In the Orthodox tradition, the iconography of the images of the Blessed Virgin Mary is widely displayed. This is no coincidence, because the Virgin Mary is the main intercessor and intercessor for humanity in front of her son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Currently, there are many different icons of the Blessed Lady of the Virgin. Each of the images is deeply symbolic. The iconography of the Virgin Mary, as with the depiction of God or saints, has its own distinctive features. In particular, in almost all the icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, three stars are depicted on the clothes of the Virgin Mary. The location of the stars on the maforia (aka homophore) is as follows: two stars are located on the shoulders and one on the head. This is the most frequent location of these stars. One may wonder: “Why are there three stars?” Does it have its own symbolism, and if so, which?
The answer to this question is as follows. Three stars on the icons of the Virgin mark a great miracle. The Blessed Virgin Mary is revered by the Church as the Ever-Virgin, that is, in the ordinary language, the eternal, constant Virgin. This means that the Mother of God preserved virginity both before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, so in the birth of the Savior, as well as after the birth of the Messiah.
The Orthodox creed says that the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived Christ from the Holy Spirit. This indisputable truth is reflected in the scriptures of the New Testament. Archangel Gabriel himself told the virgin that what was born in her would be of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the creed (the prayer confession of the foundations of the Orthodox faith, which is still heard in Orthodox churches during the Divine Liturgy) suggests that Christ was born "from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin."
The holy fathers of the first centuries also wrote, in accordance with the Gospel, about the immaculate conception of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of particular dogmatic significance was the glorification of the Mother of God during the time of disputes about the natures of Christ (5th century). Heretics Nestorians called the Mother of God the Mother of God, instead of the familiar term "Mother of God". However, the Holy Fathers defended the Orthodox confession, proclaiming that Mary gave birth in the literal sense of God - the embodied second Person of the Holy Trinity. And already in 553, at the next Ecumenical Council, which was held in Constantinople, it was officially confirmed that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Pride-Virgin - a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ.
