Friday, January 31, 2020

President Michael D. Higgins St. Brigid's Day Letter


Tomorrow, 1 February, is St Brigid’s Feast Day, Lá Féile Bríde.

The day marks the start the pagan festival of spring, and celebrates Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron saints and also a fertility goddess in Celtic mythology.

Read the Message from President Michael D. Higgins:



Sunday, January 26, 2020

Washington DC: Saint Brigid and the Medieval Sacred Music of Ireland



I received an exciting email last night from Allison Mondel of the musical ensemble, Eya. She wrote of a "re-envisioning [of] the music in a 'contemporary matins' program, with music, poems, prayers, and stories (spoken in English) and a volunteer women’s ensemble, Brigid’s Circle, formed especially for this performance." The music, taken from two manuscripts at Trinity College Dublin, was first recorded in more traditional form by the Scottish vocal group Canty a number of years ago. (For more on the out-of-print CD and the music itself, see my 2008 blog post. For a taste of Eya's music, go here.) All of the events of the program are free of charge, and no reservations are necessary.

How I envy those of you living near enough to attend! Fingers crossed that this one day comes out on CD.

Eya is thrilled to partner with Georgetown University in presenting Saint Brigid and the Medieval Sacred Music of Ireland. This music festival will feature:
  •    Chant workshop led by Eya's music director, Allison Mondel
  •    Women's ensemble, Brigid's Circle, featured in performance with Eya
  •    Concert performance of new program, Brigid, presented by Eya with Brigid's Circle

This festival project is co-sponsored by several departments at Georgetown University, including Campus Ministries, Global Irish Studies, the Department of Theology, and the Department of Performing Arts. Eya is also thrilled to partner with The Amra Project, an international collaborative project centered at Trinity College Dublin and founded by Dr. Ann Buckley. As a performing ensemble associated with the project, we aim to bring this rare body of music to a wider audience in the United States.

​The Amra Project was founded in order to illuminate the medieval music and sources of Gregorian chant devoted to Irish saints, found in Irish sources and beyond. This presentation is a launching point for future collaborations with Eya, Trinity College Dublin, and Georgetown University, further exploring the connection of sacred medieval music and Ireland.

​WITH GUEST ARTIST
Cynthia Cathcart
clàrsach (wire-strung harp)

SCHEDULE
Saturday, February 1, 2020                          Led by Allison Mondel:
4-5:30pm 
​McNeir Auditorium
(New North Building)
MAP

​​7-9pm 
Dahlgren Chapel
MAP

​Concert Performance: Brigid
Eya with Brigid's Circle

All events take place at Georgetown University and are free of charge. No tickets or reservations required.

PHOTO: Saint Brigid's Cathedral, Kildare, Ireland (Allison Mondel)

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Brigit Classes with Mael Brigde


It is nearly Imbolc, and it is a time each year when I have been busy doing Brigit work for a couple of months. Readying the newsletter for the Daughters of the Flame 🔥 is a big part of that, and working with my flame sister, Nichole, to find out who is keeping her shift for another year and who is not. Assigning shifts to new members. And making contact with all manner of individuals on their journey with Brigit.

Some of the most rewarding of those contacts are with the folk who take my Brigit classes. There are many opportunities to reflect and build on our concept of and relationship to her in the classes, and I am moved by the depth of the reflections each student offers.

As the evenings draw nearer to Imbolc, many of us wish to deepen our connection with her. If you would benefit from some quiet contemplation of Brigit over the next days or weeks, my three Brigit courses may provide a safe place for you to do so.

The first two, Discovering Brigit and Stepping Into Brigit, focus on our ways of seeing and understanding her and exploring our connection with her. The third, an intensive and much longer course, immersed us in the reading and writing of poetry, under the mantle of Brigit, with an exploration of the poet in Ireland.

If you want to learn more about the classes, you may find them here. If you would like to learn more about me, go here. If you do take Discovering Brigit, remember that there is a coupon at the end for a substantial discount on the following class, Stepping Into Brigit.

May your Imbolc be a blessing, and may your gradually manifesting spring be a season of growth and insight.

Sweet blessings,

Mael Brigde






Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Brigid's Cross Tutorial



The people at Creative Ardagh say this about the Brigit's cross tutorial they've posted on YouTube:

We are located in St. Brigid's parish in Ardagh. Each year locals and others walk down to her holy well near the village. Connections to the saint locally go even further back. As a daughter of the Dagda, the pre-Christian Brigid is a sister of Midir. St. Brigid's Day/Imbolc is celebrated the start of Spring each year in Ireland, 1st February. Rose Moran reads her poem Brigid Passes as we give step-by-step instructions to make your own cross. Thanks to Rose and to Martin Smyth and Dermot Farrell for sharing their cross making skills.




Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Retreat for Women Celebrates Imbolc in Scotland



Exciting news, though a bit short notice. Working for Recovery, based in Scotland, is leading an Imbolc retreat for women on the Isle of Lewis, including time at Tobar Bhrìghde (Brigit's Well) and the Callanish stones. 



I hadn't heard of these folk before but the little I've read just now I find very interesting. Aside from retreats for people in recovery, (which is defined as recovery from mental illness or mental distress) they train professionals and have a ten week online course. Formerly they had a house where people could take mental health breaks, but that has now closed.

About the retreat:

A Retreat for Women: Celebrate the Celtic Return of Spring (Imbolc) - 30 Jan - 2 Feb 2020, Isle of Lewis, Scotland


    Working to Recovery & Midwife of the Soul present: ARetreat with Women: Celebrate the Celtic Return of Spring (Imbolc)


    The retreat will start with dinner on Thursday 30th January and finish after lunch on Sunday 2nd February (in time for the afternoon ferry or flights home).  The retreat will be immersed in the land of the Isle of Women - Lewis & Harris. 
    FACILITATORS: Karen Taylor and Jane Eastwood (guest appeareance by Jill Smith)

    ABOUT THE RETREAT
    Imbolc, on the 1
    st February, is the time to celebrate the return of Spring in the Celtic calendar when the Callieach returns to sleep and Brighid reawakens.  Together we will explore this relationship between the old and the new, rebirth and letting go, cleansing and growing.

    The night before Imbolc we will go to the Callanish Standing Stones to celebrate “the sleeping beauty” and the ending of winter.

    On Imbolc, together we will go to “St Brides Well” at first light, where we will clean the well and offer her gifts and celebrate her coming.

    In my home we will explore what do we need to cleanse within ourselves, what we need to let go of, in order to grow into the women we wish to be.  We will use Celtic stories to guide us and explore our own stories.  Bringing us ready for a fresh new start.

                   "Callanish Standing Stones" by Marta Gutowska. CC 2.5.
                  "Tobar Bhrìghde on Lewis" by Peter Boyle. On the Mobile Megalithic Portal.

Saturday, December 07, 2019

Make Imbolc a National Holiday!



"Brigid of Eire" has a campaign going on My Uplift to make Imbolc a bank holiday in Ireland. If you want to know more about the campaign, or if you are a resident of Ireland and want to put your name on the petition, follow the link below.

To: Minister for Business, Enterprise, Innovation, Heather Humphries TD

Make Brigid's Day a national holiday

Sunday, September 01, 2019

New Monument in Offaly


No photo description available.

From Offaly Heritage's Facebook page:
Stonecarver Ciaran Byrne is working away on the new stone piece which will be erected where the old damaged trig station was on Croghan Hill summit. The same dimensions as the trig station, each side will reflect an aspect of the area's heritage, following community discussions this summer - St Patrick's well, St Bridget and her veil, the volcano and Croghan Man.

To see him at work:



Ciaran Byrne Stone Carver from newpark movies on Vimeo.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Thank You, Elan! (Brigit Icon)



A couple of months ago a note of great wonder appeared in my inbox.

Elan said she would stitch me one of Donna Amaral's Brigit icons! And so she has. She was wonderful to work with, getting me to think about colour and how I see Brigit, when I wouldn't have considered departing from Donna's original. The result, and the lovely way Elan presented it, is beautiful and moving to receive. Thank you so very much, Elan.


Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Brigit T-Shirts from Eel and Otter


If you are a T-shirt buff, Eel and Otter has just created some Brigit tees:

Drop the Hammer

Forged by Fire

Purified by Flame


Friday, August 02, 2019

“Conference review for Brighid: Her Flame Burns Brightly 27 Jan 2018” by Potia Pitchford




I am very late to the game in sharing this review with you. I just stumbled across it quite by accident, while looking something up on DuckDuckGo. [Edit: Ha ha! I actually posted about it at the time, but I just gave a link. Doh.]

Potia Pitchford, Scottish Hearth Druid, wrote an extensive review of Land, Sea, Sky Travel's first online conference, which happened eighteen months ago. With her permission, I am reposting the review here, but follow the link if you would like to read it in its natural habitat, Musings of a Scottish Hearth Druid.

Conference review for Brighid: Her Flame Burns Brightly 27 Jan 2018

by Potia Pitchford

Mother, hearth druid, polytheist

“Brighid: Her Flame Burns Brightly” was an online conference organized and hosted by Land Sea Sky Travel as the first in a series of conferences. The series is called “A Year With The Gods” and they have plans for online conferences spaced through the year close to the more commonly recognized Pagan festivals.
As I have had a devotional relationship with Brigantia for many years I decided that trying to attend this online conference should be a good experience for me with the added benefit of devoting time to Her that day.  I was however a bit nervous as I had not experienced this type of online conference before.  I needn’t have worried.

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Gratitude Oblation: Brigit Classes for Friends



I am nearly finished my manuscript, Sun Among Stars - Poems and Prayers to Brigit of Ireland.

It's been a long, looong process, interrupted repeatedly by ill health and life challenges. I can barely believe I will soon be taking the next step toward offering it to the world.

In gratitude for this long and nourishing devotion, I'd like to foster our community in another way.

At present, I have three classes available through the Mystery School of the Goddess: Discovering Brigit and its sister course, Stepping Into Brigit, and the poetry intensive, Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry.

To date people have taken the courses as individuals. I would like to offer them to you to take with friends, cill, or grove members. If you gather four people to take one or more class, one of you will not be charged. This way you can make a gift to one or settle amounts between yourselves in a way that supports your community. (Oh--and if anyone at all takes Discovering Brigit and then Stepping Into Brigit, there is a discount if you sign up through the first course.)

Blessings of Brigit on all. Thank you for your immense support. 


Click here to find Mael Brigde's Classes.



Image: from Mother House of the Goddess, Journey Into Brigit, Goddess of Poetry.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

News on Brigantia Comic Number Two

  1. announcement time! I have some sad news and some happy news - the sad news is that is stepping away from the project and the happy news is that is taking over for issue #2 and beyond. More details attached!






  1. Click HERE to link to this thread on Twitter.

  2. .