“Brigit of Ireland: A Mirroring Portrait for Today!”

Brigid of Kildare @ 1500

Photo by Jovis Aloor on Unsplash

    How is Brigit of Ireland a Mirroring Portrait for today? Can items that point to Brigit be used to help us extend the meaning of the sacred, now?  Dr. Mary Condren of Trinity College, Dublin, identified seven key objects to help us pay attention to and manifest the spirituality of Brigit of Kildare. They are Brigit’s Cloak an ancient sign of female divinity, The Brigit Cross with all four arms that almost appear to be rotating, her Crios (girdle or belt), The Morning Dew for healing with womb-loving empathy, Bread as the staple food of the earth, Honey traditions from the Middle East and Milk as a symbol of single-hearted intentions. Envision yourself, looking in the mirror with Brigid standing next to you as she points beyond each of these holy items so they become portals of transformation and connection for yourself, your community and the world.

Pause for a moment to ask, What intentions do you find meaningful as you work with these Brigit creations during this Sacred Season? Journal if you prefer.

I invite you to use the name of Brigit Kildare as a 4 syllable sacred word/mantra while working with the following Brigit of Kildare practices below. As you breath in, say Bri-git silently. As you breath out, say Kil-dare. Use this mantra as long as you find it useful. If you become distracted use it again, inhaling Bri-git and exhaling Kil-dare. This is optional.

      In your spiritual imagination gaze upon Brigit’s expansive cloak. Place it upon your shoulders and feel the warmth, nearness, protection and comfort. Trust that her cloak was put outside on The Eve of St. Brigit on January 31^st to collect hollowed dew or snow. In traditional stories her cloak was used for keeping enemies apart and helping to forget and be healed of trauma. Remember the story of Brigit coming upon the King of Kildare and asking for a plot of land? She only wanted the land that her cloak could cover. The King laughed as he agreed. Each of Brigit’s four holy women companions, took a corner of the cloak and began to extend it. The cloak covered acres and the King begged for them to stop! Her Holy Cloak can extend to and cover multitudes of all that needs to be healed, transformed, forgotten or created. What would you like her cloak to cover in your life, the lives of people in your community and the world? I invite you to re-member as you put on your winter coat like Brigit’s mantle covering you wherever you go! (On Brigid’s Eve or another important day, leave something made out of cloth outside to collect dew or a bucket for snow, trust that Brigid will come by to bless)

Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

Legend says that Brigit chose the beatitude, Blessed are the Merciful as she took her religious veil. Mindful of her beatitude, savor Brigit’s Eve Dew or snow and use it to wash your face and hands with loving-kindness and compassion for yourself and others.  Imagine the inside of Brigit’s Cloak, where the blessed dew can be like amniotic fluid surrounding us in the womb of The Divine. Where and how are you thirsty for this sanctified dew?

INVOCATION FOR JUSTICE

Holy One, I am bathing my face, In the nine rays of the sun,

As Mary bathed her child, In generous milk fermented.

Sweetness be in my face, Compassion be in my countenance,

Comb-honey be in my tongue, My breath as the incense.

Fear-filled is yonder dwelling, Lost in fear therein;

I am like the bright swan, Queen flying over them.

I will go in the name of The Holy One, In likeness of deer, in likeness of horse,

In likeness of Holy Wisdom, in likeness of Sovereignty,

     More victorious am I than all turmoil.

(adapted for inclusive language & Original Blessings Theology, from Carmina Gadelica. Vol. I by Alexander Carmichael. 1900. Sacred-texts.com)

    There are numerous traditions using Brigid’s Crois (belt or girdle). During community gatherings, an eight-foot woven Crois with 3 woven crosses attached to it, can be used as a portal for people to walk through on Brigit’s Eve. Dr. Condren says that, just like similar traditions surrounding The Belt of Mary, Brigit’s Crois with the three crosses, can help to bring our minds, bodies, and the universe into holy sequence. Historically, these belts were used to protect women and their children. Brigid’s and Mary’s belts convey rejuvenation and safe-guarding. Envision yourself approaching Brigit’s Crois to walk through. What is Brigit’s Crois bringing into synchronicity for you in mind, body and with the universe as you step on the other side?

From County Galway, A piece of folklore reads…

Here comes my belt, St. Brigid’s Belt is my belt, The belt of three crosses,

Rise up women of the house, and step through the crosses

If you are well tonight, may you be seven times as well, a year from tonight.

According to Mary Condren, “Brigit’s cross, the Tree of Life, encompasses the four directions”. A woven square in the center, with four equal arms extending outward, Brigit’s cross abounds with meaning. For some, the center is the sun with the cycle of the seasons reaching out. A Christian legend reports that while Brigit was comforting a dying chieftain she noticed rushes spread out on the floor. As she wove each rush in the iconic pattern, she told the story of Croist (Christ) her druid. Her retelling and weaving action was very soothing to the sick man and may have led him to find Croist as his druid as well. Whether you see The Tree of Life, the sun with the cycle of the seasons and/or The Story of Christ, Brigit’s Cross points to limitless possibilities. (Please find a Youtube with instructions to create your own Brigit Cross with pipe cleaners below.)

   Never was it known that when a person visited Brigit they left hungry! Brigid would not allow such a thing! With her expansive generosity and hospitality, she seats her people down to a table with abundant fresh bread and milk for nourishment. In your holy mind’s eye, imagine going with Brigid to milk her red-eared white cow. What single-hearted intention are you thinking of as you squeeze her cow’s teats? Next, go with her to the beehive to harvest a little honey as a little sweetness for the delicious bread. Later, visualize that you are with Brigit, at her table, kneading the dough. Help her place the dough near a sunny window to rise. Together, put the work of your hands in the oven, that in her time looked like a womb. Tell Brigit about what you are hungry and thirsting for as you wait with her for the bread to bake.

    Ever so gently, envision yourself returning from your inner journey with Brigit of Kildare. Each of these holy items were used as a mirror portrait. We worked with these portals of transformation and connection to help us pay attention to what Brigit of Kildare is revealing to us. We were encompassed by her cloak, encircled by her cross, drenched by her sacred dew and helped into greater synchronicity in our minds, bodies and with the universe as we walked through her Crois. Finally, we sat down with Brigit for a hallowed meal of bread we helped bake with honey and milk that we gathered with her. Take a moment to look into a mirror and ask yourself, how are these special items of Saint Brigit of Kildare pointing beyond themselves, as paths of transformation and healing as you move forward?

Saint Bishop Brigid of Kildare, Pray with us!

In Loving Memory of and surrounded by My Four Irish Great-Grandmothers.

Beannachtai’, Blessings,

Karen Kerrigan, ARCWP

SAVE The DATE: February 1st at 12 NOON LOCAL TIME. Pause for One Minute for Peace. You and your communities may wish to find ways to celebrate this pause for peace.
Link: From Solas Bhride in Kildare Ireland. Pause for Peace Event
https://solasbhride.ie/event/pause-for-peace/

“If we want to reap the harvest of peace and justice in the future,

we will have to sow the seeds of non-violence, here and now, in the present.”

(Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Irish Peace Nobel Laureate)

See this Youtube from “Milwaukee Irish Fest” called

“How to Make a St. Brigid’s Cross w/Pipe Cleaners” (materials: 19 pipe cleaners and scissors)

Reference:

Brigid of Ireland: Icon for Today. Dr. Mary Condren. Women Spirit Ireland. Trinity College, Dublin. September 2023.

For Dr. Mary Condren’s presentation, move the YouTube timer to about 32 minutes.

Dr. Condren’s presentation is preceded by Dr. Catherine Lawless, Art Historian’s fascinating presentation of Saint Brigid Art found early, on The European Continent.