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February 2, 2010 ~ Disseminating Moon in Libra ~ Imbolctide In this Newsletter~ • Greetings |
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Dear {!firstname},
I went for a walk around the neighborhood yesterday and found plump pink buds (plum? cherry?) sparkling with raindrops, osoberry leaves unfurling, clusters of snowdrops swaying in the breeze, and an eagle flying east, high overhead. And I thought: Welcome, Brigid, to our neighborhood. We welcome this holy-day because it means that the days are noticeably longer and that Winter will indeed give way to Spring, even if the landscape is still mantled in snow. We love this holy-day too because of our devotion to Brigid — she who has captured the hearts of millions of people throughout the centuries as goddess, saint or symbol. Saturday night I stood with my mermaid sister Elaine before her Brigid/Imbolc altar. I had placed the finished manuscript for the Gaian Tarot companion book there, along with several sample cards. As we breathed together and spoke from our hearts, asking Brigid's blessing on our intentions for the coming year, our hands and feet began to tingle. The air around us grew a bit thicker. Suddenly, She was there. Brigid, as most of you know, is the Goddess of Smithcraft (think transformation), Healing and Creative Inspiration. As we stood in Her presence, I realized that Brigid is the most appropriate goddess for me to work with this year, as I intend to heal my body, create new classes and programs, and transform my business. Later, when we stepped away from the altar, we were refreshed and filled to the brim, as if we had drunk sparkling water from a sacred well. | ||
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More on Brigid |
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I love Cate Kerr's meditation on the returning light. Celtic scholar Mara Freeman shares her thoughts on the holy-day and gives instructions on how to make a Brigit's Cross. Waverly Fitzgerald's article on Candlemas is filled with fascinating details and ideas for celebrating the holy-day. I love this essay by Patricia Monaghan on her experience of celebrating Imbolc in Kildare, Ireland with the sisters who keep St. Brigit's flame alive. (I did this pen & ink drawing of Brigit back in 1985.)
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Women of Wisdom Foundation Community Connections, ”Reconnecting to the Elemental Energies” - I'll be one of three teachers on June 12th in Seattle. I'll be teaching on “Elemental Energies in the Tarot.” More info coming soon. Ancient Light Bookstore Psychic Fair, Seal Rock, Oregon - I'll be there over the July 4th weekend. More info soon! And . . . rumor has it that I may be presenting a workshop one Saturday next October in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. Do I have to say it? More info to come. |
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Here's a beautiful devotional song to Brigid that Craig recorded a few years back and re-recorded over the weekend. The melody is an old Irish tune, "Bridget O'Malley." My friend Helen Farias rewrote the lyrics to it in the 80's and I learned it from her in 1994, not long before she died of breast cancer. In 2006 I rediscovered it and asked Craig to record it. He got so inspired he wrote two more verses. I hope it fills your heart as much as it fills mine. (I took this photo of Glastonbury Tor in 2005 while on a pilgrimage to Avalon. The tree in the foreground is the Holy Thorn on Wearyall Hill, where we gathered to honor Brigid.)
May the flame of Brigid burn brightly in your heart,
P.P.S. If this NL started out with “Dear Friend,” would you click reply and let me know your first name? That way, your newsletters can be personalized in the future. When I started this list years ago, I didn't collect names, only email addresses. Thanks! To make sure you get the next issue of our newsletter, please add the email address joanna@gaiantarot.com to your email program, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues. If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If you’ve received this from a friend, we invite you to subscribe:
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{!contact_address} |
I just wanted to pop in to wish you a Blessed Imbolc / Candlemas / Brigid's Day. This holy-day, which marks the midway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, has long been one of my favorites. I know many of you readers are knee-deep in snow, but here in the Pacific Northwest we've had one of the warmest winters on record. I wouldn't mind a little snow, actually! 
And . . . here's a photo of one of the sparkling bags that Elaine is making to hold the decks. She starts by hand-dying the fabric (which is woven through with gold threads), then moves on to sewing each bag. The amulet is tied to the ribbon, so you can remove it to make a necklace if you like. No two bags will be exactly alike. So beautiful!
I have a few more "Brigedy" things to share with you. 
Brigid is my own matron Goddess as well the Goddess who blesses the 
“Brigid Upon the Highlands"
