Are Saint Brigid and the goddess Brigit the same person?
Brigit is a Celtic fire goddess (her name literally means "bright one") who was adopted as a saint by the Catholic Church, making it unlikely that she ever existed as an actual human. The only biographies about her that exist were written hundreds of years after her supposed death in Ireland in the C6th, although she is also credited as having been Jesus' midwife over 500 years earlier. However, legends persist, such as of her miraculous abilities to heal lepers and the blind, turn bathwater into beer and make cows produce three times the normal amount of milk.
As the bringer of fire, Brigit is naturally associated with the first stirrings of the warmer weather of Spring. Imbolc literally means "ewe's milk" and you might be able to sense the first stirrings of fertility trickling back into the land, especially if you live in the countryside. Today was the first day the rescue hens that live near me started laying eggs, for example, after a long Winter break.
This association with the approaching Spring logically leads to Brigit being a goddess of fertility and birth, as well as fire. One of the many variations of her name, Bride (pronounced "breed"), is also the traditional word for a young, fertile woman about to get married and start having children (especially if she happens to be a Catholic). As previously mentioned, Brigid is also a midwife, a sensible job for a fertility goddess and healer.
Why celebrate Imbolc?
Imbolc is a traditional time of year for thinking about health, fertility and the oncoming Spring. For me, it always feels like the true start of the year, a perfect time for making New Year's resolutions, especially ones pertaining to eating better, going to the gym more often or improving mental health. Burn up those bad habits in Brigit's fire!
As with everything to do with making magick work for you, if you can't use it, discard it. You do not need to celebrate any of the Pagan festivals in order to be an occultist or work magick. And if you do choose to mark some or all of them, you can do it however and whenever you like.
Having said that, there are some reasonably traditional ideas that could get you started with celebrating Imbolc or Candlemas. If they don't appeal, don't bother with them- this blog is about a very real and personal path of evolving power, and not a place for conformity!
- As a fire goddess, Brigit is about (positive) destruction, which makes way for new life. A Spring clean of one's home/ office/ car and a healthy "detox" of one's body are appropriate, as is a roaring log fire.
- As the goddess of Imbolc ("ewe's milk") and also the saint who could turn water into beer, unpasteurised dairy products and dark ale are traditionally served at Brigid's festival. Oat or hazelnut milk would be good vegan options, as both oats and hazelnuts were plentiful in Ancient Ireland. Add a quality probiotic capsule to get the same brain-gut connection benefits as with unpasteurised dairy.
- Notice what new flowers are appearing in your local area and look them up on Wikipedia. Imagine how their biological attributes could have spiritual symbolism.
- Candles are a fool-proof aid for meditation and ritual, and Candlemas is a traditional time to make your own and light a few.
- If you have a fireplace in your home, this is a traditional place to make an altar for Brigit. If not, a bunch of candles somewhere that feels right will work. Red and white are traditional colours associated with the season, perhaps representing snow and fire, ewe's birthing blood on the snow, virginity and menstruation, purity and courage, or whatever you like.
- Having sex (maybe near your altar), either alone or in company, would be the perfect way to honour a fertility goddess, and can be conveniently tied in with a Chaos Magick ritual (free download of Ultraculture's simple guide to 'hex sex' here).
Further information
Candlemas is 1 February and Imbolc is traditionally celebrated 1 - 2 February every year, with Celtic Pagans celebrating on the nearest New Moon. This year, that will be Monday 8 February.
Check out Candlemas: Feast of Flames (2001) by Amber and Azrael Arynn K for an informative and reasonably priced Wiccan perspective, as well as some "recipes" for little Wiccan Imbolc rituals, if you're into that sort of thing ;)
If you can get to Glastonbury, England, there is a Pagan temple at the White Spring dedicated to the goddess Brigid that you can visit. Entry is free and it is open until 4.30pm most days. Bring an empty bottle to sample some of the calcium-rich waters.
