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'

The Return of the Goddess

The festival of imbolc begins at sunset on the 1st of February and is a festival of joy, hope and new beginnings. It marks the birth of the first lambs, the return of the Goddess and is sacred to the Goddess Bride (Bridget).

Imbolc for me is when the new year really begins. Gone are the dark days of January for now the Goddess awakes and, as her hand touches the earth, life once again begins to stir bringing us a promise of renewal and the slightest whisper of spring.

The colour of this festival is white and silver and it is a wonderful time to share a meal between friends and loved ones with white wine, white meat (if you're not vegetarian) and white chocolate or ice cream. If you would like to toast the Goddess, then raise your glass with the words 'Failte leat a Bhrid' which simply means 'Welcome Bridget' and is pronounced 'Falche lai a Breed'.

Happy Imbolc and may the waxing year bring you health, love and happiness

Discover more in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The Storm Moon

The new crescent moon is now apparent in our evening skies and was known by the Celts as the storm or snow moon.
Although we may moan at a snow shower or the high winds, for the Celts, when food supplies were begining to run low, this time of year was still a far cry from spring. As such they would drum, chant and sing to appease the Gods and keep the cold weather and wild storms at bay.
Why not have a 'storm moon' celebration this week with plenty of drumming chanting and singing to appease the cold Gods of winter. Enjoy.
Read more in 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

Wassailing on Old Twelfth Night

The exact date of old Twelfth Night is the 17 January, but became the 5th of January after the calendar reforms of the C17. Today's celebrations however can be held any time between the two dates and this weekend sees many Wassailing celebrations nationwide. (check on line to see what's available in your area)
The word 'wassail' was first recorded during the early C14 and derives from the Saxon 'waes hael' meaning 'be whole'. Wassail was shouted as a toast whilst the drink known as lambswool was consumed which consisted of mulled ale, herbs and honey. A large goblet was filled with the drink and passed from person to person and accepted each time with a kiss.
In the middle Ages songs were written to accompany the drinking ritual;
'Wassail wassail all over the town, the toast it is white and the ale it is brown.'
So if January seems a little flat, why not celebrate and wassail with honeyed ale and song and may you all 'be whole' in the year ahead.

From 'Mrs darley's Pagan whispers

Welcoming 2012

There are always mixed feelings about New Year probably because it is a time of beginnings and endings of hellos and goodbyes of releases and embraces.

Perhaps the forthcoming year carries with it more expectations than usual as so much has been written about 2012 in connection with the Mayan calander which, according to some, heralds the end of the world as we know it at the time of the Winter Solstice.

Many may find this prediction a frightening prospect, however perhaps this is time to let the old orders which have dominated our thinking for millennia, fall away and be replaced by a more liberal outlook which is inclusive and tolerant rather than restricting and dictatorial.

Perhaps the Mayans simply saw this rise in consciousness as a time when mankind would begin to recognise that beneath the colour, body, religion, nationality and sex of a person there simply lies a soul that is worthy of love, friendship and understanding.

May 2012 bring the gift of illumination into your world.

The Wolf Moon

Although this month's new moon is now a few days old, it was once referred to as the 'Wolf Moon'. It was the first moon after the dark time and although the wolf was sacred to the Celts it was seen as a lean animal and represented a time of abstinance and suspension following the solstice activities. Although the ancients knew that the sun was gaining in strength they still recognised that the worst of the weather was yet to come.

From 'Mrs Darley's Moon Mysteries'

Boxing Day

The term 'boxing day' entered our language in the Victorian era, although the custom it gives its name to originated in the C17. Apprentices would keep an earthenware box into which monetary gifts were placed and, at the end of the year when hopefully full, they would be broken open and provide the owner with a monetary treat during the festive season.

This term gradually replaced the saint's name to whom the day was originally dedicated - St Stephen.

'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'