Brigid, bright shining red one and Imbolc

Yes, a ceramic Teapot! 

Rabbit rabbit to wish you good luck for the new month!

The Calleigh and Brigid by Sue Ellen Parkinson

Brigid is considered the patroness of poetry, smithing, medicine (midwifery,) arts and crafts, cattle and other livestock, sacred wells, and the arrival of early spring.

As of 2023, Brigit's Day was declared a national holiday in Ireland.

Imbolc, another term for this day, was to celebrate the earliest spring milk in the sheep...which in our area in North Carolina don't lamb for another month. But ancient ways cannot be ignored.

Brigid was honored as a goddess first...of smithcraft, poetry and healing. The most miraculous events in her life were retold at this time yearly. All of our first histories were oral history. Until someone started writing down the old stories. So earliest stories may differ from place to place.

The Catholic church came into Ireland later (you've heard of St. Patrick?) and there soon was this wonderful Saint Brigid. Her good works seemed very similar to the goddess Brigid. There was a physical well where healing might take place. And an eternal fire that was tended by the followers of the Saint, only women allowed. The story was that they would tend the fire for 19 days, and then on the 20th Brigid herself would keep it burning. The original well still exists, and the place where fires were tended.

Brigid Dark and Bright

In the steep and common path of our calling,

Be it easy or uneasy to our flesh,

Be it dark or bright for us to follow,

May your perfect guidance be upon us.

Brigid of the Forge, be thou a shield to us!

Brigid of the Fold, be thou our shepherd and our healer!

In each secret thought our minds may weave, Brigid of the Loom, give us sweet clarity.

In our grief or pain or sadness,

Brigid of the Well, heal us, strengthen us, stand with your mighty shoulder near to ours.

And in our joys and in our bliss, Brigid of the Hearth, Keeper of the Bread plate, Maker of Beer,

Dance with us as we waken the great round garden of the world.

-----------------------------------

 

A Brigid statue at a well, Ireland.

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I also bring my deepest love to those who are suffering from political power moves that are cutting into the lives of innocent peoples. And a huge level of gratitude for those who are standing up and resisting.

Reposting a favorite painting, by Wendy Andrew

The Buddhist monks on The Walk for Peace

---------------------------

This is an approximation, I think. But you get the point.

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 

Brigit's Day or Imbolc

  

Rabbit rabbit rabbit...a Celtic trio to wish you good luck for the new month!

In her English retellings of Irish myth, Lady Augusta Gregory describes Brigit as "a woman of poetry, and poets worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the night."

Brigid is considered the patroness of poetry, smithing, medicine (midwifery,) arts and crafts, cattle and other livestock, sacred wells, serpents (in Scotland) and the arrival of early spring.

As of 2023, Brigit's Day was declared a national holiday in Ireland.

Brigit's Day on February first! Here's an article from the Irish Times in 2023 where they said:

"Our first St Brigid’s Day public holiday. Brigid, Brigit, Bridget, Bríd, Bridie: whatever we call her, she was some woman, and her day, Lá Fhéile Bríde, or Imbolc, on February 1st has long heralded renewal and the traditional start of spring in Ireland."

Brigid the Triple Goddess, by Courtney Davis

Imbolc, another term for this day, was to celebrate the earliest spring milk in the sheep...which in our area in North Carolina don't lamb for another month. But ancient ways cannot be ignored.

All of our first histories were oral history. Until someone started writing down the old stories. So earliest stories may differ from place to place.

Brigid was honored as a goddess first...of smithcraft, poetry and healing. The most miraculous events in her life were retold at this time yearly. She taught her skills to other women - midwifery, or metal working, or writing of poetry. She is noted for teaching people how to keen after losing a loved one. And she  was the person who first used whistles to send signals to mates during nighttime battles (I won't go into why she ended up in a battle.) 

Brigid, the bright fiery red one

A few miracles have been handed down from the stories, such as the one about her cloak and the king.  Wikipedia says it this way:

One of the more commonly told stories of St. Brigid was when she went to the King of Leinster to ask for land to build a convent. She told the king that the place where she stood was the perfect place for a convent. It was beside a forest where they could collect firewood and berries. There was also a lake nearby that would provide water and the land was fertile. The king laughed at her and refused to give her any land. Brigid prayed to God and asked him to soften the king’s heart. Then she smiled at the king and said “will you give me as much land as my cloak will cover?”

The king thought that she was joking and because Brigid’s cloak was so small he knew that it would only cover a very small piece of land. The king agreed and Brigid spread her cloak on the ground. She asked her four friends to hold a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions. The four friends walked north, south, east and west. The cloak grew immediately and began to cover many acres of land.

The king was astonished and he realized that she had been blessed by God. The king fell to the ground and knelt before Brigid and promised her and her friends money, food and supplies. Soon afterwards, the king became a Christian and also started to help the poor and commissioned the construction of the convent. Legend has it, the convent was known for making jam from the local blueberries which was sought for all over Ireland. There is a new tradition beginning among followers of St. Brigit to eat jam on the 1st of February in honour of this miracle.  

The Catholic church came into Ireland later (you've heard of St. Patrick?) and yet there soon was this wonderful Saint Brigid. Her good works seemed very similar to the goddess Brigid. There was a physical well where healing might take place. And an eternal fire that was tended by the followers of the Saint, only women allowed. The story was that they would tend the fire for 19 days, and then on the 20th Brigid herself would keep it burning. The original well still exists, and the place where fires were tended.

That the whole country of Ireland has made this a holiday speaks to the love of the Irish toward their historic goddess/Saint.  And having February 1 as her holiday gives a good celebration that's needed in grey winter...though with a promise of spring.

Of course there are rituals associated with Brigid. Kindling a fire. Blessings with pure waters. Blessing of the candles (fire sources). Reading poetry. Tying little ribbons, clouties with wishes for healing on branches of trees at her well, or other trees. Putting your own mantle (or any fabric) across a bush the night before Brigid's day. Making tiny straw Brigid crosses or little effigies of her.

I made this Brigit lantern, and a friend bought it as a present for her daughter-in-law I think. I just found out this week that this friend has now died, after suffering from dementia for years. So the picture of the lantern opens my heart to grieve for her.

Brigid Dark and Bright

In the steep and common path of our calling,

Be it easy or uneasy to our flesh,

Be it dark or bright for us to follow,

May your perfect guidance be upon us.

Brigid of the Forge, be thou a shield to us!

Brigid of the Fold, be thou our shepherd and our healer!

In each secret thought our minds may weave, Brigid of the Loom, give us sweet clarity.

In our grief or pain or sadness,

Brigid of the Well, heal us, strengthen us, stand with your mighty shoulder near to ours.

And in our joys and in our bliss, Brigid of the Hearth, Keeper of the Bread plate, Maker of Beer,

Dance with us as we waken the great round garden of the world.

-----------------------------------

I am planning to meet with Inanna's Daughters, a group of women, to hold some kind of celebration of Imbolc, the very earliest of springtime wishes shared. We will try making Brigit-crosses. 

My friend in Asheville made this one, looks like corn shucks. We'll either do lemon grass fronds or paper white leaves...or both!

A national holiday in Ireland, Brigit's Day or Imbolc.

Image from Wicca Magazine on Facebook

The time of Imbolc signifies the return of the Sun to the Northern Hemisphere, signalling seeds sprouting newness in your soul, and our world. Brighid is known for her Fires bringing healing, craft alchemy, poetry and creativity.

A Brigid statue at a well,Ireland.

------------------

And because it's the beginning of a month, here are some good wishes from bunnies. I also bring my deepest love to those who are suffering from political power moves that are cutting into the lives of innocent peoples.

Reposting a favorite painting, by Wendy Andrew

Imbolc or Brigit's Day

As of last year, a great new national holiday in Ireland! 

Brigit's Day on February first! Here's an article from the Irish Times in 2023 where they said:

"Our first St Brigid’s Day public holiday. Brigid, Brigit, Bridget, Bríd, Bridie: whatever we call her, she was some woman, and her day, Lá Fhéile Bríde, or Imbolc, on February 1st has long heralded renewal and the traditional start of spring in Ireland."

Brigid the Triple Goddess, by Courtney Davis

Imbolc, another term for this day, was to celebrate the earliest spring milk in the sheep...which in our area don't lamb for another month. But ancient ways cannot be ignored.

All of our first histories were oral history. Until someone started writing down the old stories. So earliest stories may differ from place to place.

Brigid was honored as a goddess first...of smithcraft, poetry and healing. The most miraculous events in her life were retold at this time yearly. She taught her skills to other women - midwifry, or metal working, or writing of poetry. She is noted for teaching people how to keen after losing a loved one. And she is noted as the person who first used whistles to send signals to mates during nighttime battles (I won't go into why she ended up in a battle.) 

Brigid, the bright firey red one

Once she asked the king for an area where she could build a nunnery, or maybe to raise her animals and crops. The king smiled (you know that kind of smile) and said that she could have all the area her cloak could cover. Like that was a gesture of good will!

But Brigid had a magical cloak, and when she threw it out over the green hills of Ireland, it covered the whole of the island (or at least as far as the eye can see.) 

The Catholic church came into Ireland later (you've heard of St. Patrick?) and yet there soon was this wonderful Saint Brigid. Her good works seemed very similar to the goddess Brigid. There was a physical well where healing might take place. And an eternal fire that was tended by the followers of the Saint, only women allowed. The story was that they would tend the fire for 19 days, and then on the 20th Brigid herself would keep it burning. The original well still exists, and the place where fires were tended.

That the whole country of Ireland has made this a holiday speaks to the love of the Irish toward their historic goddess/Saint.  And having February 1 as her holiday gives a good celebration that's needed in grey winter...though with a promise of spring.

Of course there are rituals associated with Brigid. Kindling a fire. Blessings with pure waters. Blessing of the candles (fire sources). Reading poetry. Tying little ribbons, clouties with wishes for healing on branches of trees at her well, or other trees. Putting your own mantle (or any fabric) across a bush the night before Brigid's day. Making tiny straw Brigid crosses or little effigies of her.

I'll be at a Brigid's ritual on next Sunday afternoon. Our earlier UU church service will also speak about Imbolc.

Brigid Dark and Bright

In the steep and common path of our calling,
Be it easy or uneasy to our flesh,
Be it dark or bright for us to follow,
May your perfect guidance be upon us.
Brigid of the Forge, be thou a shield to us!
Brigid of the Fold, be thou our shepherd and our healer!
In each secret thought our minds may weave, Brigid of the Loom, give us sweet clarity.
In our grief or pain or sadness,
Brigid of the Well, heal us, strengthen us, stand with your mighty shoulder near to ours.
And in our joys and in our bliss, Brigid of the Hearth, Keeper of the Bread plate, Maker of Beer,
Dance with us as we waken the great round garden of the world.

A prayer for resistance...

This is a Prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for resistance.

This is a re-post of a blog which was published a couple of days ago. It's worth reading, thinking about. If you're unhappy about our current problems (of any kind) think of how resistance is actually an action, not being passive.

You don't have to wait till November.

Thanks HecateDemeter! Here's the text, but without the formatting.

This is a prayer for Imbolc.
This is a prayer for when roads flood.
This is a prayer for the lingering dark.
This is a prayer for resistance.
We spark the fires to beg the light to return, but we never really know if it will work.  The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart.  The February rains may be too much.  We fire up the forge to bend hard metal to our will, but we never really know if it will work.  The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart.  The February rains may be too much.  We write the poem to express what’s inside, but we never really know if it will work.  The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart.  The February rains may be too much.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart.  This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc.  This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
Brigid, the Goddess of poetry, invented keening for those times when no words were enough.  Shall we now keen?  Brigid, the Goddess of smith craft, invented forges for those times when small flames were not enough.  What shall we now forge?  Brigid, the Goddess of healing, invented beer for those times when water couldn’t cure the deep thirst.  What shall we now toast?  Brigid stands in the February rain, a warm flame in her hand, watching the roads flood.  She will neither look away from the flood nor extinguish the flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart.  This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc.  This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
The shepherd goes out despite the rain.  The shepherd is the resistance.  Without the shepherd, the ewe will miscarry, die in the mud, bleed to death, deliver the lambkin still.  The shepherd sees the rain, throws on her cloak, and cuts  through the meadow.  But she never really knows for sure if it will work.  The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart.  The February rains may be too much.  But she still wades towards the ewe.  Brigid sees and holds her flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart.  This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc.  This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
It’s Imbolc!  It’s pouring rain in the lingering dark.  The roads have washed away.   The ewes are miscarrying, the forge fires going out.  The poets are throwing down their pens, the yeast has failed the hops.  Who are you in these times?  What’s Imbolc to you or you to Her?  Resistance thrives in the lingering dark and flash floods bring forth new paths.  Put on your cloak and wade through the mud.  The Goddess Brigid is holding her flame.  The Goddess watches and weighs.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart.  This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc.  This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.

Happy Imbolc

A gathering of women shared some of the old ways from when goddesses were talked about freely.

 Brigid crosses were made of many different things.

Brigid, the Celtic bright gold/red goddess of poetry, smith-craft, midwifery, animal husbandry, and healing!

Our carved candles arrayed around a simple altar, full of fun images like Brigid crosses, a Celtic Wheel, an album of an Irish pilgrimage, and musical instruments. We shared poetry, creativity, dance, singing songs to goddesses, eating wonderful snacks and getting to know each other better. Inanna's Daughters meet at the local UU Church on cross-quarter days of the old calendar. Today was Imbolc, or Candlemas.

Imbolc ritual fun

My friends met this afternoon (Sun Feb 3) to celebrate Imbolc, Brigit, and the return of light.

Maggie led us in a dance, and I asked everyone if I could take photos.  I don't usually during a ritual, because it's kind of a sacred thing.  But I waited till after the dance was done, and asked the participants if they'd show me some of the fun movements.

Yes, we were singing a bit of Irish poetry, "May the road rise up to greet you..." though I messed up the words many different ways.

 Dolls that we brought lay around the little table for our altar in honor of Brigit.

 Our altar was central in a circle of women, including a bowl of pure water and lots of stones.

My little figure of Brigit stood on the altar also.

We all got to help make the whipped cream for the bannock cake.  Oh it was so delicious!

Then the women made their own Brigit dolls.  What a great afternoon. Did I mention singing? Eating? sharing good wishes? blessing the mantle of Brigit?  I did leave a bit early, since my cough was kind of making me tired.

Thanks to the Unitarian Universaist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley for hostessing this ritual afternoon for Inanna's Daughters.  Thanks to the leadership of all the women who came, and especially Linda Metzner!

The light of Imbolc

Brigid, bright and firey one.

Here's a great little song about -
Don't be afraid of the light that shines within you

Luka Bloom 2008

Shared on another blog, Here.

Bright goddess Brigid

As the light begins again in the turn of the wheel of the year, I am dealing with multiple physical problems. I can't even do what I most want to do to ignore them, because lying down to sleep brings one of them on. Hopefully medical professionals can help.

Brigid, whose day is celebrated Feb 2 every year, on a holy day of Imbolc. (which I originally published as Feb 1, but nobody who reads this knew I was wrong or bothered to correct me.  We've got to find some Celtic people out there to read this sometimes.)

These Brigid prayers are adapted from prayers and incantations collected by Carmichael.

Brigid Dark and Bright

In the steep and common path of our calling,
Be it easy or uneasy to our flesh,
Be it dark or bright for us to follow,
May your perfect guidance be upon us.
Brigid of the Forge, be thou a shield to us!
Brigid of the Fold, be thou our shepherd and our healer!
In each secret thought our minds may weave, Brigid of the Loom, give us sweet clarity.
In our grief or pain or sadness,
Brigid of the Well, heal us, strengthen us, stand with your mighty shoulder near to ours.
And in our joys and in our bliss, Brigid of the Hearth, Keeper of the Bread plate, Maker of Beer,
Dance with us as we waken the great round garden of the world.

And we cannot forget she taught the Irish how to keen for their lost loves, and to whistle so that in the dark friends would know each other's positions when soldiering.

I lie half awake, at least comfortable for a while, and tears start pouring out.  My cat lies next to me, her tip of tail still twitching while the rest of her settles into relaxation.  Twitch twitch twitch...just an inch of it says she's still alert.  I stay alert rather than closing my eyes.  The tears are saying, I'm not done yet...there's more to do still in this lifetime.  Twitch.