The hearth is the heart of the home. When the hearth burns bodies are warmed, nourishing food is cooked and the spirits flames of inspiration light up!
Those of us who still have a fireplace in our homes are blessed indeed. Through the hearth we connect to our ancient origins (and our ancestors if you will) and through it our bodies are sustained.
Fire is an incredible purifying tool, it cleans our water and destroys harmful bacteria. It cooks our food and makes our water hot. Not only does it nourish our body and keep our houses warm, but it nourishes our mind and spirit as well! The flames of inspiration and of passion burn brightly in our homes during the darkest and coldest time of year when we need it most, and that is indeed nourishment for our souls.
I find that when the flames burn brightly in the hearth, I am inspired and focused on the burning passion and creativity within. In the wintertime it is natural to stay indoors more, and at this time the hearth really is the heart of the home by keeping everything warm and therefore keeping things alive. The same thing happens within us; we go in deeper into ourselves and our passions and inspirations keep us sustained all winter long. When the sun comes out, we find all sorts of inspiration and sunlight outside, with no end of external things to capture our attentions, but in the wintertime we must turn inside to keep occupied, and we turn to the fire in the hearth to keep us warm. The light and heat of the fire takes the place of the sun!
This is the domain of Brigid, the triple goddess of ancient pre-christain Irish origin. She is the goddess of the hearth and fire. She is the muse of poets, the red metal of the forge and she is the warmth and magic of the healer. It is Brigid that I think of when I sit by the fire and ponder things or warm my hands, I seem to naturally have a connection with her through various coincidences.
She transcends both the inner and outer worlds, being a patron of all things dealing with fire, both within and without. That is why she is found in the inspiration of poets and mother of words, but also the patron of smiths and the forge, hearth, skill and craftsmanship.
She also is a goddess of prophecy and of justice, and of standing up for truth! She can be a firery protectress, mother and warrior maiden, and has survived since times long long ago into the modern world under many names. Brigantia is the warrior-maiden and personification of Britan (in many celtic stories, a bit different for every place and era, the goddess of the land must accept the king and become his bride in order for the kingdom to flourish under his rule). She is also seen in the Christain tradition as St. Brigit of Kildare.
" The tenacity with which the traditions surrounding Brigid have survived, even the saint as the thinly-disguised Goddess, clearly indicates Her importance." (Brigid: Survival of a Goddess)
Brigid is seen in symbols all over the area, but her most clear and powerful position in myth is that of being of the Tuatha de Danaan. These are the magical invaders of ancient Ireland, those who brought skilled metalworking (Brigids domain) and the rise of the druids and bards! Of all of the Tuatha de Danaan Brigid is of the utmost importance and one of the most recognizable of Celtic deities of all, being a magical seer, healer and life giver.
Delightfully syncronsitic insights...
Last night I was writing poems pretty randomly well sitting next to the fire, inspired by the gusty wind outside and the flaring flames. I realized two syncronistic insights well sitting there. Firstly, Brigid or Brigit and Bright are written really similarly and are totally associated with each other! I realized this because I wrote Bright instead of Brigit (as Brigit is another spelling of the same goddess, other spellings are like Brig, Bride, Brighit ect, not even getting into the pronunciations!).
Secondly I realized that I was writing poetry inspired by the goddess of poetry! That is pretty awesome, damn. It made me really ponder about her, since she is already incredibly close to my heart. I reflected on her place in the home and the hearth and all these awesome aspects of her, and I thought about the place of fire in human history.
Its sorta funny, I only just read this right now that Brigid indeed is also a transmitter of cultural history, something that I am always fascinated with!
Brigid is associated with the ancient Irish poets who through their knowledge and transmission of bardic lore kept the ancient culture and traditions alive. It is around the hearth or fire at nighttime or in the winter when everyone is inside that the people and poets gather together around the fire for entertainment and stories. It is in the kitchen, often, where the heart of the home is.
Brigit is also a seer-poet and a member of the Sidhe, the mother goddess of the Fair Folk. It is in the fairy tales and stories that these traditions are kept burning and which ignite our imaginations. This is particularly exciting to me because that is exactly what fascinates me! History, myth, lore. The mystical, unknown, chaotic otherworld where the fae reside. The pursuit of knowledge, of skill, and druidism etc etc. But most especially I am fascinated with learning from history and from lore, another connection to the Irish Goddess of the Hearth.
It is within the Hearth of Brigid that we find comfort, warmth, purification and inspiration in our homes. She is a protective and fiery goddess and is naturally connected to humankind and our practicle lives. No matter the tradition or the place on the planet, storytelling and fire have been central to our kinds existance!
That is why those of us who have hearths in our homes are lucky in this age of electric heaters, electric lights and internet communication. That is why even those of us without a hearth seek the campfire circle, candles or even display a fire on our TVs. That must be why we seek out fantasy games, stories and exciting entertainment and engage in celebrity dramas? (its surprising how soap opera like mythology can be!)
Are we separated from our traditions, inspirations and passions through lack of fire? I wonder if that is why society is so obsessed with story-telling video games and fantasy movies. Its probably pretty natural honestly, because we no longer gather around the hearth for stories and inspiration. The average person lacks access to the always burning fire that was present in our lives only a few centuries ago. It makes me wonder how fire is really connected to our psyche and our bodies?
The oracle card from my Goddess deck has Brigit as a fiery goddess of protection and justice, something else that the modern world tends to lack. Her card says "Stand up for what you believe is right" and the description goes on to say, "be quite clear about your intentions. If your unclear, then confusion will lessen your power and force. Like a candle in the dark, be very clear and bright about what is acceptable to you in this situation." and also "Now is the time to touch your power, for its heat and flame with ignite your passion!"
Here you can see that Brigid is a protector of justice, and lends her power to those that stand up for their ideals and truths even in the face of fear. She calls on us to be unwavering and find our flaming passion and will within! Maybe the city-folk can embrace Brigid through their candles and their passions!
Yes! This is what we need more of! More fire, storytelling and unwavering truth! As we draw closer and closer to Brigids sacred day of Imbolc (Feb 1st) we become inspired by the daydreams of springtime coming soon and we start to awaken from the winter. This year, a lunar eclipse occurs the day before, adding extra oomph to the sacred day. The wheel turns and we begin to really anticipate spring. We plant the first little seeds soon after.
In ancient Celtic society, Imbolc was the signal of the end of the crone, scarce winter months. Especially important, and also sacred to Brigid, was the cow and her nourishing milk.
"By Imbolc these animals will have birthed their young and their milk would be flowing. Milk, to the Celts, was sacred food, equivalent to the Christian communion. It was an ideal form of food due to its purity and nourishment. Mother’s milk was especially valuable, having curative powers. The cow was symbolic of the sacredness of motherhood, the life-force sustained and nourished. This was not a passive cow giving milk but an active mother fighting for the well-being of her children. " (Brigid: Survival of a Goddess)
Coincidentally, Imbolc also happens to be my birthday, so I will be sure to post more about this sacred pagan holiday soon! Brigids time is here, and the hearth burns all day long on the homestead. We don't have any cows, but we do indeed have a goat. I hope that you have been inspired by the symbology of this Goddess and by the passions of purifying fire!
I soon will be writing more about ancient Irish lore and probably more details about Brigid and Imbolc as well. As always, I appreciate your time and input.
I wonder, do you farmers out there find you get babies and milk soon after Imbolc?
Do the flames of the hearth inspire you?
What do you think?
I know most of this stuff by heart and includes my own theories and ideas. However I have a few sources I can name from past research and quotes for this article. If you want to learn more, these are great sources!
All photos are sourced on Pixabay, Canva, or are my own.
Doreen Virtues Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards
Celtic Goddesses: Warriors, Virgins and Mothers by Miranda Aldhouse-Green
Bardmythologies.com - A wonderful source with recordings of ancient Irish myth!
The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids or Druidry.org. Particularly, Brigid: Survival of a Goddess by Winter Cymres
