Dr Niamh Wycherley on "The Real St Brigid" (Brigid 1500)

Dr Niamh Wycherley gives the first in a series of talks organised by the County Kildare Federation of Local History Groups running from August 2023 to January 2024 to mark Brigid 1500.  

Notes: Recorded in Kilcullen Heritage Centre, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, on Wednesday 16 August, 2023, during National Heritage Week. Posted by County Kildare Federation of Local History Groups. See their website: kildarelocalhistory.ie

Image: Screenshot of opening credits to “The Real Story Brigid.” Portrait of St Brigit in stained glass.

“Brigit as a Constant Companion” - Meditation and Contemplation Video Moved to YouTube

 

It’s occurred to me that I should put some of my videos onto YouTube as they are disappearing from here. I’ve put up the daily ritual from A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars, and now I have uploaded a much longer and more in-depth offering, Brigit as a Constant Companion. This was my offering for Land Sea Sky Travel's Brigid - A Friend for Our Times conference in 2020.

Brigit as a Constant Companion is an immersive, guided contemplation of Brigit, an invitation to slow right down and enter into a quiet, meditative awareness of her. In these chaotic times, slowing down with our goddess is both an act of devotion and a healing. It is my hope you will find something here to sustain you. Newcomers to Brigit, those not committed to her, are welcome.

The entire recording is a little shy of eighty minutes, so you will want a comfortable place to sit or lie down, perhaps a blanket, and water to drink. You won't require any props, but may wish to bring two objects or images, one that reminds you of yourself and the other of Brigit. These may act as anchors for you, but aren't necessary.

OOPS ALERT: The contemplation begins with a body scan and silent meditation. For a brief period afterward I talked away with my mic off, until Vyviane suggested I turn it back on. She chose a good moment, and the contemplation proper is not interrupted.

 

PS - If you, like I, go squirrelly watching YouTube because of all the ads, try watching through a DuckDuckGo browser. You won’t see a single one. It doesn’t work for all. Some YouTube can’t be watched outside of its site. But it works most of the time.

 

Image: Three burning candles in water in a dark room. The words: Brigit - as a Constant Companion.

 

‘Brigit’s Living Traditions,’ Talk by Séamas Ó Cathain

 

Séamas Ó Cathain was invited by Woman Spirit Ireland to speak about Brigit at their symposium, Brigit of Ireland - An Icon for Today, and to launch the updated and extended second edition of his 1995 book, Festival of Brigit - Celtic Goddess and Holy Woman.* The talk was held on 28th January 2023.

Click here to read more about it and buy from the publisher, and here for his talk. 

Image: Photo of front cover of book, showing four children bundled in winter clothes, holding Brigit’s crosses and standing near a shrine.

* the original edition of the book is available on archive.org.

Brigid Festival Vancouver: Link to Talks

 

And here is a link to all of the talks from the Brigid Festival Vancouver, 2021 and 2022.

MoonCon 21 "Brigit Panel"

 

So this just happened! I really enjoyed our #Brigit Panel. And that swirling white streak beneath Erin Aurelia and I is actually Morgan Daimler, manifesting in our shared realm.

If you want to watch the rest of the Con, you can find the sessions on Facebook and YouTube :

https://www.facebook.com/MoonBooks

Our Brigit panel (available on video):

https://fb.watch/5XBxGpw-fs/

OR

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ2_r1CUgx8&list=PLuNR40Q7BCOkgs3wPiTw1GfJbOeLbovoL&index=9

Image: Screenshot, 5 June 2021, MoonCon 21 by Mael Brigde.

Holy Brighid, Goddess and Saint, a Talk by Rev. Rowan Fairgrove

 

The Reverend Rowan Fairgrove, longtime member of Daughters of the Flame, spoke to South Bay Circles in California last November on "Holy Brighid, Goddess and Saint." 

From her introduction:

Rowan's accomplishments are extensive (as seen below) but, for this talk, she comes to us as a Daughter of the Flame - an organization dedicated to keeping Brighid's Flame lit. For more information, click here. Rev. Rowan Fairgrove is a Wiccan, first initiation in 1971, with initiations including Gardnerian, NROOGD & Ozark Celtic (but practicing NROOGD since 1981). Her current NROOGD Coven, Owl Moon, celebrated our 15 anniversary in May. She is a Senior Medium of the American Magic Umbanda House, headwashed to Pombagira Cigana Rainha; a National Interfaith Representative of Covenant of the Goddess; an ordained Priestess of Brighid through Fellowship of Isis and is also a Daughter of the Flame. She has practiced Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism in the Inis Glas tradition (magical side). She does quite a lot of interfaith and social justice work. She is a member of the Women's International League for Peace & Freedom (serving on the steering committee for our local Branch) and a Raging Granny. She is involved with the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; a disability rights advocate, and has been a registered Green Party member since that was possible in California. She does faith-based social justice work with PACT (People Acting in Community Together), which is part of PICO CA which, in turn, is part of Faith in Action nationally. She is on the Executive Committee of the Board of our local interfaith council, The Silicon Vally Interreligious Council. She lobbies our City Council and the State legislature regularly.

Click here to watch a video of her talk on all ideas Brigit.

Image: from Rowan Fairgrove.