Brigid

There were so many great blog posts I read this year written about Imbolic, I decided to forgo my plan to publish one on our blog.  Instead I thought I'd showcase a wonderful book I picked up last year on Brigid, the goddess of spring in Celtic mythology, the goddess whose festival is Imbolic.

The book Brigid, by Courtney Weber, was published in 2015 by Weiser Books, and it really is a wonderful historical exploration of not only the goddess herself, but the Celtic mythology, religion, meditations and practices which surround her.  

This book is very intelligently written and well researched.  

It was honestly a joy to read...and I learned quite a bit.

Anyone with serious interest in Brigid and Celtic history should consider

adding it to their library.

Brigid is available on Amazon.

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Happy Spring, Ostara, and Day of Happiness

Today is the first day of the Spring Vernal Equinox.

  It is also the 

International Day of Happiness,

and also, this year, the celebration of the pagan and wiccan holiday Ostara.

The name Ostara, is derived from the Anglo-Saxon and Germanic

goddess of fertility, Eostre, or Ostara.

It is the marking of the new season which moves from the darkness of 

winter to the light of spring.

Spring, happiness, Ostara.

Three different celebrations basically advocating the

same thing...to experience a positive rebirth.
I hope yours is wonderful!

Enjoy your day

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A May Day and Beltane Blessing

Everyone I talk to is impatient for warm and sunny days, tired of the cloud cover and chill air of the darker half of the year. I'm certainly ready to celebrate the green growth of spring! This desire to feel sun on our skin and soil beneath our fingernails makes Beltane - or May Day as it is generally practiced today - such a comfortable, accessible holiday. May Day is widely and openly celebrated through the British Isles, as well as in many places in the US. People dance around the May Pole, sit by bonfires, and gladly toss their winter worries away as they look ahead to brighter days. Dreams come back to life, as we draw upon the fertile energy of the day.

Spring Nymphs by Emily Balivet

Traditionally, Beltane was celebrated by the Celts with much dancing, drinking, music, merriment, and romance. It was one of the two most important of their celebrations - celebrating the light half of the year. The name Beltane is believed to mean "fires of Bel" and honors the ancient sun god Beli, or Belanus. Druids looked after the Beltane fires, by which people and their livestock would pass, with the belief that they would be cleansing themselves of the illness or misfortunes they may have experienced through winter, and perhaps blessing them with good fortune for the months to come.


We can light our own bonfires, and we can honor any deity we like... We can make a May Pole or just make some music... what I think is important if we are to celebrate Beltane today is that essential message of taking a deep breath of fresh spring air, embracing the renewed life of warmer seasons, purifying ourselves of our past troubles, and looking with openness to the growth ahead.

About the artwork... This is the beautiful Spring Nymphs by Emily Balivet. Please take a look in her shop, for more exquisite, mythological goddess art.

In addition, if you would like to learn more about the history and tradition of Beltane, we invite you to watch this short, beautiful machinima film, Beltane Blessing by Celestial Elf.  It's absolutely enchanting...a magical way to start your day!

~ nellie levine

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You may also enjoy:

Mind Body Spirit Odyssey Artist's Interview with Emily Balivet

Lughnasadh Blessings

My Path, Your Path: Many Roads Lead to OZ

The History of Valentine's Day

Researching the historical roots of any Holiday practice usually produces interesting findings!  That's what happened to me while reading about Valentine's Day.  The excerpt below was taken from a wonderful book, "Saints Preserve Us" by Sean Kelly and Rosemary Rogers.  Enjoy your Valentine's Day!
        ~ diane


"The martyrdoms of three different Saints named Valentine are celebrated on this day; in various Roman churches eight complete bodies (and one head) of Valentine are venerated.  One of these a priest and/or physician beheaded in 269, is traditionally invoked against blindness and epilepsy.

The association of this date with courtship may arise from the mid-February pagan fertility feast of Lupercalia, and/or from the medieval belief that birds chose their mates on this day.

"Valentines" were originally cards that boys drew by lot, inscribed with names of girls to be courted.  An attempt to improve this custom by substituting the names of Saints to be emulated was once made, without much success, by Saint Francis de Sales."

Valentine graphic from Creative Commons.

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You may also enjoy reading:
Who was Saint Patrick?

Beltane Blessings

It seems that everyone I talk to is impatient for warm and sunny days, tired of the cloud cover and chill air of the darker half of the year. I'm certainly ready to celebrate the green growth of spring! This desire to feel sun on our skin and soil beneath our fingernails makes Beltane - or May Day as it is generally practiced today - such a comfortable, accessible holiday. May Day is widely and openly celebrated through the British Isles, as well as in many places in the US. People dance around the May Pole, sit by bonfires, and gladly toss their winter worries away as they look ahead to brighter days. Dreams come back to life, as we draw upon the fertile energy of the day.

Traditionally, Beltane was celebrated by the Celts with much dancing, drinking, music, merriment, and romance. It was one of the two most important of their celebrations - celebrating the light half of the year. The name Beltane is believed to mean "fires of Bel" and honors the ancient sun god Beli, or Belanus. Druids looked after the Beltane fires, by which people and their livestock would pass, with the belief that they would be cleansing themselves of the illness or misfortunes they may have experienced through winter, and perhaps blessing them with good fortune for the months to come.

We can light our own bonfires, and we can honor any deity we like... We can make a May Pole or just make some music... what I think is important if we are to celebrate Beltane today is that essential message of taking a deep breath of fresh spring air, embracing the renewed life of warmer seasons, purifying ourselves of our past troubles, and looking with openness to the growth ahead.

About the artwork... This is the beautiful 'May Queen' by Emily Balivet. Please visit her shop for exquisite mythological goddess art.  To find out more about this wonderful artist, read our Artist Interview with Emily.

~ Nellie Levine

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