#stbrigid

[prevazilazenje]

ST BRIGID’S CROSS

St Brigid, also known as “Mary of the Gael,” is an abbess and patroness of Ireland. She is furthermore the founder of the first Irish monastery in County Kildare, Ireland. Born in Dundalk in 450 AD, St Brigid is accredited with first creating the unique cross which bears her name.

The distinctive St Brigid’s Cross design, made from woven rushes, is thought to keep evil, fire, disease and hunger from the homes in which it is displayed. The tale of its origin as we know it is as follows....

There was an old pagan Chieftain who lay delirious on his deathbed in Kildare (some believe this was her father) and his servants summoned Brigid to his beside in the hope that the saintly woman may calm his restless spirit. Brigid is said to have sat by his bed, consoling and calming him and it is here that she picked up the rushes from the floor and began weaving them into the distinctive cross pattern. Whilst she weaved, she explained the meaning of the cross to the sick Chieftain and it is thought her calming words brought peace to his soul. He was so enamoured by her words that the old Chieftain requested he be baptized as a Christian just before his passing.

Since that day, and for the centuries that followed, it has been customary on the eve of her Feast Day (February 1st) for the Irish people to fashion a St Brigid's Cross of straw or rushes and place it inside the house over the door.

This rush cross, which became St Brigid’s emblem, has been used in Irish designs throughout history, with many modern stylists using this now popular Irish symbol within the designs of Irish jewelry and Irish gifts.

This cross is normally hand created from rushes however occasionally straw is also used. The rushes were collected from wetlands and cut into pieces, 8-12 inches long. Rushes can be hard to get for city dwellers so ordinary drinking straws are a good substitute. Use rubber bands to tie up the ends.

HOW TO MAKE ST BRIGID’S CROSS

You Will Need

16 Reeds (or Straws)

4 small rubber bands

Scissors

What to Do

Hold one of the reeds vertically. Fold a second reed in half as in the diagram.

Place the first vertical reed in the centre of the folded second reed.

Hold the centre overlap tightly between thumb and forefinger.

Turn the two rushes held together 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the second reed are pointing vertically upwards.

Fold a third reed in half and over both parts of the second reed to lie horizontally from left to right against the first straw. Hold tight.

Holding the centre tightly, turn the three reeds 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the third reed are pointing upwards.

Fold a new reed in half over and across all the rushes pointing upwards.

Repeat the process of rotating all the rushes 90 degrees anti-clockwise, adding a new folded reed each time until all rushes have been used up to make the cross.

Secure the arms of the cross with elastic bands. Trim the ends to make them all the same length. The St Brigid’s Cross is now ready to hang.

[tukuhnikivats]

Happy Imbolc/Brigid's day! It is now an official holiday in Ireland. It's the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. It's celebrated with candles or bonfires to welcome the return of the sun. Brigid was a real person and patron Saint of Ireland. #imbolc #Brigid #stbrigid #ireland #gaelic #celtic #Irish #pagan #blessedbe https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIcCYfO168/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[culturecalypsosblog]

Today’s pagan wheel of the year blog is on Imbolc/St. Brigid’s day/Candlemas/Midwinter

🌺☘️❄️☀️🥚🥛🧚🌕🕯🌺☘️❄️☀️🥚🥛🧚🌕🕯

Imbolc is a pagan holiday celebrated from February 1 through sundown February 3rd. Based on a Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland. The holiday is celebrated by Wiccans and other practitioners of neopagan or pagan-influenced religions. Imbolc is just one of several pre-Christian holidays highlighting some aspect of winter and sunlight, and heralding the change of seasons.

Origins of Imbolc

The celebration of Imbolc dates back to the pre-Christian era in the British Isles.

The earliest mentions of Imbolc in Irish literature date back to the 10th century. Poetry from that time relates the holiday to ewe’s milk, with the implication of purification.

It’s been speculated that this stems from the breeding cycle of sheep and the beginning of lactation. The holiday was traditionally aligned with the first day of spring and the idea of rebirth.

Brigid the Goddess

Imbolc celebrations took the form of a festival in honor of the pagan goddess Brigid, who was evoked in fertility rites and oversaw poetry, crafts and prophecy. Brigid was worshipped by the Filid, a class of poets and historians among the Celts of ancient Ireland and Britain.

Brigid was considered one of the most powerful Celtic gods, the daughter of the Dagda, the oldest god in the Celtic pantheon Tuatha du Danann. She had two sisters also named Brigid (though it’s speculated that these sisters are meant to symbolize different aspects of the same goddess.)

Brigid appears in the saga Cath Maige Tuired and the Lebor Gabála Érenn, a purported history of Ireland collected from various poems and texts in the 10th century.

Myths about Brigid’s birth say she was born with a flame in her head and drank the milk of a mystical cow from the spirit world. Brigid is credited with the very first keening, a traditional wailing for the dead practiced at funerals by Irish and Scottish women.

Ancient Imbolc

In pre-Christian times, Imbolc observance began the night before February 1. Celebrants prepared for a visit from Brigid into their homes by crafting an effigy of the goddess from bundles of oats and rushes. The effigy was placed in a dress and put in a basket overnight.

The day of Imbolc was celebrated by burning lamps and lighting bonfires in tribute to Brigid.

Brigid Becomes St. Brigid

Over the centuries, Brigid was adopted into Christianity as St. Brigid.

One of Ireland’s three patron saints, the Catholic Church claims St. Brigid was a historical person, with accounts of her life written by monks dating back to the 8th century. Brigid (or Bridget) is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids and cattle.

Whether or not she existed, these stories contain aspects in common with the details of the pagan goddess and illustrate the transition from pagan to Christian worship.

Like the goddess Brigid, St. Brigid is associated with milk and fire. Born in Ireland around 453 A.D., St. Brigid was the daughter of a slave and a chieftain who was celebrated at an early age for her agricultural knowledge.

With no interest in marrying, Brigid’s goal was to create a monastery in Kildare, supposedly the former site of a shrine to the Celtic goddess of the same name. Brigid lived her entire life there.

She was renowned for her charity to the poor and stories abound about her healing powers. St. Brigid was a friend of St. Patrick, whose preaching set her on a course at an early age, and she became Ireland’s first nun.

St. Brigid is said to have died in 524 A.D. The remains of her skull and hand are claimed to be in the possession of churches in Portugal.

In the 12th century, legend holds that the nuns in Kildare attended to a fire built in St. Brigid’s honor. The fire had burned for 500 years and produced no ash, and only women were allowed in proximity of the fire.

The celebration of St. Brigid’s Day on February 1 was put in place by the church to replace Imbolc. On her feast day, an effigy of St. Brigid of Kildare is traditionally washed in the ocean and surrounded by candles to dry, and stalks of wheat are transformed into cross talismans known as Brigid crosses.

Modern Imbolc

The modern celebration of Imbolc is considered a low-key, loose and sometimes private affair concerned with reconnecting with nature.

Since it’s a climate-specific holiday, some followers of the Wicca religion adjust their celebration of it to correspond with a date more appropriate to the coming of spring where they live. Others embrace the symbolism of the holiday and keep to the February 1 celebration.

The goddess Brigid is central to the celebration for modern Wiccans. In the tradition of the original Celtic festival, Wiccan groups that worship Brigid might include fire rituals on Imbolc.

Traditions from both the pagan celebration of Imbolc and the Christian celebration of St. Brigid’s Day can be found in the modern Imbolc celebration. Celebrants sometimes make a Brigid cross out of reeds as well as a Brigid corn doll or effigy.

Candlemas

Candlemas is a Christian holiday celebrated on February 2 that has aspects in common with Imbolc. Its celebration can be traced to 4th century Greece as a purification holiday and a celebration of the return of light.

Candles have traditionally been used in its observance. It’s possible that Candlemas is a Christian adaptation of the Roman holiday Februalia.

Groundhog Day

February 2 is also celebrated as Groundhog Day, which began in the United States in 1887. The idea is that a groundhog exiting its burrow can predict whether winter will stay or go based on whether the groundhog sees its shadow. The day was a stunt by a newspaper in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, that has endured.

Concocted in Pennsylvania Dutch country, Groundhog Day is believed to be an adaptation of a German Candlemas tradition involving a badger. There have been attempts to portray Groundhog Day as a modern offshoot of Imbolc, but the two days are not likely directly related.

I hope you enjoyed this blog more to follow soon!

Blessed be,

Culture Calypso’s Blog 🕯🧚❄️🌙🌺☀️🥚🥛

[adventuringsidhe]

Imbolc/Imbolg The Irish Celebration

The most common explanation is that it comes from the Old Irish i mbolc (Modern Irish: i mbolg), meaning 'in the belly', and refers to the pregnancy of ewes.  Another possible origin is the Old Irish imb-fholc, 'to wash/cleanse oneself', referring to a ritual cleansing.  The date of Imbolc is thought to have been significant in Ireland since the Neolithic period.  Some passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise around the times of Imbolc and Samhain. This includes the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara,  and Cairn L at Slieve na Calliagh.

In Gaelic Ireland, Imbolc was the feis or festival marking the beginning of spring, during which great feasts were held. It is attested in some of the earliest Old Irish literature, from the 10th century onward. It was one of four Gaelic seasonal festivals: Samhain (~1 November), Imbolc (~1 February), Beltane (~1 May) and Lughnasadh (~1 August).

The holiday was a festival of the hearth and home, and a celebration of the lengthening days and the early signs of spring. Celebrations often involved hearthfires, special foods, divination or watching for omens, candles or a bonfire if the weather permitted.  Fire and purification were an important part of the festival. The lighting of candles and fires represented the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months.  A spring cleaning was also customary. 

Holy wells were visited at Imbolc, and at the other Gaelic festivals of Beltane and Lughnasa. Visitors to holy wells would pray for health while walking 'sunwise' around the well. They would then leave offerings, typically coins or clooties (see clootie well). Water from the well was used to bless the home, family members, livestock and fields.

Imbolc is strongly associated with Saint Brigid (Old Irish: Brigit, modern Irish: Bríd, modern Scottish Gaelic: Brìghde or Brìd, anglicised Bridget). Saint Brigid is thought to have been based on Brigid, a Gaelic goddess.  The festival, which celebrates the onset of spring, is thought to be linked with Brigid in her role as a fertility goddess. On Imbolc Eve, Brigid was said to visit virtuous households and bless the inhabitants. 

As Brigid represented the light half of the year, and the power that will bring people from the dark season of winter into spring, her presence was very important at this time of year. Families would have a special meal or supper on Imbolc Eve. This typically included food such as colcannon, sowans, dumplings, barmbrack or bannocks. Often, some of the food and drink would be set aside for Brigid.

[powder-pinkgirl-blog]

Celebrating Imbolc

This is my first year actively marking Imbolc. As I'm working on the 1st until late I will be lighting candles early before I go to work and opening windows as the sun rises. On Saturday I will be Spring Cleaning and bringing flowers into the house. My small girl is even getting enthusiastic about the Spring Cleaning and flowers part 🙄

[catholicartandjewelry-blog]

#giveawaytime Win a print of St Bridget of Ireland! To enter the drawing, please like this post and follow me on Instagram, then tag 2 friends! #stbrigid #saintbrigid #catholicgiveaway #catholic #catholocartandjewelry #ireland #watercolorpainting #watercolor #artoninstagram #drawingoftheday #saints #artist (at Catholic Art & Jewelry)

[atmaflare]

Spring is coming... Brigid, Lofty Goddess of the Hearth In Irish mythology, Brigid is the name of the goddess (or in some cases, a trio of goddesses) associated with the hearth, healing, smithcraft, poetry, fertility, the coming of spring, and all things perceived as "elevated" or of "high dimensions", such as fire and knowledge in general. She is a member of the Tuatha De Danann, Gaelic Ireland's pantheon of gods, being the daughter of the god Dagda and wife of the half-Fomorian god Bres. Such was her popularity that her name itself was synonymous with "goddess", and when the Church came and couldn't stop her festivities, they made her into St. Brigid instead, associating her with Ireland's other famous saint, St. Patrick. Her festival, both as a goddess and as a saint, is the Imbolc, celebrated the coming of spring, held to this day between the winter solstice and spring equinox. She is associated with a perpetual flame maintained by 19 nuns at her sanctuary in Kildare, Ireland, and is surrounded by a hedge that no man can cross without dying or going insane. I was going to do this one digital, but it wasn't turning out very good, so I went back and colored it the traditional way instead. Well, Brigid's festival, the Imbolc, was 1 February so I thought she deserved some love this year. Last year I considered doing her, but it was on same week Iemanja's festival was held, and she ended up being chosen. You guys liked her a lot, so, this time with Brigid I decided to make her my "Iemanja" of this year. One is associated with the sea, and the other with fire and flowers. Her poses are kinda similar, but mirrored, and so on. I didn't want to go on the triple goddess connotation, I've covered that with The Morrígan already, so I worked on her dual nature as both a saint and a goddess. She looks like a typical nun, but under her clothes she is also a goddess of spring. There's quite a lot of symbols in there associated with her, but they're all very self-explanatory. I'll let you guys discover it on your own.   Original post: [link]

[ophelia-blue]

Awakening O where are you going? And what is your name? My name, child, is Brigid and I carry a flame to melt the old Winter and kindle the Spring, to whisper her birth-name and teach her to sing. O where are you going? Please, tell who you are. My name, child, is Mary and I carry a star to lighten the hearts of the folk of the earth, to sing their true nature and dance them to birth. Please tell me, Flame-Bearer, which way will you run? By the highways, my child, in the paths of the Sun, where the flowers leap to life as I travel along and the cold earth awakes in the warmth of my song. And tell me, Star-Mother, how far must you go? To a land in my dreams, child, where the Sun melts the snow, where a blade of pure innocence pierces the night and the children of earth take their place in the light. Please bless me, Flame-Keeper. Stay with me, Star-Maid. Deliver my journey from shadow and shade. And stir up my soul with a sunlit desire to hallow this world with a new-rising fire.