Best performed on St. Brighid’s Eve, January 31st or Candlemas Eve, February 1st.
Roles:
Druid Four Persons designated as Air, Water, Fire and EarthMateriels Needed:
Altar table Hearth fire (or sturdy cauldron on fire resistant slab)
Anvil or bell
White altar cloth. For color, you can add a smaller cloth in red, blue or green on top of white altar cloth..
Image of Brigit. Can be a picture, corn dolly, Brigit’s cross, statuette, etc.
Bowl of pure water large enough to contain; 19 small floating white candles (keep them in a basket on the altar.)
Large white candle (preferably with 3 wicks)
Taper
White ribbons or strips of cloth. (You can use other colors if you prefer)
Materials for wheat weaving (raffia, straw, rushes, wheat)
Pitcher of milk and goblet of water Food made of grains (Bannocks, bread, biscuits, crackers, cookies, cake, etc.)
White wand (birch, willow) or a traditional Druid’s Oak wand
Incense, white flowers, additional images, and other decorations may be included to create a festive atmosphere.
Top to clockwise: Bride in her bed, goblet and pitcher of milk, herbalist’s knife, Druid’s crystal egg (in nest), three Brigit statuettes and white triple wick candle, healing wand, Bardic Harp miniature, and blacksmith anvil miniature. Center: bowl of water and fire
Druid strikes anvil (or rings bell) three times to invoke the “patroness of the forge”.
Druid gives traditional Gaelic welcome to participants and instructs participants to hail the four directions.
Fàilte na h-uile duine agus Lá Fhéile Bríde sona daoibh.
(Welcome, everyone and Happy Saint Bride’s Day!)
Fail-cha na hoola doonya agus la eeleyBreed sona day-ov. Cuir sinn fàilte nan Àirdean.
(We hail the directions)
Coor me fail—cha nan air-jeen
Elemental archetypes and sacred directions are greeted in the pattern of a Celtic Cross.
East
In the East, I call upon Eala, the White Swan, Spirit of Air! Guma bithidh sìth anns an Ear. (May there be peace in the East.) Gooma bee-yug shee awns an air
West
In the West, I call upon Bradan, the Salmon of Wisdom, Spirit of Water! Guma bithidh sìth anns an Iar. (May there be peace in the West.) Gooma bee-yug shee awns an eer
South
In the South, I call upon Nathair, the Sacred Snake, Spirit of Flame! Guma bithidh sìth anns an Deas (My there be peace in the South) Gooma bee-yug shee awns an jee-us
North
In the north, I call upon Torc the Great Boar, Spirit of Earth! Guma bithidh sìth anns an Tuath (May there be peace in the North) Gooma bee-yug shee awns an too-ath
Druid
Guma bithidh sìth troimh an Talamh. (May there be peace throughout the land). Gooma bee-yug shee trov an talav
All
Awen, Awen, Awen
All
Grant O Goddess, thy Protection
And in Protection, Strength
And in Strength, Understanding
And in Understanding, Knowledge
And in Knowledge, the Knowledge of Justice
And in the Knowledge of Justice, the Love of It
And in the Love of it, the Love of All Existences
And in the Love of All Existences,
The Love of Spirit and All Goodness. 75
Druid lights the triple wick candle as he/ she says:
With the Fire of Her Eternal Flame in the abbey in Cill-Dara (Kildare), I light this candle to Brigit in Her Triple Aspect, Goddess of Poets, Healers and Smiths, and Patron of Bards, Ovates and Druids.
Druid hands candle to Fire
Fire walks around the circle, sunwise with candle and says:
With the flame from within Brigit’s holy sanctuary, I consecrate this Circle with the element of Fire.
West picks up goblet of water and walks around circle, sunwise and says:
With water from the Well of Sagais, I consecrate this circle with the element of Water.
West pours the water, as a libation, into the bowl.
Air
Brighid of the Prophets, Seer of the Celtic people, bless us with your Sight.
Earth
Brighid of the ancient Brigantes, who protects the sacred lands, shield our circle from all ill.
Druid
A Bhrigid, scar os mo chionn do bhrat fionn dom anacal.
Oh, Brighid spread above my head your mantle bright to guard me.
May Brighid, Saint and Goddess bless this, her Sacred Rite of Imbolc.
Druid takes up a taper and lights it from the Brighid’s candle.
Druid lights the first of the floating candles and says a line, then passes it on to the next person who lights the next candle, and says a line, and passes it on. The taper is passed 19 times.
In time, the bowl is alight with 19 floating white candles, and Brighid is honored with fire and water.
Druid
From Her Flame, we light ours, as we take our inspiration from the Goddess and Saint.
-I light the first candle to honor Brighid as Muire na nGael “Mary of the Gael”
-I light the second candle to honor her as Brigantia, guardian of the Land
-I light the third candle to honor Brighid, daughter of the Morrigan and the Dagda, of the Tuatha de Danaan
-I light the fourth candle to honor her as Mother of the Three Gods of Danu – Ruadan, Iuchar and Uar, who wed the Three Goddesses of Eire :Eire, Fodhla and Banbha
-I light the fifth candle to honor her human birth, daughter of Dubthach & Broicsech
-I light the sixth candle to honor her foster father, the Druid, who foresaw her eminance and was her teacher
-I light the seventh candle to honor Bishop Mél, who was inspired to ordain her as a bishop in the Christian church
-I light the eighth candle to honor her as Sun Goddess, and Maiden of the Hearth
-I light the ninth candle to honor her as Guardian of the Holy Well which heals
-I light the tenth candle in honor of her as the inspiration of Poets and Bards
-I light the eleventh candle to honor her as midwife and healer, protector of children
-I light the twelfth candle to honor her patron of the Blacksmiths, and all other crafts.
-I light the thirteenth candle to honor her as prophetess and Seer, as taught by the Druids
-I light the fourteenth candle to honor her as mistress of domestic arts & crafts
-I light the fifteenth candle to honor her as the celestial dairymaid patron of agriculture and fertility and protector of animals, both wild and domestic
-I light the sixteenth candle to honor her as a Lady of Charity, who gave away all she had to those in need
-I light the seventeenth candle to honor her as Brigit of the Mantle, who spread her healing cloak
-I light the eighteenth candle to honor the Druid’s Oak, under which she built her abbey at Kildare
-I light the nineteenth candle to honor her as mistress of the nuns at Kildare, Keepers of the Flame
All say:
Brighid, guard your fire, this is your night!
Druid says line as participants make themselves comfortable and scry into the flaming bowl
Holy Brighid, we ask that you encircle us with your green mantle and bring us clarity and vision while we are within your sacred embrace.
Look deep into her elements of fire and water before us. Hold the sight until your eyes grow heavy, then close your eyes upon this world during this hallowed time.
Here, Druid can lead participants on a meditation, play soft music, especially harp, or keep silence for a spell. After a while, Druid gently leads people back to consciousness.
Druid pours milk from pitcher into goblet, says the line, and passes the goblet around.
Milk, her sacred drink, from the bo fhionn, the white cow who sustained her.
Druid passes the plate of edibles around.
Food, grown within her sacred fields, she freely gave to away to all, for she had the power to replenish all that she gave away.
During this time, participants are encouraged to share their visions and meditative experiences.
While they are doing this, Druid burns last year’s Bride’s dolls and ribbons.
Then, Druid blesses the new materials and passes out rushes, wheat, or straw and teaches participants to fashion corn dollies or Brighid’s Crosses.
Druid or most able assistant works on one corn dolly especially made for the grove. She should be dressed in a beautiful white gown, perhaps a lace handkerchief, decorated with jewels and flowers. She can be as simple or as fancy as your heart desires. A woven basket or cradle is also prepared as the Bride doll’s bed, lined in white linen, or lace, or whatever would be beautiful and comfortable for the Saint to rest in for the night.
Druid lays the doll in the bed and takes it to the spot by the hearth or the door, where it will be left for the night.
Druid places a white wand (birch or willow) or his Druid Oak wand in the bed, beside the doll – a symbol of fertility.
All hold hands around the Bride Bed.
One person can be assigned to open and shut a door for Bride to come in.
Druid says:
Bride, Bride, come to my house, come to my house tonight. Open the door to Bride, and let Bride come in. 76
All repeat after Druid
Bride, Bride, come to my house, come to my house tonight. Open the door to Bride, and let Bride come in.
Druid blesses strips of white cloth or ribbon in Bride’s name, and hands them out to each participant.
Guma Beannachd a’Bhrighid air an ribin. (May the Blessing of Brighid be on the ribbon.)
Gooma Be-nock a-vreed air on riben.
Druid
In token of this holy night, partake of the mantle of Brighid. Take this ribin Brighid home tonight, and leave it out to be blessed by the Saint. Use this holy relic in the coming year for healing of mind, body, spirit and soul. A year from now, we shall return it to Bride in her sacred fire. It is time to close our right.
All hold hands.
All
We swear by peace and love to stand,
Heart to heart and hand to hand.
Mark, O Spirit, and her us now,
Confirming this, our sacred vow. 77
East
Tapadh leibh, thank you, Eala, the White Swan, Spirit of Air!
West
Tapadh leibh, thank you Bradan, the Wise Salmon, Spirit of Water!
South
Tapadh leibh, thank you Nathair, the Sacred Snake, Spirit of Fire!
North
Tapadh leibh, thank you Torc, the Great Boar, Spirit of Earth!
Druid
Guma Beannachd Bhrighid leibh. May the blessing of Brighid be upon you. May you carry her flame in your heart, may you draw on the well of her wisdom. I declare the Feast of Brighid closed in the apparent world, but forever a part of your mind and heart.