Mother of God guiding star

The Mother of God Guiding Star or the One Who Shows the Way (Hodegetria) is an iconographic depiction of The Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus. Mary shows the Saviour, who is the way, the truth and the life. She is portrayed to her waist, her head and shoulders are draped in a robe, she holds the Infant Jesus, who is giving blessing, on her left arm. The stars on the robe echo the iconic tradition of painting stars on the forehead or shoulders of the Mother of God, which symbolise triple chastity – before childbirth, and during and after childbirth.