In honor of Brighid…May She – Keeper of the Flame – protect, bless, and heal us with Her light; may Her light spark within us creativity; and may Her fires burn away & transform that which is within us that no serves our higher being or calling.

Brigid, the Celtic Goddess of Healing, Poetry, and Smithcraft, begins her reign on Imbolic, February 2, the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. On this day the ancient Celts held their Fire Festival in honor of Brigid and the growing light. In Scotland, as recently as the mid-twentieth century, houses were cleaned and the hearth fires rekindled on February 2, to welcome in  Brigid.  Remnants of this festival are found in America today on Groundhog Day.

Like the Cailleach, She existed in many places and  was known by many names.  The Irish called her Brighde; she was Bride in Scotland,  Brigantia in Northern Britain, and Brigandu in France.  Some called her Brid, Brig or Brighid.  Later she was transformed by Christianity into Saint Bridget.  Her older name was BREO SAIGHEAD.   Her name has various interpretations, many relating to fire – “Power,” “Renown” “Fiery Arrow of Power ” “Bright Arrow”, “The…

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Well, here it is…my new blog – a separate page devoted to my personal adventures and experiences as a traveling Pagan 🙂

Divine Women: The War of the Word

This was eye opening for me in terms of how crucial the role of women played in the development of early Christianity and Islam – names of women I had never heard of before (Empress Theodora, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, and Aisha bint Abu Bakr).  I truly wish their stories and accounts were taught along side that of their male counterparts – that their names were as well known and considered “common knowledge”; but those in power tried to slander, bury and stamp them out for a reason…to demote their significance and thus the social status of women.  “Forget or ignore them, and we impoverish history and ourselves.”

“Programme Three explores a missed ‘golden age’ for women, when historical characters such as the Empress Theodora in Byzantium, Wu Zetien in China (the Empress who called herself Emperor), the early women of Islam and Anglo-Saxon Hilda of Whitby, used the power of ancient traditions and new ideas about religion and philosophy to wield influence in a man’s world – notably through the power of reform, education and the word. We look at evidence through the Byzantine Empire, early Islam, in China, Northumbria and Oxford.”

 

Priestess: Handmaids of Gods

This is the second episode following “When God Was a Girl” in a BBC documentary series, Divine Women by historian Bettany Hughes.  “Historian Bettany Hughes continues her journey into the hidden and controversial history of women’s place in religion as she uncovers the lost era of the priestess. She delves into the ancient Greek worship of the goddess of sex, Aphrodite, and finds out what this practice meant for women. She also heads to ancient Rome, where the fate of the civilisation lay in the hands of six sacred virgins. Returning to the crucial early years of Christianity, she finds evidence that overturns centuries of Church teaching and challenges the belief that women should not be priests.”

 

When God Was a Girl

Take an hour out and treat yourself – reclaim your herstory, reclaim your divinity! Wonderful and informational.  “Historian Bettany Hughes visits a world where Goddesses ruled the heavens and earth, and reveals why our ancestors thought of the divine as female. Travelling across the Mediterranean and the Near East, Bettany goes to remote places, where she encounters fearsome Goddesses who controlled life and death, and she ends up in modern-day India, where the Goddess is still a powerful force for thousands of Hindus. Immersing herself in the excitement of the Durga Puja festival, Bettany experiences Goddess worship first-hand, and finds out what the Goddess means to Her devotees.”

 

I Hear You Calling…

Happy Full Moon Blessings!

 

“I Hear You Calling” by  Chalice and Blade.  Another video I had put together last year – a creative dedication to the Goddess. Enjoy and Brightest of Blessings! )O(

 

 

Lyrics

Once in a month, when the moon is full
Some secret place shall ye gather.
Adore the spirit of me who is
Queen of all of the wise.

And I hear you calling (2x)

Sing and dance
Feast and make love
All in my name
For mine is the spirit in ecstasy
Mine is joy on Earth

And I hear you calling (2x)

Mine is the secret that opens the door
Unto the land of youth.
Mine is the cup of wine, of life.
Cauldron of Cerridwen.

And I hear you calling (2x)

I give freedom and I give peace
Reunion with those gone before.
I am the mother of all that lives.
My love is poured on the Earth.

And I hear you calling (2x)

I am the beauty of the green Earth
White moon among the stars.
I am the mystery of the waters.
Desire in the hearts of man.

And I hear you calling. (2x)

I call to Soul
Arise, come to me.
For I am the heart of nature.
And I give life to the universe.
For I am she.

And I hear you calling. (2x)

From me all things do proceed.
To me they must return.
May your divine, innermost infinite soul
Enrapture be embraced.

And I hear you calling. (2x)

Let my worship be in your heart and rejoice.
All acts of love are mine.
Let there be beauty, strength, and pleasure
All are my rites.

And I hear you calling. (2x)

And you who think to seek for me
Know that it avails ye not.
Unless you know the mystery
Look deep within.
And I hear you calling. (2x)

For the hunt
I have been with thee
Since the beginning of time.
And I am that which ye shall attain.
The end of desire.
And I hear you calling. (6x)

Epona, Celtic Horse Goddess by Judith Shaw

Aahhh…my sweet and beloved Goddess Epona…”Call on Epona for protection (especially for animals), for fertility of body, mind, and spirit, and for dreams to guide you on your life path. Epona also teaches women of their strength and sovereignty, helping women discover their wholeness within themselves.” ~ Judith Shaw

Epona, Celtic Horse Goddess was worshipped by the Gauls (the Celtic French). Her worship spread to Britain and Rome from Western Europe. Hundreds of statues and shrines dating from between the first and third centuries CE have been found in France alone.

Today we can understand Epona mainly from her images, as few stories of her have survived.  She is often shown either riding a white horse side saddle or standing or sitting between two horses.  Many images show her feeding mares and foals from a cornucopia or a basket of fruit.

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Journeying to the Goddess

The Farmers’ Almanac tell us that January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon amongst the Native Americans – Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule. Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.

According to the Wise Witches Society, this moon is known as the Storm Moon.  A storm is said to rage most fiercely just before it ends, and the year usually follows suit.

“This moon is also known as Ice Moon, Wolf Moon, Snow Moon, and Cold Moon. This moon was said to warn hunters of falling ice from the trees. This is a time for introspection. Save your energy, stop worrying about others and concentrate on yourself. The…

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ROWAN MOON ~ January 21 – February 17

Journeying to the Goddess

The lunar month of Rowan offers you the opportunity to strengthen your resolve and nurture your dreams.

This point in the agricultural calendar is marked by the plowing of the soil to prepare it for the seed; any magic performed now is groundwork.  The surface of the earth appears barren, but the life-force is stirring beneath.  Ask yourself what you need to prepare to plant the seeds of your dreams this year.

The White Month

The Celtic fire festival of Imbolc (February 2) falls in the Rowan Moon, and is associated with the Goddess Brigid, to whom the festivities are dedicated.  Also known as Bride, She represents the mother of the newborn Sun, and all candle magic is sacred to Her.  During the Rowan Moon, wear white to cast spells, use white candles, and feast on white foods to attune to the season.

 

THE TREE OF PERSEVERANCE

The rowan…

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Another fabulous piece by Deanne Quarrie that I just had to share. “Women have come a long way in the struggle for ‘freedom from oppression.’ It is in looking at goddesses such as these, as well as Goddess as ‘whole and becoming’ and Goddess who is ‘growth, merging, and creation’ we see that she represents all of life in one whole package, chaos, complexity, unity and diversity, all at once. For such powerful goddesses to arise in a time when women needed help with the constant oppression under which they lived, just imagine how powerful they could be today, if we called upon their power.” ~ Deanne Quarrie

From time to time I dive into the idea of seeing the Triple Goddess as Sisters rather than Mother, Maiden, Crone.  I have to confess that the idea of Sister Goddesses, complete in their familial connectedness, representing unity, connection, and interdependency, is very appealing.  We, who practice Goddess Spirituality, strive in our relationships to reflect this in our work together.  Shared power!

If I were to look at the sisterhoods individually, I enjoy the Ananke and the Moirae from Greek mythology.  I like them because they represent a balance.  One side setting the standards and the other, enforcing them!  A perfect example of the laws of cause and effect!

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