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Brigid, the
Mother of Wisdom, had a
maternal function and was closely identified with the land.
The Celts
formulated female triads to overcome
the bicameral
mind.
Brigid is a prime example of this type of
deity which is associated with
the sacred number three, the triple aspect of the divine.
Brigid had
two sisters, patrons of healing and smithcraft.
She was venerated not
only as Brigid, but also as Bride, Briginda, Brigidu, and in North Britain as
Briganda, translated as
High One or Exalted One.
Other titles
include:
'Ashless Flame', 'Flame of Two Eternities', and 'Mother of All
Wisdom'.
One of the most potent symbols of the triple nature Brigid is
FIRE:
the flame of life and
healing;
the fire of the hearth and smithy;
the flame of divine
inspiration.
The hearth is the focus of the
home and
integral to everyday functions.
"The
circle of the campfire divided the world into two parts: the safe, domestic
part, and the Wild.
Here was the hearth, the center of the circle of
domesticity.
Here was warmth, keeping the cold world at a distance.
Here was
safety, keeping predators at bay.
Here was light, defining a human
realm but making the night beyond all the deeper, all the more alien.
Outside the circle of firelight was the other, the wild, the unknown."-
Charles Eisenstein
"No earthly water can quench the
flame of divine
wisdom."
Bahá'u'lláh
In many ancient traditions the hearth is connected to
the sun, the source of warmth and
light.
As the patroness of filidhact (bardic lore) Brigid guides
the flame of inspiration, poetry and divination.
Heroes on spiritual tasks
request protection and guidance from Brigid.
A symbol of Brigid is
water, in all its forms venerated.
Sacred springs, associated with Brigid,
were a focus of Celtic
rituals.
Spring water symbolically unites the
underworld and the upper world by
rising out of the darkness of the
Earth and reflecting the light of
the heavens.
Hot
springs provide the link between fire and water.
All springs and
wells remain powerful
sources of inspiration, healing, and a means of both physical and spiritual
purification.
One legend connecting Brigid with water, tells how a
crystal drop from the mantle of Brigid touched the Earth and became
a deep and clear lake.
This
was said to be a lake from Tir-Na-Moe 'Land of the Living Heart' and there was
healing in it for all weariness and battle wounds.
Historical
references to Saint Brigid begin in the seventh century.
Saint Brigid
was venerated in an Irish convent at Kildare or Cill Dara, which means the
church of the Oak Tree.
Originally a site of an ancient temple with a perpetual flame, an
ashless fire.
To Gaelic speaking Scots she is Saint Brigit of the
Isles.
To this day she is remembered as
patron saint of the
family hearth, originally a peat fire kept burning in her
honor.
The first day of February, dedicated to Brigid, is known as
Imbolg, meaning 'of/in
the womb'.
Another name connected with this celebration is Oimelc,
a Germanic word meaning 'ewes-milk' or 'lactation', which is a direct reference
to the birth of young animals in the
spring.
According to Celtic tradition Imbolg was the first day of
spring and stock who had been penned in for
the winter were
allowed out.
On Brigid's Eve in parts of Ireland it was customary for
groups of young girls, clad in white, to go from house to house singing and
dancing.
Householders would give the girls a gift for Brigid, usually
either eggs or milk.
The leader usually was a girl
who would carry an image of Brigid, a 'brideog', into the fields.
The
brideog was fashioned from rushes or oats and decorated with colored shells,
spring flowers, greenery and ornaments.
The best and brightest of
ornaments were attached over the heart and called reul-iuil Bride, The 'Guiding
Star of Brigid'.
Older women prepared a Brigid's Bed which was made of
an oval basket filled with rushes.
A straw image was placed in the
basket which was put on the hearth.
Then the main door was opened and
the men said a prayer invoking and asking Brigid to come in for her bed was
ready.
Brigid was believed to
travel with her white milk
cow on her festival
and bring blessings to each
household.
In some areas of Scotland and Ireland offerings of grass
were left on doorsteps for her cow.
The goddess Brigid is a great
eternal being who, like the
flame of life itself, keeps alight and
rekindles hope and
inspiration.
Brigid can act as a catalyst
awakening creativity,
compassion and
talent.
Saul
of Tarsus refers to Jesus in I Corinthians 1: 24 as the "Sophia of
God"
The Maiden
: Beginnings
The Maiden signifies youth, the excitement of the chase,
and the newness of life and magick. In human age she would be between puberty
and her twenties. She does not have a mate. Her colors are soft & light,
such as white, soft pink, or light yellow.
The Mother : Fruition
The Mother stands for nurturing, caring, fertility; she is a woman in
the prime of her life and at the peak of her power. She protects her own and
will ensure that justice is done and done well. This woman is usually mated. In
human age, she would be seen as a woman in her thirties to mid-forties. Her
colors are warmer than that of the maiden, such as green, copper, red, light
purple or royal blue.
The Crone : Endings
The Crone is a being
of age-old wisdom. She is shrew and counsels well. She cares for the Maiden and
the Mother as well as the offspring thereof. She is logical and can be terrible
in her vengeance. She stands at the door to the dimension of death. In human
years, she is approximately 45 or older. The Crone is the most difficult of the
three to place in human age. The Crone's traditional colors are black, gray,
purple, brown or midnight
blue.
"Sophia is no
rarefied divine being who dwells on high.
Sophia goes out into the world and
gets her hands dirty.
Wisdom sets a table inviting those
who appreciate her to partake.
The inclusive meals of Jesus, where
he located his most intense teachings, deliberately
transgressed the purity
codes by including those
considered unclean - terrorists,
madmen,
outcasts,
heretics, and
blasphemers.
An alliance of expediency between
the religious and the political
authorities murdered Jesus, Sophia's
prophet and messenger." -
Joanna
Manning
Sophia in Greek,
Asherah in
Sumerian, Hohkma in Hebrew,
Sapientia in Latin, Sheela-na-gigs in
Celtic - all mean wisdom.
Sophia is revered as the Wise Bride of
Solomon.
The Song of Songs - known as Song of Solomon or Canticle of
Canticles - speaks of Solomon's marriage to Sophia, a
descended or fallen
goddess.
There are many references to Sophia in the Book of Proverbs
and in the apocryphal books of Sirach and the
Wisdom of
Solomon.
Sophia
is the deity of wisdom called ḦṍḸẙ ṦṕḯṝḭṰ
in Christianity. |
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