Brighid of the mantle, encompass us; Lady of the lambs, protect us; Keeper of the hearth, kindle us; Beneath your mantle, gather us; And restore us to memory. ~ Caitlín Matthews, A Blessing for Hearth Keepers Today we celebrate the great Sabbat called Imbolc, Oimelc, or Brigid, or the more Christianized name of Candlemas. By … Read more
Once again, as I have for many years, I am joining in the Poetry for Brigid Festival. This is an annual world-wide event in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland and Goddess of healing, smithcraft, and poetry (to name a few of Her purviews). It is held throughout Imbolc, since Her traditional feast day … Read more
There, at the foot of the tree, belonging to no man, A silver apple falls. There, amongst the branches, the mother sits. Weaver of dreams against the weft of the wood, Insight falls like gentle rain on a moon-bathed garden. ~ Song to Hecate, by Alison Jones Now is the time to get ready … Read more
A silver apple falls. There, amongst the branches, the mother sits. Weaver of dreams against the weft of the wood, Insight falls like gentle rain on a moon-bathed garden. – Song to Hecate, by Alison Jones Now we make ready for the great festival of Imbolc, sometimes called Candlemas or Brigid. In many places, the … Read more
Brighid of the Mantles encompass us Lady of the Lambs protect us Keeper of the Hearth kindle us Beneath your mantle gather us And Restore us to memory. ~ from An Invocation to Brighid, by Rowan Fairgrove In addition to declaring this year a celebration of my fortieth anniversary as a Tarot reader, I am … Read more
The Sixth Annual Brighid Poetry Festival this year was the best one yet! Every year, everyone on the Web is invited to share a favorite poem in honor of the Goddess of poetry, healing and craft. There were hundreds and hundreds of sumptuous selections. This weekend, I am sharing two selections from the blissful … Read more
Remember that this is the last day of the month, and is sacred to the Goddess Hecate. Hecate is the psychopomp, who shows the way to those crossing to the lands of the dead. As such, She is the Guardian of the Crossroads (specifically, all mundane road crossings as well as the crossroads between realms). … Read more
On this most magical day in the Celtic calendar, we bid farewell to the Spring season of Imbolc. In her gorgeous book of prayers and blessings, Celtic Devotional (with eternal thanks to my friend, Laurel, for the beautiful gift of this book), author Caitlin Matthews suggests that we stand at our back window or doorway … Read more