The Goddess Bridget

A Reflection: Dame Jennie Krasse KTpl

Pagan Foundations of Brigit The Exalted One

In Celtic religion and Irish mythology, Brigit or Brighid ("exalted one") is the daughter of the
Dagda and one of the Tuatha D Danann. She was the wife of Bres of the Fomorians, with whom
she had a son, Ruadn. She had two sisters, also named Brighid, and is considered "a classic
Celtic Triple Goddess". (Maiden, Mother and Crone)

Brigit in her Celtic form embodies the spirit of fertility and the home and is associated with the
festival of Imbolc, usually celebrated by modern Pagans on February 1 or 2nd in the northern
hemisphere, and August 1 or 2nd in the southern hemisphere. Some Neo-pagans time this
celebration to the solar midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox, which now
falls later in the first week or two of February. Since the Celtic year was based on both lunar and
solar cycles, it is most likely that the holiday would be celebrated on the full moon nearest the
midpoint between the winter solstice and vernal equinox, or when the primroses, dandelions, or
other spring flowers rise up through the snow, or when the sun aligned with the passage tombs
among the pre-Celtic megaliths

Imbolc is the festival of the preparation of the upcoming Spring. Imbolc has been traditionally
associated with the onset of lactation of ewes, soon to give birth to the spring lambs. Many
images of Bridgit depict her with a lamb in her arms. The spilling of the milk is a tradition at
Imbolc to represent the feeding of the earth and soil by the mother Bridgit. This ritual
symbolizes the return of the spring and the anticipation of spring and the precise astrological
midpoint in the Northern hemisphere, when the sun reaches fifteen degrees of Aquarius.

The Goddess Bridget is associated with health, inspiration, fertility, and motherhood. She rules
over creativity, including smith work, healing and medicine. She appears as the Bride in
Scotland. Her British and continental counterpart Brigantia seems to have been the Celtic
equivalent of the Roman Minerva and the Greek Athena, goddesses with very similar functions
and apparently embodying the same concept of 'elevated state', whether physical or
psychological.

In the tarot she is represented by the Empress and associated with herbs/plants: Angelica, Basil,
Myrrh, Heather, Wisteria, and all yellow flowers. Brigid is also known as the goddess of
purification, and a goddess of fire. Fire is an element long known to represent the creative spark
of all things. At her shrine at Kildare, there was kept a perpetual flame maintained by 19 of her
Priestesses.

Brigid is said to have created keening, which is the sorrowful song style sung by women when
their sons or husbands were killed. Keening is still used in modern Ireland to weave and lament
emotional tales of bad fortune and tragedy and is typically only used by women.

To honor Brigit, light a bright red or gold candle and ask for her blessing. Adorn yourself in fiery
colors, such as orange, yellow or gold. Wear sunstone and do a spellwork invoking the energy of
the Sun. Burn some myrrh incense. The following is an invocation to call for Brigits energy for
inspiration.

Invocation To Goddess Bridget

"Lovely Bridget of the Kine
Help me with my creative mind,
From imagination to paper, please,
Aid me find the words with ease,
Allow my words to reach those that hear
And make a difference both far and near,
To teach is what I wish to do,
Sweet Bridget, I need help from you
And with your blessings I will prevail,
Brigid - Mary of the Gael"

Modern Christian Foundations

Brigid in another form is known to Christians as St. Bridget. As a Christian Saint, she appealed to
them as the female leader of a convent and was said to appoint Bishops. When Christianity
spread throughout Ireland, the Goddess was so engrained in the Irish people that they couldn't
eradicate her; therefore she became a Saint. In the 6th century, a monastery was built on the
same site in Kildare where the Priestesses kept vigil at the Fire Temple. The original monastery
no longer exists but a new Cathedral was built on the site during the 13th century. This
Cathedral still stands and the Sisters of St. Brigid (nuns) continued the work begun by her
Priestesses. They too kept her flame ignited until the time of the Reformation in the 16th
century. It was at this time that King Henry VIII destroyed many of the monasteries. The flame
was extinguished but never forgotten. On February 1, 1807 Daniel Delany, Bishop of Kildare,
began the restoration of the Sisterhood of St. Brigid. Their mission was to restore the ancient
order and bring back the legacy and spirit of this amazing figure. In 1993, Brighids perpetual
flame was finally re-kindled in Kildares Market Square by Mary Teresa Cullen, who at that time
was the leader of the Brigidine Sisters. The sacred flame was kept by the Brigidine Sisters in their
home and on February 1, 2006, the flame was brought back to the center of the Market Square
where it has been permanently housed in a large glass enclosed vessel.

The Brigidine Sisters have a lovely saying We dont believe you can have St Brigit without
recognizing the Goddess Brigit we believe they are one in the same spreading Her message of
creativity and healing as she did in the lands of old She does so now in Modern times
Kildare is also the home to the Well of Saint Brigit. This well is reputedly a 'healing well', one of
many in Ireland and is still a popular place of pilgrimage where healing liturgies are often held.

St Brigits well is situated where the location of her double monastery once stood in Kildare
Town, close to the Black Abbey.

Other Names and Etymology

Old Irish Brigit came to be spelled Brighid by the modern Irish period. Since the spelling reform
of 1948, this has been spelled Brd .The earlier form gave rise to the Anglicization Bridget, now
commonly seen as Brigid.

Names of the Goddess Brighid beyond Ireland

Brghde/Brde (Scotland)
Fraid (Wales) Because of Welsh pronunciation mutations, her name changes to 'Ffraid'
in some place names such as 'Llansanffraid' = 'Saint Bride's Village' and Llansantffraid-ym-
Mechain
Breo Saighead ("the fiery arrow" a folk etymology found in Sanas Cormaic, but
considered very unlikely by etymologists)
Brigind (Gaul)
Brigantia (Great Britain)
Brigantia (former Gallaecia, modern Betanzos)
Braga (former Gallaecia, modern Northern Portugal)
Bragana (former Gallaecia, modern Northern Portugal)
Brigantis (Great Britain)
Bregenz (Austria)
Bidang (Philippines)