Thoughts on a couple ways of experiencing joy in a monastic practice.
(Image description: A photo of a lantern with a tealight candle inside, lighting up a dark area. A couple golden lights and a white light are seen shining in the distance.) Credit: Photo by De an Sun on Unsplash
Work, prayer, and study are the common tasks someone might think of within a monk, nun, or votary’s daily routine. However, these practices should be balanced with joy or whimsy to breathe life into that routine. How a monastic person chooses to find this balance is up to them, and these are two applications of doing that in a simple manner.
In a recent ogam reading done by a friend, joy is an important part of my bond with Brighid. One example of joy within the relationship is through poetry. Much of the time, I feel joy when I write a poem, even when I have to silence my inner critic. As far as I can tell, Brighid enjoys what I write.
Now, finding joy in my practice can extend to other activities. In a previous post, I discussed the practice of imbas forosnai. I likely won’t have a liminal place to go to, but I think a blanket fort could serve for this purpose.
Blanket forts are easily customizable and are temporary. For those in an interfatih living situation, I feel this could provide a space to recline and meditate in. It would also work in a space you’re renting and would need to take it down on occasion.
For myself, I could see having one or two lanterns inside for lighting when needed, and the sheets and blankets could be in grays, blues, and blacks to give it something of a cave-like feel. Including items like a Brighid’s cross or objects related to the spiritual task would be appropriate to have there, too.
While this would be a temporary structure, it also retains a sort of comforting presence, a bit of quiet joy that you might feel when you’re curled up in your bedcovers. It isolates you and causes you to feel like you’re in another space away from everything else.
In a previous post, I’ve mentioned how I would like to approach monastic clothing through everyday garments. The joy enters by thinking symbolically and considering what colors or accessories could apply to different facets of a deity.
In Brighid’s case, there are a few themes and colors I would associate with Her.
Celestial patterns or jewelry could link to Her aspect as the Lady of the Stars. This epithet isn’t traditional and is more hinted at with phrases like “sun among stars” or “the guiding star of Bride” than Her well-known ties to poetry, healing, and smithcraft. Flowers could relate to Imbolc and springtime.
Colors are also useful. Green would refer to Her mantle, while blue could be linked with the water in Her holy wells. Purple isn’t typically a color (apart from some stained glass windows I’ve seen depicting the saint) tied to Brighid, but the combination of red and blue could easily represent the union of fire and water (imbas). Gray is reminiscent of iron and the stones that make up a holy well.
Thinking of colors and motifs for clothing is somewhat like designing altars or shrines. Aside from my mainstay of wearing a Brighid’s cross, I can have a lot of fun by thinking of what to wear to honor Brighid on a particular day or a festival.
The makeshift incubation space and the garment considerations are only a couple of ways of integrating simple joy into my practice. As time goes by, I’m sure I’ll think of other methods of finding joy within different aspects of monasticism.
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