Brigid Goddess of Spring & Saint Brigid

Exalted One  

Irelands Patron Saint - Imbolc - St Brigid day born in 451 A.D. died 2/1 (?)

Kildare - St. Bigids Cathedral - Where the nuns keep the eternal fire of Brigid. Brigid became a catholic saint and the holidays celebrating Brigid the Goddess and saint overlap. 

1223 norman

Original - wooden church.  

Rebuilt 1886 

‘She is so popular the Christians made her a saint, because the Irish would not stop asking for her favor in healing. She is associated with healing wells’ - Kildare

St. Brigid’s Mother was a slave taken from Scotland, Pictish woman of Chief of Leinster. Being traded and abused.  Brigid is born into slavery. Her mother was sold to a druid. Brigid’s mother became a Christian. Brigid was raised to understand the ways of the druid and Christian. 

Brigid is the daughter of chief of Leinster. From what I gather she was ornery and did things like sell her father’s sward. Which got her in a lot of trouble. 

Brigid joined the church after she ran away from her father.  The Catholic church was not popular as this is the time of paganism

Brigid was a very good dairy farmer.   Brigid was the problem solver. 

She went to the King of Leinster to build a church to help the people, bit of land, she asked for enough to fill her cloak. She tricked him with the length of her cloak.

Brigid built the church for women, everyone loved her and she gained lots of followers. Women joined her church, nunnery to keep them safe from abusive husbands and slavers. 

Medieval Ireland - lots of struggle. This is a time even when the rich knew there would be times of famine. Life was a struggle. Hygiene was not great, people died from infections, birthing, disease, food and water.  

Brigid and her nuns did what they could to help with what they knew of herblore and prayer.  Thats what they had back in the day. 

Women needed to be virgins to their marriage bed. Brigid helped the women with their female problems including abortions through herbs. The women did penance for a year on bread and water. She did this through need of the people. 

Many families started to send their daughters to be taught and raised by Brigid.  To keep their daughters away from men until they were married.  

St. Brigid when she was old heard one of her young ladies wanted to meet with her young lad. Brigid put a hot coal in the girls shoe to keep her from ‘her lust’. 

She wasn’t written about until circa ‘700 A.D. , but there is a lot of stories that were orally handed down through the nuns and families. Around this time the Goddess and Saint were blended together. Brigid the Goddess was also romanized. The Celts didn’t have titles for their Gods. The Romans helped with the titles of the Irish Gods as there was a lot of trading and warring amongst the tribes.  

There is a perpetual sacred flame that is kept by the nuns at Kildare since the 1200’s. According to legend, the site of Kildare was a temple to worship the Goddess Brigid. The perpetual flame to remind of the Creators Light. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvVWUuH36fg 

When I speak of the ancient Gods and Goddesses, I am honoring them as aspects of the Creator as the ancient ones did and as the present people do. They represent a part of the Creator and that is why I feel strongly their stories need to be told. 

Brigit or Brigid - Her name means - High exalted or exalted one - the Goddess of poetry, crafts, prophecy, domesticated animals and divination. She is the equivalent of Minerva or Athena and Brigantia, Brittish. She is the daughter of the Dagda and Bres. 

Brigid is a triple goddess, related to the cycle of birth, life and death. She is the goddess of healing, water and fire.  creativity, destruction and fertility are all involved in her worship.  

Brigid is the Goddess of Wells and waterways, ask or invoke her to bless the water on your property and your home to keep the water pure. You can offer Food or coins to her for this favor.

Sites  - 

Brigid’s Well in Kildare  - This wells water is said to heal any illness or wound. 

Brigid’s Well in County Clare - located at the church. It is built underneath and into the cemetery.

The Flame of Ireland or Eternal Flame is located near the Well in Kildare. 

Both sites belong to St. Brigid. 

Brigit is associated with Sacred flames as Vesta - Roman/Hestia - Greek. Keeping the flames of the hearth constantly lit, the flames represent, the Creators Light and creation as life, death and rebirth, protection for the home, family and community. 

Folktales of Healing and Inspiration

Many tales existed of strangers who came to Brigid (or St. Brigid), asking for her blessings, her inspiration, and her healing, which comes to those pure of heart and intention and those clever and cunning. To those who lack these things, her gifts come at a price: a lesson, giving them what they really need to act better and be better. https://mythopedia.com/topics/brigid

Brigid is the wife of King Bres, High King of the Tuatha de Danann and mother of Ruadan.  When Radar died, Brigid overcome with sorrow started keening - this is what started the tradition of keening in Ireland. 

The Triple Goddess is a deity or deity archetype revered in many Neopagan religious and spiritual traditions. In common Neopagan usage, the Triple Goddess is viewed as a triunity of three distinct aspects or figures united in one being. - Google

Brigid is the Goddess of Spring, we celebrate Imbolc on 2/1-2/2 as we see there is more sunlight, which brings hope to the people. This day marks the time of moving the cattle or herding beast to better pastures(abundance) , a time when conception happens (Fertility). This is the time when Brigid reminds and leads us into the light of spring and summer, when we are most creative and abundant. 

Her day is February 2/1-2/2 Imbolc - marks the beginning of spring.

In essence Brigid helps us with creating a good home life, good standing in our community. She teaches us through poetry and love to be kind to our family, friends and community. Through her we learn to make those deep connections wherever we are. Brigid reminds us we are the Light. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid_of_Kildare

Whether the Brigids are the same being, we may always wonder. 

What I have always found in history is there is always truth in mythology and lore. 

To honor both Brigid’s the goddess and saint, we make Brigid crosses and dolls.

We pray for health, protection for our homes and our families. 

Let me know if you are going to honor Brigid in your home!

Have a wonderful week! Keep your heart open and aligned with the energy of LOVE! 

Auriel Grace

www.aurielgrace.net