Blessings of Imbolc!

There has been much excitement this year leading up to Imbolc. Clann Dord Fiann offered a three week daily devotion which many of us joined in on. I enjoyed it so much I am going to continue it. Land, Sea, Sky Travel put on a wonderful Brigit conference on 26 January, which consumed much of my bandwidth for weeks beforehand as I planned and organized my own contribution. And now Brigit lovers all over are posting images and stories and videos that teach and inspire and comfort us at this time.

Lora O'Brien sent a link out on her Irish Pagan School email listserve the other day that points us toward a great program on Brigit and her traditions by Blúiríní Béaloidis/Folklore Fragments on SoundCloud:



I am so happy to be surrounded by Brigit lovers and Brigit lore. May you all be blessed, this year and every year.

Blessings of Brigit

may Brigit bless you

with the lustre of her poetry

the vigour of her smithcraft

the mercy of her healing

and may you walk under

the protection of her blue mantle

all the days of your life.

Mael Brigde

Image: Brigit by Maggie Jones

Amy Interviews Dolores Whelan

Amy Panetta interview Dolores Whelan, educator, spiritual guide, and author of "Ever Ancient, Ever New: Celtic Spirituality in the 21st Century." They discuss her book, her work, The Brigid of Faughart festival she organizes, and Brigid herself. 

You can listen to the podcast by clicking here.

Amy is also offering an hour-long webinar in exchange for a donation.   Most proceeds will go towards The Solas Bhride Centre in Kildare where so many beautiful Brigid sites are located.  Back in Jan/Feb 2017, she taught a number of classes based on her Brigid work and she is excited that the class she was teaching is now online in this webinar!  She also teaches the song, "Gabhaim Molta Bhride" in Irish Gaelic.

Click here for more information about this project.

Imbolc Celebrations at Brigit's Garden

Click here to reach their facebook page.

Revisiting Brighid & Imbolc: A Year With The Gods Conference 26 January 2019

Very soon we will be treated to a second online Brigit conference through Land, Sea, Sky Travel. I'm so excited! I will be presenting--my only presentation with them in the coming year--a deep dive into meditation on Brigit. There is so much more. Explore the various posts on their Facebook page and definitely consider one of the scholarships if they apply.

I love the group of people that Vyviane has gathered together. These conferences have had a huge impact on my practice and on my sense of connection with the wider community. They are accessible in every way, inspiring, friendly, and filled with new ideas and information and ways of looking at things. A real blessing.

JAN26

Revisiting Brighid & Imbolc: A Year With The Gods Conference

Public

 · Hosted by Land Sea Sky Travel

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ~W.B. Yeats

Land, Sea, Sky Travel is pleased to announce we will be hosting a series of online conferences, A Year With Our Gods: An Online Polytheist Conference in 2019. Over the course of the year, we will be hosting an eight-part conference series. Each conference will hold a specific theme relevant to Irish, Welsh, Gallic, and Deovtional Polytheists. Our first conference is Revisiting Brighid & Imbolc and is meant to be a deeper dive into the work we stared last year with our very popular Brighid: A Fresh Perspective conference.

The conference will provide a balanced mix of hands-on, devotional, and experimental practice with academic and lore-based studies . In addition, a chat room will be provided to facilitate building friendships and meeting others interested in polytheism. Each conference will feature five presenters, a mix of well known faces and fresh voices.

The conference may be accessed from any phone, tablet, or computer.

To help make it accessible to all participants, especially those who cannot commit to attending the full eight hours, a recording of the entire conference is included with your registration ticket. Participants will also receive a digital welcome pack with exciting content from each of our presenters along with other offerings from polytheist groups and polytheist or pagan run small businesses. During the conference, we will be giving away items such as Kindle books, tickets to a future conference in this series, and other exciting surprises. If you own a pagan business and would like to be involved with our Welcome Packet or Give-Aways, please get in touch.

Full and partial scholarships will be offered for the conference along with group viewing party discounts. Registration will be offered for free to individuals under the age of twenty-one and over the age of seventy-one.

Twenty Day Brigid Devotion with Clann Dord Fiann (Starts Today!)

I am very keen to participate in this shared-yet-solitary daily offering to Brigit as we move toward Imbolc. What a wonderful idea! We begin in less than an hour--8 PM Irish time, noon British Columbia time--but the devotion may be done any time during each twenty-four hour period. Whatever works best for you. I'll let Clann Dord Fiann explain.

FLAMEKEEPING/ BRIGIDMAS/ IMBOLG 2019

For 2019 Clann Dord Fiann are working each evening from the 12th of January to the 31st with a 20 day devotional work with and to Brigid. As part of the extension of our work to have a public face, we invite others to join this activity if they wish. It is solitary and requires no other involvement.

Each day at 8pm (Irish time) we light a candle to Brigid and speak or sing the text of Gabhaim molta Bríghde/ I Give Praise to Brigid, a traditional Irish song and poem. This time is ideal, but need not be followed if not fitting with your life. This may be done at any time each day. We will post daily reminders at 7 daily for the 20 days. For those who would like to work with the text as gaeilge, but who do not speak the language, Gaol Naofa has a phonetic version. http://www.gaolnaofa.org/library/music/gabhaim-molta-bride/ . For the first 19 days we light and extinguish the candle after speaking Gabhaim molta Bríghde and a period of reflection. On the 20th day, Brigids eve, reeds are gathered for crosses, and an effigy of Brigid is brought to the place of the candle, be it an image or a Brideóg. An accompanying verse may be desired of this arrival of Brigid. A historical example is:

Oiche Bhríde brichíneach
Bain an ceann den croiceanach,
Gabhaigí ar na glúnaí,
Déanaigí umhlú
Is ligigí isteach Bríd Bheannaithe.
‘Sé beatha, ‘sé beatha, sé beatha.

"On St Brigid’s night
Take the head off the rushes,
Go on your knees,
Make obeisance
And let St Brigid in.
You’re welcome, you’re welcome, your welcome."

The candle is lit in a safe container and allowed to burn out in the company of Brigid, for on the 20th day Brigid keeps the flame.
___________________

Gabhaim molta Bríghde Text (Gaeilge/ English)

Gabhaim molta Bríghde, iníon í le hÉireann
Iníon le gach tír í, molaimís go léir í.
Lóchrann geal na Laighneach, soils’ ar feadh na tíre
Ceann ar óigheacht Éireann, ceann na mban

Tig an Geimhreadh dian dubh, gearra lena géire
Ach ar lá le Bríghde, gar dúinn Earrach Éireann.
Iníon le gach tír í, molaimís go léir í.
Gabhaim molta Bríghde, iníon í le hÉireann

I give praise to Brigid, daughter of Ireland
Daughter of all lands, let us praise her.
The bright torch of Leinster, shining across the country
The leader of Ireland’s youth, leader of women.

The house of Winter is dark, cutting with its sharpness
But on Brigid’s Day, Spring in Ireland draws near to us.
I give praise to Brigid, daughter of Ireland
Daughter of all lands, let us praise her.