A Celebration of Brigid

brigidshearth @ 2008-09-16T16:58:00

2008-09-16T22:02:22Z

Hello - I just joined, so I thought I might make a post introducing myself. :) I'm Alex, and I was first drawn to Brighid by researched what I could of memories I have that don't fit into the life I'm currently living - and what came up, was Brighid, and her shrine at Kildare, Ireland. I had always been drawn to paganism, but with Brighid I connected, and remembered.

So, here I am today, a devotee of Brighid. Blessed be your days. :)

Greetings from a newcomer.

2008-08-18T04:15:09Z

I just joined, so I figured I'd go ahead and introduce myself. My name is Sarah and I've recently found myself drawn towards the Cailleach again; and this time, Brigid as well. I really find myself identifying with Brigid's healing aspect, as I am studying to become a Physical Therapist (and possibly a wound care specialist as well). I'm sure I'll be learning a lot from this community, so it's very nice to meet all of you!

Incense

2008-07-01T18:00:17Z

So I am toying with the idea of making my own incense blend. In that vein I would like some input, if you have the time.

Other than Juniper what ingredient(s) would you want to see in a Brigid incense?

I am thinking of binding with blackberry.

Realta

Cross-posted

reverence to Brigit

2008-03-26T08:59:36Z

hi everyone this is my first time here and i am grateful i found this community.all my life i felt that i cant find my place then ten years ago i started to have dreams that later when i tried to realize what it was i found i lived in my past life as a celt in Ireland and that was the reason why i felt drawn to Brigit for all the years.i do not do rituals or have an altar for her because maybe i am not ready for that but i hold Her in my heart,blessed be.

brigidshearth @ 2007-11-01T08:34:00

2007-11-01T12:38:31Z

Our Mother,
Who dwells in the earth
Hallowed be Thy body.
Thy earth be whole
In body and soul.
Thy will be done.
Fill us this day with Thy love
And forgive us our shortcomings.
Help us to forgive ourselves
And to forgive others.
Lead us this day in Thy holy ways,
In Thy paths of love.
For Thine is the earth,
The love,
And the beauty,
Forever and ever,
Amen.
(Katy Taylor)

X-posted to flame_keepers

Torcs and Mugwort

2007-06-17T21:49:36Z

(Cross-posted to many groups)

I purchased a beautiful torc (made by Danny Hansen of www.craftycelts.com) and some mugwort smudge sticks at a gathering this weekend.

I am wondering if anyone has information about how torcs were used by the Celts (insular and/or continental), particularly information based on academic research/primary sources, although if you have information from other sources I am interested in hearing about that as well (just please cite sources whenever possible).

Mainly, I want to know how and when torcs were used, how they were dedicated, who they were worn by, how they were depicted in art, etc.

Re: the mugwort smudge sticks. There was a sign next to them saying that the Celts burned and used mugwort in a way similar to how American Indians use sage -- namely, for smudging/cleansing as a kind of purifying incense.

I am wondering if anyone has information about this use of mugwort (again, please cite sources if possible).

Thanks in advance.
-sd

The Brigid Spiral. :)

2007-03-18T00:28:49Z

Remember that Brigid web site I talked about a few months ago...? I finally have the layout and two pages uploaded! :) It's taken me awhile to get to this point, and I have so much content to put into it... But I've been working on web sites all day it seems, and I need a little rest~ ;)

The Brigid Spiral

"Prayers" and "Flame Keepers" are the two pages currently online!

Happy Imbolc!

2007-02-02T21:00:47Z

Hope everyone had (or is having) a wonderful Lady Day!

Blessings on the day.

2007-02-02T18:59:50Z

Brightest Blessings on the day.

This came to me as I was lighting my candle in honour of the day, and I thought to share it with my sisters in the Flame.

May your day be blessed.

This is the season of Awakening and Transformation.

I welcome you, Dana, Great Primal Mother whose Body is our Earth, whose Blood is the Seas, and whose Soul is the bright vastness of Heaven itself.

I welcome you, Dana, who has come to us clothed as the thrice-blessed Brighid. Protector, Healer, and Inspirer of our souls.

I welcome you, Dana, to this place which I have prepared for you in my heart.

Be it thus.

© 2007 Seraphina Weaver

cross-posted to flame_keepers

Blessed Imbolc!

2007-02-01T16:22:22Z

Good morning, everyone! I hope that each you is having a blessed Imbolc!

This morning I awoke to find the yard blanketed in snow. This is my first snowfall since moving to the east coast a year ago. I let the puppy out and she danced around in it, unsure of the feeling of the snow but she certainly seemed to enjoy eating it!

My ritual this morning was simple and beautiful. I left an offerring of homemade cornbread and milk for Brighid in the hopes that she will continue to watch over my family and home. I also decorated a cinnamon broom with red and white ribbons and a silver brighid's cross charm. I dedicated it to the three realms and it is sitting on my altar, drying and charging. I am going to hang it somewhere in the house once it's complete.

Again, best wishes to you and yours on this Imbolc! Brighid's Blessings!

Imbolc Survey~ :)

2007-01-31T16:16:58Z

Hello, m'dears!

Imbolc is almost upon us! In honor of that, I've created a small survey. If you're so inclined, please take it, post your results or reply in the comments!

1. How do you plan to celebrate Imbolc?

2. How do you plan to honor/strengthen your bond with Brigid on Her festival day?

3. Any feast foods you positively can't do without?

4. What are your ritual plans, if any?

5. What do you plan to "Awaken" within yourself this coming year?

1. How do you plan to celebrate Imbolc?
A: I go to a meditation group every Thursday night, so we're planning an "Imbolc Party." We're also going to be doing an Imbolc themed meditation! For myself, I plan to cook a great feast and celebrate quietly at home on Friday with my girlfriend. I'll be doing my ritual that night~

2. How do you plan to honor/strengthen your bond with Brigid on Her festival day?
A: I plan to re-dedicate myself on Friday night to Brigid. It's something I do every year on Imbolc, and it most definitely strengthens my bond with her. I will also be doing a short meditation, asking Her for guidance in the coming year. It always proves to be beautifully insightful.

3. Any feast foods you positively can't do without?
A: Oh my gosh, yes! There's a specific Polish bread that I *always* go downtown to the Polish markets to get for Imbolc. :) It's not *really* specific to Imbolc, but bread itself is- and hey... my heritage needs a spot somewhere in there, too. ;p

4. What are your ritual plans, if any?
A: After calling the quarters, I plan to dance in honor of the Goddess (I often do belly dance in my rituals). I'm very excited about it. :) Afterwards, I plan to do a Brigid themed meditation.

5. What do you plan to "Awaken" within yourself this coming year?
A: Oh gosh! Healing, most definitely- and *always* creativity!

Brigid Icons

2007-01-24T20:44:25Z

mermaiden suggested I post these Brigid icons here. I made two designs with multiple variations. The first is sort of Art Nouveau, but I thought it fit. Enjoy :)

1) 2)

1) 2) 3) 4)

* Comments appreciated
* Please credit whitestar_alpha or polarisgraphics
* No hot-linking

Brighid Icons

2007-01-19T14:20:48Z

I kept these simple and tried to find images to represent the myriad of things that symbolize Brighid. If you're a Brighid fan, I hope you can find one you like.

Teasers

01. 02. 03. 04. 05.

06. 07. 08. 09. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Credit is not required. Comments are welcome. No hotlinking.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T17:16:34Z

Hope it's a good one!

*x-posted to brigidshearth, celticpagans, flame_keepers, embodiment, nonwiccanpagans

brigidshearth @ 2006-11-28T13:13:00

2006-11-28T19:13:50Z

Okay, I normally don't post much about my shifts, but I have to mention something bizarre.
This particular candle I got to burn for Her, I'm not too terribly picky with the design. I tend to buy whatever seems to make sense at the time. I tend to stick with pinks and oranges and reds and yellows, appropriate to the season.
Well, I was at Target, and they had these adorable 6 in red pillar candles. From India. With elephants on them.

Okay, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Brigid, I know this. But it was so cute and I thought, hey, maybe She would think the elephants were cute too.

Fast forward to now. I think that the first shift I used this candle was in August. I can't be sure anymore, but this is probably at least the 5th shift I've used it for. Most 6 inch pillars I've used in the past are completely DECIMATED by the end of a shift. I save the ends, in hope of melting down the pretty colored wax and re-wicking them, but....there's not normally very much left.
This one is still burning bright, though I have noticed that it is nearing the end of the wick, which sadly stops about 2 inches away from the bottom. Bleh.

I thought I would post this. I know it's random. But apparently I shouldn't have been worried when my instincts told me that She would probably like this candle. ^^

Songs of Brigid

2006-10-27T21:17:39Z

...to lie in the arms of Brigit and feel her long fingers stroke my hair as she sings of the lark and yellow gorse. ~from "Confessions of a Pagan Nun"

I bought this cd earlier this week: http://cdbaby.com/cd/katysong2. I loved it & thought I'd share with you all.
These are all songs about Brigid & the Divine Feminine. It's a lovely collection of music, akin to Mediaeval Baebes & Celtic Woman.
You can listen to it at the CD Baby website.

Enjoy! Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

brigidshearth @ 2006-10-20T14:14:00

2006-10-20T18:18:13Z

~*~ A friend posted this today, so I thought I'd share it with you all. I'm sure we've all seen variations of this before, but it's always nice to read again. Enjoy & have a lovely, safe weekend. ~*~

Holy maiden Brigid
Radiant flame of gold,
Brigid of the mantles
Brigid of the twining hair
Brigid of calmness
Brigid of the augury

Each day and each night
That we raise voice to Brigid
We shall not be killed, We shall not be harried,
We shall not be put in cell, We shall not be worried,
We shall not be anguished, We shall not be down-trodden.

No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn us
No lake, no water, no sea shall drown us,
Nor seed of fairy host shall lift us,
Nor seed of airy host shall lift us,
Nor earthly being destroy us.
So mote it be.

Finding Her

2006-10-10T09:36:39Z

I was quite pleased to come across this community, and I look forward to being a part of it. I’ve worshipped Brìghde (a variant Scottish spelling, for those unfamiliar with it) for something like thirteen years now, and her presence in my life continually grows.

I’m interested in hearing from others how Brìghde came into their lives. I don’t know why, but I’ve no recollection of learning about her, discovering her presence in my life, nothing. I can definitely pin down the time period when I began to actively pray and worship to her, but I don’t recall first learning about her. It’s as if I woke up one morning already a devotee.

New LJ!

2006-10-10T01:35:22Z

Hello, everyone--it's Finn, and I just wanted to let you guys know that I have created a new LJ, finnagainwakes, that will eventually become my strictly religious/spiritual journal, chronicling my own path and other such philosophical musings.

I will continue to post (or lurk, as I sometimes do!) in these communities as peregrinpiper, at least for now, just to make things easier. Just wanted to let you guys know, though.

*x-posted to brigidshearth, celticpagans, cr_r, nonwiccanpagans and flamekeepers

Brigid Icons - Post #1

2006-09-28T00:24:35Z

As promised, here is my first icon post- there will be many more to follow. :)

1. Please credit mermaiden.
2. If the artist has been named, PLEASE credit the artist over me. Icons are easy to make- paintings are not!
3. Please do not hotlink.
4. If you DO know any of the "unknown artists," please comment! :)
5. Enjoy~!

Art by Arthur Roberg:

1 2 3

Unknown artist:

4 5 6 7

Unknown artist:

8 9 10

Art by Thalia Took:

11 12 13 14 15

X-Posted to flame_keepers

Community Sshtuff~

2006-09-19T16:11:28Z

Hello, m'dears- and Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Just a few community notes here- but please read them! I would love some input~

- First off, my dear fuguee you have been going above and beyond the call of duty. I, for one, have immensely enjoyed the articles and rituals you have been posting- some I've never even seen before!! (And I thought I'd seen everything. *chuckles*) Thank you so, so much- I appreciate it greatly. :)

- Secondly, I'm going to be making a batch of Brigid icons for members here and at flame_keepers. Are there any pictures you would like me to use? Any you're particularly fond of? Give me the URL in a comment here!

- Thirdly, thank you all so, SO much for the suggestions in my previous post for the Brigid web site. I shall be using all of them- and keeping you posted as I progress~! :)

- Lastly, please do not use this community for anything other than Brigid related posts. I had to delete inappropriate spamming from this forum, but not before several members saw it. Topics that do not relate to spirituality, but are summonings from people who are not members of this community, or just joined, are not appreciated and will be deleted. I value my members too much for that.

Have a beautiful day, my dears. :)

Brightest blessings,
~Sarah (mermaiden) - mod

The Fires of Love

2006-09-12T11:43:45Z

Brigid & The Fires of Love
by Akkadia Ford

There is a special place in my heart for Brighid - perhaps it is the ancestral call of her ancient fire blazing, that potent ashless fire tended by both female Druids and by the Goddess Herself, which reawakens in me an ancient urge to create. It is true that the lore surrounding the Goddess' important ceremonial time of year at Imbolc may sometimes be difficult for city-dwellers of the late Twentieth century and in the Southern Hemisphere to really grasp how our ancestors felt about that time. What follows is an attempt to harness some of the inner meanings of the outer symbols associated with Brighid and to reawaken the Goddess' ashless flame within each one who also hears Her call.

Brighid's festival of Imbolc was traditionally celebrated during the month of February, under the auspices of the Ogham Luis (Rowan) and the fixed astrological sign of Aquarius. It is most important to take into account both the terrestrial and stellar lore associated with each of the festivals of our Druidical heritage. Each one of the ceremonies of the wheel of the year is dynamically placed so as to take full advantage of powerful surges in energy, both upon the Earth and in the Heavens and it is the varying energies which each Festival present, that enables conscious renewal of participants in ceremony in honour of these times. Due to our being in the Southern Hemisphere and because our seasonal cycle is at odds with the cycle in the Northern Hemisphere, many newcomers to Druidry and to other branches of the Celtic Path such as Wicca, may have a tendency to want to celebrate all the festivals in the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere cycle, but without taking into account the subtle energies associated with the times. Whilst reversing the Solstices and Equinoxes presents much less of a difficulty due to these ceremonies being conducted under the Solar ambience; the more subtle nature of the energies associated with the so-called 'Cross-Quarter days' - what OBOD calls the 'Lunar-Fire festivals' - such as Imbolc do not so readily lend themselves to simple reversal of season. This is due to these festivals being aligned, not only to the cycle of the Sun in its waxing and waning, but more importantly, to the stellar aspects associated with the constellation which the Sun is passing through at the time of the ceremony. Each one of the four Lunar-Fire festivals is associated with one of the four fixed signs of the Zodiac: Imbolc - Aquarius; Beltane - Taurus; Lughnasadh - Leo; Samhuinn - Scorpio. When viewed in this light, it becomes more readily apparent that much of the symbolism associated with these four ceremonies is as much drawn from (and disguising) stellar meaning, in addition to the more apparent Solar import. By simply reversing the timing of these ceremonies the inner stellar connections are most definitely broken and in some cases, the festival perhaps becomes inappropriate - an example being the difficulty of honouring the Goddess in Her ancient and death aspect (Scorpio) under the auspices of Her fecund and sexual aspect (Taurus) - which is precisely what happens when Samhuinn is celebrated in May. A similar disjunction and disruption of the flow of stellar energy into a ritual takes place when Brighid's rite (usually an Aquarian influence) is celebrated in August (Leo).

From ongoing discussion with members of all grades over the years and the last two Assemblies and also from discussions with practitioners of other Magickal traditions, one of the major questions, if not the first that gets brought into discussion, is whether 'to reverse the ceremonies or not to reverse them'. This of course is entirely up to each individual and it is hoped that by such discussions and by different Members sharing their knowledge of Druidry via articles such as this, that a deeper insight into potential answers may be uncovered. As Druid Zan Hammerton, Co-Chief of North-East Arbor Grove said in a recent conversation - "a decision we need to individually make is whether we keep that direct connection with our ancestors and continue to perform ceremonies that were performed by them for the same reasons that they performed them - which may not have any direct relevance to our lives today - or do we rewrite the ceremonies so they have absolute meaning for us here and now?" It is very important to the continuing development of an individual's esoteric understanding of the symbolism associated with the ceremonies that an attempt to explore the less obvious is made. It is also true, that it is because the Sun is so bright, that it obscures the more subtle stellar lore from view - and this is rightly so -at first - and whilst it is appropriate to acknowledge the Solar aspects of the ceremonies, this should not be to the detriment of acknowledging and working with the related aspects. It is perhaps because we celebrate all our public ceremonies in the Grove of the Bards - a Grove particularly related to the Sun (ie. Outer aspects of Druidry), that members may not work with the more subtle stellar aspects. With the increase of Ovate and Druid grade members in Australia, the time is now presenting itself to initiate discussions of more inner ways of working with the ceremonies and understanding of their symbolism, fully in accordance with the energies and teachings of the Ovate and Druid Groves of the Order and our ancestral Druidic heritage. Which brings us back to Brighid and Her lore. It was anciently said that Nineteen Druid Priestesses tended the eternal flame of the Goddess at her sanctuary at Kildare in Ireland, also called Call Dara 'The Church of the Oak Grove' (from Cill 'Church' and Dara or as we would say, Duir, 'the Oak'). The name of Brighid's place resonates strongly of its ancient Druidical importance and the current St. Brigit's Cathedral is built on an ancient axis of the Midwinter Sunrise: 'There her cult took its Christian form on a prehistoric foundation. Outside the North Wall of the Cathedral, the substantial footings of her cell, a Christian fire church, are preserved, where the eternal fire, which survived until 1530, opens.' (1) Brighid's flame has been relit in Kildare by two Christian nuns in recent years, who obviously feel the Goddess' warmth in their hearts. Importantly, this Midwinter Sunrise axis continues on and thirty-seven miles later cuts into the south side of the tallest mountain in Leinster, called Lugnaquilla. (2) That this is a mountain associated with the harvest Sun-God Lugh and the opposite festival of Lughnasadh is apparent, as is an ancient geodetic axis.

That nineteen Druid Priestesses tended Her flame is significant. It was said that for each of nineteen night one of these dedicated women would stand guard in sacred vigil over the flame, to prevent it dying out; but on the twentieth night, they would all gather and offer a prayer to Brighid "This is your night Goddess to keep alight your hearth". (3) Within this number, movements of both the Sun and Moon are symbolised. The Chosen Chief, Philip Carr-Gomm alluded to some of the significance of the number nineteen esoterically at the Second Australian Druid Assembly, in his talks on the lore of Taliesin and the Cauldron of Ceridwen. Suffice to say, the seemingly genteel activity of tending an ashless fire, has other more dynamic implications. This becomes much more apparent when the ancient Irish Gaelic lore and language surrounding the sacred occupation of Smithcraft is taken into account. It is perhaps not coincidental that the word for sword, colg, also may be translated into phallus. (4) Through extended meditative research and through guidance from the Lady Herself, I have come to the conclusion that part of the ancient Mysteries of Brighid, that have been 'lost' due to the break in oral transmission, have to do with tending the fire of love. The art of Smithcraft, of which Brighid is Patroness - Goddess, is the outer and secular form of the ancient alchemical art.

Thus the 'sword', a life-blade in its literal sense, was 'forged' in the 'hearth' of the Goddess Herself. When considering an ancient Celtic custom, that the woman armed the young male with his weapons (an example being the tale of Arianrhod and the arming of Lleu in the fourth Branch of the Mabinogion); one begins to detect perhaps, an ancient lore concealed beneath: of an initiation into manhood of a far more inner kind, whereby the lore of life of the eternal flame of the Goddess passed from an older Druid-Priestess to a younger Initiate. It is not coincidental that those responsible for giving birth to each generation were also in charge of instructing the sons in how to defend that generation. Those who give life are more reluctant to take it. Perhaps this is also one reason why the nineteen female Druids dedicated to Brighid lived in seclusion; to maintain the sanctity of their 'flames' and thereby potentise them. That Brighid's fire is ashless is worthy of meditation in this regard. It is notable that amongst the 'fires' we revere in contemporary Druidry is the 'fire of creativity' and anciently Brighid was also considered to be the Patroness of creative activities such as the Bardic Arts of poetry, music and song. This brings consideration of the role Brighid plays with regard to all the arts associated with language in general, including speech, the magick of invocations and words of evocation, spell-crafting and oath-taking. This is particularly important, for the satire of the ancient poets contained a baleful magick, much as their beneficent songs gave forth Magickal blessings. The interlocking of the two areas of inner fire and outward _expression are thus seen to be harmoniously balanced within the lore of Bride.

The celebration of Imbolc, connected as it was to the birth of new spring lambs and fresh milk following the first rains after Winter, reveals the aspect of Brighid connected to the renewal of life and also, her connection to fertility magick. This aspect of the Goddess was celebrated by the decoration and honouring of local wells and the giving of offerings of new milk and white cloths left outside to collect the dew on the Eve of Imbolc. It is through such ancient offerings, that part of the symbolism of Imbolc and the connection to the signs of Aquarius and Ogham Luis is revealed.

From Babylonian times, the sign for Aquarius has always been a human figure holding a large urn, or vessel of water, from which the waters flow forth freely. In ancient minds what this symbolises was also seen in a humble well - a source of life-giving water for the living. This connection to water is also evident from the Song of Amergin, where the time in which Imbolc falls is called "I am a wide flood plain". (5) Interestingly, we still use the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for waters as the glyph for the sign of Aquarius. This connection of water and wells, milk and dew, all life-giving fluids of both element, animal and plant find their symbolic counterparts within the human body. The connection of Brighid to human fertility is most apparent in the continuation of the custom of honouring women who have just given birth through the lighting of candles (Candlemas).

However, Imbolc falls under the auspices of a celestial vessel and stellar waters. These are the waters of wisdom and a key to the connection of Imbolc to this sign, is that what the individual receives through the tutelage of Brighid is to be given forth freely to others. Brighid, Patroness of many arts: both Bardic - smithcraft, music, poetry and song; Ovate - in the use of healing plants and tinctures and Druid - in the understanding of the appropriate use and direction of life-energies; can thus be appreciated as a wise and beneficent Goddess, whose lore brings to birth joy, healing and indeed, ancestral wisdom for modern-day practitioners. Her protective influence around the path may be felt through the Rowan Ogham and similarly, the 'weapons' we are armed with in Her service.
source: http://druidry.org/obod/deities/brigidfire.html

Lost and Found

2006-09-05T23:45:51Z

Lately, I have been struggling with my finances. As a college student, and furthermore, as a film student, this is hardly surprising, but I am on the verge of not having enough money to eat, let alone buy all my books.

The other day, after walking around in the miserable weather, trying to get what I needed done, and ultimately failing to do so, I came home to discover that I could not find my cell phone. After tearing apart my room and my bag, I realized that I had left it at the library. And with the coming Labour Day weekend, I would not be able to see if my phone was there until Tuesday.

I must have really been stressed out (yeah, I was), and so I began crying. All the frustrations of the day, of the week, led me to pray like... well... hell was coming down on me.

The next morning, my mother called my cell phone--which was lying in the pocket of my book bag, where I had checked five times with no results. I was completely stunned... and naturally, completely grateful.

I don't know--since I'm blonde, there could be a very reasonable excuse that I just didn't look hard enough. But the other side of me says, "Oh man... I looked... and didn't find until today. Did Brigid bring it here to me?" Who knows?

What my question is: how have you experienced such surprises with Brigid? Brigid is well known for being a goddess to call to when things are lost and need to be found. A little spell that consists of making a "donut" with one hand and raising it to the eye--a hand spyglass as it were--while chanting to Brigid is an attested example of this association. Has anyone ever been graced by Brigid's blessings when things needed to be found?

Lady of Fire

2006-09-05T04:42:22Z

Sorry I haven't been posting those dailies - we had quite a shuffle here recently, our Pagan Pride Day co-Ordinator resigned - I guess he thought we weren't doing anything, when in fact it was more like everyone else was doing the work, he just sat back and waited for the credit. So we've been scrambling to save an event and well, I think we've got it sorted a bit :) So now, on with the post!

Lady of Fire

As the Sacred Flame that gives us light and warmth, Brighid dwells in candlelight, hearthlight, and the Sun that rises ever day. She guards and teaches the blacksmiths, as they work with the sacred fire to transform metal into useful tools. The smiths are greatly honored in Celtic culture and the water of their forges is used to cure warts and other blemishes. We we, as a people, are ready to lay down our weapons of destruction, Brighid and her smiths will help us forge them into tools of peace.

Nineteen priestesses guarded Her sacred shrine in Kildare; nineteen, the number of years it takes for the New Moon to coincide with the winter Solstice, emphasizing both her lunar and solar nature. This flame, wherein dwells Brighid, is a guide through the darkness and reflects the divine spark within each of us. The flame also reflects the warmth and brightness of her personality as well as Her unconditional love and desire to give aid.

A chant for greeting Brighid on the rising sun...

Brighid, excellent woman,
Sudden flame
May the bright fiery Sun
Take us to the Lasting Kingdom

The Triple Goddess Brighid
Brighid Golden Red Womyn,
Brighid flame and honeycomb,
Brighid, sun of womynhood
Brighid lead me home.
You are a branch in blossom
You are a sheltering dome
You are my bright precious freedom
Brighid lead me home!

Brighid's Fires Burn High

2006-08-30T04:45:09Z

Brighid's Fires Burn High
by Miriam Harline

Imbolc is a white time, a time of ice and fire. In many places, snow still sheets the ground. The fire is traditional: Europe observes this day, February 2, the Christian Candlemas, with candlelight processions, parades that go back to ancient torchlight ceremonies for purifying and reviving the fields at early sowing, according to Funk and Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend. At Candlemas, the people of ancient Europe made candles for the coming year, having saved the fat from meat eaten through the winter. Mexico, too, observes February 2, the Aztec New Year, with renewed fires and a festival that echoes agricultural rituals of early spring.

At Imbolc, the earth begins to wake from winter sleep. As Starhawk writes in The Spiral Dance, at Imbolc "what was born at the Solstice begins to manifest, and we who were midwives to the infant year now see the Child Sun grow strong as the days grow visibly longer." At night the Wild Moon shines, illuminating the earth's initial quickening. Seeds sown in autumn begin to stir; nature is potential waiting to be fulfilled. The Goddess too is changing: from crone to maiden, from winter to spring.

To Banish Winter

In The Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life, Pauline Campanelli writes, "Now is the time for the banishing of Winter. On the first night of February, the eve of Imbolc, gather together all of the greens that adorned the house throughout the Yuletide season, including a branch or two of the fir tree that was hung with holiday ornaments. Then, as a part of the Imbolc Sabbat rite, add these greens to the Sabbat Fire (a little at a time, and carefully, because by now they are hazardously dry), dancing and chanting all the while with words like:

"Now we banish Winter!

"Now we welcome Spring!"

Of Brighid and Her Realms

Today's witches take many of their Imbolc associations from pagan Ireland. There, Imbolc belonged to the goddess Brighid or Bride (either is pronounced Breed), mother of poetry, smithcraft and healing.

In their Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom, Caitlin and John Matthews quote the tenth century Cormac's Glossary: Brighid is "a poetess... the female sage, woman of wisdom, or Brighid the Goddess whom poets venerated because very great and famous for her protecting care." Cormac's Glossary gives Brighid the poetess two sisters, Brighid the smith and Brighid the "female physician"; Brighid thus occurs threefold, called by the Celts the Three Blessed Ladies.

The three Brighids multiply, to three times three: Caitlin and John Matthews call Brighid "a being who has nine separate spiritual appearances and blessings, which are ubiquitously invoked through Celtic lore." Hers are the "nine gifts of the cauldron" mentioned in Amergin's "Song of the Three Cauldrons": poetry, reflection, meditation, lore, research, great knowledge, intelligence, understanding and wisdom. The Christianized St. Bridget had nine priestesses, the "Ingheau Anndagha," or Daughters of the Flame, who lived inside her shrine and tended her fire, whom no man could look upon, according to Kisma K. Stepanich in Faery Wicca, Book One. Brighid is also a midwife and protector, a war-goddess and a teacher of the arts of battle.

Celtic lore makes Brighid the daughter of the Dagda, the Good God, and marries her to Bres of the Fomors, by whom she bears a son Ruadan. But, as Janet and Stewart Farrar write in The Witches' Goddess, "The fact that Dana, though goddess/ancestress of the Tuatha, is sometimes referred to (like Brighid) as the Dagda's daughter; the hints... that the Dagda was originally the son of this primordial goddess, then her husband, then her father; the dynastic marriage between Brighid and Bres - all these reflect a long process of integration of the pantheons of neighboring tribes, or of conquerors and conquered, and also of patriarchalization." Like many goddesses, Brighid probably once birthed the god later called her father. Brighid's name can be derived from the Gaelic "breo-aigit" or "fiery arrow," but the Matthewses prefer a derivation from Sanskrit, "Brahti," or "high one."

The entire Celtic world worshipped Brighid. She was Brigantia in Britain, the patron goddess of the tribe of the Brigantines in northern England and of the Brigindo in eastern France, Stepanich says. The Celts continued to worship her in Christian times as St. Ffaid in Wales, St. Bride in Scotland and St. Bridget or Bride in Ireland. St. Bridget was said to be the midwife and foster mother of Christ, the helper and friend of Mary.

Making Bride's Bed

Long before she befriended the Mother of God, Brighid was the Mother herself, her agricultural roots going back to the Neolithic. Campanelli describes an Imbolc ritual for creating Bride's bed, drawn from ancient rituals in which harvesters at the Autumn Equinox would bring the last sheaf of wheat or other grain into the house, believing the Goddess of the Grain lived within. The harvesters often made this last sheaf into a woman's shape, the Corn Bride or Maiden, dressing her in white.

If you have autumn harvest left, say a sheaf of Indian corn, as part of your Imbolc ritual you can create a Bride's bed. Dress her in white and decorate her as you like, then place her in a basket or on a square of white cloth. Across her, lay a priapic wand - an acorn-tipped wand of oak - twined with ribbon, so that wand and bride form an X. Then place lit candles to either side, and chant to her something like, "Blessed be the Corn Bride! Blessed be the Great Mother!" At the height of the chant, extinguish the candles. Then, at sunrise the next morning, place the bride without her dress on your front door. There she forms an amulet of prosperity, fertility and protection, which can remain till after Samhain. Campanelli suggests you return her to earth before Yule, perhaps scattering her in the fields for birds.

Brighid the Midwife

Brighid is midwife as well as harvest mother. As late as 100 years ago in the west Scottish Highlands, the Matthewses write, the midwife traditionally blessed a newborn with fire and water in Brighid's name. She passed the child across the fire three times, carried the baby around the fire three times deosil, then performed "the midwife's baptism" with water, saying:

A small wave for your form

A small wave for your voice

A small wave for your speech

A small wave for your means

A small wave for your generosity

A small wave for your appetite

A small wave for your wealth

A small wave for your life

A small wave for your health

Nine waves of grace upon you,

Waves of the Giver of Health.

Brighid also protects and heals adults. She is a goddess of healing wells and streams; in her honor, Bridewell is one of the two most common well-names in Ireland, the other being St. Anne's Well, remembering Anu, or Dana, the mother of the gods - a goddess sometimes conflated with Brighid. With Aengus Og, Brighid performs the role of soul-guardian, wrapping worshippers in her mantle of protection.

Making a "caim"

To protect themselves in Brighid's name, the traditional Irish would recite a "caim," the Matthewses write; "caim" means "loop" or "bend," thus a protective circle. A caim would always name Brighid and the beings, household or body-parts to be protected.

Traditionally, you place a caim by stretching out your right forefinger and keeping that finger pointed toward the subject while walking about the subject deosil, reciting the caim. You can also say a caim for yourself. A caim can be made in all seasons and circumstances; it traditionally encircles people, houses, animals or the household fire. The Matthewses write:

"As her family prepared to sleep, the Gaelic mother would breathe these words (the caim) over the fire as she banked it in for the night.... As she said this, she would spread the embers into a circle, and divide it into three equal heaps with a central heap. To make the holy name of the foster mother (Brighid), she placed three turfs of peat between the three heaps, each one touching the center, and covered it all with ash. Such smooring customs and invocations are still performed in the West of Ireland. And so the protection of Brighid is wrapped about the house and its occupants."

Augury in Brighid's Name

Brighid is also a seer; the Matthewses describe her as "the central figure of the Celtic vision world." She presided over a special type of augury, called a "frith," performed on the first Monday in a year's quarter to predict what that quarter would bring. The ancient Celts divided the year by Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasad, and Samhain, so the first Monday after Imbolc is appropriate for frithing.

To perform a frith, a traditional frithir would first fast. Then, at sunrise, barefoot and bareheaded, the frithir would say prayers to the Virgin Mary and St. Bridget and walk deosil around the household fire three times. Then with closed or blindfolded eyes, the frithir went to the house door's threshold, placed a hand on either jamb and said additional prayers asking that the specific question about the coming quarter be answered. Then the frithir opened his or her eyes and looked steadfastly ahead, noting everything seen.

Frithing signs can be "rathadach" (lucky) or "rosadach" (unlucky). A man or beast getting up means improving health, lying down ill health or death. A cock coming toward the frithir brings luck, a duck safety for sailors, a raven death. About the significance of horses, a rhyme survives: "A white horse for land, a gray horse for sea, a bay horse for burial, a brown horse for sorrow." The role of frithir passed down from generation to generation; according to the Matthewses, the name survives in the surname Freer, "held to be the title of the astrologers of the kings of Scotland."

To perform a pagan version of frithing, fast the Sunday night before the first Monday after Imbolc and that night formulate your chief question about the coming three months. Monday morning at sunrise, say a prayer to Brighid and barefoot and bareheaded walk deosil around whatever seems the central fire of your house - maybe your kitchen stove, or if you're not a cook your fireplace or heater. Then go to your doorway, put your hands to either side, and closing your eyes pray your question be answered. Then open your eyes, and note the first action you see. That action probably won't be found in the traditional frithir's lexicon, so the interpretation is up to you.

In another frithing technique, you curl the palms to form a "seeing-tube"; frithirs used such a tube to discover lost people or animals and to divine the health of someone absent. Frithirs also sometimes used divinatory stones; the Matthewses describe a "little stone of the quests" made of red quartz.

Imbolc Spells and Workings

Whether or not you try frithing, Imbolc is good for psychic work: still the dark time of the year, but looking toward spring. It's also a good time to make your space hospitable for such work, banishing old energy to clear the way for new. Traditionally, witches purify themselves and their space at Imbolc. Any kind of cleansing or banishing will do, but consider ones that include fire and water, sacred to Brighid. Once purified, you're ready to go further; at Imbolc, covens initiate new witches.

The spark of summer dances in the future now; Imbolc is a good time to seek inspiration, especially for healers and smiths of words or metal. To do so, try the following spell.

Bring to your ritual space a cauldron or chalice filled with earth or sand; a white, silver, green, purple or rainbow-colored candle; a candleholder; oil to anoint the candle; paper; and a pen you like or with appropriately colored ink. Ground and center, cast a circle and ask for Brighid's presence. Then anoint your candle in Brighid's name, and lighting it write on the paper the aspects of your work in which you want inspiration. When you're done, raise energy and put it into the paper, then light the paper with the candle flame. Drop the burning paper into the cauldron, making sure the entire paper is blackened. Then thank Brighid and bid her farewell, and take down your circle.

The next day, relight the candle and by its light rub some significant tools of your work with the ashes. Then either sprinkle the remaining ashes onto your garden or houseplants or drop them in a park in a place that feels inspiring or pleasant.

Imbolc is a white time, burning with inspiration and protection, cool with healing and purification. Prophesy flares, painting luster on the dark. Light your candle, call on Brighid, and know that under the snow the seeds of spring stir.
Copyright © 2006 by the article's author

Source: http://www.widdershins.org/vol2iss7/i9704.htm