You can learn more about Jana Runnalls at http://www.sacredhome.co.uk.
To buy the CD, click here.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Dance of Bride - Jana Runnalls
You can learn more about Jana Runnalls at http://www.sacredhome.co.uk.
To buy the CD, click here.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Daughters of the Flame: Shifts Available
From our website:
On Imbolc, 1993, the Daughters of the Flame lit a fire in honour of the Goddess Brigit and the saint Bridget, modelled after the perpetual fire which once burned in Kildare. We share the task of tending the flame, on a twenty day rotation; each woman tends the fire in her own way, so that it is a solitary devotion linked to the devotions of a larger group. On the twentieth day the Goddess Herself keeps the flame alive. Instead of burning in one grove, temple, or monastery, it burns on personal altars, desks, and picnic tables in countries east and west, south and north.
The reasons for rekindling are many. It is a celebration in our own lives of Her triple aspects of poet, healer, and smith. It is one effort to address the need for a global network of magical prayer, with special emphasis on some of the traditional concerns of Brigit. These include peace and reconciliation, sharing of wealth so that all will flourish rather than protecting wealth for a few, guarding the land and the creatures which nourishes us and share our lives, being tender with and caring for ourselves and each other. It touches on the need of individual women for a focus and a community through which to develop our personal spiritual practice, to reduce isolation and aid in developing our thought and learning while maintaining the autonomy of working as a solitary, if that is what we prefer or how we find ourselves due to life circumstances. It is, however, very much a self-motivated discipline, both in terms of tending the flame and in connecting with others in the group.
Although members have primarily been Neo-Pagans, Daughters of the Flame is open to any woman who is called to light her flame.
Cill Badges for the Daughters of the Flame by Donna Amaral
Did Brigit Love Animals Like a Good Celt Should?
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| Drawing by Giraldus Cambrensis in his Topographia Hibernica. British Library, Royal MS 13 B VIII, fo. 10v |
To give you a sense of what it's about, I will quote a few paragraphs. She begins:
"The analysis in this paper stems from an examination and critique of a genre of modern-day literature that makes broad claims concerning a universal Celtic appreciation of the natural world and a love of animals.* The term "love" itself is problematic. Today in the western world loving nature subsumes principles of aesthetic appreciation not necessarily shared by peoples from other times and places. Given the scarcity of information concerning Celtic societies, it is impossible to draw broad conclusions regarding how ancient Celtic people viewed nature.
"A perusal of the history of western thought concerning the natural world suggests that a burgeoning love of nature is a relatively new phenomenon in the development of western human conscience. While the ancient Greeks and Romans were interested in nature for agricultural as well as aesthetic reasons, it was not until the late eighteenth century that the educated elite, fleeing the spreading cloud of urban industrialization, discovered the "Delightful Horror" of the wilderness and the mountains...
"By the mid-twentieth century, as we awakened to the possibility of nature's annihilation, human imagination attached itself to the elusive Celts, hoping to find amongst the dim vestiges of the ancient people wise counsels concerning the proper stewardship of the natural environment. In other words, the notion that Celts (Pagan or Christian) loved nature is unlikely to be other than a romantic projection reading back into the distant past the present sense of nature's impending demise...
"It is true that there are depictions of nature in Irish literature that intrigue us. However, I am not so sure that we have a clear understanding of what constitutes the Irish or Celtic "approach to the natural world"...In this paper I critique these tendencies to romanticize the ancient Celts and suggest an alternative approach to understanding the Celtic sense of nature by analyzing three animal stories in Cogitosus's seventh-century Life of Saint Brigit. If we truly wish to understand the relationship of the ancient Celts to their natural environments, we need to set aside our mythmaking and return to the primary sources, in this case the text."
In her conclusion, Olsen writes:
"...the animal stories in the Life of Saint Brigit are not about the animals but about Brigit's power and authority over all aspects of rural life in the environments of Kildare and, if Cogitosus would have his way, over all of Ireland. The animals are merely pawns in Brigit's hands in order to demonstrate the strength of her God-given power, and nowhere is there any evidence that these animals elicited concern in their own right.
"That the Life of Saint Brigit is replete with animal stories indicates that they were important; the analysis presented above demonstrates in what sense they were important...they were the center of the Irish rural economy."
Of course there is much more than this but I shall have to leave it here. For those interested in hearing her arguments in full, the bibliographical information is all below.
Blessings on you and your animal friends!
* "A full bibliography of the genre is too vast for footnoting, but the trend is best represented by Caitlin Matthews, The Elements of the Celtic Tradition...and Peter Beresford Ellis, Celtic Inheritance..." She then lists a large number of "works with a specific Christian outlook" beginning with Esther de Waal's Every Earthly Blessing: Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition."Did Brigit love animals like a good Celt should? An inquiry into Cogitosus's 'Life of Saint Brigit'" by Cristina Olsen. COMITATUS--A JOURNAL OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES Vol/Issue: 33, Date: Jan 1, 2002, Pages: 1-17
Monday, March 24, 2014
Notes from Lady Gregory's "The Story Brought by Brigit"
Though it would be unwieldy to include the whole play, Lady Gregory's notes may prove of interest to readers. I include here the opening pages to whet your appetite, then move on to the notes at the back of the book.
The play was published in 1924, and first performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Fans of Irish theatre, check out the original cast listed on page 90.
For my review of the play click here.
The play was published in 1924, and first performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Fans of Irish theatre, check out the original cast listed on page 90.
For my review of the play click here.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Bealtaine Study Day with Woman Spirit Ireland
Bealtaine Study Day
Mercy International Centre, 64a Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
Saturday 29th March 2014
10:30 - 5:00
(tea at 10:00)
WomanSpiritIreland
Exploring ancient Irish Mother Daughter Sites and Stories
Mirroring one another into creativity:
Celebrating the mother-daughter relationship.
In the past, WomanSpiritIreland has celebrated Brighid, Goddess, Saint, and Wise Woman at her Springtime festival of Imbolc, February 1st. Over the years, we have learned that Brighid of Imbolc is but one manifestation of the Old Wise Woman, The Cailleach, whose traditions are found all over the world, and have been especially honoured and preserved in Ireland and Scotland.
Brighid, therefore, also appears in various guises at the other three quarterly festivals: Bealtaine, (May 1st); Lughnasadh, (August 1st) and Samhain (November 1st).
At Bealtaine, May 1st, Brigit appears as the Inion Buí (In yeen Bwee), or Daughter of the Hag or Cow. Throughout Ireland, we find sites dedicated to The Cow and the Calf. Sometimes these are called Inion Bui, and sometimes they are related to Bláthnait, (The Little Flower), who comes into bud at this season.
Our study day this year will also begin to explore, excavate and celebrate the mother-daughter relationship in its excruciating joy and ambivalence.
For many years now the feminist movement has yearned to recuperate a symbolic system and ritual tradition that honours and brings to consciousness the dialectic between mother and daughter. Against the cultural resonances of mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all - that attempt to set women in permanent opposition -- stories of the Cailleach and of Saint Brighid (who freed her own mother from slavery) offer new images and potential. Drawing on such stories, personal reflections and BodySoul work, we will attempt to mirror one another - beyond destructive envy -- into creativity and liberation.
Who should come?
It will be of particular relevance to teachers, community and parish workers and those leading women's groups who wish to recuperate rituals, symbols and other resources to celebrate the mother daughter relationship at Bealtaine and to nourish their communities.
What will they come away with?
Resources including songs, dances and stories from mythology and folklore, which will support them in developing and leading events in their own communities.
What to bring:
Bring a packed lunch and a hand mirror. Please also bring any Maytime traditions from your local area - stories, songs, images and photographs of the Cailleach and her daughter, to share during the day. Tea and coffee will be provided on arrival (10:00) and at lunch.
Resource Persons
Ann Concannon is a Sister of St. Louis who works in facilitation and leadership training. She is interested in learning and sharing the Circle Dance tradition.
Mary Condren, Th.D is director of WomanspiritIreland and teaches at the Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College Dublin:http://www.tcd.ie/cgws/staff/mcondren.php
Fiona Rooney-Fitzpatrick, B.A. An archaeologist, for 13 years Fiona's work has been informed by Authentic Movement, Bodymind centring, Tai Chi and Ki-Aikido. She has engaged in BodySoul professional training for many years.
Also contributing: Fionnuala Bates, Brid Buckley, Joy Powell, Chris Neylon.
Venue: Mercy International Centre, 64a Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
Subscription: 70 euro for the day; Early Bird, 50 Euro for bookings received before Tuesday 18th March. Tea & coffee provided on arrival (10 o'clock) and at lunch.
or by cheque, to WomanSpiritIreland,
60 Belgard Green, Cookstown Rd., Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland
Contact: Instfr@gmail.com : Please note: our website has been hacked and stolen, and we are awaiting its rebuilding.
(Scroll down for images)
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| (Tao Cross of Kilnaboy, Co Clare) |
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| (Hag's Chair, Cairn T, Loughcrew, Co Meath) |
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| (Pictish Mirror Stone) |
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Monday, February 24, 2014
Dumb St. Brigit Joke
Knowing well my affection for the sacred woman, my niece told me a joke about St. Brigit that she got out of a book I gave the family years ago in the hopes of bestowing a cultural blessing of some sort.
The book is The Cut-throat Celts from the Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary and illustrated by the lovely Martin Brown.
Now, I don't have the book in front of me, so I have to give you my niece's version, but I suspect it's close.
Q: Why is Saint Brigit like a lonely teacher?
A: Because she only has one pupil.
Thanks, FJ!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Brigit Reviews (Series Five): Nonfiction, Popular (Neo-Pagan)
This post follows rather belatedly on the earlier reviews of children's Picture Books, etc. When I have completed the Sixth and final series (Academic/Popular Academic) I'll pin them all to the Pages tab below the title banner, in order to make them more accessible to later readers. In the meantime you can find the previous reviews and introductory material at these links:
Brigit Book Reviews (1): Introduction
Brigit Reviews (Series Five): Nonfiction, Neo-Pagan
Candlemas: Feast of Flames,
Amber K and Azrael Arynn K (2001) Llewellyn Publications
“The Well of Her Memory” in Red-Haired Girl from the Bog,
Patricia Monaghan (2003) New World Library
‘‘Imbolc—Brigit”, Alexei
Kondratiev, in Devoted
to You, Judy Harrow (2003) Citadel Press
Brighid’s Healing: Ireland’s
Celtic Medicine Traditions, Gina McGarry (2005) Green Magic
Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom,
Erynn Rowan Laurie (2007) Megalithica Books
Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and
Saint, Brian Wright (2009) The History Press
Brighid and Me: Experiences with
the Goddess, Hollee Swann, ed. (2010) copyright Helen Roberts Hollee Swann
Brigit: Sun of Womanhood, ed.
Patricia Monaghan and Michael McDermott (2013) Goddess Ink
Pagan
Portals—Brigid: Meeting the Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Forge, and Healing Well,
Daimler, Morgan (2016) Moon Books
Introduction
We have a mixed bag in this category, some excellent,
some I don’t recommend at all, and some I recommend with certain reservations.
A few of these reservations crop up repeatedly, in particular the failure of
authors to cite their sources and the mixing of fact with guesswork—their own
or that gleaned from other writers.
A useful guideline for dealing with one sub-category
of the latter problem can be found in the concept of UPG. (See below.
) It is a variation on a basic principle of nonfiction writing: only present as
fact what can be established as such. Represent your own ideas and those of
“the popular mind” as what they are. This does not make them less
important. Insight and innovation nourish our growing appreciation of and
connection to Brigit in the modern world. Delineating between our own ideas and
defensible traditions simply allows each individual to draw their own
conclusions, in possession of as much clear, and clearly sourced, information
as possible.
The Ks’ book, Candlemas, suffers from a lack of citations—there
are some but not many and they aren’t all useful—making it frequently
impossible to check their statements. It also suffers in offering unproven
assumptions as fact, particularly annoying when they are in doubt or disproven
elsewhere. Despite this it is a lovely jumping off point for thinking about
Brigit and the festival, with lots of warmth, imagination, and ideas for
celebration, Neo-Pagan-style.
Monaghan’s essay, “The Well of Her Memory”, offers a
well written and interesting personal perspective on Brigit and her modern
celebration in Kildare. A couple of her statements, again not cited, are
dubious, however, and I would verify elsewhere any new ideas you find here that
you want to embrace.
Kondratiev, too, at times presents imagination as fact in
‘‘Imbolc—Brigit”. Yet he does have a good background in Celtic studies and it
is a pleasure to imagine along with him. He offers numerous ways to celebrate a
Neo-Pagan Imbolc, as well. Worth the read.
I can’t speak to McGarry’s herbal information, which may be solid, but,
despite her obvious goodwill, as a book about Brigit or Celtic tradition Brighid’s
Healing: Ireland’s Celtic Medicine Traditions is very unreliable. Nor does
it have much obvious to offer around actual Irish herbal traditions. Not
recommended.
Laurie has done an excellent job in Ogam: Weaving
Word Wisdom. This book is not specifically about Brigit, but she appears
frequently in its pages, placed to an unusual degree in the context of the
Celtic mindset from which she emerged, and the Neo-Pagan landscape in which she
now finds herself. It is well-footnoted and carefully distinguishes Laurie’s
own ideas from tradition, offering modern innovations and explaining how they
adhere to or differ from what is known of the beliefs and values of the Celts.
Despite some interesting photos and tidbits, I
can’t recommend Wright’s Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and Saint. Instead of
distinguishing his hypotheses from known facts, he puts forward his own
imagined history, unsupported by evidence, quite forcibly as reality, thereby
giving a very misleading picture of things.
Swann has put together a nice little pamphlet of
personal essays by various Neo-Pagans on their relationship to Brigit in Brighid
and Me: Experiences with the Goddess. I like it, and was pleased to be
asked to write an essay for it, so I leave it to you to decide if I am biased.
I’m going to cheat and not actually review Monaghan and McDermott’s Brigit: Sun of Womanhood.
It was published after the writing of the other reviews here, which have been
long delayed in publication due to health issues in my life. Rather than delay
yet longer as I read and review Sun of
Womanhood I will say only that it
exists, and that it is a collection of largely Neo-Pagan writings, though there
are offerings from Christians as well.
Daimler’s Pagan Portals: Brigit is a short (112 pg.) and very focussed look
at the goddess Brigit. If you can afford only one book about Brigit, this is
it.
Useful Terms:
When discussing books written
by authors of a spiritual bent, the terms UPG, SPG, and CG can come in very
handy.
UPG
(Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis): Information gained through meditation,
intuition, visions, etc., which cannot be substantiated by lore or research but
is usable in the individual’s practice. Labelling as UPG helps prevent
misunderstandings about verifiable sources and preserves intellectual honesty.
“UPG” specifically indicates beliefs arrived at via mystical means, not ideas
or intellectual conclusions reached from academic research.
SPG
(Shared Personal Gnosis) — A mystical vision and belief shared by a number of
people.
CG
(Confirmed Gnosis) — Substantiating evidence for UPG or SPG may later be found
in the lore, rendering it CPG (Confirmed Personal Gnosis). These instances are
highly valued, and have served to bolster individual and community faith in the
Deities, spirits or ancestors from whom the information was received. Instances
of CG are also very important in that over time they help us learn to
distinguish true imbas from imagination. (Imbas is the
Old Irish word for “inspiration.” In Modern Irish it is spelled iomas. )
Distilled
from the CR FAQ (available online or in book form.)
Click
below to read the reviews.
Monday, February 10, 2014
The Meaning of the Word: Imbolc
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| Cross-Stitch by Donna Amaral |
Don't be misled by bold and simple assertions of what Imbolc means. We really are not sure. Scholars give various tentative definitions of
the word:
“The exact meaning
of ‘Imbolc’ or ‘Oimelc’ presents considerable difficulty, and Pamela Berger
suggests gently that cleansing of the fields after the winter and preparing
them for sowing the grain in spring may be fundamental in the idea underlying
the term. She refers to the theory which separates the term ‘Imbolc/Imbolg’
into two words: im and bolg, im meaning ‘around’ and bolg
‘belly’—the belly of that goddess—that is the land, the farm...”
The Rites of Brigid, Goddess and Saint, Séan Ó Duinn, pg 19-20.
Ó Catháin reads things differently.
“Imbolc/óimelc the
ancient name for the festival of Brigit is defined thus in the ninth-century Cormac’s
Glossary:...‘that is the time when the sheep’s milk comes’...Though
condemned as ‘a fanciful etymological explanation’ this statement has,
nevertheless, inspired oft-repeated assertions that the pagan name of our
feast, as imbolc/óimelc is said to be, has something to do with the
period of the coming into lactation of sheep. Eric Hamp...has shown that the
word simply means ‘milking’...”
The
Festival of Brigit, Séamas Ó Catháin, pg 7.
Ó Catháin goes on at length to examine the
philological evidence and theorize about what the name—if it even IS the true
name of the feast—means and what it may tell us about the festival.
For an unorthodox and intriguing interpretation of
the word Imbolc, see my upcoming review of
Phillip A. Bernhardt-House’s paper “Imbolc: A New Interpretation”. (Or better yet, hunt down the paper itself. You'll find it in Cosmos: The Yearbook of the Traditional Cosmology Society 18 (2002): 57-76.
A hint here: If im has
as its basis “butter”, olc is generally derived as “evil, bad, wrong” in
Irish, both Old and Modern. But Kim McCone traces this word back to
the Indo-European root meaning “wolf”. Joining these two, Bernhardt-House
offers “Imbolc as the 'butter-wolf'”, hoping to “shed some light on further
images in Irish sources, as well as connecting this to a further complex within
Indo-European ritual” (60).
All of which simply shows that the details, roundabout though they may be, are infinitely more textured and fascinating than the boiled down versions we often receive, and that there are many more possiblities out there than the simplified story we often receive begins to hint at.
REVIEW: Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and Saint, by Brian Wright
This book review by Dorothy Ann Bray was first published in Folklore 121 (December 2010): 346–362.
Brigid:Goddess, Druidess,
Saint. By Brian Wright. Stroud:
History Press, 2009. 255 pp. Illus.
£18.99 (pbk.). ISBN 976-0-75244-865-7
Saint Brigid of Kildare is considered one of Ireland’s
foremost saints of the early Christian period, along with Saint Patrick and
Saint Columba. Her floruit was supposedly the late fifth century to the early
sixth century and she is credited with the foundation of a major monastic
community of both monks and nuns at Kildare. Her cult spread from Ireland into
Wales, Scotland, England, and the Continent, and continues to the present day.
Her hagiographical tradition is extensive, with her earliest Life dating from
the mid-seventh century. Her folkloric tradition is even more extensive: on her
feast day, 1 February, she is celebrated with special rituals and customs;
several holy wells have been dedicated to her; in the Hebrides, she has been
associated with the Virgin Mary—as her midwife, no less; and she has been
closely identified in the modern era with a pagan Irish deity of the same name,
to the extent that many people believe that she is the goddess Christianised. A
book that draws together her early and later traditions, and examines the
popular folklore surrounding her, ought to be welcomed—but, unfortunately, not
this book.
Brian Wright does draw together Brigid’s early
traditions in his first few chapters, beginning with a discussion of the
origins of the goddess Brigantia who became venerated as “Brighid” (sic) in
Ireland, thanks to the druids (according to him). Brigid the saint, he believes,
was a druidess who converted to Christianity and, with her fellow druids and druidesses, founded the monastery of Kildare. Alas,
there is no evidence whatsoever for this. Wright offers a potted history of
pre-Christian and early Christian Ireland that takes theories for fact and
makes use of sources in an uncritical way. His account of the goddess Brighid,
about whom he admits few tales exist, is devised in a similar fashion, where he
synthesises several discrete strands of mythological lore and speculative
ideas.
When it comes to relating the customs and traditions
connected to Saint Brigid, Wright proceeds from the firm conviction that many
of these stem from the pre-Christian beliefs and lore surrounding the goddess;
most of the miracles of Saint Brigid, including the multiplication of food and
drink and control of the weather, are, according to him, survivals of the deeds
of the pagan goddess. He does not take into consideration the miracles of
Christ (except once, on page 235, where the hagiographer himself does it), although
he does allow that her early hagiographers adapted these deeds for a Christian moral
purpose. ButWright’s purpose is not to examine these tales, customs, and
beliefs in any scholarly way; this is meant as popular book for a non-academic
audience. There are no references to his sources in either footnotes or
endnotes. Translations of hymns, prayers, and saints’ lives go unacknowledged.
This, however, is a disservice to his readers, academic and non-academic alike,
both of whom might like to follow up his sources. Although he provides a list
of Further Reading, this is a jumble of the scholarly and nonscholarly, and a
mess in terms of citation; journal articles are cited as if they were books, and
one item is, in fact, cited twice, owing it seems to some confusion over the
authors’ names (Amber, K and Azreal Arynn K or K, Amber and K, Arynn—which is
it?).
Wright does actually provide some extensive
compilations of folk customs and traditions surrounding Brigid, including Saint
Brigid’s Day celebrations. However, his account is no substitute for Séamus Ó
Cathaín’s The Festival of Brigit: Celtic Goddess and Holy Woman (1995). On the
other hand, Wright does tell his readers how to make a Saint Brigid’s cross in
Chapter Seven, “Celebrating the Goddess-Saint in Ireland,” and Chapters Eight
and Nine contain a compendium of Brigid’s traditions in Scotland, Wales, and
the Isle of Man. Chapter Eleven, on holy wells, also brings together several of
Brigid’s folk customs and beliefs associated with wells, although Wright does
not consider the possibility that not all wells dedicated to Saint Brigid may
have been pre-Christian sites of worship. It is simply assumed as a fact.Wright
is billed as a teacher of folklore and British mythology in Somerset and Devon,
and his local interests are evident in his chapter on the tradition of Brigid’s
association with Glastonbury (Chapter Ten).
In his final chapter, he lists some of the modern manifestations of the
veneration of the “goddess-saint” and ends with a brief advertisement for the
Friends of Bride Mound at Glastonbury.
Had he stuck with simply bringing together the modern
folk customs and beliefs of Saint Brigid—and had he offered proper references—Wright
might have produced a book both interesting and useful. As it is, this book is
seriously limited in value. It is also very poorly written. Individual chapters
are badly organised internally, and the entire text is riddled with grammatical
errors (sentence fragments abound) and mistakes in spelling and punctuation.
For example, a common and consistent error is the use and misuse of the apostrophe
(“it’s” for “its,” and vice versa); these and mistakes like “Keeting” instead
of “Keating” (p. 70), “formerly” for “formally” (p. 135), and “Cannon” for “Canon” (p. 189), to name but a
few, suggest that no human copy-editor laid eyes on the manuscript prior to publication.
Yet the material quality of the publication is high: it is printed on good,
heavy paper; the photographs and line drawings are well reproduced; and the
front and back covers are colourful and eye-catching. But priced at £18.99,
this is asking too much for what it is. The content just does not live up to
the packaging.
Dorothy Ann Bray, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
©2010, Dorothy Ann Bray
Friday, January 31, 2014
Blessings of Imbolc!
It's come again to the northern realms--the festival of Imbolc--and many of us are busily preparing to welcome Brigit into our homes for another year. The spring image above (borrowed from my sister's blog) may be more typical than my own experience. Here we are well into spring already, with the fleet moments of snow long past, though the air is still chill and bracing in the middle of the night.
Here she peeks, like the snowdrop pressing her first green shoots above the ground. In my case the snowdrops came from the garden store, but they are eagerly on duty, one to go into the ground to sew anew, and one to greet me on my little deck.
This afternoon I am going to scoop my youngest and most meditative nephew to spend the weekend here. Together we can plant the snowdrops, cook the Irish stew and colcannon, and welcome Brigit in from the cold to her place at the table.
May Brigit bless your home and friends, this night and every night, and may her flame burn brightly on your hearth.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Butter Lamp GIF
I hope this works! (I've borrowed this gif from the site Hindu Wisdom. Lots of interesting stuff there.)
Here you go, flamelovers:
New Brigit Book: The Brighid Oracle by Ceri Norman
First mentioned on this blog in April 2011, Ceri Norman's The Brighid Oracle is out at last, after delays with the original publisher. Unfortunately, the planned deck is not a part of it, though the new ebook comes with instructions for making your own set.
I haven't seen it yet, but here is what Ceri has forwarded about her new ebook. (Here's hoping it will go into paper eventually so old-fashioned folk like me can get our hands on it. Literally.)
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| To purchase the Kindle edition click here. |
The Brighid Oracle by Ceri Norman
Within the oracle are practical instructions on how to conduct readings. There are, for example, clear interpretations of the symbols, spreads that can be used, such as Brighid’s Cloak, and information on how to make and care for your own oracle set. There are 33 symbols which draw on the lore, legends and landscapes associated with Brighid; these include Brighid’s cross, Fire in the Forge, Kildare, Rowan and Swan. The oracle also includes a meditation to meet Brighid for yourself.
In this eBook Ceri Norman brings together information from a wide range of sources to explore the traditions, folklore and enduring legacy of Brighid, in a way that allows readers to utilise the information and work with Brighid for themselves.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Welcome! Eye of my eye!
I went to St Andrew's Church Supply here in Vancouver today to pick up refills for the votive candles I use for my flame-tending shift. As I like to do, I noodled around looking at the statuary and cards and surplices and such. To my surprise there were two St Brigit statues--there have never been St Brigit statues there before. These two statues were nearly identical, except for the painting of the eyes. The one had perfectly symmetrical, belladona-widened eyes, giving her a pretty face. The other had one eye lower than the other, its pupil wider than its mate's, and the brow of that eye was arched.
She was not, of course, typically pretty. She was unique, and her face was a little startling. As I looked longer at it, I began to get a sense of a life behind these eyes, a history, wisdom perhaps, and pain.
It of course made me think of the story in Leabhar Breac of St Brigit's self-mutilation in order to avoid being married off when she wanted to be a monastic. It's a tad horrifying: be warned.
Shortly after that came a certain man of good kin unto Dubthach to ask for his daughter (in
marriage). Dubthach and his sons were willing, but Brigit refused. Said a
brother of her brethren named Beccán unto her: ‘Idle is the fair eye that is in
thy head not be on a pillow near a husband.’ ‘The Son of the Virign knoweth,’
says Brigit, ‘it is not lively for us if it brings harm upon us.’ Then Brigit
put her finger under her eye, and drew it out of her head until it was on her
cheek, and she said: ‘Lo, here for thee is thy delightful eye, O Beccán!’ Then
his eye burst forthwith. When Dubthach and her brethern beheld that, they
promised that she should never be told to go unto a husband. Then she put her
palm to her eye and it was quite whole at once. But Beccán's eye was not whole
till his death.
Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
On the Life of St. Brigit (Leabhar Breac) (Author: Translated by Whitley Stokes)
It will not surprise you which statue I chose. Leaving the perfect one for another Brigidine who may wander in and find her with delight, I brought my new friend to the counter and from there, to my home.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Brigit's Cross in an Unexpected Place
When my father was dying a few years ago, I idly noticed the pattern on his johnny shirt (hospital gown). It was a series of sketched crosses, including Brigit's cross. Somehow the thought that this battered, beleaguered man was wrapped in her mantle so tangibly was a comfort to me, though it would have meant nothing to him.
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Goddess Bride: Art by Maggie V. Jones
I first came across the art of Warwickshire, England's Maggie V. Jones in 2008, and was struck by its vibrancy. I see Maggie has less of an internet presence than she did then--a situation I hope changes. Here are two images she painted of Bride, lush wonders that refer to her link to bees. As this is the season for gathering honey, it is a good time to share Maggie's images.
The Celtic Goddess Bride (Brigid). Medium: Digital. Completed Imbolc 2009.
Copyright Maggie V. Jones
Two versions of this, and I personally prefer the latter. Others may beg to differ.
Maggie says of herself:
| I think I'm boringly normal, but I think my mother thinks otherwise. She's always saying, "I don't know where I got her from!" I have two dogs called Jet and Titch, and a cockatiel called Bella. They rule me. I am partial to both chocolate and lemon puff biscuits,and if I go out for a tipple it's usually a lager with a dash of blackcurrant cordial (I know Im common). My usual order at a restaurant would be a nice fish platter. One of my enduring loves is the tarot which I was introduced to when I was nine years of age (thank-you Janet). They arent just packs of cards, they are old friends. I have three kids and one grandchild. They all never cease to amaze me with all their triumphs, trials and tribulations. Life is never boring, I can tell you. Im going to be with my husband to the death, and beyond. I'm terribly posessive. My favourite thing apart from my tarot cards is my case of Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils. Bloody marvellous things! |
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
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