Brigid

Brigid is a threefold Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Healing and Smithcraft. She is an ancient Goddess with origins in Europe and was revered long before the Romans invaded Britain and before the birth of Christ. February 2 is Imbolc, her Feast Day, and when the church canonized her, because her following was so strong, they kept the date and renamed the Feast Day "St. Brigid's Day". 

The rite of Imbolc is a women's ceremony, where the coming of spring is celebrated with Brigid's Feast (Maiden aspect of Goddess), and the waning of Cailleach's winter power is acknowledged (Crone aspect of Goddess). Early February marks the time when the daylight
is increasing and the power of winter is waning. Imbolc was a festival of a herding culture, celebrating the time when lambs are born and ewe's are in milk. The milk provided cheese, butter and whey after a long cold winter, when food stocks were low.

Brigid means "The Bright One" or "Fiery Arrow" and has many variations - 
Brigid (pronounced Breed) of the Irish Celts, Brigantia to the English, Bride to the Scots and Brigandu in Celtic France.                          
She is the Muse to poets, The keeper of the holy wells and rivers of healing and rebirth, and she is the keeper of the Sacred Flame of creativity. Brigid is the Mother of inventions and the craftsmanship of metalworking.

Brigid has a way with animals, and she can call birds to sit on her hand. A hunted boar once found its way to her courtyard and was granted santuary from its pursuers. Cattle, milkmaids and milk are all sacred to Brigid and the cow is her favorite companion. She also is associated with a white snake and sometimes fish magically appear in her healing wells.

On the eve of Imbolc, women hung a piece of pure white wool cloth on a tree.Traditionally, Brigid imbues any piece of cloth that is left out at Imbolc with Her healing power by blessing it as She passes by. This piece of cloth is then known as Brigid's Mantle. Each subsequent Imbolc blessing the cloth receives, adds to its healing power year after year. This cloth was beleived to absorb the energy of the Goddess and sanctified in this way would become a special talisman. It would be wrapped around any part of the body that needed healing and used by Irish midwives to ensure a safe birthing for expectant mothers. It was also used as protection during birthing of animals. Brigid is invoked to guard the cradle of the new born infant while a woman hangs a rowan cross over the cradle.
This cloth blessed by the Goddess Brigid could also be used for an altar cloth.

A Bhrigid, scar os mo chionn
Do bhrat fionn dom anacal

Oh Brigid spread Above my Head
Your mantle bright To guard me.

Anyone desiring fertility, healing or creativity should invoke Brigid's blessings, as the ancients did.

Brigit awaits . . .

Brigit awaits, Her spirit is softly calling to us,
in the trees, in the grasses, in the hills and fields,
alive in many realms, present in all Nature's places.

Brigit awaits, present in the world around us,
Her mighty gifts of vision, insight, healing and craft
grow stronger when we acknowledge their power

Brigit awaits, dancing in the candle flame and hearth fire
forging truth, justice, healing, and beauty on Her sacred anvil
our dreams flow and nourish us, like Her sacred waters

                                       
                                         
                                  Brigit awaits each of us, in our own heart.

~ author unknown      

            Jai Mata Di