Brigit Gwers (OBOD lesson) by Susa Morgan Black

Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids member Susa Morgan Black offers online her 38 page lesson on Brigit, looked at from many aspects and supported with lots of notes, images, and resources. Below is a brief sample.

Druid Goddess
Brigit is a “pan Celtic” goddess, who was worshipped by both the Goidelic4 and Brythonic5 Celts in the British Isles and beyond. She is a solar deity, who once hung her mantle on a sunbeam.

In Celtic mythology, Brigit is the daughter of the Morrighan and the Dagda6, the Good God and
Chief of the Tuatha de Danaan, the ancient fairy race of Ireland, and the sister of Ogma, who
invented the Ogham alphabet. She was the wife of Bres, King of the Fomorians (who were at
war with the Tuatha de Danaan). Brigit was said to have been the mediator of peace between
the two ancient warring tribes. She was the mother of the Three Gods of Danu – Ruadan7,
Iuchar and Uar8. These three Gods were said to have married the three princesses of Ireland –
Eire, Fodhla and Banbha.9

In other sources, Brigid is the daughter of Boann, the Goddess of the River Boyne in Ireland.
Boann (bo fhionn) means “white cow”, an association she shares with Brigid.

Brigit is primarily the patron Goddess of poets, healers and smiths. She is also a patron of other
womanly arts – midwifery, dyeing, weaving and brewing, and the guardian of children and farm
animals – particularly cows.10 The island of Ireland itself is said to be the green mantle of Brigit.

She is also said to be the patron of travelers, sailors, and fugitives.

She is specifically a patroness to the Druids in her aspects of poetry (Bards), healing and
prophecy (Ovates) and blacksmithing.11 (Druids).


Notes:

4. Goidelic – Gaels: Irish, Scots, and Manx Celts
5. Brythonic – British: Welsh, Cornish and Breton Celts
6. In other versions, Dagda is the son of Brigit; White Goddess, page 101. Dagda is the patron god of the Druids. In some
versions, he is the consort of Brigid.
7. In some sources, it’s Brian, Iuchar and Iuchurba (White Goddess, page 101)
8. Article on Brigit on the OBOD webpage, by Winter Cymres (http://www.druidry.org/obod/deities/brigid.html)
9. White Goddess, page 102
10. Kindling the Celtic Spirit, pg. 47
11. Blacksmithing is the art of transformation of metal, and they were considered great wizards and mages in ancient times,
which relates them directly to the transformative (alchemical) arts of the Druid.

Susa Morgan Black Resources List

Member of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) Susa Morgan Black has assembled an intriguing list of resources for lovers of Celtic and Brigidine lore, especially as travellers in Ireland. I paste a large portion of it here, but do visit her site and see all that she has to offer you--poetry, articles, and much more. (See especially her Brigit Gwers {lesson}.)

http://www.susa-morgan-black.net/travel/Resources.pdf

Bibliography

General Celtic:

• Kindling the Celtic Spirit, by Mara Freeman, Harper San Francisco, 2001
• Druidcraft, the Magic of Wicca and Druidry, by Philip Carr-Gomm, Thorsons, London, 2002
• Celtic Myth and Magic, by Edain McCoy, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1995
  

St. Brigid:

• Saint Gobnait of Ballyvourney, by Elís Uí Dháiligh, (some say Saint Gobnait is a version of Brigid in her patroness of Blacksmiths aspect)
• Irish Legends: St. Brigid’s Cloak, by Reg Keating, Tarantula Books, Dublin, 1997
• Rekindling the Flame, A Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Brigid of Kildare, by Rita Minehan, CSB, Solas Bhride Community, 1999
• In Search of St. Brigid, Foundress of Kildare, by Mary E. Pollard, St. Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, 1988
• The Cathedral Church of Saint Brigid, Rev. John Paterson, Dean of Kildare, 1982
• Brigit of Kildare by Ann Egan, Kildare County Council Library and Arts Services, 2001

Ogham, Irish Herbs and Trees:

• Irish Trees, Myths, Legends and Folklore, by Nial Mac Coitir, The Collins Press, Cork, 2003
• Irish Trees and Shrubs, by Peter Wyse-Jackson, Appletree Guide, Belfast, 1994
• Healing Herbs in Ireland, by Paula O’Regan, Primrose Press, Dublin, 1997
• Brighid’s Healing, Ireland’s Celtic Medicine Traditions, by Gina McGarry, Green Magic, Sutton Mallet, England, 2005
• Ogham, Ancestors Remembered in Stone, by Susan Connolly and Anne-Marie Moroney, Flax Mill Productions, Drogheda, Ireland, 2000
  

Tour and Guide books:

• The Book of Tara, by Michael Slavin, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, 1996
• The Tara Walk by Michael Slavin, (self produced and available in his shop at the foot of Tara Hill)
• The Druids at Tara, by Michael Slavin (self produced and available in his shop at the foot of Tara Hill)
• Sheela-na-Gigs, Origins and Functions, by Eamonn P. Kelly, Country House, Dublin, 1996
• Illustrated Map of the Sheela na Gigs of Britain and Ireland, by Jack Roberts and Joanne McMahon, Bandia Publishing, Ireland, 1997
• Brú na Bóinne, Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth and the River Boyne, by Archeology, Ireland, 2003

• The Complete Road Atlas of Ireland, Ordnance Survey, Ireland
• Paddy Mac’s Gap of Dunloe Pictoral Guide
• Guide to the National Museum of Ireland. by Patrick F. Wallace, Town House, Dublin, 2000
• The Complete Road Atlas of Ireland, Ordnance Survey, Ireland
  
• My personal travel journal, kept diligently for the duration of this extraordinary trip
  

Video:

• The Story of Tara, produced by Michael Slavin, available at his shop at the bottom of Tara Hill

Museums, Tours, and Parks

• Musaem Cheílteach Agus Réstaore. Dingle, County Kerry: www.kerryweb.ie
• Arthur Young Nature Trail, Killarney National Park, begins near Muckross House. Many of the Druid trees grow here, including incredible giant Birches and Pines, as well as Oaks, Hawthorne, Alder, Hazel, Reed, Furze, Fern, and ancient Yews. Even found a Blackthorn bush near Dundag Bay!
• National Museum of Ireland, Dublin: http://www.museum.ie/
  

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula Experience, Dublin: http://www.thebramstokerdraculaexperience.com/
• The Zozimus Ghostly Experience, Dublin: www.zozimus.com
• Irish National Stud, Japanese Gardens, and Saint Fiachra’s Garden, Kildare
• Dublin Ghost Bus Tour: http://www.dublinbus.ie/your_journey/ghost_bus_tour.asp
• Dublinia, and the Viking World, Dublin: www.dublinia.ie
• Musaem Cheílteach Agus Réstaore. Dingle, County Kerry: www.kerryweb.ie
• Arthur Young Nature Trail, Killarney National Park, begins near Muckross House. Many of the Druid trees grow here, including incredible giant Birches and Pines, as well as Oaks, Hawthorne, Alder, Hazel, Reed, Furze, Fern, and ancient Yews. Even found a Blackthorn bush near Dundag Bay!
  

By Susa Morgan Black

Druid (OBOD), NROOGD, FSA Scot

Brigid's Irregulars: A Celtic Reconstructionist Brigidine Order

Community Profile

This community is dedicated to the development and practice of a Celtic Reconstructionist order dedicated to honoring Brigid through flametending and other activities. We honor the decision of the nuns of Kildare to open access to Brigid's flame to all regardless of gender or religious faith. We strongly recommend members of Brigid's Irregulars be Celtic Reconstructionist if not actively sympathetic, as this is a CR order. In the spirit of the nuns' decision, however, we do not limit membership to Celtic Reconstructionists.

Multiple approaches to devotion to Brigid are an interest of several members of this order. We welcome diversity in rituals devoted to Brigid, as we believe Her multiple attributes encourage if not actively invite multiple ways of praising Her. We are currently focused on flametending as the base due to its long-established existence as a means of honoring Her, but there is a strong desire to expand. Those who wish to discuss other approaches but do not wish to tend a flame are welcome and encouraged to join the group.

Posts are friends-locked by default to provide a safer space for members to share their experiences. Membership is monitored to guard against trolls. (Editorial Intrusion: You must have a LiveJournal account and become a "friend" of this community, in that way obtaining permission to join. Members who seek to disrupt the group with provoking and unfair comments will be removed from membership. --Mael Brigde)

Our first flametending cell is completely filled. A second one can be started in the event more apply to do so. As a part of our practice, we ask that flametenders use the liturgy of the order as the basis of their shift's work. Other liturgical material, meditations or magical work may be added to it as desired by any individual, but the liturgy is intended to provide a connecting thread of poetry that unites all the flametenders of the order.

If you are interested in joining Brigid's Irregulars, contact blackfyr@livejournal.com or lysana@livejournal.com for more information.

brig_irreg

Landscape with Two Saints: Upcoming Book Release

Landscape with Two Saints: How Genovefa of Paris and Brigit of Kildare Built Christianity in Barbarian Europe by Lisa M. Bitel

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ISBN13: 9780195336528ISBN10: 0195336526 hardback, 320 pages; 15 halftones, 11 line illus.;

Apr 2009, Not Yet Published, Oxford University Press

$34.95 (01)

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At a time when Europeans still longed to be Roman and were just learning to be Christian, two extraordinary holy women-Genovefa of Paris (ca. 420-502) and Brigit of Kildare (ca. 450-524)-began to roam their homelands. One of these saints raised an apostolic church in the imperial city that would become Paris. The other scavenged fragments of that dwindling empire for the foundations of a grand Roman basilica built deep in barbarian territory. Both brought Christianity and romanitas (Roman-ness) to their people. By examining the ruins of their cities and churches, the workings of their cults, and the many generations of their devotees, Lisa Bitel shows how Brigit and Genovefa helped northern Europeans map new religion onto familiar landscapes. Landscape with Two Saints tells the twin stories of these charismatic women but also explains how ordinary people lived through religious change at the very beginning of the Middle Ages.

Tales of ancient conversions on distant landscapes have much to teach us about lived and built religion, why people choose new beliefs, and how they act out those beliefs in meaningful ways. The combined history of Brigit and Genovefa explains not just how a couple of legendary peripatetic women could become targets of devotion, but how and where Europeans became Christian, and what it meant to them on a daily basis. The story of these two saintly cults-not just in the pages of manuscripts, but on the streets of cities, in the stones of cemeteries, and in the walls of churches-also demonstrates the pervasive influence of gender and ethnicity, as well as regional culture and material environment, on the whole process of religious change. Bitel contends that in the building blocks of their churches and the tracks they once traveled, Genovefa and Brigit show us what the written words of missionaries and theologians never can: the active participation of converts in the history of their own conversion.

Reviews

"Lisa Bitel's most recent book offers a fascinating window into two disparate late fifth-century landscapes: the first, Paris during the Hunnic invasions, and the second, rural Ireland following the conversions. ....Bitel's treatment of two highly enigmatic women makes a decisive contribution to our understanding of late antique and early medieval gender, hagiography, and religious history."
--Bonnie Effros, professor of history at Binghamton University (SUNY), author of Caring for Body and Soul: Burial and the Afterlife in the Merovingian World, Creating Community with Food and Drink in Merovingian Gaul , and Merovingian Mortuary Archaeology and the Making of the Early Middle Ages
"Lisa Bitel's Landscape with Two Saints is a wonderful book-scholarly, yet fascinating for anyone interested in the development of Christianity in the early Middle Ages. Bitel skillfully brings to life the world of Genovefa of Paris and Brigit of Kildare to highlight the often-neglected role of women in the medieval Church of western Europe."
--Philip Freeman, Orlando W. Qualley Chair of Classical Languages at Luther College and author of St. Patrick of Ireland
"This is a wonderful book - fascinating, provocative, and erudite. Utilizing a variety of sources, Bitel provides a detailed comparative study of the worlds of Saints Genovefa and Brigit and their remarkable accomplishments in the building of a new Christian society. No one knows these early sources better than Bitel who has been deeply involved in this research for many years. This will become a classic study of these important figures and the landscapes of Paris and Ireland during this formative period of early Christianization."
--Jane Tibbetts Schulenburg, Professor of History, Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison, author of Forgetful of Their Sex: Female Sanctity and Society, ca. 500-1100

About the Author

Lisa Bitel is Professor of History, Religion, and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California.
from the website of Oxford University Press, USA.

Gracious Bride, a Blessing by A Hedge of Trees

January 25, 2009

Gracious Bride

Gracious Bride
Bless this my intent
bring it to birth on the Earthly plane
So mote it be, and blessed.

I pinch this candle of fire, your gift
may it burn more brightly in the realm of spirit
Continuing to fire my boon, for my good
and the good of all
'An it harm none, so mote it be

Brighid's Kiss: Triniti (Video on You Tube)

Beautiful song and video! I am trying to download it so I can share it here directly, but in the meantime, the url is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhNEzKxRBis



A Hedge of Trees posted these words to Brigit's Altar, 15 January 2009:

A version of Eithne and Padraig Ni hUallachain's "Brighid's Kiss is now on U tube together with beautiful images, mostly from Kildare.

In our Brigit celebrations we have used this track as Brigit enters the assembly, and it has been very powerful.

Here are the words of the original old Irish song, together with their additons.

13. BRIGHID'S KISS 1. Gabhaim Molta Bride… Ionmhain í le hÉireann, Ionmhain le gach tír í Molaimis go léir í	Translation: Not sung I praise Brighid Beloved of Ireland Beloved of all lands We all praise her
2. Lóchrann geal na Laighneach 'Soilsiú feadh na tire Ceann ar óghaibh Éireann Ceann na mban ar míne.	Bright torch of Leinster Shining throughout the land Irish women cherish her As do all fine women.
3. Tig an gheimhreadh dian dubh Gearradh lena ghéire, Ach ar Lá 'le Bríde Gar dúinn Earrach Éireann	The harsh dark Winter comes Cutting with its sharpness But on Brighid's Day Ireland's Spring is near.
4. Brighid of the sunrise, rising in the morning, Rising with the Springtime, Greening all the land,	6.. You the red-eared white cow, Nourishing the people, Nourish now the hunger, Souls' longing in our land.
5. See you in the soft cloud, See you in the raindrop, See you in the winds of change, Blowing through the land.	7. Bird that is unfolding, Now the time's upon us, Only have we eyes to see, Your Epiphany. Repeat first verse Gabhaim Molta Bride…

A Hedge of Trees

http://intothegreenwood.blogspot.com/

American Academy of Religion

The American Academy of Religion has nothing directly to do with Brigit. What it has to do with is promoting understanding and tolerance between religions, and as such, has everything to do with her. Both the Goddess Brigit and Saint Brighid have reconciliation and caring in their toolkits, and both the religions of the Goddess and Christianity are capable of, and in need of, extending tolerance and understanding.

From their website:

Mission Statement

The following Mission Statement, Goals, and Strategic Objectives were adopted by the AAR Board of Directors in November 1995.

In a world where religion plays so central a role in social, political, and economic events, as well as in the lives of communities and individuals, there is a critical need for ongoing reflection upon and understanding of religious traditions, issues, questions, and values. The American Academy of Religion's mission is to promote such reflection through excellence in scholarship and teaching in the field of religion.

As a learned society and professional association of teachers and research scholars, the American Academy of Religion has over 8,000 members who teach in some 1,500 colleges, universities, seminaries, and schools in North America and abroad. The Academy is dedicated to furthering knowledge of religion and religious institutions in all their forms and manifestations. This is accomplished through Academy-wide and regional conferences and meetings, publications, programs, and membership services.

Within a context of free inquiry and critical examination, the Academy welcomes all disciplined reflection on religion--both from within and outside of communities of belief and practice--and seeks to enhance its broad public understanding.

"Consort with them in kindness, for if ye hate them it may happen that ye hate a thing wherein Allah hath placed much good." (An-Nisa': 19)

Prism Image with Brigit

Joan Lansberry arranged and photographed this beautiful image of Brigit for her multi-layered website.

Lovely work, Joan.

Blessings of Imbolc!

Brigit, you come to this world as an infant, the green newness of spring, the birth of all that nourishes us.

Welcome to my home, welcome! The door is open to you and your blessings.

Protect us, Brigit, temper us, heal and inspire. Accept our gifts, and lead us to our brightest courage, our highest aspirations, our greatest generosity.

I light your flame and share and protect it. I bring its warmth and meaning into me, and bring its warmth and meaning to the world.

Thank you for your gifts.

May the mantle of Brigit surround and protect us.

Blessings always.

Mael Brigde

Modern Brigit Paintings

The art of M. Hunter-Hoffman is distinctive and often disturbing. Her series of 6 Bridget paintings can be found at:

http://www.mhunterhoffman.ca/Collection5.htm

Hunter-Hoffman was born in Belfast, Ireland, moved in time to England, and from there to Canada.

Brigit Art on the Web--an Old Favourite

Brigid's Cloak, by Barrie Maguire

As the story is told, St. Brigid went to the King of Leinster to tell him she needed land upon which to build a convent.

"You do, do you?" replied the king. "How much do you need?"

"We need only the land my cloak will cover - no more", answered Brigid.

"Well if that's all!" said the amused king, "You shall have it. That can be settled easily."

On hearing that, Brigid removed her cloak and laid it on the ground. Then to the absolute amazement and astonishment of everyone watching, the cloak began to grow. It grew and grew. It stretched all round at once, stretching itself out and rapidly gaining speed. Startled the king jumped back. The cloak was like a living thing.

Finally it stopped. Brigid looked around her. In every direction her cloak stretched. It covered acre upon acre of rich, green, pastureland. With twinkling eyes she said, "Thanks be to God."

"And thanks be to me," said the king. "Make good use of it."

Brigit Art on the Web #1

"'Bridget' - Nature Goddess" Alan Reed (Visit Gallery) I think living in S.W. Scotland influenced me to paint this work. Around where I live, in a coastal village in the Machars region, there is much evidence of neolithic habitation, with fortified villages, stone circles, burial mounds and standing stones. This is a very spiritual land. Indeed, the whole area is steeped in ancient history from the Romans through to the Vikings and the early Christians.

website:

The Art of Alan Reed

Brigit Art on the Web #2

"Brigit, Goddess of Inspiration"

Kris Waldherr
(Visit Gallery)
Medium: Pencil
Posted: 2004-06-27
"This drawing was originally published in my book, "Embracing the Goddess Within."

artist's website:
Art and Words

Brigit Art on the Web #3

Media: Watercolor
Dimensions: 9x12
Date of Work: 2005

Brid, the great mother goddess of Ireland, represents fertility, childbirth, power, creativity and inspiration. Also known as Brighid, Brigit and Bride, she is credited as a protectress and guardian of children; also a Goddess of fire, the sun, music and medicine.

Louise M. Scott is an award winning writer and artist. Her poetry has been published in collective work books and has won many awards in the fantasy and wiccan communities. Her paintings and prints are currently in public and private collections worldwide. Born in Glasgow Scotland she now works from her studio in Canada where she lives with her husband and children. A solitary witch for most of her life,

Louise takes her inspiration from witchcraft and her Celtic background. Her paintings and stories come from legends and folklore of magick and myth.

I have always believed in magic. Ever since I was a little girl. My day dreams are always filled with faeries and other magical creatures. I have been creating stories and images filled with magic and adventure ever since I can remember. I am happy to share these visions with you, welcome to a world filled with enchanting witches, playful faeries and other mystic creatures.

Welcome to the realm of magick and myth.

Artist: Louise M Scott Ontario, CANADA

Orthodox Christian Brigid Page

a page of Brigid information and links in the Festal Celebrations Gallery. “Let Us, the Faithful, Celebrate a Spiritual Feast”

Festal Celebrations’ Gallery Redeeming the time, sanctifying the day… images and ideas incorporating the Life of the Church into the home and life of the family.

Troparion - Tone 1

O holy Brigid, you became sublime through your humility,

and flew on the wings of your longing for God.

When you arrived in the eternal City and appeared before your Divine Spouse, wearing the crown of virginity, you kept your promise

to remember those who have recourse to you.

You shower grace upon the world, and multiply miracles.

Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Kontakion - Tone 4

The holy virgin Brigid full of divine wisdom,

went with joy along the way of evangelical childhood,

and with the grace of God attained in this way the summit of virtue.

She now bestows blessings upon those who come to her with faith.

O holy Virgin, intercede with Christ our God

that He may have mercy on our souls.

CD: Medieval Office for St. Brigit: Plainsong Chant

Flame of Ireland: Medieval Irish Plainchant, An Office for St. Brigit, by Canty.

Canty is the female half of Scotland's Capella Nova, a "professional vocal ensemble specialising in early (medieval and renaissance) and contemporary music". Canty was founded in 1998 by Rebecca Tavener to celebrate the 900th anniversary of Hildegard of Bingen.


from the Capella Nova website:
Our programme mostly consists of material for the Office of Matins for the Feast of St Brigit. Matins was the longest and most 'entertaining' of the Offices including a series of nine lections and responsories focussing on the life and attributes of the saint. The full Office would probably be more than two hours in length, so we present a formal, but truncated, version which includes the original lections, but cuts nine of the ten Psalms which would have been sung. The one remaining Psalm is the Venite which forms a delightful structure with its antiphon (Invitatory), alternately whole or in part, appearing between each verse...

The date of the manuscript might have tempted us to perform this material using late-Medieval techniques such as applied measures and improvised harmonies. We have steadfastly resisted doing this, wishing to present the Office in a much more archaic manner, befitting the great antiquity of the sources of the Brigit legends...

...Manuscript 80, from the library of Trinity College Dublin, is the main source relied upon for this recording. It is a fifteenth-century noted breviary, i.e., one which includes notation for the chant melodies. Although we do not know the details of its provenance, it was compiled probably in the fifteenth century and is believed to have been used in the parish of Kilmoone, Co- Meath, from at least 1470 until 1604...

...The wire-strung clairseach was the essential art Instrument of Medieval Ireland. This ancient harp was characterised by a sound box carved from a single block of timber, a substantial arm reinforced with thick metal bands, a stout forepiltar, and brass wire strings. Played with the fingernails, the strings gave a satisfying sustain, which ancient writers described as sounding like bells. Such harps were played in Ireland at least as early as the 10th century, and they appear to have been used in liturgical settings to provide an intoning pitch for the singing of plainsong, to give instrumental preludes or interludes, and to accompany the performance of devotional poetry. As an accompanist, my role is to support both the tonal centre and the emotion of the music. During the Responsories I provide a gentle line of counter-melody which moves in the same direction as the plainsong, but which also offers a subtle. independent commentary on the text. The Lections give an ideal opportunity to accompany a singer as a Medieval storyteller, to present the miracles of the saint's life in a dramatic way, with moments which range from furious decorative filigree to sections of serene, introspective solemnity...

In the notes about Brigit's legends, they state:

We have one favourite miracle that does not appear in this Office, nor in any of the most ancient sources. It was included in O'Hanlon's 'Lives of the Irish Saints' (1800), however, and we would like to think that it belongs to an earlier tradition. When St Brigit was on a visit to Limerick, she called at a chief's house only to find him away from home. Seeing harps hanging on the walls, she asked the young men of the house to play for her. They explained that there were no harpists present, but attempted to play when Brigit's nuns jokingly suggested that the saint would bless their hands. At that point, they suddenly became able to play like trained musicians. Afterwards they became professional harpists, and their descendants played for the kings of Ireland.

'Almighty and everlasting God, who choosest the weak things of this world that thou mayest overthrow the strong, give us in this feast of St Brigit strength of mind and body, that we may with all our heart run to thee. and serve thee in body always.' (Prayer at the end of the Office for the Feast of St Brigit)

************************************************************************************

BREAKING NEWS:

Due to the take over of Sanctuary/ASV Gaudeamus by Universal we are unable at the moment to obtain stocks of the following titles. (see right) This is a temporary situation, so watch this space for updates.

The Complete Carver Volumes 1, 2 & 3 Columba Most Holy of Saints The Miracles of St Kentigern Laudes Deo Sacred Music for Mary Queen of Scots The Thistle and the Rose Flame of Ireland Felix Femina

Brighid.org.uk -- A Brigit Site to Treasure

Brighid Goddess and Saint is a fine site compiled by Paul Williment. On it you will find information on customs, Brigit sites in Ireland, The Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales, and England, books and CDs, links to related sites, and information on both Her goddess and saint aspects.

It's wonderful stuff, expertly and beautifully constructed, with lots of photographs to fill out the picture of modern Brigit devotion.

Thank you, Paul!

"The banner above depicts Brighid against Eilean Bhride in the Hebrides. The scroll honours all those who have preserved Her story throughout the ages. The red hot iron spiral represents the goddess and suggests a crosier as a reminder that St. Bridget was consecrated as a religious using the form of the ordination of a bishop."

Paul Williment

The Preserving Shrine of Erynn Laurie

Anyone interested in Celtic Reconstructionism and many followers of Brigit will enjoy and learn from the thoughtful teachings of Erynn Rowan Laurie, Poet, Fili, and Priestess.

Erynn's latest book, Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, is an excellent resource. Philip Carr-Gomm, Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, has this to say about the book: "At last. Magic, poetry and scholarship meet in perfect harmony. I will recommend this book to all students of The Order..."

Though of course her focus in the book is much broader than that of Brigit's Sparkling Flame, among the pieces of information she offers about Brigit is her association with birch, for instance the offering of birch branches to her at Imbolc.

See her website (The Preserving Shrine) for information on her books, ogam readings, etc., links to CR sites and Erynn's LiveJournal. Stop there, also, for access to these articles:

• The Cauldron of Poesy
• Ethics and Modern Celtic Paganism
• Samhain Feast - A Rite for the Dead - New

from her website:

The early Irish Brehon law texts ask "What is the preserving shrine? " This question has two answers:

"The preserving shrine is nature and what is preserved in it."
"The preserving shrine is memory and what is preserved in it."

This is the heart of Filidecht: the practice of sacred, ritual poetcraft in early Irish and Scottish tradition. Nature and memory are one in the Fili. The Filidecht of Inis Glas, the personal path Erynn co-founded and practices, is a way of devotional, poetic nature mysticism based in an attempt to reconstruct aspects of early Celtic spiritual practices.

In early Irish practice, poetry and the word were intrinsic components of magic and the worship of deity. The Filidh additionally taught, practiced divination and ritual, did healing work, sought visions, and pursued many other arts for the people and tribes they served.

Daughters of Daghda, a Brigidine Celtic Reconstructionist Site

excerpted from the site:

Céad Mile Faílte! One hundred thousand welcomes to my site in honor of the Goddess Brighid! I am a Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan of Irish heritage, which dates back to 1706 in the New World, and that of Eastern Band Mississippi Choctaw. Here I have tried to provide interesting and informative links to sites about Brighid. There are also pages about my devotions and spirituality to Her as a CRP and pictures of my seasonal altars dedicated to Her for offerings and meditation. Of course, my kitties have their own cozy corner as they deserve a special space for themselves. My intense political life demands its own voice on the site as it is also an integral part of my love for and having been claimed by Herself.

... I began wanting an Order of Flamekeepers where the women to whom I passed Her Flame were on the same CR path as myself. We have begun this project in our CR community under the inspiration of Kathryn Price NicDhana who is sworn to Brighid and a Flametender for many years. If you are a woman who is practicing the CR spirituality or very much interested in doing so and have special devotion to Brighid, please follow this link to our LiveJournal community of Brighidwomen. The Order is in its early formation and will be a collective effort in its foundation stages:
http://community.livejournal.com/brighidwomen/profile

Beannachdan!

S. Breen

Eurotales: Traditional Stories and Festivals Illustrated by Kids

Eurotales produces pages for children that tell traditional European stories and other pages that describe festivals. The festivals included range from the Finnish carnival of Vappu, Greek Christmas, English Weddings, and St. Brigit's Feast Day.

The lively art, done by children, and photos of kids celebrating the Day, or of various components of the particular festival, make the site well worth visiting.

(For a lovely Irish story, try "The King Who Hated To Have His Hair Cut".)