her usual surroundings: angels and saints, which emphasizes the depth of her sadness and loneliness in her suffering.
Orthodox priests recommend praying in front of her in difficult periods of life and in the event that it is difficult to independently cope with negative feelings that have settled in the soul: envy, anger, bitter resentment, thirst for revenge. The arrows piercing the chest of the Mother of God also symbolize the seven main passions that can be present in a person. The Mother of God reads all of them without difficulty in the heart of everyone who turns to her for help.
Lists of the "Seven-arrow" icon
After the revolution, one of the most famous lists, written in honor of the end of the cholera epidemic among Vologda residents, disappeared. After the procession with this icon was made around the city, the disease receded as unexpectedly as it began. The townspeople installed this image of the Heavenly Queen in the church of St. Dmitry Priluksky. The prototype of the icon is considered to be an ancient original, famous for its miracles, which at that time was more than 600 years old. His fate is the same: he disappeared without a trace after the revolution.
Currently, there are many churches in Russia where the most famous copies of the Seven-shot Icon of the Virgin are kept. Many of them are considered miraculous and parishioners turn to them with requests for healing of soul and body, help in overcoming temptations and difficulties in life. This image of the Virgin Mary is most revered by Christians and is necessary in the home iconostasis. Equivalent "Seven-shot" in Orthodoxy is the icon of the Mother of God "Softening Evil Hearts."
