Most people have a special, reverent attitude to icons - images of saints, the Lord and His mother. It often arises on its own, regardless of whether a believer comes into contact with them or not. This is due to the special energy that this or that pictorial image radiates. In Russia, it has long been a tradition to have icons that are passed down from generation to generation to representatives of the same family, of the same clan.
The family icon is a multi-valued concept. These could be images that have been in the family for more than one generation, they are, as it were, amulets of the family, the defenders of its representatives. The eldest child in the family usually inherits such an icon. Or it is passed down through the female line. Or it remains with one of the male representatives - the successor of the surname. Such a family icon can carry the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the face of the Virgin or the Savior, etc. With her parents bless the bride and groom for a long and joyful marriage. Praying before the image, someone from the family receives healing or otherimportant help. Over time, the family icon becomes the very relic that helps to maintain peace in the house and harmony between husbands and wives, children and parents, the ancestral memory of ancestors - grandfathers and great-grandfathers. Hence the attitude towards it as a priceless shrine. And the loss of her is perceived as a fatal omen of future troubles for the whole family.
The term "family icon" has another meaning. This is the name of the image, written by the master to order and depicting all the saints who patronize the members of this family. In Orthodoxy, they are called "named saints." And the more people in the family, the more saints can be seen on the icon. Moreover, it can depict the guardian angels of grandparents, who are no longer alive. For what purpose is this being done? Such an image has great power, because it is connected to the Christian egregore by many "sensors". He unites the whole family, helps to resolve conflicts and disputes. The older the image, the greater the sacred meaning it acquires. And the icon itself is extremely important for family well-being. Its peculiarity is that in front of this colored "picture" people pray not only for themselves, for the successful resolution of their own needs, but also for their loved ones, their he alth, well-being, happiness. Therefore, at the head of the image, the artist painted either the Savior blessing the flock, or the Mother of God with a cover protecting her children. There are many other options for the composition of the family icon.
Keepers of our hearth
But what to doif you do not have an image that is inherited, but you want to have your own home amulet? What other family icons exist? Firstly, with St. Nicholas, the Mother of God of Kazan with the Child, as well as with Christ himself. It is they who give parental blessings, they symbolize the harmony of family relationships, fidelity and peace. The Mother of God personifies the mistress of the house, the Savior - the owner, the Baby - their children. The icon of the Iberian Mother of God also belongs to the category of family, very strong and significant, miraculous. This image helps those who ask for love, a happy marriage, are in search of their soul mate.
It is also recommended to have images of the Holy Trinity, the Seven Arrows, the Three-Handed, "Softener of Evil Hearts", "Mother of God the Unfading Color" as family images. The first two are usually hung above the entrance doors and opposite them. They protect the whole house and its inhabitants from evil and filth. Before the latter, they pray for the preservation of the family, especially if the spouses are on the verge of divorce. It is desirable to have the image of the Mother of God of the Healer, so that physical and moral he alth in the family is at the proper level. She is asked that this or that started business end successfully.
In general, there are about 100 icons in Russia that can be used as family icons to protect the well-being of a kind with their help.
