"Mary of the Gael — A Song of St Brigid” written and sung by Carmel Boyle

  

This is a beautiful and heartfelt song to Saint Brigit, written and sung by the talented Irish singer/songwriter Carmel Boyle. Sung from the point of view of a modern petitioner, it is inspired by ancient prayers. Carmel is co-founder of An Croí Wisdom Institute & Celtic Spirit Centre, Drogheda, Ireland.  www.ancroi.ie

 “Carmel Boyle sings Mary of the Gael A Song of St Brigid” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlsofT4lfuQ

***

Carmel also has an online retreat, accessible when you wish, called “Three Songs for Brigid.” I haven’t taken it, but it looks interesting. You can find out more by contacting her through https://ancroi.ie/. Bear in mind that this will be a Christian retreat, like as not.

Below is an image of a brown card with a photo of snowdrops and the words:

Online retreat. Retreat in your own space at your own time; Three Songs for Brigid with singer/songwriter and spiritual director Carmel Boyle. Video sessions and resources can be accessed for one week on the An Croí learning platform, beginning the day you commence retreat. Donation €55

If anyone reading this does do the retreat, I would love to learn more about it, and what you get out of it. 

Review: The Torch of Brighid – Flametending for Transformation by Erin Aurelia

 

The Torch of Brighid – Flametending for Transformation by Erin Aurelia (2024) Moon Books

Nonfiction, Popular (Neo-Pagan) (Paperback, e-book)

 

The Torch of Brighid is a fascinating book, or rather, more than a book, a system, an elaborate blueprint of mythical references and mystical practices aimed at supporting and containing a deliberate and tightly focussed program of personal transformation. Aurelia gathers material together from historical sources, mostly Irish but some Scottish, mostly from texts but also from folklore, and builds her very modern practice on these foundations.

 

The sources she draws on range from the ogham to the The Oak of Mugna, which I confess I had never heard of before, “a joyous treasure” mentioned in the Metrical Dindshenchas. She draws on Brigidine flametending, visionary ritual and meditation, and offers a liberal salting of poetry, using all of these together to build a framework for deep transformation. Using the various symbols she finds meaningful, Aurelia matches the traditional twenty-day flame-tending cycle to the twenty féda (letters) of the ogham, focussing especially on the trees associated with these letters. 

 

Erin’s system is not for the faint of heart, or for folk like me who are dictated to overwhelmingly by chronic fatigue. It is intense, it is complex, and it demands a persistent commitment of time, concentration, and energy that are well beyond what I can do. I had to concentrate hard just to grasp what she was pulling together, because it is detailed and complex and I am not that well. But for someone with the ability and the desire, I can see the potential for this being a fruitful practice. If I was well, I would try it out; as it is, all I could do was read the book.

 

If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you will know that I am often frustrated by authors’ failure to differentiate between their own UPG or interpretations of lore, and the traditions and texts they are drawing on. So you can imagine my delight at Aurelia’s wonderfully explicit disclaimer, with lists of what this book is not (reconstructing a past pagan practice, etc.) and what it is (presenting an inspired practice, etc.). I appreciate her willingness to find new truths in old materials without claiming that her work is an old practice newly revealed, and that she is in the main clear about where she has used traditional material and where she has followed her intuition. I found some of her insights and the practices she offers quite inspiring, such as the Mantle of Brighid exercise, which builds on grounding and energy work and is powerful and beautifully realised, as a brief excerpt will reveal:

 

“The Mantle of Brighid is an energy exercise designed to help you open your energy to and commune with Brighid. It works with three internal energy centers the Irish tradition calls cauldrons, and which I correlate with Brighid the Smith, Brighid the Healer, and Brighid the Poet. These energy centers are detailed in the writing called The Cauldron of Poesy, designed to promote poetic inspiration. The energy you move will not only fill you, but surround you, as Brighid’s protective and healing mantle is said to do. Use this exercise to prepare yourself for each meditation in your transformational flametending work…

 

“Now seat yourself comfortably, close your eyes and ground yourself with three deep breaths. In your mind’s eye, picture your internal bone structure, and the three containers within you formed by your pelvic bones, ribcage, and skull. In the first cauldron of the pelvic region, the Cauldron of Warming, envision a forge. Feel a connection in this region to the energy of the inner Earth, that roiling cauldron of liquid fire, and with your inhaling breath, draw that up into your Cauldron of Warming to light the fire of its forge. As you then exhale through pursed lips, feel and envision this forge fire igniting and intensifying. Take eight more rounds of these breaths to make nine in all, feeling this earth-fire energy grow within you as you inhale, and expand within you as you exhale…”

                                                                                                pg. 34 and 35

 

The difficulties for me: I find the language a little challenging – a bit more cerebral than I am used to and sometimes kind of hard work, as a result. There are some moments where she makes mistakes, such as mixing up details about Saint Brigit’s birth from the different Saint’s Lives (the Lives are contradictory and confusing). But these are nitpicks, and in general I am heartened by the extent of her research and the creative use to which she puts the material. I also appreciate that she relies on Erynn Rowan Laurie’s excellent book, Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, for her understanding of the ogham, as that is a solid piece of research and inspiration, itself.

 

In general, I would say that The Torch of Brighid would appeal to those who resonate with complex metaphor and ritual, more than those who prefer a less structured, impulse-driven style of contemplation. If you have the energy and discipline that this structure requires, the vessel Aurelia has created is a good one to hold and support your inner, transformational aspirations.

A look through Trinity's digital collections: an artistic history of St. Brigid

Celebration of St. Brigid’s Feast Day in the Middle Ages – Antiphon 1

 

Trinity College Dublin, for St. Brigit’s Day 2026, reviewed some of the images and texts from its archives. Included are the Liber Hymnorum, the Clarke Stained Glass Studios Collection, the Offices of St. Brigid, and 20th Century art from Cuala Press. For the full article, go here.

"From medieval times through to the 1930s and 40s, creative representations of St. Brigid showcased in the digital collections of the library of Trinity College Dublin offer us a picture of how the historical celebration of Brigid as a pagan goddess and as a Christian saint have informed how we see her today.”

Clarke Stained Glass Studios Collection

New Book in the Works! "Brigid’s Worlds," Niamh Wycherley, editor

 

Brigid’s Worlds - Proceedings from the Brigid 1500 Maynooth University and Kildare County Council Conference, Niamh Wycherley, editor

Hardback €45.00 [Catalogue Price: €50] ISBN: 978-1-80151-170-4 March 2026. 288 pages. Ills. Four Courts Press

Collecting essays from leading international academic experts on St Brigit of Kildare and early medieval Ireland, this book marks a unique historical and scholarly moment. Chapters explore the various institutional, literary, material, religious, gendered, political, and territorial worlds inhabited by Brigit, by her successors and by her devotees, from the fifth to the ninth centuries. The varied approaches offer rigorously researched insights into the early Irish Church, the role of women, early Irish society and the growth and spread of early Irish literary culture. Exploring the history of Brigit and her Church of Kildare from a multitude of disciplinary perspectives, the authors collectively investigate the local, national and international significance of, arguably, the most famous woman in Irish history.  

Contributors: Niamh Wycherley; Catherine McKenna, David Stifter, Dorothy Ann Bray, Sharon Greene, Catherine Swift, Tiago Veloso Silva, Conor McDonough, Clare Stancliffe, Katja Ritari, Thomas Owen Clancy, Jean-Michel Picard, Fabio Mantegazza and Pádraig Ó Riain.  

Niamh Wycherley is assistant professor of medieval Irish history in Maynooth University.

Note: According to one of the authors, "The publication date is given for March 2026, which is a bit optimistic.”

Image: pale green book cover with stylised four-armed Brigit’s cross in red ranging to yellow. It gives the title and author’s name and has the logo of Brigit 1500.

"'The Bones of Brigid': A New Documentary"

From the website of Kfm (Co. Kildare FM Radio):

The Bones of Brigid, by independent producer Orla Riordan, follows the story of St. Brigid's bones from Kildare to Downpatrick and across Europe to the small parish of Lumier in Portugal

 

Kfm will be airing a new documentary by independent producer Orla Riordan on Monday, 2nd of February at 6pm, as part of the St. Brigid's Bank Holiday Weekend Celebrations.

 

The Bones of Brigid follows the story of St. Brigid's bones from Kildare to Downpatrick and across Europe to the small parish of Lumier in Portugal.

 

A year in the making, the documentary is a "labour of love" that features multiple interviews from passionate storytellers of one of Ireland's earliest recorded saints.

 

The idea for the hour-long documentary stemmed from conversations had during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which talks were happening regarding an extra bank holiday in February.

 

Speaking on this morning's Kildare Today, Ms Riordan said that the question of "what is the real meaning of looking out for each other" was at the forefront of people's mind during lockdown, and [St. Brigid's] message "just seemed to shine through the whole thing".

 

You can listen to the full interview with Orla Riordan on their website.

Image: of green-mantled white woman holding a bowl of fire and a four-armed rush cross. In the background is a round tower and sheep grazing ahead of dawn-lit hills.

Hannah McCann wins 2025 First Graphic Novel Award for "St Brigid & Me" Extract

 

Hannah McCann has won the 2025 First Graphic Novel Award with an extract from her graphic novel-in-progress, St Brigid & Me.

Emma Hayley, founder of SelfMadeHero, who will publish the completed book in 2027, says of St Brigid & Me: ‘Covering the important topic of abortion, the author blends memories of their own involvement in prochoice rallies while showing the nuances of a sensitive subject. As folklore, myth and tradition combine, the author’s personal story and fascination with St Brigid lends a universal appeal to the narrative.’ 

Hannah McCann is an artist from Tyrone, now living in Yorkshire, who loves to draw and make art. Currently, Hannah works full-time in reprographics within education, and is a member of Leeds Comics Collective, fitting in drawing projects on the side. 

Hannah was revealed as the 2025 winner on 19th January 2026 at Waterstones Piccadilly.

Image: Frames from Brigit & Me showing the making of a St. Brigit’s cross along with text about learning about St. Brigit’s connection to abortion and finishing, "this really intrigued and surprised me and started me on this long journey, learning more about this saint, my home, my politics, and how they connect."

What is it to be a Devotee of Brigid?

Image: A green square topped with a large pair of yellow quotation marks, followed by the quote:

What is it to be a Devotee of Brigid?

It is a whole life, it is every part of life, it enters everything, whether you are aware of it or not. It starts as a small connection, a simple offering, a lightbulb going off when something in her lore makes sense of a part of your existence, and before you know it she has her hearthlight shining in every question, every crisis, every calling, every song.

Mael Brigde

(At the bottom is the logo og Moon Books, publisher of A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars by Mael Brigde.)

"Brigid of Ireland” by Alan Dunne - The illustrated tale of a fearless female leader in ancient Ireland

 From the government of Ireland website, Ireland in Japan:

"Brigid was a trailblazing Irish woman and is the only female patron saint of Ireland. She is also the patron saint of fire, water, healers, poets, blacksmiths, babies, midwives, beer, livestock, fugitives, boatmen, farmers and the arrival of spring…”

“...To share the story of Brigid, Irish illustrator Alan Dunne, working with the Embassy of Ireland in Tokyo, has created a manga-style graphic short of the story of St Brigid.”

To read this story in the Japanese language, go here. 

For a direct link to the online flip-book, go here.

Image: A drawing of a red-haired white woman in a blue cloak and pale brown dress, holding a four-armed rush cross. Behind her is a wolf and behind the wolf, a forest.  An eagle gazes at her from a tree branch.

"Making St. Brigid’s Crosses with my 101 year old grandmother in 2013” by Michael Fortune

This lovely video of Michael and his grandmother making crosses is only on Facebook, though he has others on youtube.

Making St. Brigid’s Crosses with my 101 year old grandmother in 2013

YouTube videos:

Making St. Brigid's Crosses and Related… 

Image: Young white man with old white woman sitting together in front of a fireplace adorned with many items. They are bent of the task of making crosses from green rushes.

The Medieval Irish History Podcast: Two Brigit Episodes

 

The Medieval Irish History Podcast is hosted by Dr Niamh Wycherley. Two recent episodes focus on Brigit: "St Brigid in Continental Europe with Prof. Jean-Michel Picard” and "Performing Early Irish Poetry — Brigid’s Day Bonus Episode.” The Medieval Irish History Podcast is available on various platforms: Podbean, Podtail, Spotify, Apple, and more. There doesn’t seem to be a website to act as a central hub, so I will give links to Podbean, or you can find it elsewhere. The bonus episode is a lovely opportunity to hear Old Irish poems about Brigit in the original language and in English.

From the show notes: “This podcast shows that medieval Irish history is complex and dynamic — not at all stuffy or static. Via lively and engaging chats with leading experts, it explores aspects of a largely ignored, but commonly evoked, period, and shares new and exciting research on medieval Ireland. medievalirishhistory@gmail.com Supported by the Dept of Early Irish, Maynooth University & Taighde Éireann."

Brigit Snippets from "A Handbook of Irish Folklore" by Seán Ó Súilleabháin

 This is what I could unearth about Brigit in the wonderful text from 1942, which was intended to help collectors of Irish traditions. It is a wonderful book, filled with as many questions as answers, and is available in full on Archive.org at this location.

There are two references to headache treatments on page 312:

‘Head-ache (tinneas cinn…) : charm, cut hair on Good Friday, Saint Brigid's ribbon, Rush worn round the head on Saint Brigid's Eve, snuff left over after a wake, brown paper steeped in vinegar, holy well water as remedies; headache caused by wild birds (especially bats) getting at severed hair.’

Tooth troubles, on page 314 - 315:

‘Teeth troubles (toothache…tinneas fiacal, doigh fiacal) : remedy in charm recited or worn, tobaccos or “bluestone” placed in tooth, frog or clay from elder roots applied, great reed-mace (earball cait) or athair talmhan applied, Saint Brigid's ribbon or brat, holy water, embrace of certain sacred cross; prevention of toothache by not shaving on Friday (Sunday) or by pulling a tooth from a skull with one's own teeth…’

Brigid's feast day, three 324 - 326:

‘St. Brigid’s Feast. This feast was very popular in Ireland. The cult of Saint Brigid was widespread. Many folk stories make her contemporaneous with the Blessed Virgin, and are told to explain why Saint Brigid’s feast has priority to that of Our Lady on the calendar. Write down versions of these tales or of any others about the saint. Were the high tides at Saint Brigid’s feast specially prominent in Irish weather-lore? See also the following subsections and pp. 404, 423.

‘The Vigil of St. Brigid’s Feast. By what names was this known ( Óidhche Fhéil’ Brighde, Óidhche’l Brighde bricín, St. Brigid’s Night, etc.)? Was on given to the Saint by the recital of a special prayer, by the lighting of candles, or in any other way? Describe this in detail.

‘Were crosses made in your district on or before the feast of St. Brigid? What were these crosses called? Of what materials were they made? Where were these materials obtained? Who made the crosses? When were they made? Where? And how many were made in each house? Did any ceremony take place in connection with the making of the cross or its introduction or installation in the house? Where any special words used during the ceremony? What was done with the cross(es) when made? Where was it put? What was done with the old cross(es) when a new one was introduced? Were these crosses supposed to have curative or other miraculous powers? Any stories about this? Was used made of these crosses for the protection or prosperity of the livestock? Where the cattle driven through one of these large crosses placed at the cow house door? Any explanation for this? Can you illustrate by a drawing the design of the type of St. Brigid’s cross made locally? Also give the dimensions of the cross and it's various parts. A photograph of the cross would also be of interest and value. Was a ribbon or piece of cloth exposed on St. Brigid’s night (or at any time during the festival)? What name was applied to this? Where was the cloth or ribbon procured? When? Had it to be of a certain quality, material, colour, or dimensions? Describe the disposal ceremony in detail. Who conducted it? How was it done? Where was the cloth or ribbon exposed? Indoors or outside? For how long? Was it inspected by anybody during the time? What was supposed to happen to it during the period? What curative or other properties was the cross supposed to acquire as the result of being exposed? Any stories about the effects of this? For how long was the class supposed to be efficacious? Was it measured before and after exposal? Did a difference in its dimensions as shown by the two measuring portend anything? Was a sheaf of oats or bread of any kind left on the doorstep on St. Brigid’s eve? Why? Was the object so exposed of any special kind? What was done with it afterwards?

‘Was St. Brigid’s Eve celebrated by carrying about from house to house a decorated emblem or figure? What name was applied to this? What (whom) was it supposed to represent? Was any special object (such as a churn-dash) dressed up for the purpose? What materials composed it? Who prepared the effigy? Was it carried about by young people or by adults? How were they dressed? Did they sing any special songs or recite certain words, or play music during the procession or at the houses visited? How were they received? Did they collect money, or a gift of any kind at these houses? To what purpose was this usually devoted? Was the night celebrated by a dance or other entertainment? How was the effigy finally disposed of? Have people any explanation of the origin of the custom?

‘St. Brigid’s Day. Was this day looked upon as the point from which the weather improved day by day? Are there any stories told regarding this? Any sayings about it (“Ní buan sneachta ar chraoibh ó Lá Fhéile Brighde amach.”*)? Did people abstain from work of any kind which involved wheel turning on Saint Brigid's Day? Have there any explanation for this custom? What types of work were involved? Did people turn clay or sods (with a spade) on that day? Are these customs still observed? Was it usual to throw a live shellfish (periwinkle) or some such thing into the four corners of the house on St. Brigid’s Day? Why was this done?’

from Candlemas, page 328:

What name was this Feast popularly known (Lá ‘le Muire na gCoinneal sa Teampoll etc.)?  Write down any lore about this feast (why St. Brigid's Feast proceeds it, etc.)…

from Places or Objects Associated with Saints, page 403 - 404:

‘Was it popularly believed that certain places or objects acquired healing or other special powers through contact or association with saints? Give details of this. For blessed clay from the grave of a saint see the forgoing paragraph. St. Brigid’s Crios, ribbon, cloak, etc.’ … ‘were any special powers ascribed to crosses made on the feast of St. Brigid or St. Patrick?’ 

* This translates as: “Snow does not last on a tree from Brigid's Day onwards.”

Image: Photo of the open book, showing frontispiece with a photo portrait of the author and the title page, from Ulysses Rare Books.

Mid Kerry Biddy’s Day Festival

 

This is definitely a festival to put in your pilgrimage schedule if you are so lucky as to travel Ireland around Brigit's day. The Mid Kerry Biddy’s Day Festival!

If last year’s lineup is anything to go by, this is a rich time with much to learn and do. For instance:

Traditional Ukrainian Motanka Doll Crafting, Traditional Sugán Footstool Weaving, Biddy Costume Crafting, Story-telling workshop…

From their site:

In the heart of the mid-Kerry region, the annual Biddy's Day Festival emerges as a vibrant tapestry weaving together the threads of tradition, community, and the age-old craft-making skills that have defined Irish heritage. This year's festivities, set against the picturesque backdrop of Killorglin, promise a captivating journey into the heart of Irish folklore. 

At the core of the Biddy's Day celebration is the timeless tradition of Biddy groups, a revered custom that sees these spirited emissaries don straw hats and carry Brídeóg dolls on visits to both rural and public houses. Their mission? To weave a protective spell against malevolent spirits, ensuring the well-being of both humans and animals in the year ahead. A visit from the Biddy, steeped in history and meaning, guarantees good fortune, fertility, and prosperity; a lack of visitation considered a profound oversight. 

Held during the February Bank Holiday weekend, the Biddy's Day Festival has become a beacon, reigniting interest in a once-fading tradition.  

Mike Coffey and Biddy’s Day Crafts

Images from Mid Kerry Biddy’s Day website.

 

Saint Brigid of Ireland Card - Art Print - Instant Download

 

Catholic Paper Goods has a lovely downloadable Saint Brigit card available for just over £6. Detailed instructions for creating your cards from the file are given. From the website:

Saint Brigid of Ireland Card - Art Print - Instant Download - DIY Downloadable PDF 

5"x7" £6.11 Local taxes included (where applicable)  

INSTANT DOWNLOAD! NO PHYSICAL PRODUCT WILL BE SHIPPED 

St. Brigid of Ireland Card downloadable art print and greeting card. The inside of the card is blank with plenty of space for personalization. Simply download, print, trim and fold—no waiting for this product to ship in the mail. Measuring 5" x 7", it doubles as an elegant, frameable art print to give as a gift for confirmations or baptisms.

Does not include envelope.

Image: Shows drawing of red-haired white woman in white robe with green, hooded cape. She is holding a shepherd’s hook or bishop’s crozier in one hand and a large four-armed rush cross in the other., and has a large halo. The words "Saint Brigid of Ireland - Ora pro nobis" (pray for us) are inscribed to the left of the woman.

Brigit in Winter

 

Ashli of Clann Bhríde asked this question on Facebook, and it got me thinking:

"How do you like to incorporate Brighid into the winter season?"

My reply to her:

Hmmm. I don’t really change the things I do, but I am aware of the season on a deep level, a time of retreat and reflection, or at least the strong desire for them! As so much of the earth quietens to live through this time in semi-suspension, there is room to reflect on the essence of dark and silence. Brigit is in there, dark and quiet, yet there behind the prayer, moving in the flame, bringing warmth to the chilling of my body and my heart. As we move closer to Imbolc I watch for her movement beneath the ice, for her fingers to stir the frozen waters and begin the slow walk toward spring, light, summer, and busy, busy growth. I like her at this time of year, poised in her threshold stance above two seasons, two ways of being in the world.

Image: of ice on blackberry bush, with a few red and green, frozen leaves. By Mael Brigde.

“Ó a Bhríd – Ode to Brigid” (Susan Quirke and Enda Gallery)

 

What a beautiful, moving, wonderful chant. It brings ease to my troubled heart. “Ó a Bhríd – Ode to Brigid” is here.

From Susan Quirke’s YouTube site:

This track was commissioned by the Herstory Educational Trust to write a piece of music in honour of Brigid for St. Brigid's Day, 2024. 

In her own words; 'Since landing home from Australia I have been making music with Enda Gallery deep in the hills of Kilfernora in County Clare. We have co-written and co-produced an Irish meditative mantra in our own native tongue, 11 minutes and 33 seconds long, imbued with love, the rhythm of a heartbeat through the sound of the bodhrán, magic and mysticism to honour the Spirit of Brigid and our homeland of Éire. The song flowed peacefully through us as we sang our vocals through the light of a flame. In honour of Brigid and her sacred symbols, we have the sound of fire crackling throughout the track. We also recorded the water from St. Brigit's well in Liscannor to balance the sound with running water from the well.

The song is also created at 432hz, known as a healing frequency.

 LYRICS 

Tabhair dom do lámh 

Oscail mo chroí 

Ag athrú ar nós crann 

Ciúin ar nós uisce domhain 

Ó a Bhríd Bríd”

 ---- English translation: 

Give me your hand 

Open my heart 

Changing like a tree 

Quiet as deep water 

Ó a Bhríd Bríd

Image: Woman and man lighting candles at Liscannor St. Brigid’s well.

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.

Interview with Mael Brigde (from A Legacy of Druids by Ellen Evert Hopman)

A snippet from an old interview I did with Ellen Evert Hopman for her book ‘A Legacy of Druids’ has appeared on the Pagan Collective blog.

I was happy when the book came out in 2016. The interview had taken place in 1997, so it was interesting to see where my thinking was at the time. It was also great to read the entire book. So many interesting people tell their stories there.

Image: Mael Brigde around the time of the interview, wearing a pink t-shirt that reads: Priestly People, showing in silhouette a woman raising a chalice and host. A gift from my sister, who got it at a Roman Catholic Women Priests gathering.

"Brigid’s Mantle — Finding the Fiery Saint of Kildare at the Heart of Celtic Spirituality” by Nancy Fitzgerald

 

From the website:

“Brigid’s Mantle” is for those seeking courage when their church is failing them.

The church has dismissed the concerns of women and kicked the can down the road on women’s ordination.

 

St. Brigid’s light has become stronger and more important than ever. An ordained a bishop and successor to the apostles of Christ, she was one of the most important leaders of the fledgling Irish church. 

 

This book explores the lessons Brigid has to offer women—and the entire church—today.

Image: of book cover. 

"Brigit, Poet of the Powerful Voice” - Online Workshop with Mael Brigde (Free)

Brigit, Poet of the Powerful Voice

Sunday, 28 September 2025 1 PM PST 9 PM Irish time/4 PM EST/ 6 AM Melbourne time One of the most striking attributes of the Irish goddess Brigit is her link to the voice, as Poet, Sovereignty goddess, Judge, and whose grief at the death of her son arose in the first keen ever heard in Ireland. Learn about Brigit and sound; draw on her to support your own voice. Bring paper or your phone if you would like to compose a few words under her guidance. ____________

The workshop will consist of background information on Brigit, the Irish poets, and the voice, experiential work, writing, optional sharing, and Q & A. This is an opportunity to learn a little, look more deeply into what we know, and do some powerful work together.

If you are interested in participating in this or a future online workshop, please let me know. I will add you to a mailing list specific to that event.

To register, please go to my website at this link and pop in your email & a note saying you want to attend.  (Search "Say hello" for the message and submission form.)

Image: Pink poetry journal and flame with name and time of workshop, by Mael Brigde

Review: Brigid - Celtic Goddess and Matron Saint of Ireland (Oracle Deck)

Brigid - Celtic Goddess and Matron Saint of Ireland, DR. KAREN WARD (author) and BERNIE SEXTON (artist) (2023)

Introduction

I am delighted by the breadth, depth, and beauty of this deck.

As always, there are things I quibble with, and I'll mention one or two below. But in general I find much more to like in Brigid - Celtic Goddess and Matron Saint of Ireland than to quarrel with. For instance, it takes in more of Brigit's cult than usual, leaning into aspects of her that we don't normally pay attention to, and so gives us more scope for contemplation. As well, rather than ignoring incontrovertibly Catholic aspects of Brigit and paganising the bits of Saint Brigit that we want to retain, she is allowed to be celebrated equally. (For instance, in the cards which show family members of both the saint and the goddess.)

This is important not because I have a fondness for the saint, personally, although I appreciate it for that reason, too, but because it's a step towards a clearer representation of who Brigit really is. Just as we protest the Christianisation of pagan elements of our stories, we need to acknowledge the modern tendency to paganise Christian elements, and look instead at what her roots truly are.

This clarification of roots isn't completely adhered to in Brigid - CGMSI. There are elements, such as the tradition of tying rags to trees at her holy wells, which come from the saint's cult but which are also, or exclusively, attributed to the goddess. But you'll find similar mixing of attributions in nearly all of the popular material about her – it's natural that traditions will be blended together over time – and there is less of it here than generally. So, for someone like myself who values knowing where ideas come from, and who loves the saint and the goddess equally, this is an enormous plus side to this deck and booklet.

The details

There are 52 cards in the deck. This is not a tarot but an oracle deck. There are no suits, no major and minor Arcana. It is divided into sections of from 3 to 8 cards. These sections cover her symbols, attributes, gifts and legends, and so on.

Karen Ward conceived of the deck and wrote the accompanying 62 page booklet. Each card has a number, a name, and an associated aspect. For instance, card number one is "Noble Name – Divinity" and the image is of a woman with various versions of the name Brigit superimposed on her.

There is one page for each card. The top, with the name and image, contains messages for the reader: "Find out what your name means. Your leadership skills need to be nurtured. You have the gift of 'common touch' with the ability to relate to many. Begin your sacred work now." Below this is a discussion of the concept, in this case Brigit's name. It culminates in a question: "What does your name mean, who gave it to you and why? May Brigid inspire you to embrace your name with new insights and delight. There is power and a divinity there to be discovered." You can see that there are a variety of perspectives offered for each concept and you are free to choose what speaks to you, comfortably or uncomfortably, within those offerings. I have found some of the cards I've drawn to be particularly thought-provoking on subjects that I am grappling with in my own life.

The artwork by Bernie Sexton is sublime. The images alone invite contemplation and can take the reader to some very interesting places. Several strike me as being particularly beautiful and one such,"The Element of Water" (card 11), makes me wish I could talk with the artist about her inspiration for the image. Others are straightforward, such as a raised fist in a circle of Irish knot-work, against the background of a golden sun, found on number 13, "Activist." I love that such a card exists, along with Peacemaker and Earth Keeper, Powerful Vocation, Charitable Deeds, and Sunbeam Miracle… cards that take us to places so critical in these times and help us to reflect on how each topic is relevant in our own lives.

Although there is a suggested layout for readings, I've simply been pulling individual cards and sitting with their image and message for days or, in the case of the first one I pulled, shortly after my mother died, months. (That card was number 33 – "Keening.") I have found this a rich path into meditation.

Do I agree with every interpretation or representation of Brigit in the booklet? No. For instance, the assertion that "Goddess Brigid's Fire Temple, Kildare was incorporated into Saint Brigid's monastery" (number 23, "Fire Temple"), and the underlying assumption that Saint Brigit herself was originally a druid, is well enough rebutted in the academic literature to be left out or at least couched as a hypothesis. And there is the occasional tendency to do what I myself did in places in my own book about Brigit, and mix the two strands, goddess and saint, as if they were the same story. This leads to such things as attributing the role the saint plays in protecting children – but not the goddess, in any of the lore available to us – to "her perceived inability to save her own (the goddess's) son" (pg. 43).

But the reality is, I'm not going to agree with everything in any book about Brigit, and some things, like the story of the goddess having a perpetual flame and the saint having been druid, are almost universally embraced by popular writers; there is no getting away from them. It's up to us as readers to learn as much as we can about where our information comes from [1] and to keep an open mind about everything we read. What I have to do as a reviewer is to step back and ask, "Is this a book I would give to a friend who wants to grow closer to, or know more about, Brigit? Does it have substantial value?" And in this case the answer is unquestionably, "Yes.”

Note [1]:  Morgan Daimler's book, Pagan Portals – Brigid, is an excellent jumping off point for learning where our ideas about Brigit arise from; Christina Harrington's book, Women in a Celtic Church – Ireland 450 - 1150, gives an in-depth explanation of the origins of the goddess fire-temple story and the dearth of material supporting it.

Images: A selection of cards and the booklet from this deck. Photo by Mael Brigde.