She was born in 1098 in the German province of Rheinhessen, the tenth child to a noble family. As was customary with the tenth child, which the family could not count on feeding, she was dedicated at birth to the church. The girl started to have visions of luminous objects at the age of three, but soon realized she was unique in this ability and hid this gift for many years. It is believed that she was epileptic or experienced severe migraines which caused these visions.

At the age of seven, Hildegarde became the student of her Aunt Jutta, who had recently taken vows to become an Anchoress. Becoming an Anchoress usually revolved around being walled in to one or two rooms for the remainder of your life so that you can contemplate God without distraction from the outside world. Typically, the Anchoress communicated to the outside world through a slit in one of the walls that was just wide enough to allow food to come in and waste to come out.

Jutta’s cell was such an anchorage, except that there was a door through which Hildegard entered, as well as about a dozen of girls from noble families who were attracted there by Jutta’s fame in later years. Hildegard was taught to read the Book of Psalms (known as the Psalter, a separate book from the Bible) in Latin. Perhaps this and the fact that the anchorage was physically attached to the Church, where the music in the religious services could be heard, inspired her music.

She shared her visions with her aunt and a monk named Volmar, who became her personal secretary. Hildegarde felt inadequate and hesitated to act on these visions, but became inspired by the Holy Spirit to write.

Her first visionary work was known as “Scivias” or “Know the Ways of the Lord”. She also recorded her visions in “Liber Vitae Meritorum” (The Book Of Life’s Merits) and “De Operatione Dei” (The Book Of Divine Works).

She was also interested in science and nature and wrote two scientific books “Physica” (Natural History) and “Causae et Curae” (Causes and Cures). Physica is a study of the Natural world and was used as a text for the Montpellier medical school. Causae et Curae is a medical collection including theory and remedies.

Hildegarde succeeded her Aunt Jutta as Abbess of the anchorage at the age of 38. She attracted quite a lot of attention with her writings and was seen as a sort of theological celebrity.

Her advice was sought by popes, emperors, kings, archbishops, abbots and abbesses. Hildegard brough the feminine side in the patriarchal Catholic Church; it is amazing to see a woman with this kind of power during these medieval years.

Hildegard dared to venture out and preach in her late fifties since she felt she was urged by God. She founded her own convent near Bingen, where she authored a morality play and 72 musical compositions for her nuns.

She died in 1179, peacefully in her convent. Although she was investigated for sainthood three times and is often referred to (in Germany) as St. Hildegard, was never canonized.