Brighid-Along with Sassafras Grove!

For many years Sassafras Grove members have engaged in a tradition of a Brighid “Novena,” and once again we are inviting our community, both local and online, to participate with us.

For each of the nine days before our Brigantia (Imbolc) rite, we each, in our own way, focus on one of the nine aspects of Brighid that we honor and work with in Sassafras Grove. Activities for the day can include saying aspect-appropriate prayers, making offerings, doing crafts, etc.

Many of us also do a small action to symbolize the work of each day-string a bead, tie a knot in a ribbon, draw a picture, etc. At the end of the week we offer that work at the Brigantia rite.

We invite everyone who participates to bring that symbol of their work to our rite and add it to a Brighid’s Cross that will serve as our final group offering to Brighid.

If you can’t make it to our rite, no worries! You can Brighid-Along with us entirely on your own! Just offer your creation at your own Brigantia (Imbolc, February Crossquarter) celebration.

Each day we will post resources – poems, prayers, and links to provide inspiration for each aspect here and on our Facebook page.   Thanks to Nuit Heidhr, Nara Hadaka and Màiri NicDhòiseu, we can also post a translation for our German-speaking members and friends!

Our list of aspects of Brighid and accompanying dates is below.

Midwife: January 24

Foster-Mother: January 25

Initiation: January 26

Blacksmith: January 27

Poetry: January 28

Warrior: January 29

Sacred Wells: January 30

Hearth Fire: February 31

Healer: February 1

Sassafras Grove’s Brigantia Rite will be held at 7:00 PM on Friday, February 2 at the Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.