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A review of an upcoming book that honors Brighid in Her many different forms.

(Image description: A promotional photo of Mael Brigde, an older woman with short, brown hair and glasses who is smiling. She is wearing a coat with a subtle brown and white pattern. Next to her photo is a picture of her book A Brigit of Ireland Devotional Sun Among Stars. Gold text against a tan square reads A Brigit of Ireland Devotional Sun Among Stars By Mael Brigde. Below it is a light green rectangle with black text that reads 28 August 2021, 1-2:30 PM Pacific Time, On Zoom and Facebook Live. Each part of the image are against a green background.)

Mael Brigde’s poetry and informative insights shine brightly on her journey with Brigit, goddess, saint, friend, and other figures bearing Her exalted name!

When Mael Brigde announced that she was putting out a devotional, I was eager to read it and requested a PDF copy of the new book. As a note, she uses the Brigit spelling, while I spell the name Brighid; I will use Brigit for titles found in the book or when it’s referring to the author’s relationship with Her.

Mael Brigde is well-known in Brighidine circles through her blogs, as a speaker at conferences, a teacher of three Brigit courses at the Mystery School of the Goddess, and as the founder of the flamekeeping group Daughters of the Flame, who rekindled Brighid’s flame during Imbolc 1993 concurrently as the Catholic Brighidine Sisters in Kildare, Ireland did.

A Brigit of Ireland Devotional – Sun Among Stars is mostly comprised of her poetry, and there are many useful articles in it as well. She included a daily devotional, a breakdown of different Brigit figures, glossary, pronunciation guide, and commentary of how the poems reflect her journey with Brigit over time. Resources on Irish Polytheism, the Irish language, general Irish topics, and Brigit are listed as well. The book will be released in online bookstores on August 27th in the UK and on September 1st in Canada and the US.

Some of the themes featured in the poems remind me of ideals I aspire to or experiences I resonate with. I have selected a handful of poems that really grabbed my attention and am sharing my thoughts on them.

“Brigit’s Hermit” conveys the simplicity and joy found in seeing the home as a monastic cell. Mael Brigde sees herself as a self-ordained monk of sorts, tidying her cell, welcoming in her animal neighbors, and leaving her cell to venture into the wider world and returning as needed. Her fondness for her sacred space is apparent, and I hope to view my home in this manner the further I go along on this path.

“Cill Dara- Cell of the Oak” reminds me of the physical and spiritual qualities found in oaks. It recalls the past of Irish myth and shows its closeness to Brigit’s heart. It also grounds the oak’s place in nature, being a home for different animals. Given my affinity for the oak, the poem beautifully illustrates the tree’s important traits.

“Prayer with Cancer” is both a somber and hopeful piece. It recalled my own scare I had with cancer earlier this year and mirrored the refuge that Brighid provided during that difficult time. I also asked for Brighid’s healing and for Her to help me in coping with all of the uncertainties found with the disease.

“Everywhere” encourages seeing Brighid’s presence in unlikely places. In the poem, three ordinary people in a marketplace represent some of Her different aspects as they go about their tasks. The poet goes on to express her understanding that Brigit is visible in the most mundane of places, breaking past the everyday gloom with Her radiance!

“Contemplations” expresses the doubt and shortcomings many devotees feel when they attempt to match up to their deities’ measure. Mael Brigde is no exception in her feeling that her contemplation and extolment for Brigit may not be enough. The poem serves as a good reminder of that recurring emotion and of the happiness that can still be found with our deities, even with our perceived inadequacies.

The poetry is verdantly rich and inspiring for contemplative purposes, and I can see myself coming back to the book again and again. The academic resources on Brighid are useful for everybody and are helpful to comprehend the multi-faceted goddesses and people known as Brig or Brighid. I highly recommend A Brigit of Ireland Devotional-Sun Among Stars for Pagan or Christian devotees of Brighid, Celtic Polytheists of any kind, poetry lovers, and contemplative types who are always on the lookout for sources of inspiring beauty!

Some thoughts about spiritual journeying with words.

(Image description: A photo of an orange, quill-shaped flame with grayish-white smoke swirling beneath it, set against a darkened background.) Credit: Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Another twenty days later, another flamekeeping shift came around. At the start of my shift, I lit my lantern and responded to prayer requests. However, my focus was on writing a poem that I planned to submit to The Disability Collective for possible usage.

I began viewing poetry as a form of pilgrimage as I was brainstorming. It has an initial desire to go to a designated location; along the way, there are markers and signs indicating spots for reflection and inspiration or directing you toward your destination. Eventually, you reach the pilgrimage site and will likely come away with some spiritual insight or awe.

As an example, I’ll use the poem “Namesake” that I wrote in the previous post. When I was younger, I felt a certain amount of negativity toward my name. In popular culture, it had a tendency to be used for stuck-up characters. That’s not a quality I wanted to be connected to. Also, given its popularity at the time, it gained a reputation as being a feminine name, when it’s actually been a gender neutral name for a long time. It originally started as a surname for a place someone resided at or near.

I can’t change cultural perceptions about the name, but I can see it from a different perspective. Some of that shift in viewpoint came from looking at a letter connected to the ash.

Nin, the fifth letter in ogam, has multi-layered word kennings. They are associated with community building, connections, weaving, and spears, to name only a few. According to Laurie (2007), looms and spears were sometimes made from the wood of ash trees.

For this reason, I was able to see some beneficial concepts that felt right to aspire to. This approach isn’t found in any traditional sources to my knowledge, but I found doing so meaningful. It also felt appropriately related to Brighid, given the different forms of woven Brighid’s crosses.

There is a historical monastic tie to weaving. Weaving would have been used to make altar cloths and other sacred materials. Weaving was generally seen as a woman’s task, given how detail-oriented it is. However, I like to throw social conventions like that out the window and personally view it as something anybody can do. (I am a beginning weaver, but I plan to improve my skills in the future.)

With this method of writing, I felt like that poem provided a fulfilling destination, a sense of completion and new understanding. I can see my name as something to aim for in its meaning and connection to Nin. It aligns with my sense of self and an aspect of my religious practice.

This was my first time of viewing poetry writing as pilgrimage, and it feels like a viable and deep way of gaining inspiration for poems. I can see myself as using this as a means for future “pilgrimages”.

As a final thought, what pilgrimages do you see yourself taking?

Reference

Laurie, E.R. (2007). Ogam: Weaving word wisdom. Megalithica Books.

A poem about finding deeper meaning within a name.

(Image description: A photo of a diagonal tree branch with a woven heart knot made of red cord tied around it. The background consists of indistinct vegetation in a forest setting.) Credit: Photo by Will O on Unsplash

Namesake

A length of ash

small and innocuous

Holding connections

like a weaver’s beam

A meadow of ash

a neighbor to humans

Building bonds

throughout time

A loom of ash

strong and steady

Sacred, bright cloths

each design divine

A spear of ash

true in its reach

Guided with intent

sure in its goal

May I be like these

purposeful and skilled,

building connections.

Lady of the deft hand,

weave me,

shape me.

Brighidine reflections on Lúnasa.

(Image description: A photo of an altar. Three icons of Brighid by Mask Illustrations is at the back, featuring the Smith, the Poet, and the Healer. In front are a handmade Brighid doll, a copper sunburst disc, a couple Brighid’s crosses. A brass-colored bowl is surrounded by silk sunflowers, a large acorn, and pinecones. There is a black LED lantern and a jar candle off to the sides, along with an incense burner, a finger labyrinth, a journal and some Brighid’s mantles.) Credit: my original photo.

I tend Brighid’s flame during each of the Fire Festivals; this is an optional shift for members of the cill I’m in. Finding themes related to Brighid and the festival is important, as it provides a lens in which to see Her throughout the year and not just during Imbolc.

Brighid doesn’t have major connections to Lúnasa, compared to Lugh and Tailtiu. They should be celebrated because of Their respective ties to the holiday, Tailtiu for Her labors of clearing the land for agriculture and Lugh as one the Tuatha De’s kings and the creator of the festival in Her honor and memory.

Her holy wells were and are visited around Lúnasa and decorated with flowers. Lúnasa acts as a mirror to Imbolc, with the seeds planted around Her holy day now being harvested and enjoyed. It’s the start of the turn toward the home and the preparation for cooler, darker months. With Her domain over the hearth, it also feels right to honor Brighid during this time of year.

Tailtiu is Lugh’s foster-mother, but Brighid is also one. She has no mentioned foster-children among the Tuatha De, but it wouldn’t be surprising if She did have some. With Her role as Jesus’ foster-mother in Gaelic cultures, it makes sense for Her to be a foster-mother of devotees, if they wish to have such a relationship with Her.

The older name for Lúnasa, Brón Trogain, reminds me of Brighid’s keening ties, as the name likens the harvest festival to a sorrowful mother in labor. As Imbolc signals the coming of spring, Lúnasa does so for autumn. Despite the summer heat and storms, cool temperatures aren’t far off.

For the shift, I did the usual round of prayers to Her and lit my lantern. I played a game on a tablet; it’s not horse racing or tests of athleticism, but it contains the same spirit of those games. Brighid received offerings of incense, water, flame, and a poem I wrote and said aloud.

Foster-Mother of Many

Foster-Mother of Many

Gentle hand guiding,

encouraging and emboldening

Bringer of life,

from the first sprouts

to full sheaths of grain

Balance and harmony

are Your melodies

to strengthen and shape.

Plant, animal, human

each contain

the seed of life from Your day.

From the smallest kernel to

the greatest star,

they know their Muime.

Queen-maiden of the Harvest,

You turn the spokes of the Wheel,

from sowing to harvesting.

Your fertile hands

hold sway

over the wild and tame.

They grow in abundance,

even as death encroaches,

the promise of the cycle.

Foster-mother of Many,

guarding and tending,

Shepherdess of the Seasons.

Musings about the ripples of ancestors, the past, and the present.

(Image description: An image of a woodcut of St. Brigid from the Nuremberg Chronicle. St. Brigid wears a white veil and blue robe, with a golden yellow halo around the head and hands placed together in prayer. Above Her is the text ‘Brigida Virgo’.) Credit: Michel Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (Text: Hartmann Schedel), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I’m a member of Clann Bhríde’s Flamekeeping Cill, and Friday night was the beginning of my flamekeeping shift. I use an LED lantern for my shifts that go from sunset to sunset. I listened to a Brighid playlist I had put together and said prayers for those who had requested them in the Cill.

On Saturday, I realized that the local PBS channel was airing an episode of Rick Steves’ Europe, and its focus was on the rise of fascism in Germany. I hadn’t seen the full episode, and I felt that watching it was important for contemplative reasons. The episode discussed parallels between Hitler’s rhetoric and past and recent political developments.

I have also visited a Holocaust Memorial museum as a teenager, and the horrors documented there aren’t easily forgotten. There’s no way it’s a hoax, unless you’re living in an impermeable bubble that also doubles as an echo chamber.

Now, you’re probably wondering, what does this have to do with flamekeeping and Brighid?

It got me thinking about the relationship between ancestry and the need to remain aware of modern day issues, even you’re residing in a different place from where your ancestors left.

In this case, one branch of my family tree has ties to Germany. I’m working on practicing German as a means to honor that part of my family tree. However, I’m also aware of the need to understand that similar tactics and views can also happen here just as easily. Acknowledging past prejudices that were prevalent in ancestors’ environments are part of working on their lasting effects in the here and now.

I don’t know how those distant great-grandparents would have viewed the different peoples who would be targeted by the Nazis (especially since they immigrated to the US in the 19th century), but I do understand that part of ancestor work is seeing how history repeats itself and how the dangers from previous eras can affect the present and the future. There’s a necessary balance between honoring your ancestors and not forming an overly rose-tinted perspective on a culture.

As for Brighid, Irish monks brought the saint with them to Germany and other German-speaking countries, and She was listed in the Nuremberg Chronicle. It’s obvious She was dear and important enough for them to establish Her presence in various locations. With Her ties to mourning and keening, I can imagine Brighid lamenting over families torn apart and the staggering loss of life before and during WWII.

Brighid’s sacred flame shines a light on matters that I know are horrific, but it also makes me think more deeply about how they’re interconnected in ways I might not thought of before. Her presence in the world is more far reaching than I can put words to, in how Her light gives insight on issues of social justice and change.

A building block for my relationship with the land.

(Image description: A photo of green oak leaves with sunlight filtering through them.) Credit: Photo by Ira Mint on Unsplash

Hearthcraft is a keystone of my monastic path, and the domestic aspects of that path are absolutely important. However, a home doesn’t exist in a void, and being familiar with the plants that surround it are equally important.

The oak tree in the front yard was probably planted by the previous land owners in the 1990s, specifically to provide shade from the glaring sun that hits the windows in the afternoon. As far as I can tell, it’s a white oak (Quercus alba) and native to the region.

Oak trees have a connection to ogam through the letter dair, d. Ogam is frequently referred to as The Tree Alphabet. That’s one way to connect with the writing system, but it shouldn’t be the only way of understanding the letters; however, that topic won’t be the focus of this post.

Since oaks are sacred to Brighid, that’s an added layer of wanting to know this tree on a more individual basis. It’s genetically similar to other white oaks, but like a fingerprint, it’s not identical. There’s also not any other oaks within a considerable distance. Its neighbors are some assorted plants, an ash tree (another neighbor to get to know in the future), and a plethora of pine trees.

To get to know it, I centered myself and sat quietly with one of the oak’s fallen leaves. I let myself absorb any impressions I picked up from it. In return for its input, I gave the tree a small amount of water.

I noted its textures, outline, and shape. It wasn’t symmetrical and had been grazed on, leaving it with sharp edges. The leaf reminded me of a tiny boat with a curved hull. The image of sunlight reaching its veins gave me the image of golden blood flowing through it as it did its job to carry nutrients into the rest of the tree. Like the veins going throughout the leaf, the feeling of connection was apparent. A single part was like a mirror of the tree itself. There was beauty and strength in this link between the shed leaf and its parent tree.

The meditation didn’t last too long, but it was enough to give me some insight into this arboreal neighbor. I feel like it was a good start, and it’s a practice I want to do throughout the different seasons of the year.

Since childhood, I’ve tended to see the Divine as integrated within nature. Even as my religious beliefs have shifted, this viewpoint didn’t change, and I can feel Brighid’s presence in the sun-dappled branches of an oak tree as much as I can in reading Her stories, praying, and other devotional acts.

By learning more about the environment I live in, I feel like I learn a little more about Brighid. Understanding what the plants and other natural aspects are like helps me to relate to the world I’m intrinsically connected to, just as all life is. That connection adds needed depth to my monastic path, and the life around me influences the well-being of my hermitage, as it isn’t an island unto itself.

A poem about sacred vibrations throughout the sea, sky, and land.

(Image description: A photo of a smithy with worn stone walls. The anvil is centered in the middle of the space. Tools hang on the left wall, with wheels leaning against it. The hearth and the bellows can be seen in the background.) Credit: Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash

The Smith-Midwife

The vault of the heavens

grows brighter

with each new star-spark.

Growing from insignificant

to unfathomable,

the stars sing.

They echo the rhythm,

lyrical vibrations,

the melody of life.

These echoes resonate

with the heartbeat of the land,

a cauldron flowing with lava.

Kindred ringing of a hammer,

shaping and bending

are the birthing pangs.

The Smith swings Her tool

marking and building the form,

drawing out its divine intention.

Time and time again,

through tempering and quenching,

the creation takes on its reason.

As lava births new land,

making ripples in the sea,

so the material transforms.

The Smith is the Father,

Her hammer the Mother,

entwining with thrice-blessed potential.

A bright and shining piece,

bound together by the elements,

She admires Her work.

An arm wipes against Her brow,

another project finished,

and the cycle begins again.

Where the votary organizes rule-related thoughts for personal clarity.

(Image description: A photo of flat stepping stones going across a stream and leading to a couple of fallen logs laying on the bank.) Credit: Photo by Matt Walsh on Unsplash

Many monastic orders have a rule to live by; the Rule of St. Benedict is probably one of the more well-known ones. I’m a member of Clann Bhride, but there is currently no clergy or monastic order. I felt the need to do things on my own somewhat, but I don’t plan on creating a Rule out of thin air.

Spiritual Influences

There are a couple sources I’m using as inspiration for a spiritual rule. Clann Bhríde has the Touchstones, which are broad enough to have some leeway for personal interpretation. The other one is Oisín Doyle’s book A New Monastic Way: Polytheistic Celtic Monasticism. The author, whom I know from the Pagan and Polytheist Monastic community, adapted the Rule of St. Columba in a way that is suitable for Polytheists. I think both of them will be useful as I make my own Rule.

As a note, the Rule in the book has references to white martyrdom and blue/green martyrdom. The author contextualized them respectively as following a path the deities and/or spirits lead you on and choosing a path of monastic devotion. I would be more inclined to refer to them as white paths and blue-green paths, but that consideration is more of a shift in viewpoint rather than a disagreement.

Since the Touchstones and Doyle’s adapted Rule overlap in various ways, grouping them in categories will aid me in laying out parts of it. The Touchstones’ qualities can be used to classify the types of rules and, and each rule would connect to each ideal. Some rules may overlap in their ties to the qualities, the fact that they are linked to one another just shows how spiritually interdependent they are.

Thoughts on Spiritual Rules

I’m not aware of how different monastic orders view their Rules in regard to updating them as time passes and society (hopefully) progresses, but I feel that the Rule I develop should be a living document. It needs to evolve as I learn more about justice and equality, which is a never-ending process. A Rule encompasses my relationships with deities, spirits, and ancestors as much as it does with the treatment of others in a community, in whichever way the term can be understood as.

Once I finishing creating my Rule, I will keep it to myself. It will reflect the ideals that I feel are important to my path. This method for developing a Rule may not be for everyone, but it works for me. Whatever my Rule will look like, I imagine it would change based on reasons mentioned above. It’s a necessary and fulfilling stepping stone on my journey.

A poem about wanting to find the sacred in a not so far away place.

(Image description: A photo of a lit fireplace with a stone arch and hearth against a wooden wall and a tasseled tapestry above.) Credit: Photo by Zane Lee on Unsplash

Mundane Pilgrimage

The yearning for traversing

over green fields

to ancient stones

Yields

to the pull of home,

the lantern of liminality,

center of the self and the world.

The faint creak of a front door,

the groan of floor boards,

the feet lighting on holy ground

Consecrates

the busyness of the mind,

the weariness of the body,

the fatigue of the soul.

The longing for reflection,

the desire for contemplation,

the aspiration for inspiration

Reaches

toward the sanctity of the hearth,

the peace of silence,

the melody of nature.

Sacred routines,

cleaning and tending,

each a small prayer in itself.

Gladdens

my heart to peace,

prepping the mind,

the cauldron for illumination.

I am home,

whole and tranquil,

restored and strengthened.

I am at the center,

the center being within me,

a flame kindled brightly.

A votary’s exploration of their monastic journey through art and musings.

Introductions

Welcome to Oaken Roots Hermitage and its newsletter, The Illuminating Spark!

My definition of a hermitage is rather nebulous for a few reasons. I’m a spiritual hermit by both choice and practicality, as my path is my own and there’s nobody nearby to practice with. My hermitage is one of the heart(h). Liminality is a key aspect of my spirituality, which includes the location of the hermitage.

I’ve been a Brighid devotee for approximately 7 to 8 years and have been in the Pagan/Polytheist Monastic community around 4 years. I see Her as my Patroness in many regards, but I don’t feel the need to explicitly define our relationship. Being devoted to Her has fulfilled a need to connect with the Divine through creativity that I have felt since childhood.

As such, Brighid the Poet and Brighid the Smith are the ones I’ve innately felt drawn to because of Their creative ties, but Brighid the Healer I feel connected to because of chronic illness and the aid She has provided over time.

I’ve learned that devotion isn’t necessarily about the big gestures, and it’s more about the everyday stuff we do for deities, which fits in nicely with my developing form of monasticism.

I see Her through other spiritual lenses, but those aspects are part of why of I created this spiritual space in order to share my journey. Another major reason is that there aren’t a lot of Monastic Pagan/Polytheist blogs on the internet, and I would like to add to the conversation as the movement grows.

I was also motivated to begin it after reading this blog post on Patheos by John Beckett. The overlap between being a votary and the different clergy roles in the article is unclear to me, but it’ll be interesting to see the intersection as my path develops.

On the matter of titles, I don’t use the word nun or monk. Discussions around gender neutral alternatives came up in a Pagan/Polytheist Monastic group, and the word votary was put forth as one option. I decided to use it in place of witch, bard, or druid, but there will be similarities with these other titles involving practices I do.

The components of my path are gradually developing, but the newsletter will feature topics such as hearthcraft, ogam, and art projects, to name a few. They feel relevant to a monastic focus on contemplation and the ways it can be manifested through art.

There is no set goal or destination for this newsletter, as the journey is more important than a pre-determined spiritual state. It is mainly a place for my spiritual writings and the occasional conversation.

Send questions you have to oaken.roots.hermitage@gmail.com.