Ancient Wisdom Online
  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Rituals
  • Books
  • Contact

5 Practices to Welcome Goddess Brigid

31/1/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
The Goddess Brigid is a powerful deity of European and Celtic lineage, spanning eons of time before and during the Christian Era. Her influence moved westward across the continent of Europe until her worship centered itself in Ireland and has stayed. About 400 years after the birth of Christ, a nun took the name of the goddess and many of the miraculous stories attributed to the Goddess Brigid became the stories of St. Brigit. This is the time of year when we remember and revere this powerful goddess, also known as the Bright One


Brigid is a “Triple Goddess.” First, she is worshiped as the goddess of poetry, inspiration, and new beginnings. Secondly, she is a fire goddess of the forge and her wisdom enables smiths to mold dense metal into useful shapes. In this aspect she is a goddess of transformation and also oversees such alchemical changes as the creation of beer. Finally, she is a healer and blesses and protects home life. She helps women and animals in birth; she indwells the hearth of a home and she helps with all trades.

She rests during the winter and makes her appearance on the land just before spring breaks, thus the story of the ground hog is really a story of the goddess. When the little ground hog peeks out of his burrow close to springtime, to find he has no shadow, it is because the long shadow of the smiling goddess looking down on him blocks out the early spring sun.

Here are 5 practices that can be done this time of year with special awareness of dear Brigid’s blessing on your life and work.


Get Your Car Serviced

As the goddess of smith craft, Brigid, the modern goddess who used to watch over the production of horseshoes, would most certainly bless our current modes of transportation. Create a ritual for your car before you take it in for its oil change. Perhaps smudge it in and out with sacred sage smoke or simply light a candle within and ask Brigid for protection and guidance. Realize that the auto workers are realizing their life purpose by working on your car. Remember, anything can become sacred practice. 
Picture
Memorize a Poem

Reciting memorized poems is almost a lost art, but a very traditional way of honoring Brigid. Memorize one of your favorites or create a sacred chant for yourself to recite as you exercise. What is ideal is to create a chant that is so catchy that it begins to sing itself in your mind. Here are some silly and sweet words to the tune of Heigh Ho from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves:

     I know; I know
     That Brigid loves me so.
     She heals the past and holds me fast.
     I know; I know.          
Picture
Set Goals

This is the season that our ancestors blessed the seeds they were going to plant when spring thawed the land. It is also the perfect time for us to become specific about our intentions for the year. You can even write your goals on a big seed, like a fava bean, or on a bulb and plant them. Know that the same energy that grows the bean stalk or the iris grows your intentions and goals. Ask Brigid to bless your fertile dreams as you plant.    
Picture
Bless the Tools of Your Trade

This was the time of year that our ancestors repaired the farm equipment, oiled it, and made it ready for planting season. It is, therefore, the perfect time for us to ask Brigid’s blessing on the tools of our trade, whether they be computers and telephones, or spades and wheelbarrows. Assemble the tools of your trade with some water that you have left on an open windowsill overnight for Brigid to bless. Carefully, sprinkle the water over your work items and ask Brigid to bless your tools, to inspire you to great work this year, and to make your path to success straight and well lit.

Picture
Accomplish Spring Cleaning

Our ancestors believed that Brigid walked on the land around February 1st. They extinguished their home fire on the night of February 1st and opened a door to let Brigid in to bless the home. They especially looked for a disturbance in the hearth ashes to signify that Brigid had truly been there. The house was then cleaned and a new fire lit to begin the new season. In many places at this time of year there is at least one nice, sunny day to open the doors and windows and let in some fresh air. What an inspiration to do a little spring cleaning, with Brigid’s help.  
Picture
6 Comments

The Wild Scots Have 3 New Year’s Messages for You

3/1/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
The Scots, those untamed, blue-painted, kilted warriors, pipers, and lovers, have a wild and wooly New Year’s celebration that you may not want to try at home; it is Hogmanay (usually pronounced hog-ma-NAY). This incredible street party does have, however, three suitable messages for all of us to integrate into our own celebration as we enter a brand new year.

The Scots did not really have a Christmas holiday to celebrate from about the end of the 17 century until the 1950s due to the Protestant Reformation and Christmas being seen as “a popish feast” by the English Crown, at least when it was banned in the 1600s. Scots growing up in the 1940s confirm that Christmas was not a part of their family’s custom. Their midwinter celebration became the wild and raucous Hogmanay, December 31st to January 1st or 2nd.


Picture
Fire Invites the Sun to Return

As with many European winter ritual customs, fire plays a big part in celebrating Hogmanay. Our ancestors used enormous bonfires on festival days throughout the year to honor the sun or call it back in mid-winter. Today at Hogmanay, in addition to bonfires, huge pyrotechnic shows, fireworks, spinning fireballs, and torched tar barrels are part of the festivities in various town and cities in Scotland.

In our own lives, using fire at this time of the year to call forth the light and passion within each of us to come forth in new expressions in the New Year is so satisfying. A candle or a fire in the fireplace with some spoken commitments links us to our ancestors in the New Year.
Picture
Picture
Remember Our Natural Generosity of Spirit

Hogmanay became the Scots gift-giving holiday, in place of Christmas. Families and neighbors gave and received gifts at this time of year. Much visiting of homes with food and spirits offered within is, and has been, a companionable custom of Hogmanay. Singing of Auld Lang Syne with a complex linking of arms happens after the fire revelry.

Never do I sing, nor witness the singing of Auld Lang Syne, without seeing most folks weeping. This song, sung in a language we do not understand, by people who may or may not have Scottish blood in their veins, tugs at a heart space within us that loves friendship and longs to serve it. In this cold season, let yourself be warmed by the love of friends.

Picture
The First Thing to Enter Your Life 
Signals the Year’s Pattern

First footing is also a custom of Hogmanay. The belief is that if a tall, dark, handsome stranger comes to your door the first thing after midnight of the New Year, that you will have good luck. This probably has something to do with the anticipated bad fortune if a blond man comes to your door because in the past he was undoubtedly a marauding Viking.

The idea of first footing is that the first person who comes through your door indicates the character of your New Year. We could enlarge this idea and consciously choose what we admit through the front door with a little personal ritual. Think about what you want to admit to your home this year. Is it love, prosperity, beauty? Go to the front door and with great intention – call it in! 

All of life’s gifts are right there on your threshold. Happy New Year, everyone!
Picture
Travel with Me to This Wild and Joyous Land 
This Spring

Scotland in the Spring, May 23 to June 1, 2015

Here is some of what you will experience:
·      Edinburgh Castle, Grassmarket, Rosslyn Chapel
·      Glasgow, Melrose Abbey, witchy East Lothian and the Borders
·      St. Andrews and the east coast with puffin colonies
·      Blair Castle and stories of Bonnie Prince Charley, the Jacobites and Culloden
·      Ancient loch dwellings and stone circles
·      Storytelling at its finest within a small group of travelers


BOOK HERE 

INFORMATION ON OTHER TRIPS
2 Comments

    About

    Thoughts on spiritual wisdom, pagan inspiration, ancient celebrations, travel to sacred sites, and why we are here together on Earth

    Archives

    February 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    Altars
    Amergin
    Aphrodite
    Archetypes
    Auld Lang Syne
    Beltane
    Brigid
    Candlemass
    Carnarvon Castle
    Cats
    Céide Fields
    Cernunnos
    Christian Symbols
    Demeter
    Easter Eggs
    Fire Ceremonies
    First Footing
    Gender Of God
    Glastonbury Tor
    Goddess
    Goddess Brigid
    Green Man
    Healing Animals
    Hogmanay
    Imbolc
    Jack-in-the-Green
    Mab
    Opening
    Ostara
    Pan
    Peter Knight
    Pets
    Queen Of The May
    Rosslyn Chapel
    Sacred Space
    Scotland
    Snakes
    Spiritual Symbols
    Spring
    Stag Lord
    St. Brigit
    Stonehenge
    St. Patrick
    St. Patrick's Breastplate
    Tuatha De Danann
    Witch's Familiar

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly