(Image description: A photo of a green frog resting on the watery shore. Short, green plants grow from the mud.) Credit: Photo by Chris Hunter on Unsplash
In early days of religious development for humans and our relationship with deities, we asked for aid in survival related issues, such as protection, healing, food security, and so on. Animals must persevere to survive the unpredictability of life, as humans once did and still do. While I can’t know the mental processes of animals, attempting to see things from their perspective provides insight to how we developed through our connection to nature.
Imbolc and the arrival of spring doesn’t mean things will be easy, but conditions are suitable for supporting life again. With the task of surviving, that’s probably where the first prayers to the earliest spirits or deities began. Observing a few animals after rainy weather inspired this poem.
The first post in a month-long series leading up to Imbolc.
(Image description: A photo of a light-skinned person with long red hair standing in front of a ocean while laughing joyfully. They are wearing a blue denim vest and a red t-shirt, with a flannel shirt tied around their waist. The sun’s light is hitting the person’s hair, revealing differing hues of red.) Credit: Photo by Jenna Anderson on Unsplash
The Yuletide season has come and gone, and a new year has started. To mark the time in between the winter solstice and Imbolc, I have decided to write posts about my observations and my preparations for the festival.
I’m still working on my weaving project for the Imbolc Exchange, and I’m really enjoying how it’s turning out! It’ll be a simple piece, but doing it makes me feel connected with my ancestors and relaxed. Weaving can also frustrate me when I have to untangle the yarn, but it’s worth to see the final result.
Since Imbolc announces the arrival of spring, it is a good idea to watch the weather to take note of the subtle changes. However, it has been relatively spring-like since Samhain, with only a few breaks for seasonally appropriate weather. There has been an increase in chilly temperatures, so that may mean that the region I live in is finally hitting its winter stride. The roller coaster temperatures likely indicate the present issue of climate change.
I think observing such changes is important because it reveals how nature can rapidly change within a short frame of time. Perhaps the spiritual understanding of the seasons and their associated holidays may change as the timing and weather differ greatly from what they were like hundreds of years ago.
As a child, I remember my maternal grandfather writing down the weather conditions in a datebook early in the mornings. I now wonder if he ever noticed any distinctive changes in the seasons from one year to the next or even longer periods of time. In a way, noticing these shifts are a means of connecting with him as an ancestor.
The first week of the new year has brought my mind to the purpose of this newsletter. Some of my posts have probably meandered far from what most people might view as monasticism, but I think Polytheistic Monasticism in its many forms will vary from person to person and group to group.
In a way of retracing my steps, I looked up the etymology of monasticism. Its core definition is “solitary, to be alone”. It relates back to any religious recluse, even those who lived in a community. I technically fit that meaning, as I’m creating a monastic path of my own.
A general routine for any monk, nun, or other votary consists of saying a series of prayers during set times, with work, study, and other activities in between them. I follow this sort of schedule very casually. I haven’t worked up to that level of commitment yet, and I may never do so for many reasons.
I think Pagan and Polytheist Monasticism will share some common traits with other forms of monasticism in the world, but I also think it will be unique as well. It would embrace the world and its joys more, but it would also focus on devotion to deities and spirits. Obviously, the perspectives on how all of this would work would be depend upon the path or tradition being followed.
Most Pagan and Polythestic Monastics I know have some form of job or goal that’s indirectly related to their spiritual beliefs. I want to be a craftsperson while following my spiritual path. (Keep in mind, I’m using the word craft very loosely; I don’t think crafts are only physical things to be utilized or admired.) I would like to have both goals be at least somewhat connected.
I’m still not sure how all of this or if it even does relate to the concept of Pagan clergy. If anything, I would likely be some form of clergy specialist. What that even means is unclear to me. Time, patience, and work are involved in finding out what I’m meant to do.
On a final note, I recently drew the Laughter card from my Brighid oracle deck and was inspired by its core message to write a short prayer.
Reflections on the past year and the possibilities of the new year.
(Image description: Shining star lanterns hang from the branches of bare, silhouetted trees at dusk.) Credit: Photo by Filip Bunkens on Unsplash
It’s less than a week until the start of 2022, and this peculiarly liminal time has me thinking back on what happened over the past year and about what the future holds in the new year.
2021 has been an eventful year in regards to health, both my own, with loved ones, and the world in general. There’s still a lot of uncertainty on the horizon, and I’ve been handling it as best as I can.
Amid all of this, I found myself leaning on Brighid, even if I didn’t feel Her presence at times. There were times I felt agitated with Her at having developed cancer. I was scared and might face such feelings again. The cancer was removed, but I will have to remain vigilant in the chance of it returning.
With all of these health issues, there’s been plenty of opportunity for doubt to slip into hope’s place. Faith can falter, but it’s also a lifesaver in the dark, churning sea. This sort of experience is consistent with human nature in its highs and lows.
I know some parts of the next year won’t be easy, but there will also likely be good times during it. I hope to cherish them and possibly learn from the events that will happen.
On a brighter note, this newsletter just passed its six month anniversary. When I initially started it, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to consistently post or find things to share. I’m glad I have been able to write something every week for myself and for my audience.
I’m still brainstorming on what I want to write about in the next year. Some of it will relate to seasonal changes and holidays. There will be more poetry, as it has become a staple for me. While I’ve been writing for myself, you can leave a comment about what you liked best in the posts I’ve written so far.
I don’t do divination every day, usually only when the mood strikes me. The card I drew recently was the Dandelion card, related to the gift of illumination. Its message of opening the heart and allowing the light in from said illumination feels like a fitting message for welcoming 2022, with all of its uncertainties.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one definition of illumination is the state of being illuminated, in which clarity, information, and insight are brought forth with a great brightness. I hope that this newsletter has provided some illumination in your lives, and may it continue to do so in 2022!
Happy New Year to you and yours! May the coming year bring health, happiness, and fulfillment!
(Image description: A photo of a lit white candle reflecting in a window lined in frost. Other flames can also be seen reflecting in the window.) Credit: Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
At the time of writing this post, I’m preparing to celebrate the winter solstice. It’s a holiday with varied feelings, and that’s okay. In fact, it might even be seasonally “normal”.
On the one hand, the anticipation and festive nature in the approach of the sun’s return and longer days is definitely worth celebrating. On the other hand, the lengthening days are still long and dark. It’s the official day of winter on the secular calendar, but it feels like winter has already been here since Samhain.
Autumn and the coming winter have so far been mild, oscillating between chilly and warm days. It feels like spring is constantly popping in to say hello. I wouldn’t mind more consistently cool days, but I also don’t want the Cailleach to pay a visit with unbearable freezing weather. I guess I should consider it a mixed bag of blessings and moderate days.
The season has a strong theme of ancestors to it, given how close death is to this time of year. It’s all too easy to assume that you’ll be fine if you have an ample food supply and dependable electricity. As long as you have your health, it’s feasible to get through winter with few ordeals. However, there’s always the chance of something unexpected happening.
When we think of the ancestors celebrating winter, there’s the common image of them gathered around a fire, clad in their warmest apparel. Storytelling, drinking, and feasting would come after decorating the home or other lodging with greenery and candles.
As a side note, I think humans instinctively use sympathetic magic to increase the chances of something positive happening in their favor. In the case of the winter solstice, we did those traditions to ensure the sun would return and the ground would regain its fertility for future crops and livestock. I personally think we do this on a subconscious level, even if some would deny doing so. It might even serve as a psychological aid to get our minds through dark days that stretch on for a while.
Besides surviving frigid temperatures and limited food supplies, there was the psychological aspect of winter. I don’t think our ancestors were that different from us with the uncertainties they would face. Familial difficulties, health matters, and even just existing in the that weird stretch of time was of concern.
Winter’s a time of preparation. While everything seems paused, there’s plenty of activity happening in nature. Baby animals are gestating in their mothers’ bellies, while plants either die, become dormant, or stay verdant. For humans, it can be a good time to prepare for the coming year ahead, but that goal shouldn’t be seen as mandatory.
The winter solstice is a minor, albeit important time for me. I prefer quiet celebrations over complicated festivities. It makes the themes of the season even more prominent and relevant.
I will be doing an impromptu flamekeeping shift of sorts, a vigil to mark the sun’s official return in the morning. It’s my way of honoring the lengthening days to come and a nod to the approach of Imbolc. I will likely do a meditation with a spiral finger labyrinth, enjoy some seasonal feasting with family, and relax the rest of the day.
I wish you a merry winter season, however you wish to celebrate!
(Image description: A photo of green fields and hills, some plots separated by wooden posts. Some trees can be seen in parts of the image. The land stretches far off into the distance, with white puffy clouds against a blue sky.) Credit: Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
During my flamekeeping shift, I returned to my loom. I’ve been feeling the need to practice my weaving skills, as they’ve gotten a bit rusty.
The current project I’m working on is for an Imbolc Exchange run by Clann Bhríde. It’s somewhat similar to the Secret Santa tradition, instead taking place around Imbolc. Participants exchange handmade Brighid’s crosses, Brighid’s mantles, and other related crafts. It’s meant to celebrate community in Brighid’s honor.
The weaving project prompted me to write this poem, as I wondered about Brighid’s mantle and what Her experiences in making it might be like.
(Image description: A photo of The Way of Brighid Oracle. The deck is partially spread out, with a couple of the cards flipped to show the back design. The right side up cards are beige with writing on them, with a tiny Brighid’s cross seen on the first one. The back design is of blueberries and the associated flowers. They are on a cloth featuring two blue shades of Celtic knotwork.) Credit: My own work.
I have been using The Way of Brighid Oracle for a few years, and I have yet to see a review for this lovely deck. This is my first oracle deck review, and I will give my honest thoughts on it.
It was created by Tonja Reichley of Dancing With the Wild, who teaches herbalism and offers pilgrimages in Western Ireland.
The deck I received included thirty-two cards, one being a duplicate related to Danu. Each card has a short contemplative or meditative prompt, giving the user a daily focus in their path with Brighid. The side with the messages are reminiscent of aged parchment with a four-armed Brighid’s cross at the top. The backs of the cards have a scene of blackberries and their flowers with a similarly antiqued paper look to them. The cards came in a white, organza bag and are small enough to fit in a pocket, which is really convenient for travel.
As mentioned previously, I received an extra Danu card and asked the creator about it. She suggested that it was perhaps a message I needed to hear. The main message of it is finding the sacred in the mundane, in all things. It goes on to express that offering reverence and gratitude will create this quality as you go about your day.
Now, I didn’t take this is an actual message from Danu. I tend to perhaps see Her as one of the Morrigan goddesses or maybe a scribe’s efforts to create an overarching matriarchal figure for the Irish deities. I prefer to interpret it as Dana, referring to the Three Gods of Skill, a more obscure reference to Brighid’s sons, Brian, Luchar, and Uar.
In any regard, sometimes finding the holy in the everyday can mean working on an art project. Other times it’s just a quiet but comforting look out the window at nature.
There are a few other cards that I particularly enjoy or that amuse me.
There’s the Sleep card, and there isn’t a great amount of depth to its meaning. To me, it’s typically a signal from Brighid to not do anything else and simply rest. It’s probably the most blunt card in the deck.
The Ireland card relates to pilgrimage and sacred travel; it also pops up fairly frequently. In a world that severely limits travel due to the pandemic, I have to think outside the box for this one. It’s also about going to a “place” that spiritually rejuvenates and connects me with the divine and my inner self. It’s a card that has inspired poetry.
The Flame card is tied to faith. Faith is a subject that crosses religions and cultures. It has its highs and lows, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts. Sometimes, all we can do is ask something greater than ourselves and trust that things will work out, our actions being a rudder toward whatever it happens to be. It’s both an insightful yet frustrating card in the deck.
The deck isn’t perfect. Some of the associations Reichley suggests make me raise an eyebrow at them.
One of them is the Danu card, but I explained my reasoning behind that one. The other is The Tuatha de Danaan card, which is linked with the ancestors. It’s a bit of an odd combination I don’t quite understand.
The Fair Folk can be worked with, but only with a great amount of caution and protection, but there are mythological figures with mentioned descendants. There are exceptions like Áine Clí, a Munster goddess who had a son with the Earl of Desmond, and selkies. However, this article at The Cailleach’s Herbarium expands on the idea of the Fair Folk possibly being ancestral figures. I suppose it comes down to experience or even preference.
Decks can still be highly subjective, depending on the reader, and The Way of Brighid Oracle is no different. I think I will be able to learn even more from this deck in the years to come. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.
(Image description: A close-up photo of a sunflower partially shown. The background is a gray-blue sky.) Credit: Photo by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash
Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, but the topic of gratitude has been lingering with me. It’s a value that is often promoted and admired, but sometimes it can be a quality applied to various circumstances that aren’t necessarily thought of. I wrote a prayer in some of the different ways gratitude can manifest and be comprehended.
O Gratitude,
May I understand your significance beyond the scope of a single day.
May I see past any attempts of conflating you with misplaced pride.
May I experience you when life is bountiful and not so bountiful.
May I feel you in the love and care of family and friends.
May I sense your significance in the lows and highs of my health.
May I be reminded of your presence when I forget you.
May I express you when faith is scarce.
May I understand your role in realizing my privileges.
May I recognize you in another person’s kindness. May I see you in the world around me.
May I fill my heart with your light and warmth.
May I know that you are an infinite companion to a myriad of possibilities.
A poem inspired by an oracle reading during my flamekeeping shift.
(Image description: A photo of a pair of hands holding a bellows to furnish a fire in a stone fireplace, causing sparks to fly into the air.) Credit: Photo by quentin touvard on Unsplash
A poem inspired by a car ride during an evening out.
(Image description: A close-up photo of running water with sunlight reflecting on it in areas.) Credit: Photo by Vishal Banik on Unsplash
Occasionally, inspiration can spring up unexpectedly in mundane situations, such as a car ride. The idea for this poem came to me during then, and I built upon it to aid in my understanding that inspiration isn’t always a brilliant torch. It can also be the small and simple flashes that give ideas life.
(Image description: A close-up photo of brown autumn leaves on a tree against an out of focus landscape on an overcast day.) Credit: Photo by Olivia Hutcherson on Unsplash
