The Sacred Fire of Bride

In Celtic times the main shrine to the Goddess Bride was at Kildare in Irelandand and was tended by a group of women known as 'the daughters of fire' whose job it was to ensure that the flames never died.

In Christian times the Goddess Bride became St Bridget and she took on the role of abbess of the convent at Kildare. The sacred fire also crossed the divide between Pagan and Christian beliefs and constantly burned within the abbey for more than 1000 years.

The fire however appeared to have magical properties, for it never died and never increased in ashes, a fact that is written about in the Chronicles of Gerald of Wales when he visited the abbey during the C12.

Gerald described how, over a period of 19 nights, one nun would watch the fire through the night, whilst on the 20th night, the nun on duty would fetch the logs, place them beside the fire and say 'Bridget guard your fire, this is your night,' and then leave. In the morning the logs would be burned and the fire would be alight.

In the C13 the papal envoy of London ordered that the fire be extinguished due to its Pagan connections, but the local people were so angry that they petitioned the bishop to have it re-lit and it then burned until the reformation, when under the orders of Henry V111 it was

extinguished for good.

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

Season of Fire

We are entering the last month of the season of fire before the mellower times of autumn come into play.

Fire comes to us in many forms during our earthly journey. From the power of the mighty sun, to the gentle flicker of a candle flame, from the explosive nature of the volcanoe to the warmth of a winter fire and from the fury of a lightning storm to the magical effect of fire through water which provides the beauty of a rainbow.

These last days of summer encourage us to weave our magic in connection with job offers, career, new projects, law making, or indeed anything which requires passion and commitment for fire denotes change and speeds its arrival.

Fire

In flickering flames I flirt, flambyant, fleeting, gone.

In lava lakes I lie, languid, lambent, waiting.

In boiling blood I bide, boundless, bellicose, fervent.

All taken from 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

The Element of Air

The element of air is synonymous with the spring. According to Carl Jung, air symbolizes the thinking aspect, the logical mind. It allows us to think constructively and to build upon what has gone before. It encourages us to be analytical and base our decisions upon the basis of cause and effect, separating what we perceive to be good from what we perceive to be bad.

Jung believed that those with a dominant air aspect to their personality or the thinking types have the ability to step outside the box and consider things that others have yet to dream of. oo much thinking however can often mean that there is very little 'doing' and many bright ideas may never come to fruition if there is a lack of the fire element which brings passion and determination and the earth element which offers practical skills.

More detailed information on the elements and what they mean to the individual and within the realms of magic can be found in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'

A visit from the Goddess

In Ireland as late at the mid 18th century, Imbolc, or Bridget's night would have been of the utmost importance. The belief was that the saint would only visit the most moral of houses and bless all those within as they lay sleeping. It was vital therefore that suitable preparations were made before retiring.

An off centre cross made from rushes and known as St Bridget's cross was hung above the door as a sign of welcome, small cakes were baked as an offering and the last task would be to make up St Bridget's bed. The women of the house would take a box or a drawer and decorate it with ribbons before placing in the 'Bride doll', usually fashioned from cloth or sheaves, which was symbolic of the Goddess. Alongside the doll, was placed a phallic symbol such as a wand or stick of hazel, ash or birch, in the hope that the male and female energies would unite to bring fertilityand abundance to the home during the year. The ashes of the fire were then smoothed over, a candle lit and the woman of the household would call 3 times from the door, 'Bride is come. Bride is wecome.'

The next morning would tell whether the household had been blessed by a visit from St Bridget. If there was a footprint in the ashes on the hearth, or the mark of a phallic wand the house holders could rest assured that they had been blessed. If however, the ashes remained smooth the inhabitants knew they must have done something to offend their saint and would bury a cockerel at a place where the 3 roads met in order to appease Her.

The Daughters of Fire

Upon the arrival of Christianity, the much loved Goddess, Bride became St Bridget, who took over the jurisdiction of Bride's shrine at Kildare by becoming the Abbess of the newly formed christian convent.

The original shrine was tended by 'the daughters of fire', who ensured that the flames, which burned in Bride's honour would never go out, a custom that was tranferred into christian tradition. The abbey's fire burned for a thousand years; it never died and never increased in ashes, a fact that was witnessed by Gerald of Wales in the twelfth century who described it in his writings.

Each night for 19 nights, a nun would stoke and watch the fire through the night, whilst on the 20th night the nun would leave logs beside it and say, 'Bridget, guard your fire, this is your night,' she would then leave the room and in the morning the logs would be gone and the fire would be burning brightly.

In the 13th century the papal envoy ordered that the fire be extinguished, but so enraged was the public that it was reinstated and continued to burn until the reformation under Henry v111.

Bonfires

Many people mistakenly think that Bonfire night was brought about by the Christian authorities to overlay the sinister Pagan fire festival of Samhain. Bonfire night however is purely to celebrate the survival of the Houses of Parliament following the unsuccessful gunpowder plot on 5th November 1605.
In 1606 James 1 ordered that everyone should attend a church service in order to give thanks for delivering England from such atrocities and as the years passed the celebrations continued outside the church service and bonfires were lit upon which images of Guy Fawkes were burned to commemorate his assumed execution.
Guy Fawkes however was not sentenced to burn but was supposed to have been hung, drawn and quartered. He deprived the crown of its revenge however as he jumped from the high scaffold before the executioner came near him and subsequently broke his neck.

If you are attending a bonfire tonight, enjoy the festivities and the powerful element of fire.

The Element of Fire

'Fire is housed within the sun, without which the earth would not be able to sustain life in its present form. It manifests in erupting volcanoes, in lightning strikes and is necessary in order for a rainbow to be seen. It is the abode of the elemental salamander and brings us the comfort of the domestic fire and the flicker of the candle flame, bringing both warmth and light into our lives. We are warm blooded creatures and need fuel with which to produce energy and heat to survive, too little and we become weak and cold, too much and we can experience skin eruptions and fever. Inwardly and symbolically fire manifests as anger, passion, determination and intuition, encouraging us to blaze our own trail and set the world alight with the essence of who we are'

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements' by Carole Carlton

Exploring the Elements

Over the next few weeks my blogs will explore the four elements of air, fire, water and earth without which, life here on earth would not survive in its presernt form.
Each element has, throughout the ages become associated with Gods , Goddesses, elementals, legendary creatures, life, death, astrology, magic, alchemy and the psyche all of which offer a rich tapestry to unravel and explore.

Tread Softly

Sail lightly on the wind my love
Sail lightly on the wind
For here the Goddess breathes my love
Sail lightly on the wind
Dance wildly in the fire my love
Dance wildly in the fire
For here the Goddess lives my love
Dance wildly in the fire
Drink deeply of the lake my love
Drink deeply of the lake
For here the Goddess bathes my love
Drink deeply of the lake
Tread softly on the earth my love
Tread softly on the earth
For here the Goddess sleeps my love
Tread softly on the earth

From Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements by Carole Carlton available from Amazon or any good book shop

Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements

My new book is out this week entitled 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements'. It explores the four elements of air, fire, water and earth and takes what can only be described as a glimpse of what the fifth element or spirit can mean, for each of us have our own opinion of what spirit means to us.

Each chapter explores one of the elements which are vital to life upon this earth and offers what I hope are interesting facts about the world we are priviledged to live in. The atmosphere, the oceans, volcanoes and earth quakes are all investigated and their connection to the Gods of old, the mythical creatures that have become associated with them over millennia and their use, both physical and symbolic in alchemy and magic.

Mrs Darley of course is present in greater quantity than in previous books and, as usual, stops to make us think differently about aspects of the world in which we live whilst offering me plenty of insight as the book progresses. The following is a quote to hopefully whet your appetite:

'Here,' she said, 'lies a place where the Goddess dwells, where earth meets with water and yields to its power where religions fuse yet the old ways prevail. Here is a place where reason meets with magic yet magic defies all reason....'

I hope you enjoy it and that it fills your world with enchantments.

Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements

My third book in the Mrs Darley series is out on the 6th July, entitled 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements', a description of which is given below:

'If you have ever entered into a raging sea, warmed your hands by a mid-winter fire, planted fragile seedlings in the rich, dark, earth or balanced precariously on the edge of the wind, then you will understand the magical power of the elements that bless our natural world. To have an understanding of the four classic elements of air, fire, water and earth is to have an appreciation of what is necessary in order to survive on our beautiful planet. To have an understanding of the mysterious fifth elements of ether or Divine Spirit is to have an understanding of the sanctity of life. This book is a celebration through poetry and prose of these sacred elements and the way in which they shape our lives. Throughout the book the wise Mrs Darley and a selection of her intriguing friends share their knowledge and often unworldly experiences with the author as she continues to journey along her own spiritual path'.

The book can be pre ordered from Amazon details are as follows:

Title: Mrs Darley's Pagan Elements

Author: Carole Carlton

Publisher: Mirage Publishing

ISBN: 1902578651

Price: £8.99

Hope you enjoy it!