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Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................3

What is a Brigit’s Celebration?....................................................................... 3

About this Guide.......................................................................................... 3

Friday Evening............................................................................................. 5

Saturday..................................................................................................... 5

Sunday Morning............................................................................................ 5

Key Personnel.............................................................................................. 6

Six Months Before......................................................................................... 7

Three Months Before..................................................................................... 7

Six Weeks Before......................................................................................... 8

Three Weeks Before..................................................................................... 8

List of Items Used in the Past....................................................................... 9

Friday Evening — Introductory Session.......................................................... 10

Saturday Morning — Exploring Brigit in the Context of the Weekend’s Theme...... 10

Saturday Afternoon — Workshops................................................................. 11

Saturday Evening — Celebration of the Spirit of Brigit...................................... 12

Sunday Morning — Final Ceremony................................................................ 12

Introduction

This guide is intended to help anyone planning to celebrate Brigit’s Day or Imbolc in their particular situations.

The Institute for Feminism and Religion in Ireland has planned and celebrated the Festival of Brigit in Ireland since 1995. Each year we have taken a different aspect of the Brigit traditions and woven our celebration around it. Each celebration is different. Creativity and innovation are essential elements. This guide hopes to capture the wealth of our collective experience and knowledge and present it in a useful way.

The suggestions in this guide for rituals using these ancient symbols are just one approach. They were devised when working with the theme: Brigit as Goddess, Saint, and Outlaw. Often you will find that Brigit arrives and inspires you with spontaneous ideas especially for the occasion, needs of the participants, and energy between them. Most importantly, when planning, preparing, and presenting such an event, one must be open to and allow the spirit of Brigit to move through you and the group. Sometimes using details from her Lives helps your creativity.

This guide discusses the planning, preparation, and presentation of a weekend Brigit’s Celebration. You can also celebrate Brigit during a daylong event or even an evening’s ritual. This all depends on the energy and time you and your group have to devote to the planning and preparation, which in the next chapter, you will see is key to a successful celebration.

2003: Given the array of experience we have gathered over the years, and aiming to meet the needs of each year as it unfolds, we vary the event every time. Our celebration for 2003 on the theme: “Brigit’s Cloak: Unfolding and Reclaiming Women’s Ground” will have several significant differences from what is described here. See our separate page for details.

Blessed be!

Email us with your queries on anything that is not clear:  brigit2003@aol.com

We do not have the resources to enter into detailed correspondence (or help you with your school homework), but will do our best to help.

Imbolc (February 1) is one of the four divisions in the Celtic year — the others being Samhain (November 1 and the start of the year), Beltaine (May 1) and Lughnasa (August 1). Imbolc probably is connected with the lactation of ewes and the lambing season.

This date also corresponds with the Christian feast of St. Brigit, who was a fifth century Abbess of Kildare enshrouded in many tales which are often confused with the Goddess Brigit, “a wise woman, daughter of Dagda.” Regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest saints, St. Brigit is known for her ability to heal lepers, produce large quantities of food from small amounts, and for being ordained as bishop (by mistake!)

Brigit tradition is reflected in other European cultures notably through procreation and regeneration festivals and Scandinavian Bear Cult. The Irish festival, however, includes Oiche Fhéile Bríd (St. Brigit’s Eve on January 31) and Lá Féile Bríd (St. Brigit’s Day on February 1). There are many and wonderful traditions associated with this time. St. Brigit’s reed cross is well known. There is also the Bhrat Bhríd (Phonetic: Vrat Vreege), a piece of cloth left outside the night of January 31 for Brigit to walk over and bless. It is then cut into pieces. It was sewn into young girls’ clothes to guard them against misfortune; placed on pregnant women and animals to ensure safe delivery, and used in many other ways to ensure safekeeping.

There are many other associations which can be used in ritual including the Brídeóg, a straw doll dressed in girl’s clothes, and the Crios Bríd or Brigit’s Girdle which is circular rope woven of straw through which members can step through and receive a blessing.

Chapter 1.               Brigit’s Celebration —An Overview

To better understand what you are trying to achieve during a Brigit’s Celebration, which can take place over the period of three days, here is a brief outline of each day’s events and the key players. These events and rituals are explained in detail in Chapter 3.

The roles that need to be filled for the weekend event are listed in the table below. Note that, depending on energy and resources, more than one individual can fill all roles and one individual can fill more than one role.

Chapter 2.               Planning and Preparation

Like any event, no matter how big or small, planning for a Brigit’s Celebration is key to its success. The more planning you can do, the easier it will be for you to manage and administer the event on the day or weekend it actually takes place.

·         Gather your resources. You need to establish a core group of women who are willing to commit the time and energy needed to devote to a successful event. Typically, a few people will devote more time beforehand, while others may devote all their energies at the actual event.

·         Don’t forget to meditate. The spirit of Brigit is a powerful resource to draw on. Don’t forget to include her in your core group and call on her if things get difficult!

·         Decide on a venue and reserve it. Make sure the venue has enough rooms to accommodate the number of participants you HOPE to see on the day.

·         Start to contact resources. If you plan to have workshops during the Saturday, start contacting workshop leaders to check their availability and interest.

·         Weavers: You also need to decide on a few names of women who might act as Weavers.

Plan to meet with your core members for an all day or weekend planning session. At this meeting, you need to:

·         Review last year’s event, if appropriate.

·         Commit to one or more of the roles needed for the event.

·         Identify your Weavers.

·         Decide on a theme. For example, themes in the past have included “Brigit as Healer”, “Brigit as Midwife,” “Brigit as Wounder and Healer” and “Brigit as SoulSmith for the New Millennium.”

·         Once you decide on a theme, write out your aim for the weekend. Here are some of our examples from the past:

The aim of the weekend is to reshape our lives by bringing the spark, igniting the flame, and setting ablaze our fiery women’s spirit.

The aim of the weekend is to excavate, celebrate, meditate, liberate, the myths, traditions, symbols, music and poetry of Brigit and so experience the power of women’s creativity.

The aim of the weekend is to midwife the creative outrageous spirit of Brigit within us all.

The aim of the weekend is to invoke the spirit and courage of Brigit to embrace the cailleach, melt the winter ice, grow change and dance, and heal each other, the earth, and ourselves.

Aim: A good way to arrive at an aim is for the facilitator to invite each member of the planning group to talk about her hopes for the weekend. Follow this with a period of quiet reflection during which each member writes out a possible aim. Have each one read it out (and possibly record it on a flipchart). Then invite the group to say which of these aims or words within them appealed to them. Which ones would they like to see included?

Gradually a common theme will begin to emerge. Then turn it over to the experienced writers in the group to pull the theme together (often while the rest are getting the meal ready). When the group reconvenes, read out the aim and get responses. Be prepared to re-work this aim several times before arriving at the final wording. Even then, be prepared to re-work it again at your next meeting.

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Read out the aim you had arrived at before. Make sure that it relates to the overall aim of the Institute or whatever group is convening the event. Reflect on how that aim might be realized.

Tasks for the Meeting:

·         Decide on the shape/content of the weekend.

·         List all items you might need for the weekend.

·         Decide how much money you want to charge participants.

·         Decide if you want to offer crèche facilities.

·         Decide if you want to have a bookstore, or how you want to allow books and other items to be sold by participants or others. (If you do decide to have stalls or bookshops make sure they close ten minutes before each event. Otherwise, you will have stragglers lingering over their purchases and disrupting the events).

·         Send information about the event to all appropriate publicizing agencies.

·         Send out publicity, including flyers and press releases.

·         More firmly establish the shape of your event and set rituals.

·         Reconfirm participation from all Keepers and workshop leaders. Send them information on your theme, asking them to consider it when planning their workshop so it might be incorporated into their workshop. You may decide not to have separate workshop leaders. In 2003, for instance, since we have very firm questions and very firm objectives, (making a cloak, mantle, veil, or shawl) the Keepers will take the groups through each of the sessions. We will not be having separate workshop leaders.

·         Prepare a confirmation letter for your participants to receive once they have pre-registered. This letter needs to include:

-        The aim of the event.

-        Directions to the venue.

-        A form asking if they are willing to provide transportation to others in need.

-        Time they should arrive.

-        Type of clothing they need to wear.

-        If they need a towel or bedding.

-        Other resources they might want to bring, like musical instruments and art materials.

-        A brief agenda for the weekend.

·         Reconfirm any last minute details with the venue.

·         Purchase all necessary items.

·         Meet once more with core leaders to firm up event schedule and settle any outstanding issues.

·         Put posters up advertising the event throughout your town and county.

·         Send out a second publicity mailing.

·         Don’t panic if pre-registration is low! Most women sign up the last week before the event! If you can afford it, offer women incentives for registering early. It really does help with the planning.

Have someone make a list like this throughout your meetings, listing all the artifacts and equipment you will require, and who is to bring them to the event.   Having this list will cut down on stress, both before the during the event.

To Decorate the Ceremonial Hall

·         Any necessary items for centrepiece, including cloths, sculptures, bells.

·         snowdrops

·         candles/matches

·         incense/ incense holders

·         rushes

·         water from any one of Brigit’s Wells. Bowls for the water.

·         Brigit tapestry.

·         Greenery, if appropriate

·         large block of ice (optional) The ice is frozen overnight in a large saucepan and placed on the centrepiece on Friday night to show the “thawing” of winter. Note if you do this, you will need someone to be the “Ice Watcher”, making sure that it is placed back in the freezer at night, or brought outside in the evening so not to make a mess of the centrepiece!

Chapter 3.               Presenting the Weekend Events

This chapter describes in detail the events and rituals that have taken place during various Brigit’s Celebration weekends in the past. Feel free to work with these suggestions, altering them to best suit your group, theme, and aim. Keep in mind that chanting, drumming, song, and dance are integrated throughout these sessions in an effective way.

1.      Gathering participants

2.      Welcome

3.      Meditation

4.      Lighting of main Brigit Candle

5.      Bringing in and placing of Rushes, Straw, and Water at Centrepiece.

6.       Break into Groups around the nine symbols of Brigit. Distribute the symbols randomly and have each group gather underneath a drawing of their symbol. Have each small group get to know each other and discuss the theme for the weekend. The nine symbols we have used most effectively are as follows: bell, cloak, cow, dandelion, snowdrop, oak tree, well, fire, and snake. Have representative tell the rest of the larger group what their smaller group discussed.

The Friday night can include a ritual of each Keeper of the Flame lighting a candle. Candles can be placed in baskets of local earth at four corners (North, South, East, and West) of the Centrepiece.

7.      Housekeeping announcements.

Gathering

Ritual to focus group.

In the past we have gathered the group in many different ways.

1. Sometimes, one or two dancers start a circle dance and gradually invite everyone else to join them. By the time the music is finished, everyone should be up on the floor, and the Weaver then holds the energy.

2.You can start with a chant and/or drumming, and ensure that everyone is gathered into the energy before you begin.

3.Especially if you have several large rooms you can work from, another way is to close off the main ritual space, and have participants gather elsewhere. Keepers can then lead participants into the main ritual space, singing, and drumming, and dancing and circling until everyone is in.

Inevitably, a couple of people will not be able (for all kinds of reasons) to join in any of these activities at the beginning. Some will be very new to this way of working. Do not try to force anyone to join in but just welcome them gently when they feel able to be part of the group, or leave them sitting until the next part.  

Story Telling. Story telling can be done in a number of ways. You can have two or three speakers discussing Brigit in terms of your theme, as well as Brigit in general, to introduce her to participants that may be new to her.

You can also have open the story telling to the group, and encourage women to reminisce on their own experiences of St. Brigit’s Day as they remember as a child, or from their grandmothers.

You can also break the larger group into smaller groups (around the nine symbols if you like) and give each a story about Brigit that revolves around the theme. Encourage each group to discuss their “Gospel According to Brigit” and then return to the larger group to discuss together.

In the past, workshops have included:

Gathering

Focusing

Ritual of Bhrat Bríd. Once the group is gathered and focused, a woman representing Bríd wearing the cloak which will later be put outside for the night, stands outside the door of the hall and calls three times, Téigí ar bhur nglúine agus osclaígí bhur súile agus ligigí isteach Bríd ” (Go on your knees and open your eyes and let Brigit enter).  We sometimes contract this to say Ligigí isteach Bríd: Phonetic: Liggiggee istyock Vreed).  After each time, the women in the room respond, “Sé beatha”: Phonetic: Shay vaha. (She is welcome). Finally, after the third time, Bríd enters the room and dances among the women, giving them her blessing. Afterwards she takes a seat among them.

Another variation is to have the youngest woman/girl stand outside the room with the cloak, calling three times as above. Finally, after the third time, the girl enters carrying the cloak and places the cloak on the altar or centrepiece. The girl can be followed by other young girls carrying oats and/or rushes.

Group Sharing. This usually consists of an open celebration of the experiences and skills acquired during the workshops. Each workshop group may share with the larger group something from their afternoon. For example, makers of crosses or other artwork can have a procession around the room, showing their works of art. Chanters, dancers, and poets can perform for the group. Others can share a story or experience. This is usually a free-flowing and spontaneous session. Full of fun and pleasure.

Fire Ritual. After the Group Sharing, Bríd ceremoniously carries the cloak outside to where it is placed on the ground for the night. The woman representing Bríd is usually accompanied by nine Keepers (either one selected from each symbolic group or workshop or geographic region) who help her carry the cloak outside. This procession is followed by the other women chanting  “Fé Bhrat Bhríde Sin”  Phonetic: Fay Vrat Vreege Shin ¾ (Literally we are gathered under Brigit’s Cloak). ”. Once outside at the pre-defined location, the cloak is gently placed on ground to await Brigit’s coming and sacred footsteps.

Then the women gather around a bonfire for spontaneous singing and chanting. One ritual around the fire that works very well and is quite powerful is the calling of mothers and grandmothers first names for help and guidance.

10:00   Women gather in their Symbol Groups for the last time. We have tried several alternatives:

1.      Women draw or paint something to help them express their experience for the weekend based on the theme. These paintings can be taken home afterwards. (One year we collectively made a raft, tied messages, poems and prayers on it, and then solemnly placed it on the Boyne River with messages of peace for Northern Ireland).

2.      Each symbol group might create something together that could then be given to local affiliates like a women’s refuge centre or prison, particularly a place where one of the women is either working or associated with.

3.      Women might write down or silently vow a commitment to return home with.

(We do not usually have a tea/coffee break on the final morning, so as not to break the energy. However, some participants need tea or coffee, so it is best to have some quietly in a corner outside the main hall. Request that they remain silent). 

Final Gathering. The most powerful way to conduct the final ceremony is to initially gather everyone together to explain the morning ritual and what participants are expected to do and to review any chants you want to sing. This can take about 20 minutes. Then the participants are asked to leave the room while it is finally readied. Keepers are usually placed at the door so that when everything is finally ready participants can enter silently and prayerfully (or led with a chant) into the ceremonial hall.

Focusing/Meditation: Either the Weaver or someone else leads a meditation, focussing toward the final ritual.

Ritual of Brat Bríd. Once everyone is focused, the Keepers must go and gather the cloak. While they are gone, participants and chant once again, “Fé Bhrat Bhríde Sin” The Keepers enter in a ceremonial way and place the cloak in the centre of the room near the centrepiece. Then four women who were previously selected are called to cut the cloak. (You can also have one woman ceremoniously cut the cloak into four pieces representing each direction — North, South, East, and West, and then call up the four cloak cutters.) The cloak is then cut into small rectangular pieces, about 3” x 1” which are used later in the Final Ritual. The cutting can occur quietly in the background while the ceremony continues.

Bread, Honey, Milk and Crios Bríd (Brigit’s Girdle¾woven with rushes in a round plait, large enough for women to step through). The final ritual is powerful and very solemn. Each woman is encouraged to first wash her hands and face with the water from Brigit’s well, (the original Imbolc ceremony involved washing hands, face, and feet) then take a piece of broken bread and dip it in milk and then in honey. (It might be best to dip it in the milk first so it soaks into the bread! Be sure to have the floor under the honey well protected!) After eating this, she then walks three times through the Crios Bríd, which is held by two other women who bless her with the following prayer:

May Brigit’s flame give you inspiration
May Brigit’s girdle give you healing
May Brigit’s creativity guide your way

Solemn music should be playing throughout this ritual and it should be done silently.

Parting Chant. Keep in mind that the weekend can culminate in many deep emotions, which are revealed during this final ritual. There are often women crying and the Weaver needs to be sensitive to all needs that arise. The final movement is often done using Jennifer Berezans’s beautiful CD “Returning”. The Weaver begins a circular movement, until all are gathered. Decide in advance how much of this CD you wish to use, and have it ready to weave participants together for the last time.

When the time is right, the final chant is called, often times, “May the Road Rise to Meet You” or “The Circle is Open but not Unbroken”

It is a good idea to have some movement with your final chant and allow women to hug or touch each other in goodbye.

Giving Thanks. Finally, don’t forget to thank all your core members, workshop leaders and participants for the wonderful weekend full of grace!