This icon, taken from the orthodox calendar, shows three angels like figures representing the Trinity. They have a feminine appearance. God is neither male nor female but is always referred to as he, thus taking on what are deemed to be masculine attributes. For some people these can be stern or even harsh. Then the qualities of compassion, nurturing, and tenderness are projected on to Mary. This can result in her becoming more like one of the ancient goddesses Diana of the Ephesians or Isis, a phenomenon which is particularly true in South America, where often she is the one who is mostly commonly prayed to.
Mary, who lived an died as a faithful Jewish woman, was the fruit of what was best in the people of Israel.
“...in the image of God He created them,
male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1.27)
Mary, sinless as she was and obedient to God’s will, does in fact reflect in herself the feminine qualities of God, However, she is one of us and a model of how we should be as human beings. The theologian Justo Gonzalez said:
“Trinity is a mystery not a puzzle. Love is mystery, a crossword is a puzzle. You try to solve the puzzle, you stand in awe before the mystery.”
We live in an age of advanced scientific discovery, that demands rational answers to every problem. That is not going to work with the Trinity. What is important is that we experience the triune God as a circle of love, who invites us into that circle, to become intimately involved with the three persons as Mary was.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49.15)