The Origins of Brighid

by Paula Jean West
(Fragg)
CIRCLE Magazine On Line

Brighid, the Goddess to whom I had dedicated myself, is the Celtic Goddess of inspiration, healing, and smithcraft. She is one of the best examples of the survival of a Pagan Goddess into Christian times. She was canonized as St. Brigit by the Roman Catholic Church and various stories are given of Her origins and Her life. She was a Druid's daughter, described in the Carmina Gadelica as the "daughter of Dugall the brown." She is reported to have predicted the coming of Christianity and to have been baptized by St. Patrick. Popular folk tales describe Her as the midwife to the Virgin Mary, and She is thus always called upon by women in labor. The Christian St. Brigit was a nun, and later an Abbess, who founded an Abbey at Kildare in Ireland. She was said to have had the power to appoint the bishops of Her area, an unlikely role for an Abbess, made stranger by Her unusual requirement that these bishops also be practicing goldsmiths.



In ancient times, the Goddess Brighid had a shrine at Kildare, with a perpetual flame tended by nineteen virgin priestesses called Daughters of the Flame. No man was permitted to come near Brighid's shrine and neither did Her priestesses consort with men. Even food and supplies were brought to the priestesses by women from the nearby village. When Catholicism overtook Ireland, Brighid's Fire Temple became a convent and the priestesses became nuns, but the same traditions were upheld and the eternal flame kept burning. Each day a different priestess/nun was in charge of the sacred fire and on the 20th day of each cycle, the fire was miraculously tended by the Goddess/Saint Herself.



For more than a thousand years thereafter, the sacred flame was tended by nuns. In 1220 CE, though, the Bishop became angered by the no-males policy of the Abbey of St. Brigid of Kildare. He insisted that nuns were subordinate to priests and must open their abbey and submit to inspection by a priest. When the Brigidine nuns refused and asked for another Abbess or other female official to perform the inspections, the Bishop was furious. He decreed that the keeping of the eternal flame was a Pagan custom, and ordered the sacred flame to be extinguished. Despite this persecution, St. Brigit remains to this day the most popular saint in Ireland, along with St. Patrick. In the1960s, though, Vatican II declared there was insufficient proof of St. Brigit's sanctity, or even of Her historical existence, and She was decanonized, so that the Roman Church's campaign against Her became successful. Recently, however, despite the initial protests of the Roman Catholic church, two nuns, by the name of Sister Mary and Sister Phil, have reestablished the worship of St. Brigit at Kildare and have relit Her sacred flame, which burns once more. The first modern Candlemas/Imbolc celebration at the ancient site of Brighid's sacred well in 1997 drew hundreds of people and grows every year in popularity. The flame of Brighid's love burns brightly once more.

Blessed Imbolc!

Imbolc (Gaelic for "in the belly"), is also known as Candlemas, the Festival of Lights, or the Feast of St. Brigid. At this cross-quarter or midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, we begin to see the first signs of life and the promise of Spring! We celebrate the triple Goddess Brigid (Ireland), also interpreted as Bride (Scotland) and Brigantia (England). She is the ultimate domestic Goddess, keeper of the sacred hearth flame and the patroness of poets, healers, and craft workers. Inspiration is the spark of her passion and we drink at her sacred spring of knowledge!

"May Brigid bless the house wherein you dwell.

Bless every fireside, every wall and door.

Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof.

Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy.

Bless every foot that walks its portals through.

May Brigid bless the house that shelters you.”

- Brigid’s Blessing

RITUALS

• Kindle Your Inner Flame: Light a fire in your hearth or make/decorate and bless a special candle for your altar. Take some time to purify your mind, body, and soul. Then invite Brigid to spark your creativity and fan the embers of inspiration! Be sure to rake the ashes in your fireplace smooth before you go to bed so you can see Her footprints in them, in case she passes that way during the night.

• Wear Brigid’s Mantle: Leave a shawl, scarf, handkerchief, scraps of fabric, or string in a tree or bush outside your door on Imbolc Eve. Brigid’s blessing will transform them into “Brat Bhride” (Brigid’s mantle or cloak) for personal protection and health throughout the year.

• Weave Brigid’s Wheel: These charms can be made from rushes, palms, wheat, willow or even colorful pipe cleaners and can be hung above your hearth or door to protect your home throughout the year
• Make Butter: Imbolc is closely associated with mother’s milk (ewe or sheep’s milk in particular), and the act of making butter is nothing short of magical! You could simply beat heavy whipping cream in a mixer until it “breaks,” but nothing compares to hand shaking real butter in a glass jar—it’s much easier and more fun that you might think. Be sure to support your local, organic dairy!

• Visit Sacred Springs: If you are lucky enough to have a natural spring or seasonal stream near your home, now is a great time to consecrate your body and respectfully collect Her sacred waters for magical workings. Be sure to leave an offering in reverent gratitude, such as a colorful ribbon or yarn of natural material tied to a nearby branch.

• Create a Vision Board: Grab a stack of magazines, some poster board, and start placing words and images together into a collage that represents what you’d like to attract and manifest this year. This is a great activity to help kids visualize their intentions and indentify common goals for your family. Put them in a spot where everyone can see and encourage one another!

• Start Your Spring Cleaning: Clean out your hearth, cut through the clutter, and use your besom to clear out any stagnant energy. Smudge each room, your ritual tools/altar, and open the windows to let in some healthy, fresh air!



BRIGID'S FEAST

This is the feast of hearth and home, so it’s a perfect time to conjure a hearty winter stew or comforting cottage pie. To top it off, why not showcase the element of fire with a decadent Crème Brulée or a dramatic flambé such as Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, or Crepes Suzette? As always, fresh and local foods are the best for seasonal feasts. There are many late winter options to choose from, including a variety of root vegetables, but you can also supplement with foods you have canned or frozen throughout the course of the year.

• Vegetables: Onions, leeks, potatoes, carrots, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage

• Grains: Gingerbread, carrot bread/cake, honey cakes, oat cakes, porridge

• Dairy: Milk and cheese (especially Greek Feta and Pecorino Romano), fresh butter

• Fruits: Dried fruits and raisins, pomegranates, oranges/clementines, lemons, pears, cranberries

• Nuts and seeds: Sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds

• Beverages: Mead, blackberry wine, pear cider



FLOWERS & HERBS

There may be snow on the ground in many places, but signs of new life are all around--if you are looking. The first cold-hearty buds and blooms of spring are filled with vibrant color, fragrance, and quickening magic!

• Camelias: Luxury/riches, admiration, memory

• Snowdrops: death/cleansing, passing of sorrow [should not be picked]

• Narcissus (Daffodils, Paperwhite): Respect, harmony, tranquility, fertility, abundance

• Crocus: New love, intuition, vision/divination

• Fruit tree blossoms: Immortality, fertility, friendship, love, luck

• Maple buds: Balance, healing, knowledge/intellect, communication

• Pine Cones: Fertility, hope, longevity, purification, protection

• Frankincense (resin): Calming/focus energy, cleansing/healing, protection

• Myrrh (resin): Spirituality/communion with Goddess, cleansing/healing, protection


FRom
Witches Rising
www.facebook.com/WitchesRising



Esbats: Storm Moon

“I am the moon that rises from the twilight sea,
I bring men dreams that rule their destiny,
Bring the dream tides to the souls of men,
The tides that ebb and flow and ebb again…

These are the moon tides, these belong to me,
Hera in Heaven, in earth, Persephone,
Levannah of the tides, and Hecate,
Diana of the Moon, Star of the Sea.
These are my secrets, these belong to me…”
                                                          Dion Fortune, The Sea Priestess.

February Esbat – The Storm Moon (13/02/06)

The Storm Moon of February (also known as the Snow, Chaste, Quickening or Hunger Moon) is our wake up call. During this time, all in nature is pure and full of potential. The hibernating creatures are beginning to slowly arouse themselves, quickening their heartbeats, and creeping out or their dormant period. Mother Earth is gently awakening full of quiescent possibilities. The Storm Moon uses the same force upon us. There is a gentle pulling upon our consciousness at this time, we become aroused to the latent forces within ourselves – now is the time to turn the mirror in upon ourselves, and see what is reflected. A time to grasp the buds of new paths and ideas, and like nature, be prepared to welcome life anew.

Before we do so however, we must find our balance. Use this Esbat, to find your inner cornerstone – the bedrock upon which you shall build upon your potential. You may not know what lies ahead for you, but to utilise the power of the Storm Moon means you make plans for your future with the blessing of the Goddess.

As we in the Northern Hemisphere well know, this is a tempestuous time of year in terms of the in weather. So too is the relationship between God and Goddess. The God is now Consort to the Goddess whilst the Goddess is changing from Crone to Maiden, and will soon join the God to dance in the spring. As the weather ebbs and flows between frost and thaw, the undercurrent of energy that is the God slowly awakens the reborn Goddess. She is aroused from Her ice-capped slumber and awakens. The Great Wheel has turned, and the time of transformation is here.

A Storm Moon Ritual.

During this Month we also celebrate Imbolc, the halfway point between winter and spring. Imbolc is a fire festival, a celebration of the waxing light. The Goddess most revered at this time is Bridgit, a Celtic goddess of hearth and home, of healing and transformation. It is particularly apt therefore that during the Storm Moon Esbat (but 10 days after Imbolc), we appeal to the Goddess Bridgit to help us in our quest to fulfil our potential. Persephone is also a favoured Goddess at this time.

It can firstly be beneficial to equate ourselves with the moonlight. It is true that many find darkness unsettling and gloomy, but to take the time to be out of doors at night-time in a place that you feel safe (for example your own back garden) can be extremely relaxing. Noise from traffic is much quieter, and neighbours are indoors with their windows shut, especially at this time of the year! Wrap up warm, make yourself a hot drink, and take the time to just sit, and observe the peacefulness – soak it up. When you are comfortable and at peace, take a while to reflect upon who you are, your strengths and how to build upon them. This does not need to be a great long-term plan; it can be something quite simple and basic, which is indeed in keeping with the concept that this is a time for building upon our foundations. Once you have a come upon your desire, take a pure white candle – (in a lantern holder or similar if the night is windy), and whilst you light it, repeat quietly to yourself, what it is you want. Once your candle is burning brightly, and the flame is strong, chant three times:

“As I light the flame of fire,
Goddess Bridgit, this is my desire,
Help me find my truths untold,
Bring the light of inspiration,
To find my strengths, make me bold.”

Now sit quietly and watch the candle flame, and let the light of the Moon fill you up.

Alternatively, if you celebrate your Esbats with your family, you may each light a candle indoors, having taken your candles out into the moonlight earlier to charge them. Write down the chant beforehand for your children, or sit little ones on your lap whilst you chant it for them! Before you light them, each hold your unlit candles, and imagine the power of the Goddess Moon flowing through your body to strengthen it. Having done this, verbalise your desire for strength and enlightenment – you may wish to use this alternate chant:

“Lady Moon make me strong,
That I may grow,
Hear my song.”

Which is much easier for little ones to remember! Light all the candles, and place them upon your alter, fireplace or other appropriately safe place.


 Source
Brigther Blessings.com

Imbolc/Candlemas (February 2): Rebirth of the Sun

From The Complete Idiot's guide to Wicca and Witchcraft

Imbolc (IM-bolk), which is often called Candlemas, is the time when Wiccans celebrate the renewing fertility of the Earth. The Goddess is seen as recovering from childbirth, and the God is a small child. This is also the time of “fire in the belly.”

There is the feeling that spring is coming, but a certain restlessness or cabin fever can set in. This can also be the bleakest time of the year when we start to fear that spring will never arrive. It’s no coincidence that many people celebrate Ground Hog’s Day on this date. What is Ground Hog’s Day but a way to let Nature reassure us that spring really will come? Sometimes, even though it is still cold, you can see early buds on trees on this date. This is another way that Nature reminds us to hang on; life is getting ready to burst forth.

Imbolc is a time to celebrate with seeds, with a newly germinating idea. Some covens like to initiate new members at this time of year. Imbolc is a holiday of purification and of the renewed fertility of the Earth. It’s a great time for some early spring cleaning, too. Get rid of things you don’t need. Get ready for the spring season to come.

Imbolc

From http://www.worldspirituality.org/imbolc.html

Imbolc is an ancient festival, Celtic in origin, and considered one of the greater Wiccan sabbats.  It is celebrated on the night of February 1st in the northern hemisphere. 

The primary purpose of Imbolc is to celebrate Spring's impending replacement of Winter.  In this sense, Imbolc may be seen as a spiritual alternative to the secular celebration of New Year's Eve. 

At New Year's Eve, we often see the image of old, bearded Father Time replaced with a young baby.  Father Time represents the old, outgoing year, and the baby celebrates the year just born.  At Imbolc, we have similar imagery; an old crone represents the outgoing year, and turns things over to a young maiden. 

Fertility, of course, plays a part here.  The frozen earth is incapable of growing things, just as the old crone has grown incapable of producing offspring.  This barrenness is replaced by the warm return of Spring, making the earth once again fertile, symbolized by the fertile young maiden.

How to Celebrate Imbolc

An evening feast is in order, since Imbolc represents a return to liveliness and all the bounties of Nature.  Americans might best grasp the concept of Imbolc by thinking of it as a Thanksgiving celebration for what is about to happen.  Celebrants can be happy feasting, knowing that winter is passing and that food will once again be growing and plentiful.  The feast begins with a short prayer, or toast:

Blessed be the earth, and all who dwell upon it.
We give thanks for the season now departing from us,
For the blessings it has bestowed upon us,
And upon those with whom we share this world.

 Blessed be the new season.
We pray that it will be a time filled with peace,
With abundance, with prosperity,
With wisdom,
With love.

Blessed be all who share this feast.
Let us now prepare for the time ahead
By opening our hearts, and our minds, and our spirits.

Blessed be.

Imbolc Menu
The table should be set with white candles.  Since ewes begin lactating at around the time of Imbolc in many locations in the northern hemisphere, the sabbat is connected with ewe's milk.  For this reason, some sort of dairy product - cheese, for example - should be included in the feast.  Other than that, there are no specific food requirements, except that food should be plentiful!  Something green and fresh, such as a salad, would indicate the coming of spring, but since winter is yet with us, the main fare should be hearty, served with a nice, crusty bread.  Mead, ale, spiced wine or non-alcoholic equivalents would all be appropriate beverages.