Hello everyone!

Welcome to the “Brighid-Along” aka the “Nine Days of Brighid.” Below are some resources to help you connect with today’s aspect of Brighid, Poet.

German Version

According to the Carmina Gadelica:

There are many legends and customs connected with Bride. Some of these seem inconsistent with one another, and with the character of the Saint of Kildare. These seeming inconsistencies arise from the fact that there were several Brides, Christian and pre-Christian, whose personalities have become confused in the course of centuries–the attributes of all being now popularly ascribed to one. Bride is said to preside over fire, over art, over all beauty, ‘fo cheabhar agus fo chuan,’ beneath the sky and beneath the sea.

‘Feill na Bride, feis na finne.’

Feast of the Bride, feast of the maiden.

‘Bride binn nam bas ban.’

Melodious Bride of the fair palms.

‘A Bhride chaoin cheanail, Is caoimh liom anail

Thou Bride fair charming,

do bheoil, ’D uair reidhinn air m’ aineol Bu to

Pleasant to me the breath of thy mouth,

‘fein ceann eisdeachd mo sgeoil.’

When I would go among strangers’

Thou thyself wert the hearer of my tale.

Carmina Gadelica, Volume 1, by Alexander Carmicheal, [1900], Sacred-texts.com. Available at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/cg1074.htm

Brighid kindles the fires of inspiration within poets and artists of all kinds. See what you can create when you first seek her blessing.   (Diane “Emerald” Bronowicz)

Brighid Along Day 5—Poet

Awen guides
heart and mind and hands.
Words and sounds transform. (Rowynn CleerDawn)

The Nine Virtues of Brighid: Poet/Vision

Poets see beyond their narrow, everyday lives. They have the vision to step outside of themselves and channel the pure essence of inspiration. Their dreams of perfection beautify the world as they manifest in artistic expression. Art moves our souls, showing us the interconnectedness of all life and helping us to understand our place in the cosmos. (Diane “Emerald” Bronowicz)

How can I broaden my worldview today? Where is my place in the cosmos? How can my art open other people’s minds to unthought-of possibilities?

Poetry Invocation to Brighid: Sassafras Traditional

Siul Linn, a Bhríd* (Walk with us, Brighid)
Hail Brighid, Goddess of Poetry
Bright lady who speaks to us in rhyme and verse
Patroness of Bards and all who share the sacred words
Your fires light up the dark night of our souls
Your fires warm us when we struggle to say the perfect thing
Your fires enliven our tongues and guide our pens
It is your voice we hear when the poems spring up from within us
It is your voice that whispers just the right phrase
Brighid, Goddess of Poetry, Siul Linn, a Bhríd. (Diana Paar et al.)

*”Shoe lean ah Breejah”

Gemstone – Calcite

Calcite is associated with spontaneity, creativity, acceptance of change, and channeling excess energy into creative areas or areas of service to others. (Michelle Handa and Deana S.)

Essential Oil Blend

Frankincense, sandalwood, and cedarwood (Victoria Grammer)

Rune

Ansuz – Poetic inspiration is not all nice ordered rhymes and gentle songs. Celtic tradition speaks of the imbas, or poetic frenzy, which is a passionate and often uncontrollable energy that comes directly from the gods. In fact, it sounds very similar to Odin’s gift to his followers of divine ecstasy. Both are to be invoked with care, but it is said that the gifts are well worth the price. (Victoria Grammer)

Day Five: Poet Meditation (audio)

Poetry Meditation

Take three, deep, cleansing breaths.

Exhale fully…let go of the tensions and distractions of your day.

Take three more deep breaths. Breathe into any part of your body that may be uncomfortable.

Allow your breath to fill you, cleanse and ease you.

Turn your attention to yourself, to your center.

Take three more deep, cleansing breaths.

In your mind’s eye, see yourself in your sacred space, at your shrine, in a cave, sheltered beneath a tree, the place where your magic runs deep.

Focus for a moment on your center, and breathe into your core.

Allow your attention to flow downward from your center, through your legs and feet and down, down into the earth, through the soil until you touch the water below.

Feel the deep waters swirling below you, clear and cool. These are the waters of wisdom, the waters of history, the waters of emotion and of the heart. This is the well of memory, the well of secrets, the well that contains all the great stories of the world.

With your next three breaths, draw these clear, cool waters of into yourself….up through your feet, through your legs, through your body. Draw the waters into your center, a pool of ancient wisdom resting at your center. Clear and cool the well rests at your center.

Remember your connection to the waters below.

With your next three breaths allow your attention to flow upwards toward the heavens, through your chest and neck, and out through the top of your head.

Piercing the midnight blue of the night sky the stars shine their light, guiding you upward. Find your star, the one that shines for you alone. Turn your attention to your star. It is the fire that that burns in the head, the fire of intellect, the fire of inspiration. This is the fire that has inspired poets for centuries, the fire that illuminates the truths and secrets of world, the fire that burns at the center of all great stories.

With your next three breaths draw that inspiring fire down from the sky, through your head, through your chest, down to your center. Filling the darkness, the fire of intellect embraces the waters of wisdom, merging raw passion with order. Head and heart combine, wisdom leading knowledge, knowledge informing wisdom. This union below and above awakens in you your own fire, your own rhythm, your own story. Connected below and above, you are upheld by the embrace of the oneness

Allow that oneness of fire and water flow through you, around you, and over you. Join your heartbeat to the heartbeat of creation, feel that heartbeat connecting you to the mysteries above and below. Rest for a moment in the mystery.

Now slowly, bring that pulsing energy back into your center, flowing back through you to your center. Let the powers separate, and allow the secret waters to flow downward from your center, through your legs and feet and down, down into the earth, keeping only what you need to know yourself. Allow the fire of the stars to return through your chest, through your head, and upward into the heavens, keeping only what you need to inspire yourself.

Turn your attention to your center and take three deep breaths. When you are ready, open your eyes. (Maria Stoy)

Brighid Healing Prayer: Poet

Hail to you, Brighid the Poet!
Eloquent crafter of music and words.
You move our souls with your compelling phrases,
Weaving imagery and verse into spellbinding speech.
May the power of your poetry renew my persistence.
May the beauty of your song inspire my strength.
Brighid, Goddess of Poetry, I honor you.    (Diane “Emerald” Bronowicz)

Brighid Poet Prayer

Brighid, you inspire us to speak our hearts
Words flow effortlessly from our tongues
Telling the tales of your mysteries
You stir the bard’s spirit so we may hear the old legends
Excitement, adventure, love and honor; we await the stories
Brighid, Goddess of Poetry, we honor you. (Diane Dahm)

Brighid Poet Affirmation

Brighid
You are Divine Poet and font of inspiration
Bless the work of my head, heart and hands.
May my thoughts be pure and noble
May my words be sweet and true
May my songs resound throughout all the worlds
Bíodh sé amhlaidh (Maria Stoy)