I had tingles down my spine and a warm smile in my heart when I realized the bigger picture behind my new painting “Bridie’s Flame”.

I’ve got my friend and modern shaman Regina Wright to thank for that.

I’d started the 6 base layers in 2015 and waited until it spoke to me again to create its imagery. That happened on January 31st, the eve of St. Brigid’s day.  I just didn’t know it at the time.

You may have read in a previous post that I’m feeling called to Ireland lately.  This is just another piece of the puzzle.

When I first received a vision for this painting, I believed it to be a piece on Self-Love and positive body-image. The generously curved double heart-shaped figure was held in space by two hands.

As I was working on her, however, I realized she was also a flame – a radiant light surrounded by the halo of the sacred feminine glow.

The Celtic knots in the corner completed the piece before I had any idea of its timing.

I then blessed and varnished it for protection on February 1st – the day when the Irish celebrate St. Brigid of the Sacred Light, one of their two patron saints.

That’s also when I saw Regina’s Facebook post.  I knew my timing wasn’t a coincidence. I was unconsciously celebrating St. Brigid’s Day through the creation of Bridie’s Flame.

I love the new normal!

Instead of repeating everything I then read about Brigd, I’ve invited Regina to share in her knowledge and experience of this saint and goddess. Thanks Regina!

 

I’ve been immersed in the energy of Brigid for the last few weeks as I prepared for an annual retreat that I’ve been holding for the last four years. Each year, I learn more about her – both goddess and saint.

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t connected to Brigid. As a child, I heard stories of the saints, one of them being Brigid. My best friend’s mother when I was growing up was Irish and an amazing storyteller. I was eager to hear stories about the land of my ancestors.

I did a course in university in the 90s that explored the role of the goddess in religion and researched different goddesses in several cultures. I’ve been travelling to the UK for many years and found wells dedicated to Brigid in England, Scotland and Wales.

When I finally made it to Ireland in 2010, I really felt the energy of Brigid permeate the land – I was guided to her sacred wells to ask for her blessings and to Kildare, the home of her fire temple and sacred flame. Brigid keeps inviting me back. I’ve been to Ireland five times since 2010!

Who is Brigid and why is she so important, not only to the Irish, but to many around the world? I’m discovering many answers to these questions.

In the beginning, people revered the Great Mother Goddess, the energy of Earth herself. These ancient Celts knew that life sprang from her loins as she mated with the Sun, the Energy of the Heavens.

In Springtime, she showed her young, fresh beautiful Maiden self, as new life appeared all around the earth. Crops started to push up form her rich dark soil and young animals and babies were born.

She became known as Brigid – noble, exalted and respected One.

Customs and ways of honouring her wove into the very fabric of Celtic life.

She’s associated with healing springs, wells and streams. She’s the Lady of the Sacred Flame – the flame of creativity, inspiration, and creative consciousness. She’s the patroness of poetry, healing, smithcraft, midwifery and animal care. Brigid is the bringer of prosperity, the goddess of fertility, new growth and birth.

Brigid is considered a Triple Goddess, not only of the stages of life of mother, maiden and crone, but also of the roles she plays – that of Lady of the healing Waters, Goddess of the Sacred Flame and Goddess of the Fertile Earth.

In the 5^th century, a truly beautiful and loving soul was born who personified the gifts of the Goddess.

She grew up to become Saint Brigid and established her abbey at Kildare, which became a great centre of spirituality and learning.

The story of how Brigid got the land for her convent is often told in Ireland today. She approached the local chieftain and asked for land to build her abbey. He laughed and didn’t take her seriously. Brigid didn’t take no for an answer and kept asking.  The chieftain admired her courage and daring and told her she could have as much land as her long cloak would cover. Brigid nodded to her followers and gave a corner of it to four women and asked them to walk in the four directions – North, South, East and West. The chieftain was astonished as the women walked for miles and the cloak kept expanding over the lush green countryside.

This land in Kildare is where Brigid founded her Abbey and a perpetual flame was lit in a fire temple that remained lit for generations. It was extinguished by Cromwell’s men and remained unlit for centuries until it was relit by the Brigidine Sisters in 1993.

Today the flame is tended to in a beautiful new building, Solis Bhride, shaped like a Brigid Cross. I visited Solis Bhride in October and was gifted candles lit from the perpetual flame to bring back to Canada to share Brigid’s light and keep the fire alive.

Since the relighting of Brigid’s eternal flame in 1993, there’s been great interest in Brigid as goddess and Saint, not only in Ireland, but also in many other parts of the world.

This revival is seen in the number of books, songs, organizations, and events dedicated to her. Many traditions exist in Ireland from the early times of Brigid’s Abbey. Her day is celebrated on the first day of the Celtic spring, known as Imbolc (meaning in the belly) – there’s a whole week dedicated to the celebration of Brigid at this time – a festival of Brigid!

I feel it’s a reflection of us womenfolk reclaiming our power and our stewardship and responsibility for the healing of Mother Earth!

There are many sacred wells dedicated to Brigid around the British Isles and Ireland, but it is with Fire and her Sacred Flame that she is most frequently associated – the eternal flame of life, the flame of inspiration, and the flame of our creative consciousness.

She’s a solar goddess, and it’s said she was born at the exact moment of daybreak with her head radiant with rays of illuminated light.

I keep an altar dedicated to Brigid and light candles that have the energy of her flame that I brought back from Kildare.

Our ancestors brought Brigid with them to this land and this is reflected in some place names including St. Brides and Kilbride (which means church of Bride/Brigid).

I’ve heard stories of Brigid traditions been kept alive here in Newfoundland, including putting a small piece of cloth outside on January 31 to be blessed by Brigid during the night. This cloth was taken in before sunrise and kept in a safe place to be put on an injury, etc. It is said that this cloth is a strip of Brigid’s cloak.

For the past several months, I’ve been studying with a wonderful Celtic wise woman and shaman, Karen Ward, and have connected more deeply to Brigid through her.

I’m looking forward to going to Glastonbury in May – a place associated with Brigid – and back to Ireland in the fall – the seeds have been planted for me to offer my Brigid retreat in Ireland at Solis Bhride.

Brightest Blessings from Brigid,

Regina

P.S.  Prints available in many sizes & mediums.