Source

In Irish mythology, Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda and had two sisters also named Brigid and is part of the Tuatha de Danann, the supernatural Irish race. The three sisters made up the triple aspect of the one goddess: Brigid of the hearth, Brigid of the forge and Brigid of Inspiration. She is a goddess of spring, fertility, family, the hearth, childbirth, fire, blacksmiths, scholars, physicians, prophets, healing, poetry, occult knowledge, and justice. She was said to be born at sunrise and is often depicted with solar rays coming out of her head, making her one of the Irish solar deities alongside Lugh. It is said that wherever she walks four leaf clovers and flowers will grow. She also created the tradition of “keening” when her son Ruadan died in battle, a song-like wail used by women at funerals. In some cases she is also the goddess of sacred wells, springs and healing waters.  

History

Her name comes in different spellings like Brig, Brighid, Brigit, or Brigid but it means “Exalted one” or “Fiery arrows”. She is a goddess of Pre-christian Ireland but versions of her are found all over Europe; she has ties to Brigantia, a warrior goddess of the Brigantes tribe of Britain. She was a beloved goddess of the Celts and has survived through centuries including the Christianization of Ireland and the rest of Europe where most traces of Druidism and Paganism were forgotten. The people of Ireland loved her so much and refused to let her be demonized by the church -like the rest of the gods- that they converted her into a saint known as St. Brigid of Kildare. There are also three rivers named after her one in Ireland, Wales and England: Brigit, Braint and Brent.The river that runs through Wales is known to have healing properties.

Imbolc

Also known as Brigid’s day, Candlemas or St. Brigid’s feast, Imbolc is one of the four fire festivals in Celtic paganism and celebrates the return of spring. Since Brigid is the goddess of spring and was said to go away during the winter, people would light a candle in honor of her return. Offerings of milk, bread, and corn cakes were set out and a seat at the dinner table was left open for her presence.  Cows and sheep were seen as sacred to the goddess because they would provide milk for the town during the cold months and they would give birth around Imbolc. This festival celebrated the Maiden aspect of Brigid and young women would carry corn dollies dressed in white which represented the goddess. The women would also dress in white and attend a special feast for Imbolc where young suitors could mingle with the ladies. Imbolc is a time of fertility, cleansing and the light returning after a long winter.

Correspondences

Elements- Water & Fire

Animals- snakes, ewes, cows, bees, oxen, owls and hibernating animals. Vultures

Plants- blackberry, hawthorn, basil, mugwort, apple, heather, dandelion, snowdrop, willow, oak, shamrock, crocus, trillium, corn, lavender and sage. Personal one is cinnamon and chamomile.

Crystals- amethyst, bloodstone, carnelian, garnet, moonstone, clear quartz, and peridot.

Symbols- Brigid’s cross, candles, triquetra, faeries, four leaf clover, cauldron, chalice, corn dolly, anvil or hammer, poetry, forges, hearths, wells, rock formations.

Colours- green, red, white, gold and blue

Devotional Acts

offer her blackberries, baked goods, milk and honey or beer

dedicate a piece of your art to her like painting, knitting, singing, etc.

meditate with fire

savour the warmth of the sun or fire

incorporate the elements of water and fire into your craft

write her a poem

watch the sun rise

say hi to cows and sheep :)

hang a Brigid’s cross above your doorway for protection and blessings 

study healing magick, reiki, herbalism and faeries

wear the colours of fire or white

plant a bee garden

Congratulations to everyone who moved on without the genuine apology or closure you deserved. That's not easy.

Herbology Lesson One

Basics need-to-knows (vocabulary and conversion)

To an outside it might seem like a mess of random herbs, crystals, and whatever other witches brews are out there, but there is a method to our witchy madness! (well… sometimes.) 

Simple Herb Conversion Chart: 

Measurements

of herbs aren’t always going to be the same / may not always suit your personal needs but that’s ok because magic (and maybe a little science) Measurements of herbs can vary between Parts / Drops / or Millilitres. If your needs aren’t met from the chart below, it also provides an example on how to find the answer you’re looking for: 

~ 1 mL - 20 drops  ~ 5 mL - 1 TSP or 100 drops ~ 30 mL - 1 Fluid Ounce ~ 1,000 mL - 1 Liter

Basic Plant Terminology: 

Vocabulary

is an important part of witch craft too. Although, let’s be real, Hermoine could be a little

much

at times, the gal undeniably knew her stuff! These are some basic plant vocabulary words to hopefully help bring the words you’re reading from Gibberish back to English: 

~ Annual - Plant with one life cycle

~ Biannual - Plant that flowers, then seeds, then dies

~ Bulb - Storage organ for underground 

~ Deciduous - Tree or Shrub that loses it’s leaves annually (at the end of the season)

~ Dormant - Alive but inactive

~ Evergreen - Foliage stays on year round and sheds it’s leaves at intervals (through out the year)

~ Hardy - Tolerant year round climate in an area (IE: Hardy in Zones 1-3)

~ Perennial - Plant that has more than one life span

~ Rhizomes - Roots

~ Root - The plant stems below the ground

~ Taproot - A thick main root system

~ Umbel - Flat topped or rounded flower cluster from the flower’s central point

~ Whole Plant - The plant above the ground

~ Whorl - Three or more leaved flowers from the stem at the same level (3 encircling flowers)

🕊16 days of Shadow Work

✨ Here are the prompts as I promised! They are timeless, whenever they find you, feel free to use them.

Feel free to share your thoughts with me!!

✧ Day 1 What do I need to stop running away from? Why am I always running away from this and what is going to happen if I face it head-on?

✧ Day 2 What is my definition of failure? What’s something that I have previously failed at and how did it make me feel? How can I deal with failure in a healthy way?

✧ Day 3 How do I lie to myself everyday? Why am I doing this and what am I trying to avoid?

✧ Day 4 If I could say one thing to the person who hurt me the most, what would it be and why? How would I feel afterwards? 

Keep reading

~ Flowercows ♡ 🌷🐄 🍃 ♡

once again why did we let masquerade balls and handwritten letters and heart lockets and daggers strapped to thighs go out of fashion

Perfect Bread:

I absolutely love this recipe! The bread is soft, and is perfect for sandwiches, French toast, and pretty much everything you can think of. I don’t want to buy bread from the store ever again!

6 Cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ Cups very warm water

2 Tbsp. Active dry yeast

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Butter

Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar and let sit until the surface is foamy (If it’s doesn’t foam, the yeast doesn’t work).

When yeast is activated, add 3 cups of the flour, the salt, and the butter. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.

Once mixture is smooth, add the remaining 3 cups of flour. I recommend folding the flour in until fairly combined before kneading.

Once combined, knead dough for 6-8 minutes in a stand mixer, or 8-10 minutes by hand.

Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap or a cloth, and let rise for 45 minutes.

Cut dough into 2-3 equal pieces and place into a buttered bread pan, and brush melted butter (or olive oil). Allow to rise in the loaf pans for an additional 10-15 minutes. (🍞 Tip: Use a small knife to make a slit longways across the bread to prevent splitting along the side of the bread.)

Bake bread in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes uncovered, and and additional 10 minutes covered in foil to prevent excess browning.

Makes 2-3 loaves of bread.