Happy Imbolc - Blessings of Brigit

 May all be well.

Image: by Mael Brigde, using a photo by Egor Vikhrev through Unsplash.

Saint Bridget's Holy Well Restored

Michael Fortune writes of the restoration during lockdown of St. Bridget’s Holy Well in Artramon, Crossabeg, Co. Wexford. (Click here for the full post.)

Brigit on the Burren: A Snippet from Lady Gregory

A Book of Saints and Wonders – Lady Gregory, 1906.  p8

She Remembers the Poor
But if Brigit belonged to the east, it is not in the west she is forgotten, and the people of Burren and of Corcomruadh and Kinvara go every year to her blessed well that is near the sea, praying and remembering her. And in that well there is a little fish that is seen every seven years, and whoever sees that fish is cured of every disease. And there is a woman living yet that is poor and old and that saw that blessed fish, and this is the way she tells the story:

"I had a pearl in my eye one time, and I went to Saint Brigit's well on the cliffs. Scores of people there were in it, looking for cures, and some got them and some did not get them. And I went down the four steps to the well and I was looking into it, and I saw a little fish no longer than your finger coming from a stone under the water. Three spots it had on the one side and three on the other side, red spots and a little green with the red, and it was very civil coming hither to me and very pleasant wagging its tail. And it stopped and looked up at me and gave three wags of its back, and walked off again and went in under the stone.

"And I said to a woman that was near me that I saw the little fish, and she began to call out and to say there were many coming with cars and with horses for a month past and none of them saw it at all. And she proved me, asking had it spots, and I said it had, three on the one side and three on the other side. "That is it" she said. And within three days I had the sight of my eye again. It was surely Saint Brigit I saw that time; who else would it be? And you would know by the look of it that it was no common fish. Very civil it was, and nice and loughy, and no one else saw it at all. Did I say more prayers than the rest? Not a prayer. I was young in those days. I suppose she took a liking to me, maybe because of my name being Brigit the same as her own."

The Boy that dreamed he would get his Health
There was a beggar boy used to be in Burren, that was very simple like and had no health, and if he would walk as much as a few perches it is likely he would fall on the road. And he dreamed twice that he went to Saint Brigit's blessed well upon the cliffs and that he found his health there. So he set out to go to the well, and when he came to it he fell in and he was drowned. Very simple he was and innocent and without sin. It is likely it is in heaven he is at this time.

The Water of the Well

And there is a woman in Burren now is grateful to Saint Brigit, for "I brought my little girl that was not four years old" she says "to Saint Brigit's well on the cliffs, where she was ailing and pining away. I brought her as far as the doctors in Gort and they could do nothing for her and then I promised to go to Saint Brigit's well, and from the time I made that promise she got better. And I saw the little fish when I brought her there; and she grew to be as strong a girl as ever went to America. I made a promise to go to the well every year after that, and so I do, of a Garlic Sunday, that is the last Sunday in July. And I brought a bottle of water from it last year and it is as cold as amber yet."

Charm for difficulty in breathing

Charm for difficulty in breathing

“A person who had difficulty breathing might be relieved by ortha an tachtaidh: ‘Seven of the prayers of the Son of God. And seven of the prayers of the two holy women and the angel. And the creed in honour of holy Brighid. O Brighid, come to the help of this poor person!’ At these last words the person saying the charm breathed into the mouth of the sufferer and then said seven Paters, seven Aves and the Credo.”

from Irish Country People by Kevin Danaher, 1966.

Brigit and Blindness

Votive offering representing eyes.

Musée Archéologique de Dijon

On hearing that a friend and follower of Brigit is developing cataracts, I remembered reading a number of tales of Saint Brigit that concern blindness. I wanted to look back through those stories to see if there was anything that might be of use for her. I often find some subtle insight offered if not in the tale’s intended message, then in some detail within it. This is a personal thing, and I doubt we would all find the same meanings, or any at all, necessarily. I have not offered all of these to her—it is probably not the time—but I will offer a few to you in case they are of use.

***

Brigit is no stranger to blindness. In a gruesome story from the 8^th century "Irish Life of Brigid", the Bethu Brigte, Brigit blinds herself in order to block her forced marriage. She is miraculously healed with the aid of a stream created by her own staff, but all attempts to marry her against her will are ended. (She takes violent eye-related revenge on one of her brothers for his malicious part in all of this.)

There are many references in her Lives to Brigit healing the blind. In Faughart, her supposed birthplace, one of her bullaun stones has the power to heal spiritual blindness.

But she didn't always cure the affliction. In the Leabhar Breac (Speckled Book) of the 15th century, it says, “She bettered the sheep: she tended the blind: she fed the poor.” Tended does not necessarily mean cured. If caring for, and not curing, is what is meant here, this suggests to me that there are times when she finds it preferrable to leave things as they are. In looking at my own life, I know that, painful as it is, sometimes we don’t gain the outcome we want and pray for—yet sometimes another outcome, very much unwanted, leads to a different blessing altogether.

A couple of her tales hint at this.

Once, Brigit relied on a blind man to assist her when no one else was able¹. Inspired by a vision, Brigit wished to have the whole Roman ritual and liturgy brought to her. Three times she sent disciples to Rome to fetch it. Twice they returned having forgotten everything they learned. The third time she included with the disciples a “certain blind protégé” of hers who was blessed with the ability to remember everything perfectly. En route the pilgrims met with a storm and dropped anchor; they were afterwards unable to retrieve it. Drawing lots, the blind man was given the job of diving deep to recover the anchor, but although the ship was freed, he did not return. He was lost until the crew met the same difficulty on another day, being forced to drop anchor in the same place. When they hauled the anchor aboard he climbed up with it, carrying the Roman Rite and a bell that came to be known as the “bell of the blind son.” This story was meant to show Brigit’s support for the Roman versus the Irish Christian traditions,which I suspect wasn’t a big interest of Brigit’s, given when she lived. What I find interesting, though, is that the only person with the wisdom and vision to perform her miracle is the one man without sight.

Colgan, in his Trias Thaumaturga, Vita Quarta S. Brigidæ, tells a particularly moving story about blindness (also related in O’Hanlon’s Life of St Brigid):

“One evening, she sat with Sister Dara, or Daria, a holy nun, who was blind², as the sun went down; and they talked of the love of Jesus Christ, and the joys of Paradise. Now, their hearts were so full, the night fled away whilst they spoke together, and neither knew that so many hours had sped. Then the sun came up from the Wicklow mountains, and the pure white light made the face of earth bright and gay. Bridget sighed, when she saw how lovely were earth and sky, and while she knew that Dara s eyes were closed to all this beauty. So she bowed her head and prayed. She extended her hand and signed the dark orbs of the gentle sister. Then the darkness passed away from them, and Dara saw the golden ball in the east, while all the trees and flowers glittered with dew in the morning light. She looked a little while, and then, turning to the abbess, said: “Close my eyes again, dear mother, for when the world is so visible to the eyes, God is seen less clearly to the soul.” So Bridget prayed once more, and Dara’s eyes grew dark again.”

1Life Of St. Brigid, First Abbess Of Kildare, Special Patroness Of Kildare Diocese, And General Patroness Of Ireland by the Rev. John O'Hanlon, M.R.I.A. (1877)

2Apparently she was blind from birth.

Brighid and Me: Experiences with the Goddess

I`ve just received my contributor's copy in the mail--Hollee Swann's new 48 pp pamphlet,

BRIGHID AND ME: Experiences With the Goddess.

It is a series of articles by devotees of Brighid, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading the offerings. What a brave and lovely group of beings!

Hollee had wanted to do a book on Brigit but, on researching the subject, decided she'd be simply rehashing available materials. Instead when she reluctantly let go of the project, she was inspired to collect the stories of some of Brigit's followers and offer them to the world.

In honour of Brigit's attributes as a healer, and Hollee's mother, who is in a care home with late stage Alzheimer's, donations from the sale of the book will go to the Alzheimer's Society.

£4.50 per copy. £4.10 for 3 or more copies in one order
Postage at cost. Overseas postal rates on request.
Email: helen(AT)goddessdance.co.uk for ordering and payment details. (Replace (AT) with @ )

CJ Chow's Brigid's Flame

C. J. Chow of Toronto, Canada has devoted a website to Brigid and to healing. Brigid's Flame offers information, links, and consultations, as well as a link to C.J.'s blog: Pneumatised! AN EVER-CHANGING LIFE INSPIRED BY THE PNEUMA.

ABOUT ME

I am a Chinese Canadian living in Toronto, Canada, who follows a unique, eclectic spirituality. First and foremost, I am pagan. I have found that being pagan has given me freedom to explore many different spiritualities (or maybe that's just my personality... hm...) At the very least, the path that I follow has led me to explore different mythologies, from classic Greco-Roman to Mesoamerican (Mayan, Incan, Aztec). I've always held it to be important to learn and explore different spiritual paths. My studies, though generally on pagan/Wiccan paths, include Native traditions, Buddhism, Taoism, Celtic mythology and spirituality, Mesoamerican mythology and basically any other mythologies out there.

I have a great interest in healing and wellness. I believe that healing takes place on the spiritual level first and that much suffering and pain can be avoided by taking good care of oneself. Taking care of oneself includes spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I hold a black belt in taekwondo and I highly recommend martial arts to people because it works on all these levels. During the summer of 2002, I suffered a knee injury, putting my martial arts on hold. I underwent knee surgery and rehabilitation. It was going through this that sparked my interest in healing and subsequently, I sought not just reiki treatment, but to be attuned to reiki. I was attuned to reiki level one by Nancy Peel nearly a year ago. Healing however is not just an individual need, healing is also needed on a larger scale. The world itself needs to be healed - there is just too much suffering. This is the basic idea behind this website and my work...

POEMS FOR BRIGID

Below are two pieces from the Carmina Gadelica about Brigid. The original from the Carmina is shown followed immediately by a modern translation and interpretation. Sources are listed after each section.

SLOINNTIREACHD BHRIDE¹

Sloinneadh na Ban-naomh Bride, Lasair dhealrach oir, muime chorr Chriosda. Bride nighinn Dughaill duinn, Mhic Aoidh, mhic Airt, mhic Cuinn, Mhic Crearair, mhic Cis, mhic Carmaig, mhic Carruinn.

Gach la agus gach oidhche Ni mi sloinntireachd air Bride, Cha mharbhar mi, cha spuillear mi, Cha charcar mi, cha chiurar mi, Cha mhu dh' fhagas Criosd an dearmad mi.

Cha loisg teine, grian, no gealach mi, Cha bhath luin, li, no sala mi, Cha reub saighid sithich, no sibhich mi, Is mi fo chomaraig mo Naomh Muire Is i mo chaomh mhuime Bride.

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/corpus/Carmina/G70.html

GENEALOGY OF BRIGIT

The genealogy of the holy maiden Brigit, Radiant arrow of flame, noble foster-mother of gods, Brigit the daughter of the Dagda, Dagda the Good God, the son of Ethlinn, Ethlinn the daughter of Balor, Balor the king of the Fomoire.

Every day and every night That I say the genealogy of Brigit, I shall not be killed, I shall not be injured, I shall not be enchanted, I shall not be cursed, Neither shall my power leave me.

No earth, no sod, no turf shall cover me, No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me, No water, no lake, no sea shall drown me, No air, no wind, no vapour shall sicken me, No glamour out of Faery shall o'ertake me, And I under the protection of the holy maiden, My gentle foster-mother, my beloved Brigit.

http://www.shadowsrealm.com/paganshadows/carmina/index2.html#70

BRIDE BAN-CHOBHAIR²

Thainig thugam cobhair Moire gheal is Bride; Mar a rug Anna Moire, Mar a rug Moire Criosda, Mar a rug Eile Eoin Baistidh Gun mhar-bhith dha dhi, Cuidich thusa mise 'm asaid, Cuidich mi a Bhride!

Mar a gheineadh Criosd am Moire Comhliont air gach laimh, Cobhair thusa mise, mhoime, An gein a thoir bho 'n chnaimh; 'S mar a chomhn thu Oigh an t-solais, Gun or, gun odh, gun ni, Comhn orm-sa, 's mor m' othrais, Comhn orm a Bhride!

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/corpus/Carmina/G71.html

BRIGIT THE AID-WOMAN

There came to me assistance, Danu fair and Brigit; As Danu bore the Dagda, As Dagda's wife bore Brigit, As Brigit bore Ruadan Without flaw in him, Aid thou me in mine unbearing, Aid me, O Brigit!

As Lugh was conceived of Ethlinn Full perfect on every hand, Assist thou me, foster-mother, The conception to bring from the bone; And as thou didst aid the Mother of the Gods, Without gold, without corn, without kine, Aid thou me, great is my sickness, Aid me, O Brigit!

http://www.shadowsrealm.com/paganshadows/carmina/index2.html#71

The following is a modern poem about the goddess Brigid. However, I have noticed the title of the poem uses the modern name "Bridget" instead of Brigid which leaves me to speculate the poem is also dedicated to someone named Bridget Bright.

BRIDGET BRIGHT by Hedgewytch

She is known as Brigid Bright, Goddess who shines against the night. At Cille Dara, at the setting sun, Her sacred flame is kept by one. Nineteen times the earth turns round, As sacred springs come forth the ground. Twenty times the sun has burned, And now the Goddess has returned. Alone she tends her thrice-bright flame, Born of her heart that bears her name. The Dagda knows Brigid as Daughter, Triple Blessed by fire and water. Poets call her name to inspire. And healers oft gain from her fire. Wayland too would know her well As hammer and anvil ring like a bell. A sorrowful cry did she give meaning, When first she brought to Eire keening. Oh Sacred Fire against darkest night, Burn for Brigid, for Brigid Bright! Fire in the head...to quicken us. Fire in the cauldron...to heal us. Fire in the forge of the heart...to temper us.

"Bridget Bright" was found on the following sites: http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_detail/dt_po.html?a=usfl&id=902 http://www.earthspiritpagans.org/

The following was not written for the goddess Brigid (at least as far as I know), but the lyrics in this song are so beautiful and remind me of Brigid that I wanted to include the chorus here. The song is"Shine" by Hungry Lucy. The lyrics are by Christa Belle and can be found at www.hungrylucy.com.

Shine this light down on me forever My open eyes are so alive Break through these walls that leave me useless All of my fears have gone away

FOOTNOTES

1. Piece 70 from the Carmina Gadelica. 2. Piece 71 from the Carmina Gadelica.

cchow at brigidsflame dot com

Back to Brigid's Flame

Brigid's Flame logo created and designed by Nathaniel E. Simpson and C.J. Chow (Copyright July 6, 2005).