Day of the Dead,Dia de los Muertos,remembering our ancestors,there is no death

ALL SAINT”S DAY Dia Los Muertos

November 1st is a very ancient Mexican Festival to honor and celebrate their deceased ancestors. To the Native Indios in Mexico and throughout Central America death was never an end to Life but a beginning,a transition. Most indigenous people world-wide honor their departed relations, their ancestors and remember them not only on one or two days in the year but daily, setting plates of food for them at the table after they have  passed into the Spirit world.

In  China 3 oranges are usually left as an offering to feed the departed spirits, whose help from the other dimensions is of great value. Aborigines, shamans, ordinary people tap into the knowledge of their departed loved ones regularly who protect, watch over and guide them.

November 1st Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico is celebrated  by the wearing of wooden skull masks called calacas and dances in honor of their deceased relatives are held. Wooden skulls are placed on family alters dedicated to the dead. Sugar skulls, marked with the names of the deceased on the forehead are eaten by a relative or friend, It is  a kind of ritual cannibalism, the eating of an effigy of the dead means that person’s spirit is with in you,feeding you.

Ancient Aztec civilizations held the  festival on the 9th month of the Aztec solar calendar, approximately at the beginning of August and was celebrated for an entire month, ruled by Goddess Mictecacihuatyl. She is known as the Lady of the Dead and was believed to have died in childbirth. So the festival was traditionally in honor of children who also had died at birth. Rituals were also dedicated to Huitzilopochtli { Sinsiter Hummingbird} a war diety.

Christianized to coincide with All Saint’s Day or All Hallows Eve, in Spanish: “Día de Todos Santos, Mexicans now celebrate the day of the dead during the first two days of November.

There is also the Saint of Death.

Mictecacihuatl pronounced ‘Meek-teka-see-wahdl’  is Queen of Mictlan the Underworld, called Hades in Greek Mythology, ruled by PLUTO/ SCORPIO in modern Astrology, she rules the Afterlife.  Mictecacihuatl was represented as a skeleton with jaw agape to swallow the stars during the day.

Mictecacihuatl Lady/Saint of the Dead

On November 1st and 2nd Mexicans visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. They decorate gravesites with marigold flowers and candles. They bring toys for dead children and bottles of tequila to adults. They sit on picnic blankets next to gravesites and eat the favorite food of their loved ones. It is a time of celebration.

The ancient festival is also being honoured by Native and Afro- Americans. Incense is offered, the deceased favourite music and foods are cooked for them.

Honoring Your dead Ancestors

It is 10 month since my father passed away on Dec 14, 2011, I miss him terribly. I am an only child and my husband and I were care taking my mother up to three years ago until her death and my Dad as well even though he was in a nursing home for the last year of his life. My father Harry lived to be 98 years old. He always sang to me, he was a wonderful dancer, told jokes and old family history about Vaudeville and early Toronto cinema stories. I miss my mother too. I have tracked them since their passing. On these night I honor my parents, my aunts and uncles and friends who have passed on. Also those who inspired me, artists, musicians, poets, inventors.

Take time out to honor your ancestors,or those who have gifted Life and have now departed. On these days Light a candle, meditate on your loved departed, think of them with thanks gratitude and reverence. If you have had a miscarriage or abortion allow tears and the sadness to move through you. This is  a real grief that women are not allowed to honor. These days are specifically for children who died.

When the veil between the world’s is thinnest, the departed will most naturally speak to you in dreams and leave signs. You just have to ask. Nothing to be afraid of. The modern, civilized religions, fear death,and  are cut off from the natural wisdom that the ancestors bring. Death is merely a transition to another dimension. In fact the dead are always very close at hand. To fear death is to fear life, sexuality, pleasure, embodiment.

That is all SATURN”S domain, Lord of death, bones, the Grim Reaper.
ALL of us will die and transition, as we already have.  You know this, you are cosmic star dust from the beginning of the Universe. YOU are all One with ALL THAT IS WAS and ever will be.

Grief assistance:

Need help to grieve and let go of a miscarriage,or an abortion?

I assist with psychic mediumship readings, and karmic chord cuttings.http://taratarot.com/id78.html

Ed Sheeran song Small Bump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpK-pzSuN-I

Read more about Mexican festival : http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-history.html?nclick_check=1#ixzz2AvLbEzzq

YOU TUBE VIDEO ABOUT SAINT DEATH  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgQftFWM41Q&feature=player_embedded

St. Patrick’s Day,the Luck ‘O the Irish,the pagans by Tara Greene Astrology

by Tara Greene Astrology Psychic  & More Copyright 2011- eternity & beyond.

St. Patrick, Catholic Irish Saint,is known for driving the snakes out of Ireland. That story  is actually a cultural re-visioning. St. Patrick, identified with the shamrock, was no Saint and not lucky at all for the pagans who worshipped the Goddess. Ireland since time out of mind was a pagan, Wiccan, Druid, Nature, Goddess worshipping land. These people were demonized and ripped off by St. Paddy. 

St. Paddy is NOT Irish. Born in Scotland  to Roman parents around 387 AD.  Taken prisoner at 14, he was sent to Ireland as a slave. He studied the language and learned the customs of the people, original Nature loving, pantheistic earth worshippers. 

As the story goes, Patrick prayed to God. He had a dream he was to leave Ireland but the Irish people were calling him back. He studied to be a priest. He became a Bishop and was sent back to Ireland to teach the Gospel. He arrived at Slane on March 25, 433. Patrick converted many thousands of people including Irish Kings who were moved {or threatened} upon hearing Patrick’s message. He himself had many disciples who were all later canonized. He preached for over 40 years, apparently worked many miracles, and wrote of his love for God in his confessions. He lived in poverty, travelled and endured much suffering and died March 17, 461 AD. at Saul, where he had built his first church. It’s 1,550 years since he died. 

THE SHAMROCK

Patrick used the shamrock, as the symbol of the holy Trinity. The SHAMrock or clover {note the sham pun in shamrock, puns are always give a ways} is originally an ancient PAGAN SYMBOL of the GODDESS, the original Holy TRINITY, the TRIPLE GODDESS, whose phases we see as the Moon waxing and waning.  

The Triple Goddess, like the Roman God Janus, who was also an overlay of the original Goddess worshipping religions, represents the past present and future. Christianity like Hinduism, Judaism, Islam always incorporated former religions but then skews the original meaning, usually inferring the opposite.

Catholic pagan symbol Sheila Na Gig

St. Patrick was famous for driving the snakes out of Ireland, meaning he drove the pagans out/converted them. The snake is a euphemism; the snakes symbolize the Goddess, rebirth, sexuality, eternity, and wisdom. Snakes were always her honoured symbol. In the re-writing of the Goddess history, the propaganda popularly known as the Bible, tells how in Genesis, the snake was turned into evil and Eve made to be seen as wicked, the original sinner, forever dooming women to hardship in birth, and never able to repent.

 

Cretan Snake goddess worhsipped for thousands of years

It is the worst most wicked, horrible, most ridiculous LIE,  filled with self-hatred, hatred of life, divorced from nature. It  was of course built on the foundations of Judaism and the old testament which was the historical very violent story of the crushing of the Goddess religion, the defamation of the Feminine.

Everything the Goddess stood for, love of Nature, the Feminine relating principles, honouring life, children, sexuality etc. was made bad, indecent, devil worship by the Catholic Church and the Bible.

Christians thank him the conversion of the ancient Irish pagans. But in the name of Christ who tolerated all peoples, honoured women and preached love of thy neighbour, pagans especially women,who were labelled witches and -worshippers,were tortured to convert, and had their properties and rank stolen from them.

 To some Pagans, wiccans, druids, Goddess worshippers St. Patrick is a despised person who drove the Irish people from their original faith.  Some Wiccans may actually enjoy the celebration because of its “hidden” Pagan meaning, and smile when they see devout Christians wearing the shamrock, the Goddess’symbol proudly.

As in the Mists of Avalon, the re-telling of the Arthurian and Grail legends from the original Pagan Goddess worshipping aspect, the Goddess in any name is still Her energy. Goddess worship is earth honouring, egalitarian, matriarchal. 

Just as the white people carry a collective karmic debt and shame for destroying Indigenous peoples earth worshipping religion and cultures. In Canada,there is now a token giving back, as in the Queen Charlotte Island being renamed in their indigenous tongue and land treaties give native people back the lands and bones or historical relics taken in colonialized plunder, as in Egypt and China that were stolen from them. 

Perhaps we should rethink St. Patrick when we’re out in the pub drinking green beer, wearing shamrocks, and singing When Irish Eyes Are Smilin’ and Oh Danny Boy and at least toast THE GODDESS. Because as She says: “All acts of love and beauty are my worship.” 

And speaking of Ireland. The name Tara, popularly connected to the Hills of Tara, and the Kings of Tara is originally a Goddess name. Tara, whose ancient worship continues today,She is still worshipped daily in India and Tibet.  Green Tara whose name is originally SITARA, means the Stars. Therefore she is just like the Egyptian Goddess of the sky, where all life originated, the goddess Nut, or Nuit, aka the Milky Way Galaxy. Hey we don’t call it a Guyaxy. 

Sitara, her name means the Galaxy, all that is, She is the original creatress, Mother Nature. The Sitar is her heavenly music, the music of the cosmos. Her worship is so ancient and widespread it ran from India all the way to Ireland.

In English Tara =Terra in Latin meaning The EARTH. Eartha or Artha in Sanskrit means the Earth. All the names have an etymological root from Sanskrit considered to be a holy language. So in India and Tibet the mantra, the prayers for Tara invoke her vibration, as chanting OHM is considered to be the original word of God. Tara actually has 21 different manifestations, colours and dances representing her powers.  Green Tara is Mother Nature. 

Chanting her mantra or saying these words brings protection.

Om Tara Tu Tara Tura Swoha. The Tura is pronounced Tooray.

For Japan and all the desecration of Her Planet please chant these words to divine Goddess tara.

Blessings

WONDERLAND opens everywhere March 9 2011. Astrology updates by Tara Greene

WONDERLAND BEGINS, 4 real as WE COLLECTIVELY go down the RABBIT HOLE in the year of the rabbit ding! ding!

Major new Cycles begin March 9  End of the last cycle of the Mayan calendar begins

 UNITY CONSCUIOUSNESS,  + March11 Uranus enters Aries copyright by Tara Greene 

March is one heck of a busy month, we are set to boldly go where no one has travelled before, or not since 16 billions years or so with major long-term placements happening. Hold onto your hats and get ready to jump. And remember to bring some carrots will ya Doc? 

March 9 is the beginning of Universal underworld the “end” of the Mayan calendar

 The Mayan Calendar, like the God/dess is a circle whose center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere.” To paraphrase a famous Greek. We are beginning the final wave of human consciousness today! The Mayan calendar, which is popularized as 2012, is not a calendar as we understand it. It is a sacred reckoning, a philosophical spiritual time line of evolution of consciousness in the Universe. The Mayan calendar.

 According to Carl Johan Calleman, a biologist who become a Mayan scholar, the ancient texts describing the birth of the universe, and includes 9 waves or underworlds that bring forth 9 levels of consciousness.These levels reflect an acceleration of time.

Mayan Pyramid Mayan calendar

The 1^st level begins with the “big bang” or Big bubble” 16.4 billion B.C.

The 2nd wave begins 819,998,000 B.C. with the first stirrings of life

The 3^rd wave began 41,000,000 years ago. Dinosaurs,

The 4^th wave began 2,050,000 years ago. First human like beings.

The 5^th wave began 102,000 years ago. Early civilizations, Lemuria, Atlantis.

The 6^th wave began 5,125 year ago, the age of Egypt’s reign, beginning of Judaism? Greek Golden age, Guttenberg, Renaissance,

The7th wave began in 1755, French & American revolution, Age of reason, science, Industrial revolution, atomic age,space age, feminism, INternet

The 8^th wave began Jan 5 1999 beginning the present millennium, 9-11, 1^st black U.S. president,

9^th and final waves begin March 9 2011.

In each cycle time or consciousness runs 20 times faster than the previous one.

And the end of this huge 16 billion year evolutionary cycle ends Oct. 28 2011. 

Think about it as the dance of the 7 veils, with each veil dropped we achieve greater awareness, consciousness, enlightenment. 

In numerology Number 9 is the number of completion. In the Tarot it is symbolized by THE HERMIT. Buddhist believe there are 9 levels of consciousness, Dante wrote of 9 circles of hells,Classically 9 choirs of angels, etc. 

So today we enter the beginning of the final rush to UNITY consciousness, this is end the alpha & the Omega. We can see and feel time moving faster and faster information moves instantaneously. We are all interconnected and I had felt in the early 90;s that we had to invent the Internet so wed have a physical read 3D model of out actual telepathic concrescence to validate that for ourselves. Terrence McKenna wrote about what he labelled TIME WAY ZERO mixing the Mayan calendar with the Ancient Chinese oracle of the I Ching and correlating the hexagrams with the calendar creating a computer programme which “ended in Dec 21 2012 with total NOVELTY.

Time wave zero- I ching and Mayan calendar coinciding

 

We are moving into light-speed transformation Now. The old system of consciousness till exists, but it will be transformed as each one of us allows the

Conscious ness to change us. We are all losing our religions as REM prophesied, It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

 

Time Wave Zero- wave/particle consciousness shifts

We will know longer know ourselves as egos isolated alone, alienated from each other, we will recognize out Oneness. Ekhart Tolle, Byron Katie, Oprah, etc.

we are becoming THE FOOL. The ought/ zero.

The Fool in the tarot is Zero. the beginning the Alpha, the  Soul, ZERO is abstract, the circle is eternal,

like God, the Mayan calendar. We are retruning to our original state of innocence, trust, Be like children said Jesus. we are returning to that innocent, state we are retrunign to our source. Oneness.

the circle, the stone circles of the druids, eternity, the great maw,the Galactic Center.

 

The fool is Enlightened allready,

Things will never be the same. Be extremely mindful of every thought you think every feeling, every word and deed . It is time to be loosed from the veils of illusion and freed. 

People who have been working consciously on themselves, the Baby boomers who are now in late 60’s early 70’s like Bob Dylan, the Beatles,Ram Das, early technicians of the sacred, Stuart Brand, Stanislav Grof, and the Indigo children who were born since the 50;s have achieved veryhigh levels of non-ego awareness and are committed to the spiritually conscious way of life, for being spiritual metaphysical messengers. Working with their communities, developing new paradigms there are  so many I can’t list them all here.

Since the first official consciousness raising worldwide event the Harmonic convergence of Aug 16-17 1987 think about how far and how fast We’ve gotten to now.

 So be prepared for Quantum Leaps INTO worlds you may have only glimpsed and not even imagined yet.Expect miracle everyday and no-limitations. You will experience things you may have only sensed in dreams and even the totally unimagined, we are going Collectively down the rabbit hole in the year of the rabbit!!!!!  Alice in Wonderland re-imagined by Tim Burton in 2010 is a huge portend and an archetypal prophesier of the collective consciousness shifts upon us.  Facing the Jabberwocky dragon, no matter how small weak, ill fitted or prepared is what we al have to do. We are all Alice in the looking glass, needing to fight out fears, to become self- autonomous. I believe there is a movie called down the rabbit hole using Quantum Physics as the metaphor for this mirror world.

 Astrologically the planets are corresponding to the Mayan system somewhat.. 

Uranus the planet of Revolutionary Higher consciousness enters ARIES March 11

Beginning a brand new 84-year cycle Uranus has been at the 29 th degree of Pisces, the last critical degree in a whole karmic round Uranus’s revolutionary impulses and its square to the Galactic Center for most of 2011 is shown as the sudden revolutionary urge for freedom in Egypt, Tunisia Libya, Yemen etc. Uranus was in early aries during the Great Depression in 1929. 

Neptune the planet of Spirituality bliss, oneness, enters its’ home sign of Pisces 4/04/011 

When a planet is passing through its home sign it is at its most powerful, it’s just like you, at home!Uranus when it entered its ruling sign of Aquarius in 1995 is when the Internet really took off.Uranus has been transiting Pisces and Neptune has been transiting Aquarius for the last few years binging what’s called mutual reception.Enabling Uranian technology to make us all totally interconnected and conscious of each other’s words instantaneously allowing for revolutions to start from tweets etc.  Neptune will enture Pisces in 2011 and back into Aquarius Aug 6^th it won’t finally enter Pisces until 2012

Neptune takes 164 years to orbit the sun. Neptune has been at the pint it was discovered at 25 degrees of Aquarius for most for 2010. Neptune was the first planet discovered by mathematical deduction. So for us earthlings we are having our 2nd birthday consciously of Neptune. Traditionally Jupiter was the ruler of Pisces. Jupiter is in Aries for most of 2011 indicating a new cycle in action from that spiritual dreamy space.

Dream work is going to become extremely popular; telepathy is going to start just happening everywhere. You will not be able to eat that hamburger anymore without sensing the poor animals life which has been so cruelly treated, used, killed, objectified, used so selfishly for greed.  Our ancestors would always thank any life it took because then the animal had sacrificed itself in order to come into a participation mystique a sacred communion with a human life.

So be prepared, as you may feel overwhelmed when all the false bridges between minds come toppling like a great string of dominoes.

There will be a lot of craziness too. As those egos will be naked, unsupported, outcast, ghosts, like cast off fashions, as fast as John Galliano was fired after being caught saying love Hitler, that’s the way it is going to be everywhere! So better get on your knees bous and start redeeming yourselves.

There will be no place to hide, no foxhole, no island. Only a pure and tender heart, and a clear conscience. 

Chiron, the wounded healer is in Pisces Feb 9 where it will stay for the next 8 years.

The only healing is through spiritual healing, compassion, forgiveness, and act as Jesus acted, as the Buddha taught, cast no stones, love thy neighbour. There won’t be an Armageddon, though lots of tyrants like old Gaddafi there will end up committing suicide as his tyrannical insane regime dies.

Smaller cycles: 

LOVE:  Venus in AQUARIUS March March 1^st – March 26

Venus Goddess of love, values, money, arts, beauty In Airy revolutionary Aquarius open sour hearts to humanitarian ideals, freedom, innovation, So out with that old stale stodgy relationship or reinvent it. 

ACTION: Mars is in Pisces from Feb 22- APRIL FOOL’S day

Mars in Pisces simmers the testosterone down, heights emotions, defences can go up to protect very tender underbellies, Mars is what we fight for, what we die for, where we are the most deluded, where we are most under the illusion of the macho- see Gaddafi Or Charlie Sheen’s meltdown from drugs, delusions, truth. Pisces is the last sign, on Bliss, oneness, karma; Mars in Pisces is defending the last stand And we can see the event in Libya being mirrored here now. 

The True North Node in Sagittarius March 3- 2012

A new  higher truth 1.5 year cycle of consciousness begins when the North Node of the Moon {The Dragon’s head or Rahu in Vedic Astrology} shows what the collective consciousness is open to. In Sagittarius it is all about expansion of truth, of higher learning of guidance from the Master Teachers in esoteric teachings Jupiter ruler of Sagittarius and of Pisces traditionally, is the home of the Master Teachers. We will collectively be seeking out highest truth, being honest, transparent.  In search of spiritual law sacred law not man made law. From what I understand, the Mayan’s mythology believes that souls emanate from and return to Source.

Through the Galactic Centre, a huge black hole 23 million Light years away but clearly visible as a dark rift, a “cosmic vagina” at the Centre of our Milky Way Galaxy.

This space was and is seen as the birthplace. Doorway to birth and death for all of us. It is our home and destination. In other words it is attuning to the highest Source, it is Feminine in Nature. We are now 1.5 years from the famous Mayan Dec 21 2012 date. It is like the Hebrew Ain Soph Aur the unknowable God/dess head the  “darkness that is all Light.”

At Spring Equinox the North node aligns with the Galactic Center 27 degrees of Sagittarius tropical astrology. 

Almost anything can happen, anywhere anytime. Be at peace within yourself.

Meditate ont he true nature of the selfless Self. See you self everywhere.  You are the Beloved, we are evolving to this place whenwe can turn around and see OURSELF everywehere.

Well its been along  journey,16 Billion years,but really only a blink of an eye.

Are you a particle or are you a wave?

Now what?    

I leave you with the lyrics to Talking Heads David Byrne’s song

Time isn’t holding us,  time isn’t after us, Time isn’t holding us, time doesn’t hold you back

Time isn’t holding us, time isn’t after us, Time isn’t holding us,

Letting the days go by,

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was,

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

Imbolc,Candlemas,St. Brigid’s Day,Groundhog Day Feb 1-2 Tara Greene rituals

Feb. 1st –2nd IMBOLC Traditional Irish and Pagan Holiday Celebrations

 

 

 

Traditionally what we modern Westerners know as Groundhog Day was and is, on Feb 1st or 2nd is celebrated in the Modern Irish Calendar as Saint Brigid’s Day,or Bride’s Day. Both a Catholic and an ancient Pagan Celebration,an ancient Goddess tradition, also called Imbolc, still celebrated by Wiccans/Pagan based Earth honouring religions. Christians overlaid the Ancient Goddess worshipers’ holiday renaming it Candlemas or the fest of the Purification of the Virgin. This celebration also relates to the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.

It is a “cross-quarter” day in the 8 rounds of the Wheel of Time in the Solar based year. Since the Celtic Year was based on both lunar and solar cycles, it is most likely the holiday would be celebrated on the Full Moon nearest those 2 midpoints, when early spring flowers would begin to rise up through the snow, and snakes would come out of the ground. This is the precursor of the Groundhog, which the Romans replaced with a Hedgehog, which we… On Feb. 2nd this year there is a NEW MOON IN AQUARIUS at 12:45 am EST.
That Ancient peoples of Ireland kept this day as very sacred. At the Megalithic and Neolithic sites, such as the Loughcrew burial mounds and the Mound of the Hostages in Tara, Ireland, the inner chambers of the passage tombs are perfectly aligned with the rising sun of both Imbolc and Samhain attesting to the value placed on this day.

Triple Goddess/Saint Brigid/Bride

She is according to Robert Graves, the most Ancient Triple Goddess worshipped since time out of mind. The Goddess rules over scholars and poets. She is the Goddess of fire and inspirations in Ireland, the Goddess of poetry, creativity, smithcraft and healing. She also rules healing with water, and divination. She is said to rule over people who work with cows and chickens, brewers, fugitives, midwives, infants, printers, sailors, travelers, New Zealand, & Irish nuns. This day symbolizes a time of transitions, initiations, new beginnings, of planting seeds that will sprout later. Brigid/Birgita represents the light half of the year,Her power brings the people out of the dark season of winter into spring, so, it is a very important time of the year.

She is the Goddess of Augury

In the Druidic tradition, poetry and augury were associated. She is patron of prophets and seers.

Celtic seers divined by looking into deep water and into flames. This is a great time to do divination. STare at a candle, a fireplace with conscious intention. Call upon Brigid to come to you.

Triple Goddess

She has two sisters with the same name. One aspect of her carries a blacksmith tongs and a sword, because she is also patroness of war; another aspect holds 2 healing snakes, from which the modern Doctor’s symbol is derived, the caduceus, the third aspect carries a wand with a crescent moon and a tablet.

Elements

Brigid rules the Waters. Many healing springs are dedicated to Brigid. Natural bodies of water also signify Her presence, particularly where three streams joined together. She also rules Fire, so it is customary to make candles for the coming year and bless them on this day.

Protecting Goddess

In her aspect as Brigantia, she carries a spear, an orb of victory, and wears a war crown. She symbolizes protection of the country from invaders and slavery.

Midwives

As Patroness of Midwives, she was invoked at the door of the home where the woman was giving birth, by the midwife. Who speke:

Bride, Bride, come in! Thy welcome is truly made, Give thou relief to the woman, And give thou the conception to the Trinity.

Brigid is the guardian of every newborn, their cradles protected with a woven Brigit’s Cross, an equal armed cross. Upon a safe delivery, the infant was blessed or “sained” by the midwife, with 3 drops of water on the child’s forehead, dedicating the Child to the Triple Goddess. The “Holy Trinity” in its modernized Christian aspect, was just an overlay of the Goddess Triple Aspect since time out of memory. A candle was carried ‘round the bed sun wise three times. As Brigid is a Solar Goddess. We think of the Sun as masculine but originally all aspects of the Universe were considered Feminine.

Brigid Ruler of the Hearth

Especially in Gaelic Scotland, Brigid’s dolls are placed near the hearth on her Feast Day. The doll is usually dressed in white, decorated. A white wand is placed in her bed as a fertility charm. As she is patroness of agriculture, pastures, livestock, and abundance. An offering is made to her of dairy products. The Brigid doll is kept throughout the year near the hearth hung on a wall, or by a door, as a talisman of protection, then burnt the next year.

Light a Candle and Invoke the Goddess at this time-

I kindle this candle in the name of Brighid, Goddess of Smiths,

I sain this house in the name of Brighid, Goddess of Healers,

I smoor this candle in the name of Brighid, Goddess of Poets.

One folk tradition still continues in both Christian and Pagan homes on St. Brigid’s Day is that of St. Brigid’s Bed. Girls and young unmarried women create corn dollies to represent Brigid, these are adorned with ribbons, baubles shells or stones. A bed is made for the doll to lie in. On St. Brigid’s Eve Jan 31, the girls gather together in one house and stay up all night with the doll, are are later visited by all the young men, who ask permission to enter the home, and then treat the young maidens and the dolly with respect. The next day the girls carry the doll through the neighbourhood from house to house, where she is welcomed with great honour. Adult women stay home to welcome the Brigid procession and offer snacks and coins to the young girls and maidens.

Brigid is said to walk the earth on Imbolc eve. Feb 1st. Before going to bed, each member of the household may leave a piece of clothing or strip of fabric outside for Brigid to bless. The cloth are brought inside the next morning, believed to now have the powers of healing and protection.

BRIGID is alive and well.

The name “Britain” is a derivation of Brigit’s name. Britain was named for an ancient Celtic tribe, the Brigantes, who were the largest Celtic tribe in the country in pre-Roman times who worshipped Her as their Deity. The tribe originated from an area now called Bregenz in Austria near Lake Constance. The word “brigand” comes from this tribe of fierce warriors. Her symbol is a flaming spear. Her worship spread, leaving behind places named in Her honour-Brittany in France, Brechin in Scotland, the name Brent, in England, any name containing Bride. Britain’s symbol, the Goddess Brigantia, still found on their 50 cent coin is Brigid in her aspect as Goddess of the Land. In Old German/Yiddish the word “Fabrent” meaning burnt honours this Ancient Goddess. Of course Britany Spears is carrying the modern archetype of Brigid, and strangely enough one of Brigid’s symbols is a flaming spear!

A Sample of prayers used at St. Bridgid’s Day

Light 1 candle-

We gather together in this time of darkness. We look to the return of the light.

We look to the first light of Spring.

(Light two more candles.)

Goddess Midwife: Healer, Nurturer, and Herbalist.

Goddess Poetess: Bringer of Wisdom, Guidance and Prophesy.

Goddess Smithcraft: Keeper of Fire, Craftswomen, and Transformation.

Maiden, Mother, and Crone – A Triple Goddess.

Her symbols are Brigid’s cross, the flaming arrow, Brigid’s bed.

It was customary to write wishes upon scraps of cloth

and tie them to the bushes near her sacred wells.

This is Her Time of Year, a very special moment.

Her day is the Second of February,

A day upon which to seek wisdom from inside the Earth.

In the time before Patrick, serpents were sent

because they dwell in both worlds, above ground and below.

In Christian Times, the serpent became a Groundhog.

Our lady is a goddess of many aspects: Crone, Matron,

but she is pictured most often as the maiden.

Chant: Welcome Brigid, Welcome Brigid (the burning arrow of the power – Bridgette)

(Candles are lit. Maiden Goddess appears.)

Brigid: Blessings of the season upon you, my People.

I am She, that is the natural mother of all things,

Mistress and governess of all the elements,

The initial progeny of worlds,

Chief of the powers divine,

Queen of all that are in the other world,

the principal of them that dwell above,

Manifested alone and under one form

Of all the Gods and Goddesses.

Festival of coming Spring, Groundhog Day