Teachers and homeschoolers will find some interesting resources on Saint Brigid (and a whole lot of other things) from the Irish website twinkl.ie. Be sure to expand the image below so that you can see more of what they have.
Image: Screenshot from the twinkl.ie website.
St. Brigid of Kildare Icon Writing Retreat with Sophia Icon Studio of Boise, Idaho.
February 13-17
One-Week Online Retreat
Monday - Friday (Full-days)
9am-4pm Mountain Time
St. Brigid is one of the three patron saints of Ireland credited with spreading Christianity in the Celtic Isles. Many of the details of her life are more legend than fact, but her life and spirituality left a mark on the Celtic people that is real and robust.
Brigid was born into slavery, but like many women in the Middle Ages found freedom in the Church. She followed the teachings of St. Patrick and founded several important monasteries, most notably in Kildare. She was known for her excessive generosity to the sick and poor. Named after the pagan goddess of the flame, Brigid's life became a bright light to the people around her, which continues to shine to this day.
Class will be conducted live on Zoom. Sorry, no recordings are available at this time.
This icon will be painted on a 8x10" board. A prepared board will be provided along with instructional materials and gold leaf. First-time students have the option to purchase an Introductory Kit for $12 (recommended). See Essential Supplies for details.
Tuition cost:
$365
Payment is due at the time of registration.
See Registration & Payment for more detailed information
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
is February 6th
Icon of St. Brigid of Kildare Written through the hand of Kara Gillette, 2023
WELL!
I THINK IT WAS
LAST YEAR when I finally accepted that I just didn’t have the time or energy to
chase down every online notice of something happening in celebration of Brigit
around Imbolc time. This year the activity has grown still more, for several
reasons.
WHAT IS THE BIG
DEAL THIS YEAR?
First, from
the perspective of the general, news-listening/reading public, is the fact that
1 February 2023 has been declared Ireland’s first bank holiday in honour of a
woman. There was talk that it might just be for one year, but it was eventually
decided (perhaps due to overwhelming enthusiasm for the idea) to declare it a
permanent addition to the calendar.
For those of us
who don’t know what a BANK HOLIDAY is, the following is helpful.
From Citizens Information:
There are 10 public holidays in Ireland
each year (increased from 9 in 2022).
Public holidays may commemorate a special
day or other event, for example, Saint Patrick's Day (17 March) or Christmas
Day (25 December).
From 2023, there is a new annual
public holiday in early February to mark St Brigid’s Day. The public holiday is
the first Monday in February, except where St Brigid’s day (1 February) happens
to fall on a Friday, in which case that Friday 1 February will be a public
holiday.
On a public holiday, sometimes called
a bank holiday, most businesses and schools close. Other services
(for example, public transport) still operate but often have restricted
schedules.
About this new
holiday, coming 120 years after St. Patrick’s feast day was declared a public
holiday, Áine Mangan, CEO of Into Kildare (Kildare tourism board) said, “This
decision marks the modelling of the equal dignity of male and female at
national level.”[1]
Second reason
for the hullabaloo. Those of us who are a) Irish and in possession of an internet
connection or b) already followers of Brigit are probably aware that this
Imbolc marks the beginning of BRIGID 1500 – CELEBRATING A WOMAN, A LIFE, A
LEGACY, a year of events leading up to Imbolc 2024, the fifteen-hundredth
anniversary of the death of the saint.
Third. This
Imbolc is the THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RELIGHTING OF BRIGIT’S FLAME
in Kildare, by the Brigidine Sisters. Even if no one else was paying attention
to the day, I suspect that FÉILE BRÍDE 2023 would be a more than
usually significant occasion for the participants. (Coincidentally, it is also
the thirtieth anniversary of Daughters of the Flame rekindling Brigit’s flame, so
we have our own reason to be joyful.)
SAINT BRIGIT’S
DAY TRADITIONS
The RTÉ has a
good article on the OLD WAYS in which St. Brigit’s Day was honoured,
many of which are being revived in modern times. The article is peppered with
radio and television clips to illustrate different ideas.
“How Ireland used to celebrate St Brigid's Day in the past,” by Marion McGarry (RTÉ Brainstorm). Monday, 16 Jan 2023.
THIS YEAR’S
FESTIVALS
FÉILE BRÍDE
2023 – BRIGID: FLAME OF JUSTICE AND PEACE
A full week of
events are planned for this year's Brigid Festival in Kildare. The festival is offered
by the Brigidine Sisters at Solas Bhríde, Kildare County Council, and the
local tourism board, “Into Kildare.” What a momentous year it is, as the Brigidine
Sisters observe thirty years of tending Brigit’s rekindled flame, in
conjunction with the leadup of Brigid 1500th to the anniversary of
Saint Brigit’s death.
To me, one of
the most meaningful events to mark St. Brigit’s Day is the PAUSE FOR PEACE
called for by Solas Bhríde.
“Pause for Peace will see the residents
of Kildare calling on people all around the world to stop for a minute’s
silence at noon (local time) on 1 February.”
Conor
Forrest, Kildare Nationalist
Sr Rita Minehan
of Solas Bhríde said that the Pause for Peace offers a “spiritual underpinning”
to the day and is in harmony with the value of peace which St. Brigid stood for
during her lifetime.
“By pausing for peace, we send out a
message that we actively oppose warfare and the proliferation of arms, which
wreak havoc on human beings as well as on the natural world. This movement aims
to awaken and build a spirit of global solidarity in our search for peace.”
Rita
Minehan
You are very welcome
to join this event wherever you are, perhaps involving your community in one
minute of silence, reflecting on peace and sending peace from our hearts to the
people of the world, especially those in places of war and crisis. ONLINE
& IN PERSON
***
LA FHÉILE
BRÍDE / BRIGIDS DAY FESTIVAL CLONDALKIN – Clondalkin's Annual One DayFestival to celebrate St Brigid's Day. February 1st. IN PERSON
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HERSTORY IRELAND
“Founded in 2016, Herstory tells women’s
stories through the arts, visionary education projects, and spectacular light
shows.”
“Herstory is calling on all counties and
diaspora centres across the world to illuminate for the first official national
holiday on Brigid’s Day 2023. From the shadows into the light, this will be a
joyous celebration of all Mná, our Celtic Goddess, Matron Saint and Imbolc, the
ancient festival of Spring.”
HerstoryIreland website
This will be the fourth year in a row that Herstory Ireland has had a Brigid’s Day celebration, images of which, with Courtney Davis’s portrait of Brigit projected onto the GPO, are by now very familiar from social media. They campaigned to have St. Brigit’s Day declared a national holiday, so the cheering this year is well earned, indeed. IN PERSON (& ONLINE?)
Brigid1500 website
The Kildare Nationalist
has a piece on the various events lined up for Brigid 1500 (see below). “Host ofEvents for 2023 to Celebrate Life and Legacy of St Brigid,” Monday, January 16,
2023. IN PERSON
BRIGID
FESTIVAL VANCOUVER returns for the fourth year, with three in person
events and one online session with the Brigidine sisters Rita Minehan and Phil
O’Shea, “Tending the Flame of St. Brigid.” Free registration. ONLINE
& IN PERSON
“Brigid Festival Vancouver is a four-day
free festival to celebrate the healing, light, and creativity of
Irish women and women across the world with a mix of in-person and virtual
gatherings. This year our inclusive theme is: 'There's Room for Everyone Under
Brigid's Cloak'.”
BrigidFestival Vancouver website
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THE UNITED
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER (Irish Center) in San Francisco is pulling out the
stops for this year’s Saint Brigid’s Day. One brilliant event is something you
can do at home: spring cleaning! Which is in fact an old tradition connected to
this day. IN PERSON
The coincidence
of these two rekindlings wasn’t known to us for a number of years. As far as I knew,
the Brigidine Sisters were long gone, and it was up to the rest of us to bring
Brigit’s flame back into the world. As so many of us now have. What a joy to then
discover we had been working alongside these remarkable sisters in Brigit’s
home of Kildare.
We will not be
staging a public event, but gathering together on Zoom and reading a very long
retrospective newsletter when not swept away by other revelries. PRIVATE
YOU
If your own
locale is publicly celebrating Imbolc/Saint Brigit’s Day this year, feel free
to leave a link below in the comment section.
Beannachtaí
na Féile Bríde agus Imbolc oraibh!
Blessings
of Brigid's Day & Imbolc to you all!
Images: “Brigid's Blessing” by Sue Ellen Parkinson. “Dylan Kelly (3) and students from local Kildare schools at the launch of ‘Pause for Peace’.” Photo: Conor Healy / Picture It Photography. From “Kildare Calls for a Pause for Peace on St Brigid’s Day,” Friday, January 13, 2023, Kildare Nationalist. “Triskele Agnóstico based on image by DaDez Creative Commons ASA 3 0 U. All other images are from the event webpages.
.jpg)
Erin writes:
"Announcing my book, The Torch of Brighid: Flametending for Transformation, by the Moon Books imprint of John Hunt Publishing, available now for preorder, to be released in June 2023! Learn more about it, read advance praise, and find out where to preorder here."
Image: Cover of Torch of Brighid by Erin Aurelia shows a red cloak worn by a white person with slender arms and hands. The person is holding a kerosene hand lantern.
The Sisters of Saint Brigid in Kildare are promoting a pause for peace on Saint Brigid's Day 2023, at mid-day, wherever in the world you are, with the hope of engendering a twenty-four hour pause in all. This will be on the day of their thirtieth anniversary of tending Brigit’s flame. More details later, I'm sure!
In other news, Sister Rita Minehan's book, Rekindling the Flame: A Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Brigid, revised edition, is now out. Contact.
Win free enrollment in Discovering Brigit - Goddess & Saint with Mael Brigde. Enrollment gives a discount on the following course, Stepping Into Brigit, but Discovering Brigit can be taken as a stand-alone, and will appeal to long-time devotees as well as those new to Brigit.
TO ENTER
*METHOD ONE*
* Like my Facebook page, Brigit's Portal - Classes, Gatherings, Poetry, Tools.
* Share this post.
* Comment below the competition post on Brigit's Portal with one thing that drew you to Brigit, Goddess and Saint.
*METHOD TWO*
* Subscribe to this blog.
* Share the contents of this post & the image above on social media.
* Comment below with one thing that drew you to Brigit, Goddess and Saint.
The winning name will be drawn on 15 January 2023.
Good luck!
ENDORSEMENTS
"I can’t imagine reading this poetry and remaining untouched. I can’t imagine allowing this book to lie, languishing and ignored, at the back of the shelf. I can’t imagine allowing this book to pass you by."
from the foreword by Orlagh Costello, founder of Brigid's Forge.
“Sun Among Stars…is at once contemplative and deeply personal, educational and reflecting the evolution in understanding and belief that we all go through over time. For this alone it is an invaluable addition to the corpus of material on Brigid… Let the goddess or the saint or simply Brigid speak to you through the author’s words as you step into a deeper understanding…”
Morgan Daimler author of Pagan Portals: Brigid - Meeting The Celtic Goddess Of Poetry, Forge, And Healing Well
"It is a unique challenge to bridge the ancient past with the modern, and the Christian with the Pagan, but Mael Brigde does so with ease and grace. She tells the story of Brigid through remarkable poetry that is as much prayer as it is verse. This gorgeous text could be used as a guidebook for a Brigid devotee through different holidays and times of life. A must have for all lovers of Brigid."
Courtney Weber, author of Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess
WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/MaelBrigde
IMAGE: a graphic design consisting of the words Class Giveaway going around a photo of a red-haired woman (pictured from the upper arms to above the knee-line. She is wearing a green dress and holding a candle lantern. The image rests on a photo of hawthorn leaves against a background of blue sky.
I have decided to add a donation button to this blog and a couple of other places. If you enjoy my work and would like to help me continue it, donations are gratefully accepted. But so are comments, shares, offers of poems for Stone on the Belly or tips on Brigit-related events, music, etc., to blog about here — or anything else you think might be encouraging.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh!
Win a copy of A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars by Mael Brigde. (Yes, me! Why do I feel so shy about this?)
TO ENTER
*METHOD ONE*
* Like my Facebook page, Brigit's Portal - Classes, Gatherings, Poetry, Tools.
* Share this post.
* Comment below the competition post on Brigit's Portal with one thing that drew you to Brigit, Goddess and Saint.
*METHOD TWO*
* Subscribe to this blog.
* Share the contents of this post & the image above on social media.
* Comment below with one thing that drew you to Brigit, Goddess and Saint.
The winning name will be drawn on 15 December 2022.
Good luck!
ENDORSEMENTS
"I can’t imagine reading this poetry and remaining untouched. I can’t imagine allowing this book to lie, languishing and ignored, at the back of the shelf. I can’t imagine allowing this book to pass you by."
from the foreword by Orlagh Costello, founder of Brigid's Forge.
“Sun Among Stars…is at once contemplative and deeply personal, educational and reflecting the evolution in understanding and belief that we all go through over time. For this alone it is an invaluable addition to the corpus of material on Brigid… Let the goddess or the saint or simply Brigid speak to you through the author’s words as you step into a deeper understanding…”
Morgan Daimler author of Pagan Portals: Brigid - Meeting The Celtic Goddess Of Poetry, Forge, And Healing Well
"It is a unique challenge to bridge the ancient past with the modern, and the Christian with the Pagan, but Mael Brigde does so with ease and grace. She tells the story of Brigid through remarkable poetry that is as much prayer as it is verse. This gorgeous text could be used as a guidebook for a Brigid devotee through different holidays and times of life. A must have for all lovers of Brigid."
Courtney Weber, author of Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess
WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/MaelBrigde
IMAGE: a graphic design consisting of the words Book Giveaway going around a photo of the copy of a green book, A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars. The face of a red-haired woman (painting) looks out from a circle of Irish knotwork. The book rests on a photo of hawthorn leaves against a background of blue sky.
And speaking of books about Brigit! At long last, the sisters at Solas Bhríde are releasing an updated version of Sister Rita Minehan‘s book, Rekindling the Flame - a Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Brigid of Kildare.
From their newsletter:
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