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. .

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Brigit in Her Complexity and Beauty - Art by Valerie Herron


(Click on the image for a larger view)

Valerie Herron just released into the world an awe-inspiring image of Brigit, one which encompasses so much it makes my heart swell. It moves me in a way no other Brigit art, however wonderful, has ever done. It is huge, what Valerie has expressed here.

Here is what she says about it on her Instagram post:

Brigid: Goddess of the flame of inspiration. Patron Saint of Ireland, the blacksmiths and the poets. She is the resplendent fire in the head of writers, painters, and luminaries. The living embodiment of the creative flow. This piece is about my relationship with creativity and creation.

Valerie is a Seattle based illustrator of the "mythological, the macabre, and the absurd." I encourage you to plumb the depths of her offerings.

Where to find Valerie and her art:

Webpage: Mystic Media: The Art of Valerie Herron
Etsy: Mystic Media: The Art of Valerie Herron
Instagram: Valerie Herron Art
Facebook: Valerie Herron


Image: Brigit by Valerie Herron (2019).


Monday, June 17, 2019

Another Stunning Brigit Sculpture by Denisa Prochazka





The Red Maple Grove of Ár nDraíocht Féin (A Druid Fellowship) has installed a beautiful Brigit shrine at Raven's Knoll in Eganville, Ontario.

The bust was created by Denisa Prochazka, (see her plaque for Saint Brigid's Church, Ottawa, here) and Leo Lanoy Dit Watier built the stone base.

Brigit's shrine joins those of Lugh and Manannán mac Lir. A pilgrimage to this site (camping allowed!) is definitely something to consider.







Images (above): Courtesy of Red Maple Grove of ADF. (below): Photo by Lisa Wasilkowsky Malik.


Brigit - Bless and praise her.



Sunday, June 09, 2019

I Knew Brigit Had a Lot of Character: Fadó - the video game merging Irish myths with modern tech



From top left: St Patrick, Fionn Mac Cumhaill, St Bridget and Cú Chulainn

How fun is this?





Fadó: The video game merging Irish myths with modern tech



As a video game hero, St Patrick is certainly an untapped resource. 

So, too, is St Bridget, a figure who can be interpreted from Irish mythology as either a "very ancient, pre-Christian or even pre-human person who came to Ireland thousands of years ago", or as "a young woman working in the first millennium". 

That's according to Fionn Keeley, the Irish creator of Fadó, an independent role-playing game (RPG) based on the figures and legends of Irish mythology, including Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Cú Chulainn and - yes - the Salmon of Knowledge...


Updated / Monday, 3 Jun 2019 12:04



So begins Ryan's RTÉ article. Follow the link here, or on the title above to read the whole article.




Image: RPG characters by  Fadó