Our Brigid Crosses

On Sunday last, we met in a circle, to bring up the fires of Brigid, to honor her energies, and welcome Imbolc, the beginning of spring.

Of course it's a few weeks away. But we did make little Brigid crosses, with intentions to have more healing, creativity, peace, and love. We didn't do quite as well as the demonstration on the video. But if you ever want to see one, this was the one I chose to share. What do you do with them? Place them over your entrance perhaps, to bring luck to all who enter or leave.

Unfortunately we didn't have those nice stiff pieces of reeds as the demonstrator had. We had some lovely green floppy leaves from my narcissus plants that had stopped blooming weeks ago.

But we did try, and we got creative. And we had a good time! I have permission to share the folks' photos below.

My effort, I hope it holds together. One other person had hers take off into nothing crossed, so she's going to go find better leaves/reeds to use. I sent her the link for the instructions!

Linda's looks excellent, and Rebecca's is on the right...her face shows in other photos!

I got a kick out of the way the sun and shade slats hit Rebecca's hair with horizontal lines against vertical ones.

Heidi's Brigid Cross came out looking very well gathered together.

We also made efforts to have new spring life by planting some seeds for several kinds of squashes, into little pots of dirt which we each took home. I won't water mine for a week or so, and then what shall I do with a spaghetti squash plant? Give it to Heidi, she has a vegetable garden!

We raised fire energy of Brigit to give blessings, safety, healing, new life, and guards against those bent on destruction. 

Women coming together for a couple of hours to talk, think, make connections, inspire each other, sing a few songs, and maybe dance! But our dance leader wasn't feeling well, so we skipped that part of the ritual. 

I love these "cross-quarter" gatherings, relaxed  Sunday afternoons usually. A "cross-quarter" is a halfway point between a quarterly holiday in the old Celtic calendars based on agriculture. So Imbolc, or Brigid's Day is halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring equinox. A farmer would pay attention to the weather and if it were warm and cloudy, he might think on Feb. 2 that the winter wouldn't be so bad for the next 6 weeks. But if it was bright and sunny, showing shadows everywhere, he'd be glad to have saved enough wood and food for heating and cooking for another 6 weeks of winter until the first signs of spring in March. In America the same trick was given to a ground hog.

I hope the next few weeks bring you good things, wrapped in surprises perhaps, that give you a laugh, or some other form of joy!

Today's quote:

This week is about how we witness nature. Stand still, watch, behold, revere. Do not possess, own or destroy. And then, like witnesses, retell after the event.

- ellen_vrana@theexaminedlifeDOTorg

Today's art:

Van Gogh's Stary night on the Rhine 1888