“A Litany for St. Brigid,” Uncredited

 

Brigid of the hearth and the hare

Brigid of the spark and the flame

Brigid of the cloak and the veil

Brigid of the herb and the stars

Brigid of the byre and the kine

Brigid of the ill and the old

Brigid of the young and the wild

Brigid of the poor and the voiceless

Brigid of the oak and the staff

Brigid of the long nights watching

Brigid of the sun’s slow dawning

Brigid of the moon’s spring rising

Brigid of the first bloom’s flowering

Brigid of the well’s gentle healing

Brigid of the Earth’s old wisdom

Brigid of the Nun’s deep chanting

Brigid of the High King of Heaven

Brigid of the rush woven cross

Brigid of the shaven head

Brigid of the lost sword

Brigid of the royal house

Brigid Abbess of the duel house of prayer

Brigid Eldress of the sanctuary’s light

Brigid Wise Woman of the healing touch

Brigid saint of Ireland

Pray for us

Image: Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash.

Source: “Brother Richard’s blog: mindful mystical musings.” Uncredited, possibly by Brother Richard.

Daily Brigit Ritual

 

It’s occurred to me that I should put some of my videos onto YouTube as they are disappearing from here. I’ve put up the daily ritual from A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars, and will get some more up.

If you, like I, go squirrelly watching YouTube because of all the ads, try watching through a DuckDuckGo browser. You won’t see a single one. It doesn’t work for all. Some YouTube can’t be watched outside of its site. But it works most of the time.

Image: An unlit tealight, a rainbow candle taper lying across a small antler, a handbell, and a vial of holy water from Brigit’s well. In the background, part of a Brigit icon embroidery.

“Brigit, Poet of the Powerful Voice” - Live Event with Mael Brigde

 

I am excited to be leading a workshop at Vancouver Pagan Awareness Day. In “Brigit, Poet of the Powerful Voice” we will learn about the power of the voice under Brigit‘s guidance and find expression for our own.

Join me there! I think it will be amazing to do this work together.

Bring a notebook or your phone so you can write something if you are inspired.

Time of workshop TBA.

Vancouver Pagan Awareness Day

Saturday, August 23rd, 2025

10 am to 5 pm

Trout Lake (John Hendry Park)

2105 E 19 Ave

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Come to the Southeast corner of the park – near the concession stand. Come celebrate our 27th year!

"The Anvil” by Essy Thorn

 

The Anvil

The descending pein and the anvil 

I’ve been between. Yet, the hammer’s

Not anything I can’t handle. 

I’ve dents and dings by the handful. 

Bends and creases and man, have

I been in pieces and shambles. 

When it seems that I’m damned, though

That’s when to Bríd I incant all

My gratitude

for the crucible of usable lessons.

Passing through I was crude. But my true and mutable essence

Has been extracted. 

Had to have the slag removed. But what’s left has been

Gathered, tooled, and connected, then crafted, cooled, and perfected. 

Yeah, I do get to stressing but my perspective is now

When I get dejected and down 

It won’t incessantly hound

Me even if I wanna be a grieving pessimist, how

Can I, when I look around and see too many blessings to count?

Precious encounters when pressure is pounding me into shape. 

Treated for strength. 

It’s no problem. The heat I can take. 

It deepens my faith. Cause even when I’m  beaten, Her flames

Temper and mend me so as long as I’m with Brighid I won’t break.

Audio: To hear Essy Thorn perform this prayer, go here.

Image: "person hammering metal using hammer" by Maranda Vandergriff on Unsplash.

"Like Trees” by Seth Ford

 

 

 

Like Trees

Somehow, it seems 

even when I’m down and beat,

defeated and clowned, I keep

building my self up from the ground like trees 

that sprout from seeds

to boughs that reach

ten thousand feet.

My crown of leaves 

is all the way up in the clouds at least.

Fall I may, but what I found is peace,

resolve, and strength. And for my boundaries,

astoundingly—

though fear is surrounding me—

I wearily prowl and creep,

digging in my roots under mounds of peat,

and sipping nutrition from fountains deep. 

So now you see

this tower of green

may wither to wintery brown and sleep

‘til given the signal by Brigid at Imbolc.

Then, little by little, I’m flowering.

Image: Oak Tree, Waterford, Éire, by Mael Brigde.

"Hearth Shrine” by Jenne Micale

O Hearth Mother, the tiny light on your shrine

dances and holds. You teach me: one candle

can dispel the darkness, a brightening

circle your gift and delight. With two you can

see where you’re headed and what you’ve become.

With four, the corners of the room are made

visible. With thousands of small flames

held in the heart, we can topple governments.

You teach me: with wind and kindling, we can

fashion a forge and remake everything.

It is our breath that purses the wind, our hands

gathering sticks and saplings, laying the wood.

The Hearth Mother is the Mother of Judgments.

She says, I will show you: your hand strikes the match —

Image:  "red green and blue candles” by Elena Kloppenburg on Unsplash.

“To Brigid” by Mary Eileen Grace

 

To Brigid

 

 

Holy Brigid, Bride, you lead me home today,

Queen of Love, showing me my own true heart.

 

Fire ever lit, flowing milk that does not cease

to fil the hungry poor and give captives sure release.

 

Your compassion calls me out to do my part—

gather, listen, share, forgive and pray.

 

These seem so little, merely straw and coal

to stave off winter’s howling winds

 

and certain death. Yet still I know

myself called to take the plunge below

 

and enter your well of Wisdom, facing sins

of generations past to find your blessing:

 

Woman, be made whole.

 

 

 

 

Credits: This poem is a revision of one that appeared in Seasoning the Soul: Meditations for the Celtic Year (Pilgrim Spirit Communications), (2012, 2018), a collection of writings by members of “Brigid’s Circle.”  Mary Eileen Grace is a pen name of Eileen Loeher Knoff of Redmond, Washington.

Image: Ladybug in garden by Mael Brigde.