Ritual of the Brat
Leaving a piece of cloth out for Brighid to bless on Imbolc eve is a wonderful tradition, as a doll maker I make full use of a wooden clothes horse and leave out lots of fabric that will adorn new dolls in the coming year.
The magic of this ritual is that the dew that gathers on the cloth soaks into the fibers. So make sure to collect your fabric before the rising sun dries it up.
The above photo is a piece of Harris Tweed I left out one year and the dew gathered in the form of a frost of tiny ice crystals.
Midwives would use their fabric to help women in labor, as well as putting around the neck of animals going not labor, asking for Brighid’s help in her role of birthing new souls into the world.
Fire Temple, Kildare, Ireland
Tending Her Flame
Brighid is a fire Goddess, her perpetual flame was constantly tended to and kept alive at Cill Dara (Kildare, Ireland) up until the middle ages with the dissolution of the monasteries, the flame was relit by the Brigadine Sisters in 1993. It was officially relit in the Market Square by Mary Teresa Cullen, the then leader of the Brigidine Sisters at the opening of a Justice and Peace conference, “Brigid: Prophetess, Earthwoman, Peacemaker and is now tended by the Brigidine Sisters in their Centre, Solas Bhride.
The image above is of her Fire Temple at Kildare where 19 women tended to the flame, each taking their day and night of ritual. The 20th night was left for Brighid herself to tend the flame.
Perhaps you’d like to decorate a 7 day glass candle and light it at certain times when your tending to her flame. A time for ritual, reflection or prayers - or the Celtic tradition of sitting in solitude and silence.
Active Hope
Brighid was an activist, a community weaver. From women’s rights - to her food miracles in feeding the holes and the hungry, to performing miraculous abortions and allowing women to ask men to marry them on a leap year. The video above tells the story of Activists in Ireland connecting to the story of Brighid performing a miraculous abortion in their successful campaigning to bring abortion into law in Ireland
While Brighid brings really hope back into the world at this dark time, her hope is one rooted in action, and active hope rather than wishy washy hopes that have no real foundation.
She is our inspiration in these dark times, to root our hopes in actions, in whatever you can do to bring about much needed change in the world.
You’re Invited - An Imbolc Gathering
If you’d like more Brighid stories, ritual and making a Brideog doll join me this Sunday for my Imbolc Gathering, this Sunday 1-4pm Eastern, with:
Stories of Brighid as Goddess, Saint and Mary of the Gael
Brighid as triple Goddess, 3 sisters
Guided meditation & music
Create a cloth Brighid Doll
Imbolc traditions
Other rituals to weave Brighid into your life