With the MDNA tour opening in the U.S, Madonna wants fans to understand her live show, so she decided to explain it to them in her own words via her website.

The Material Girl posted a letter August 27 explaining her use of guns and Nazi imagery on her recent European tour writing, “My show is a journey. The journey of a soul from darkness to light.”

She says her show is part “cinematic musical theatre. Part spectacle and sometimes intimate performance art.” Her use of guns throughout the tour, she explained, was just part of the show and not an endorsement of gun use.

“It’s true there is a lot of violence in the beginning of the show and sometimes the use of fake guns, but they are used as metaphors,” she wrote. “I do not condone violence or use of guns.”

By using the controversial imagery, Madonna hopes to put a stop to intolerant cultures and societies that use guns and hate speech as a means of strength. She wants to show that overcoming the evil in this world cannot be done with guns and violence, but with love.

“We cannot allow our anger or bitterness to swallow us up,” she wrote. “We come to understand that there is an innate and pure love inside us all and we have to find a way to tap into it.”

During Madonna’s show, she often portrays herself as both good and evil, but she explains that she is always playing a part and never herself.

“It’s very important to me as an artist that my show not be taken out of context,” she writes. “It must be watched with an open heart from beginning to end. I am sure if it is viewed this way, the viewer will walk away feeling inspired, invigorated and will want to make the world a better place.”

Fans in Australia have been waiting twenty years for Madonna to tour Down Under, but they will unfortunately have to wait a little longer. The singer announced she would be canceling her dates there so that she could spend more time with her kids.

In an audio message she uploaded to YouTube, she explains she is “really and truly sorry to have disappointed” fans, but her kids come first.

“I have two scales I have to weigh in front of me, my job as a singer and entertainer and my job as a mother,” she explained.

Madonna continued by saying she would be an “irresponsible parent” if she didn’t choose to spend that time with her kids, who need her more than her fans.

She ends the message by telling her Aussie fans she loves them and hopes to get there very soon.

“Please forgive me and know when I come to Australia I will have made the wait worth your while,” she said. “And I will put on the greatest show on earth.”

Madonna is already revealing some of the surprises planned for her U.S. tour, which kicks off tonight in Philadelphia, PA, including appearances from Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

-Shannon Carlin, CBS Local