What will you do over Imbolc?

The time of Imbolc

In the Ancient Calendar Samhain may be a celebration and closure of the past year and a fresh start for the year ahead. After 3 months of keeping the hearth stoked and the winter flame alive we now wake up to what is called Imbolc a time of midwifery, a bith of new things with a helping hand.

Its when the first lambs are born and skipping and when the snowdrops first open, well they do in Ireland as there always seems to be a brief temperature boost now.

In ancient Ireland this was the time of most human births too. Way back in times before central heating, lighting, food imports for winter and freezer food storage winter births and caring for infant children through winter was dangerous. The lively fire festival of Beltaine in May used to be regarded as the sexual passion and conceiving time to time births to be at this time. Brighid was regarded as nurse who arrived to care and protect during the last three months of pregnancy through the harshest months of the year. She was then seen to be present at birth and for the birth to bless health and protection for the year ahead and beyond.

There are some lovely traditions for this time that are very easy to set up and be part of.

What day is Imbolc?

The complication is when to be part of the tradition. Its not a thing to worry about too much because lambs are not all born on the same day and snowdrops do not all open on the same day too.

The Roman Calendar has forced the honouring of Brigid to be on February 1st.

The ancient Celts, and older, honourned the night of the full moon closest to what we call scientifically call today the "Spring Cross Quarter Day". This is the exact midpoint of time between Yule, the midwinter solstice, and Oestra, the spring equinox.

This year the lunar Imbolc is close, Friday, February 2nd

Preparing for Brigid and Imbolc

The basic and most pleasant tradition, I feel, is the honouring of Brighid or Brigid through a meditation by an open fire in your home before you retire to bed. If you do not have an open fire in your home assemble an alter with white candles, one being taller than the rest. Do not let the main candle go out, even if it means staying up all night.

Before this, if it is a clear night, watch the moon rise. It is said that this is what guides Brigid to us for this night. In Ireland, Scotland and parts of elsewhere, this is the night the visiting whooper swans from the Artic start their journey back home after breeding. These are the same whooper swans that arrive during the night of the full moon near Samhain in late October or early November. It is said these swans are the spirit of Brigid. During this full moon in Ireland and Scotland it is possible to catch a V formation of swans starting to head home.

Oh, and before the sun even sets, and especially before the moon rises, natural cloth or ribbons of wool, cotton or linen should be hung outside on your windows, doors, tree, whatever you feel is right. This tradition is for the passing Brighid to weave her spell into the cloth and protect your home for the year to come. If possible this cloth should be red and never of man made fibres.

Beside the Hearth

Back beside the fire a choice has to be made. Some feel that this meditation, which can and often extends through the night, is exclusive to women, mothers and their daughters. If the choice is given for men of the home to join in the men have to give total respect to the women, the spirit of women and shine the feminine energies within themselves. It is not a time for inviting men outside of your home to join you.

This meditation, which can include quietness, Brigid guided stories, songs and poems of Brigid and nature and even wishes and prayers around the spirit of Brighid, healing, protection, and yields of abundance may be shared.

If men of the house are present and the whole household retires to bed the reed Brigid crosses of the past year are burned, the new cross or crosses are hung over the hearth and the man puts out the fire and levels the ashes with the aid of a rowan branch. This closing of fire and hanging of new Brigid crosses is a Samhain tradition in some areas but is now more common at Imbolc. Personally I feel its is more suited to Samhain. Either way, it is then the purpose of the man who closed the fire to inspect it the following morning to see if the mark of a webbed foot is present. If so, it means that Brigid, in the image of a swan, visited and blessed the house and family. The way this is actually conducted is very similar to Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. I will say no more :-)

Caring for the Brideog Doll

The tradition just presented is probably the oldest tradition but there's another strong tradition that is probably closer linked to the Celtic Christian Brigid, and this is one favoured by most women. It can include the burning of old Brigid reed crosses and hanging new crosses but the most important part of this women only tradition is the Brideog doll. This doll is also made from reeds, dressed in a white dolly dress and affixed to this is a crystal, usually quartz. Before dark, and especially before moonrise,

Its also very important for the Brideog doll to be made by an unmarried women who has never had children. By tradition these dolls were made only by virgins but today there is a little broader allowance of girls and women that qualify.

Equally important is for the men of the household to leave the home before sunset and especially before moonrise and never return until after sunrise, so they had better make arrangements to be elsewhere beforehand. Some homes relax this rule by ensuring that just part of their home is totally out of bounds for men from sunset until sunrise. This is where the wedding tradition of men not being allowed to see the bride in her dress until she reaches the church alter at the time of marriage. Likewise, the men should never see the reed or corn dolly of Brigid until after sunrise the following morning. Interestingly, by the same tradition, in ancient times when this was a time of human births men were not allowed to be present at births until the baby was born. Birth was supposed to be a joint experience of the mother and the midwife, the human nurse of Brigid, with nobody else present.

With the dressed doll of Brigid in a bed of reeds the ladies of the home would stay up all night to keep the fires and the candles burning. When the sun rises the men of the home knock on the door and ask for permission to enter. At first they must plead humbleness to the Brigid doll and then to each of the women of the house. The women then serve and prepare breakfast for the men in exchange for their respect and humbleness.

After Sunrise

After breakfast, the young daughters of the home take the Brigid doll around to neighbours and the tradition continues like trick or treat at Halloween with the daughters asking each house to ask what the doll's name is and to accept gifts of nuts, fruit etc. Today, this visiting ceremony is usually converted into a fund-raiser for a local need or cause.

After or during the time the daughters share their doll with neighbours many people congregate around their local Holy Well, and many of the Irish Holy Wells are dedicated to Brighid. Today people will travel miles to get to a Holy well specially dedicated to Brighid. A similar meditation to the fireside meditation is shared around the well and water from the well is sprinkled on all present as a blessing.

This well tradition is important because Imbolc is in the middle of the time that Sun is in Aquarius. The Aquarius symbol is currently either flowing water of life or a water-bearer pouring a pot of water of life. A more ancient symbol of Aquarius is Brighid passing water either from a cauldron or pot or even from herself but always to give life. The shared water sprinkling beside a well is receiving the tradition taught by that ancient Aquarius symbol.

Solar Imbolc?

So what about the "real" Imbolc, the solar Imbolc, the precise time of the midpoint?

This, I feel, is a time to honour Imbolc more as a time of nature than as a spirit of Brighid. This is a time to leave the home before sunrise and journey to a sacred place for the solar Imbolc sunrise. In Ireland, so far I have found the most dramatic spot to be Cairn L at Loughcrew. There is a free standing quartz standing stone that lights up like a torch for a few minutes at the point of sunrise, as long as the sky is clear. See my blog for Samhain when the same phenomena happens and you can see photos there. The most popular sacred site for Imbolc sunrise today is the Mound of The Hostages at Tara Hill in Co. Meath.

With the current tense political challenge protesting about the M3 motorway being built near Tara Hill I expect this site to be very, very busy this year. If you would like to join me for a quieter Imbolc sunrise at Loughcrew, please email me quickly.

Also, I prefer to delay the Holy Well blessing tradition until the solar Imbolc morning, which this year, 2007, is Sunday, February 4th.

And my own example

Personally, I will let Feb 1st slide but will probably cheat by not making my own Brigid crosses but trying to buy some somewhere. I hear that Eithne Quirke, wife of wonderful Sligo storyteller Michael Quirke has made some. They are at Wine Street, Sligo town, Ireland, so pop along yourselves, chat to Micheal, check out his incredible carvings as well as Eithne's Brigid crosses and dolls. I do believe the dolls were made by her yet unmarried and without child daughter so all is well there.

Feb 2nd, I do not and probably will not have any ladies present living in my home so I will be by my turf fire hearth honouring and humbling to the wonderful ladies in my life present and in spirit.

Feb 4th, I will be out and about, hopefully sharing a sunrise as a special sacred place with one or two people followed by a blessing at a holy well.

So I wish you all a wonderful passing of Imbolc.

Let me know if you wish to share solar Imbolc with us at sunrise Feb 4th

Brigid Wells in Ireland

Meanwhile, these are perhaps the most important Brigid Wells in Ireland.
Most will have their big mass on Feb 1st, some on Feb 2nd

Tully, Co. Kildare; (just outside Kildare town)
Faughart, Co. Louth;
Dunteer, Co. Louth;
Marlerstown ,Co. Louth;
Outeragh parish, Co. Leitrim
Inismagrath parish, Co. Leitrim;
Killinagh parish, Co. Cavin; (well dry, but important healing stones)
Ardagh, Co. Longford;
Uisneach, Co. Westmeath; (near the pub)
Kilranelagh parish, Co. Carlow;
Liscannor, Co. Clare;
Buttevant, Co. Cork;
Castlemanger, Co. Cork;

There's also a lovely well in Co. Meath I often visit on the R125 Dunshauchlin (on M3 south of Tara) to Swords Road. I have misplaced my ordnance survey map of that area so I am unable to give nearest townland or village and I cannot find it on the web. If you travel east along the R125 from Dunshauchlin its well signposted on the road, but I cannot even remember if its before or after Ratoath.

Who is Brigid?

The Brigid Shrine

Brighid, Brigid, Bridget, Bride etc
all names evolved from her ancient name of Breo-saighead
literally translated as "fire with a point", Flame.

No wonder that in winter a fireplace in Ireland is often known as Brigid's Hearth, "an Alter of the Flame"

Not so long ago every home in Ireland had some shrine to St. Patrick and St. Brigid, Brigid above and around the fire and Patrick at or near the door.

A Brigid shrine would not be complete without a cross wove from rushes to honour the legend that Brigid's first cross was one she woved from rushes that covered the floor of her home. Celtic Christians record that the Brigid who became St. Brigid, was born around 451 at Faughart, near Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. She is said to have lived until February 1st 525, the year she passed from this world from Kildare, Ireland. Her passing was peaceful and of natural causes and her body was carried to Downpatrick where her remains still share those sacred grounds St Patrick and St Columba, except her head. Mysteriously, St. Brigid's head was removed and buried beside a Jesuit Church in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Christian Brigid

The story of how Brigid became Christian and dedicated herself to a live of celibacy and service. Some stories start this journey from Faughart. Others say it commenced when she was converted from Druid to Christian on Iona, indicating she was Scottish. With the Faughert story it is said her father was a Scottish Pict who had become a King Of Leinster, Ireland. Some stories tell of the same conversion from Derry where her father was a Scottish born druid but Brigid became Christian.

The story I like best is her commencement of Christian calling at Oughteragh, near Ballinamore in Co. Leitrim. This in an area very close to Celtic and Tuatha De Dannan legends of Brigid. Its as if this is the place of her incarnations. I find visiting this region has a deep effect. It is an area rich in the origin of many traditions, much deeper than mere legends. From Oughteragh it is said that Brigid learned, served and ordained at Abbeylara Monastery. Mysteriously there is also a lot of Columcille reference in the Abbeylara area including the Columcille GAA sports ground in a very low population area.

Arrival at Cill Dara

All of the Christian Brigid stories move into Druin Criadh on the plains of Magh Life, where Brigid lit a fire under a large oak tree and around this flame led the creation of her Convent of Cill-Dara, "the church of the oak" (now Kildare). More important, Brigid's small oratory, at Cill- Dara, grew to become one of Europe's most important centres for learning and wisdom. This was not just a place for nuns, for women, because Brigid founded a monastery for men too and appointed Conleth as it's spiritual leader. Brigid also founded a school of art, that interestingly included smithing as an art. Interesting, because the Tuatha De Dannan Brighid was a goddess of smithing along with healing and poetry.

The Brigid child of Faughart had a royal father but a slave mother, according to an early monastic scribe called Cogitosus. He wrote that she shared the kitchen and farm duties of her slave mother where she learned to care for cattle, make butter and cheese and cure pork into bacon. Through this writing, Cogitosus excels Brigid into stories of miracles of multiplying small amounts of food so that it fed many poor people.

Brigid Accepts The Veil

There are even tales of her stealing possessions from her father that she melted down and re-smithed into cultivation tools for the poor too. Eventually at a royal court the king recognized the spirit behind her "crimes". Instead of being ensalved to live like her mother Brigid was invited to make a vow of chastity and accept the "veil" from a bishop.

It is said that after ordaining, though I suspect that for being a woman she was never ordained, she travelled around Ireland with her own Christian mission through the eyes of a woman, maybe with Mary as her guide, but more likely as a true goddess. While elevating the spirits of women by showing them their true "goddess" spirit that flowed through their nurturing, healing, nutrition, care and protection she grew a collection of lady followers who finally settled with her at Cill Dara.

Rekindling Brigid's Flame

It seems very natural and even essential for many women still follow Brigid to Kildare, or at least the spirit of Cill Dara, especially women who have served their time as physical mothers to their children and have evolved to become part of the mother spirit of earth. Within the flame of Brigid, whether at the site of Kildare or within the spirit of Cill Dara women are able to re-kindle their flame.

This is not exclusive to women because Brigid's flame is also there to warm the feminine values within all men. This may be why Brigid established a school of art so that men could cross the veil that separates their masculinity spirit from their femininity spirit.

I feel the time from Samhain to beyond Imbolc is a time for men to lay down their swords and explore their art and gentleness because during the warmer days of Beltaine and Lughnasa are times of swords and blades to manage, harvest and even cull the yields from the caring months before.

Brigid's Scribes

It is said that the trilogy of leaders of Celtic Christianity were Saints Patrick, Columcille and Brigid and remains of all three remain at Downpatrick. One mystery is that from the three there is no known manuscripts handwritten by St. Brigid yet she is said to have created schools. Several other saints, such as St. Urbana, are claimed to have written what Brigid dictated but saints did not have the pens or lettering to write quickly like we have today and they certainly did not have dictation machines.

Another consideration is the competition there must have been between the early universities of Patrick in Armagh, Fenian's at Clonard and Brigid's in KIldare. Even the ministry of early Celtic Christianity was largely an exclusive club for men. It must have been very hard for these "wise men" to even recognize Brigid as a priest so how could they have venerated her as a saint? We could say the same for other early lady saints like Attracta and Lazier, both with legends and traditions around the Bréifne region of Ireland, just like Brigid.

A wonderful mystery is how the early Christian scribes, male monks, wrote about Brigid as having connection to pre-Christian faiths. Any other "holy" woman would have faced danger if she was linked to any "pagan" connection.

I believe that early Irish became Christian on condition that they could hold onto their Brigid traditions instead of worshiping the Virgin Mary. Eventually I believe the Virgin mother evolved into the early Irish Christian faith as long as Brigid was maintained as Jesus' midwife. For the early Celtic Irish to accept Christ as a son of God, Brigid had to be present at his birth. Brigid was always present at the birth of druids.

The Tales Of The Scribes

One thing that is misunderstood about early Christian scribes is that they were not historians. They were merely script writers. The stories of the pre Christian "gods" and "goddesses" had been carried by oral tradition by bards for probably 2000 years, and maybe more. The scribes seem to have taken these stories, compared them to the stories of miracles from "holy" land scriptures and then applied the same stories to the folk heros of ancient Ireland. In fact is was probably the scribes that transformed what were known as wise and educated people into a vision of "gods" and "goddesses".

One example could be the "water to wine" miracles. Today, if we have a bitter drink our urge is to sweeten it. Ireland's water flows through limestone and turf. In later summer, when flowing water is reduced, this water can taste quite bitter. However, in late summer we are blessed with sweet blackberries, raspberries and bilberries that if added to water would sweeten it and turn it into a burgundy colour. Would it be exciting to tell people that story? Some of you reading now may even have already rejected it due to your faith in the water to wine miracles. Therefore, scribes would, instead, write the water to wine drama to capture interest and even faith and following.

The writings of these scribes evolved into sacred circle miracle plays which then incarnated into the traditions of Mummer's Plays and roots of many elements of theatre and film we have today. Again, another subject I am personally passionate about. In ancient times stories would travel with bards and tought to other bards. Stories would further mutate to adapt to replace the heros or other countries and even other regions of Ireland. Even in our Co. Sligo some Brigid traditions shared at Imbolc in parts of the county are shared at Samhain in other parts of the county.

Was Grainne really Brighid?

One of the most famous bardic tales of Celtic Ireland is the story of the romance of Dairmuid and Grainne which sounds so real and factual, but was it? The bardic story is that Grainne, daughter of King Cormac, was arranged to be married to the very elderly Finn McChuill, leader of the Fianna, Cormac's warriors. She fell for one of the younger warriors, Dairmuid and they ran of together. The tales rambles on about the chase by Finn McCuill and the final settling of Dairmuid and Grainne in fertile lands below Ceis Corroan cave. Years later Dairmuid was killed off, Finn McCuill married Grainne but she committed suicide by jumping out of a chariot on a very bumpy part of Tara Hill.

Here's another version. Cormac, Grainne's father was born by Ceis Corroan cave and is said to have spent his first year in the cave and raised by wolves. Ceis Corroan Cave is the cave of Morrigan, mother of the Tuatha De Dannan Brighid. Where Grainne fell out of the chariot on Tara Hill is said to have become a site of healing pilgrimage for people with headaches. This site is also said to be a Brigid site. Another lesser known tale does tell this story with the characters of Brigid and Lugh and all along it does fit the ancient locations and symbols of both of them. Part of the Dairmuid and Grainne Story tells of them spending every night at a different ancient dolmen, sacred ancient structures probably built by the Tautha De Dannan. It would make more sense to tell this story using the names of Brigid and Lugh as there visiting spirits would be in harmony with re-charging these sites with light and fertility. Another story does tell of Cormac being a father of triplet daughters all called Brig who each grew to be leaders of healing, bardic arts and education.

The Sacred Goddesses of Ireland

At the time of the late Tuatha De Dannan and early Mils (Celts) it seems each region of Ireland had a goddess ruling it. Ulster had Morrighan, Leinster had Boann (BUinne), Munster had Beare (BhEirri) and Connaught had Maeve. The current region names came later but did maintain similar borders set up by the tribes of the Firbolgs, a tribe before the De Dannans. Stories tell of Brighid being daughter of Morrighan and Boann with Morrighan being first, fathered by Daghda, then Boann, fathered by one of Daghda's sons, Angeus Og.

Brigid of Leinster, Patrick of the rest

During the Early Christian times it seems Brigid eventually became the "goddess" of Leinster. Politics that evolved from the growing family clans that were becoming tribes tried to be instrumental in steering the church. Priests and Abbots were eventually given land, territories and influence in treaties and judgements. Brigid, being a woman, was not entitled to any of these positions. Somehow, in due course, the influence of Patrick's mission from Armagh ruled the administration of early Christianity throughout Ireland, except for much of Leinster that Brigid remained teacher of, if not a kind of owner of. Despite Patrick's "spiritual" rulership of most of Ireland all of the told miracles connected to land and nature were all credited to Brigid. Its as if St. Brigid was the spirit of nature just like the Celtic and especially the Tuatha De Dannan Brighid was. Lesser known was that Brigid's Leinster became a place where women were never to be slaves. The region became a sanctuary for slaves of men from other regions and the men are said to have never entered the region to reclaim their slaves.

Brighid Tradition told through ancient symbols

The ancient Goddess of Brigid we think of today is surely another incarnation of her based on the stories, traditions and wisdoms of the past brought to the present and through divine guidance synthesized by nature for our time today.

The Astrology tradition was passed onto me by my family but rather than use this wisdom for diagnosis, trends and even prediction I am fascinated by its mechanics. The progression of the Great Year, I find the most fascinating. I will not explain it here but it's cycle takes about 25,000 years. Many "mystics" claim were are now in the early days of Aquarius that followed over 2000 years of the age of Pisces. Again, I will not write many words on this here but see if you can think of how the story of Jesus and the symbols of the Christian religion fits into the symbols and legends of Pisces and its opposite Virgo the virgin.

The most familiar symbol for Aquarius is of flowing water and sometimes a man or goat pouring water from a pot, known at the "water bearer", but these are modern symbols for Aquarius. An ancient symbol is of a lady passing water or even breaking water and this has led to legends of fertilizing land and life itself. Is this a symbol of what we now call Brigid. The day of solar Imbolc, the ancient Brighid day, is always at the central point of the time of Aquarius during the year. Opposite Aquarius is Leo and its lion symbol but, again, this is a modern symbol. Leo used to be a man with a spear, like the famous Piltdown Man carved in chalk in England. Was this Lugh?

Has Brigid now taken the complete vow from Christ?

The alignments of our universe, the symbols linked to them and the incarnation of our vision of Brigid today may somehow explain how those who once carried what they called Christ in their heart now live with Brigid as their guide.

I now wonder if Moslems, Hindus, Jews and Buddhists can identify a shift of identity in the guiding spirit that has guided them for over 2000 years.

Rowan: The Tree Of Life

Search for the Tree Of Life.

Legends tell of the first people coming to Ireland approaching from the west searching for the "Tree of Life" said to be west of the lands. In Tuatha De Dannan times the Rowan is said to have been sacred to the goddess Morrigan and then onto her daughter Brighid during Celtic times. The Tuatha De Dannan are said to have burned Rowan during any threat of conflict to call upon the protection of Morrigan.

There is an ancient story that was passed on from the Chaldeans that tells of the zodiac being of 10 signs. When the Tree of Life grew it split up the signs that are now Virgo and Scorpio and the Libra sign was the tree of life. In ancient times the tree of life was of the T shape cross with 5 apples, as shown on some of Ireland's high crosses and possibly on the many ancient tree cross gravestones in ancient Irish cemeteries. Not that there are 5 signs after Libra before the zodiac restarts at Aries.

Was the Tree of Life really a Rowan Tree, though apple trees, especially crabapple trees are also "trees of protection". When the Rowan blossoms have fallen in mid June the trees appear to be full of forming crab apples so its easy to understand people thinking these are apple trees. They are both in the same botanical family. The Rowan blossom also provides a scent of strong apple blossom.

The mystery of Ceis Corran mountain, Co. Sligo

If the gaelic Ceis Corran is pronounced Kesh Corran is has an odd meaning of of "willow road of Corran", Corran being a legendary Tuatha De Dannan harper, but there is no evidence of a willow road here.

I live below Ceis Corran and local people pronounce the mountain differently to sound like "kaysh koaran" which gives it an entirely different meaning. "Ceis" becomes a blending of two words meaning "a woman carrying life" and "Corran" appears to be the shortening of "Caorann", a spelling that fits more into how the locals pronounce this, and this means "of the Rowan".

Put together we could make a sentence saying "a woman of the rowan carrying life" or, more harshly, "a pregnant woman of the Rowan". On top of Ceis Corran mountain, or should we now say Ceis Caorann, is Morrigan's cairn and this mountain becomes symbolic of the goddess Morrigan about to give birth to Brighid. Her cairn is in alignment to the Samhain and Imbolc sunrises from Lambay volcanic island, Tara, and Ward's Hill (Tlachta). With its Keash Caves opening at one end and two small hills like breasts with additional cairns appearing like nipples on the other end folklore calls this mountain the "womb of Ireland". Was it also home of the "Tree of Life"

On a beautiful sunny Samhain day, just passed, Claire and I climbed Ceis Corran to remind ourselves of the view, peace and warmth of the site. It was as well we did because the standing stone, known as the Pinnacle, had fallen so with the help of the compass resurrected it. Morrigan's cairn is the highest cairn in Co. Sligo, even higher than Maeve's cairn on Knocknarea.

The spirit of the Rowan

Another point of interest I discovered was the changing name of "Caorann" that became "Caorthann", Caorthinn, Caorthy, Carthy and MacCarthy meanin "son of the Rowan".

In Scandinavia it seems the spirit of the Rowan was revered as more abundant at Yule time. At midwinter the Rowan bears no leaves and the hard frost twinkles on it like stars. The Scandinavians also linked the Rowan tree to the goddess and their goddess was of the moon. At Yule they dressed the top of the Rowan trees with full or crescent moons to honour her. This was the ancient origin of the Christmas trees today, a symbol of protection and bringing light and life back to earth.

Some folklore says that Morrigan gave birth to twins, Brighid and Brigantes, while other legends say the two names are of the same spirit. Brighid remained in Bréifne while Brigantes made her home in Yorkshire, England and her name evolved into Britannia, the goddess of Britain today. In both Bréifne and Yorkshire Brighid and Brigantes were both weavers as well as poets and healers. Bréifne and Yorkshire became important regions for weaving industries where Rowan wood was and still is used for the manufacture of spindles and spinning wheels.

It appears that Rowan twigs formed the first sign of the cross, not the vertical-horizontal crucifix cross but the "X marks the spot" cross. This was due to Rowan being the earliest known divining tools for underground water. When the Rowan twigs crossed it indicated the life of crossing waters were below and the marking of sacred places. Earliest below ground burials were of the passed person's skull and Rowan twigs forming an "X" below, these being the earliest origin of the "skull and crossbones" symbol. This seems to be a tradition that started where Jordan is today and arrived with the Tuatha De Dannan in Bréifne. It was believed that the presence of Rowan at death prevented the body's "ghost" from wandering off before passing to the "otherworld".

The healing from the Rowan

Due to the strong acids of the berries that are harmful to digest there's been little use of them for healing. Cooking does release the acid and Rowan jelly is prepared as a condiment for meat but any healing benefits of this are unknown. Tuatha De Dannan folklore tells of the "salmon of knowledge" being a red spotted salmon with red spots caused by eating Rowan berries so "wise men" are said to have become wise by eating these salmon but do salmon eat fallen Rowan berries?

The healing from Rowan comes from the scent of its blossoms. Sitting and meditating beside a Rowan tree flowering in late May and June truly opens the mind and allows wisdom and inspiration to flow like no other essence. This experience truly makes this the "Tree Of Life". Stress and tension melt away to be replaced by inspiration, purpose and a full energy of life. The book of Ballymote, written just a couple of miles away from Ceis Caorran, has references to the scent of rowan opening the "poetical delights of the eye". Is this the "third eye"

Folklore also speaks of meditating and praying at a Rowan tree by water calls on the spirit of Brighid to guide you. Similar is said of picking a few berries at the end of summer, throwing them into a well, pond, stream or river will call Brighid's hand to you for healing, guidance and new wisdom.

The song of the Rowan

From our land we will be making Rowan plants available as part of our series of "trees of protection" that we will encourage you to obtain and plant at sacred places that may be decaying away such as crumbling cairns and disappearing wells. The planting of Rowans at these enhances protection and enhances bird song. Folklore tells of planted Rowan trees taming the chaos creating fire of dragons who would coil up around the Rowan tree and their stillness restored the balance and flow of nature

Though we are unable to digest Rowan berries from the tree they are a valuable food for birds. It is said the food of Rowan berries enhances the song of songbirds like blackbirds, thrushes, robins and finches. Recent science has indicated that the sound vibrations of birdsong in spring enhances the growth of surrounding vegetation. The sweeter and more abundant the birdsong is in Spring the higher the yield of the surrounding flora.

From Samhain until Imbolc Brighid is said to be present as healer, protector and nursing mother of the infant new year. When she leaves at the time of the swans and new birth its as if her spirit of protection, nurturing and health continues through the rowan along with the rose, hawthorn and apple.feeding the birds who's song welcomes the maturing of new life.

I'll have some photos and books to add to this article shortly
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The Torch Stone of Loughcrew

Lighting The Stone

November the 6th, 2006, and I witnessed the most perfect sunrise phenomena that can be seen at any of Ireland's megalithic temples. That was the sunrise lighting of the Torch Stone of Loughcrew.

About Loughcrew

Loughcrew is the current name given for a range of 4 hills in County Meath, near Oldcastle and not far, north west, from Kells. It may seem strange for a bunch of hills to have Lough, meaning lake, as part of their name. This is because its name comes from nearby Lough Creeve and somehow the townlands around Lough Creeve became known as Loughcrew. Creeve is derived from the name given to a sacred tree by the lake where season rites were performed.

The hills on the Loughcrew lands have been named in the past as "Tri Choiscéim na Caillighe" that translates as "three footsteps of the hag", Later they became known as the "Calliagh Steppes" and then the "Witches Hops". Three of the hills then became known as Carn Beg and Carn Mor with Loar in the middle.

I mentioned there are 4 hills. Legend tells of the goddess Cailleach Bhérra creating the cairns on the three hills with herself being buried at the 4th hill, now known as Patrickstown Hill. Carn Beg and Carn Mor are now Carnbane West and Carnbane East while Loar is now known as the Red Hill.

About the Torch Stone

Cairn T on Carnbane East is quite well known for its equinox sunrises lighting up the cairn's backstone of ancient sun images plus Carnbane East is well signposted and is a popular visiting place all year round and popular for summer picnics.

Carnbane West is less known due to the signs being taken down and some complexities that I will not feature in this article. However, its Carnbane West that is hosts to Cairn L This five chambered cairn is the home of a mysterious free standing quartz stone. Beside this stone is a huge stone basin, a huge ballaun stone, with many holes where chalk balls once sat to be involved in some kind of ritual or rite.

At Samhain and Imbolc, at the sunrise of the cross quarter days, that are centre of Equinox and Solstice, casts a shadow that darkens all around while it lights up the top of the quartz standing stone

Male or Female?

Some say that Carnbane East with the Hag's Chair and Cairn like an entry into a womb is a feminine energy hill while Carnbane east with its phallic standing torch stone creating life for the year ahead is of male energy. Interesting thought. My own reasoning is different but the symbolism for the different energies is there.

Being present at its lighting

I arrived at 6:45 am, in good time for the 7:33 am rising. Skies were clear but I could feel a fog rising. A barrier of hazy cloud started to rise from the horizon, which commonly blocks out Loughcrew sunrises. 7:15 the first of the advance red glows of the sun appear but a black cloud forms on the peak of the Red Hill right above Carrigbrack Cairn and the mist was rising furiously to form a fog.

The sun rises at this time from behind Lambay Volcano Island in the Irish Sea, over Tara Hill and Kells to rise above the Carrigbrack to shine on the Cairn L stone, the Pinnacle Stone of Morrigan's Cairn on Keash Corran and the peak of Maeve's Cairn on Knocknarea.

7:30 and it seems the black cloud was set to block the event, but a sudden miracle stepped the cloud aside, the landscape around darkened, and the torch stone lit celestially for about 4 minutes.

Well protected

After its spectacular curtain raiser the sun stepped aside from glowing the stone to passing its light onto the stone basin. Unfortunately, that part I could not witness. Cairn L is secured by a thick steel railing gate with a very heavy lock. Getting into Cairn T is simple, just pop down to Loughcrew House and pick up the key, in exchange for €50 deposit.

For Cairn L, with the Torch Stone, a kind of essay has to be written to the Office Of Public Works in Dublin explaining why you want entry. That takes 2 to 3 months to sort out and then you pick up the key from their office in Trim about 40 km away. Considering there is no way of knowing if and when there with be a clear sunrise at Samhain or Imbolc its an arrangement that's a bit tricky.

I had to take photos and video by poking my lenses through the railings, but am very happy with what I caught, that I would like to share with you now.

If you click on any of the thumbnails below you can visit my selected gallery story of this phenomena. The video will follow as soon as I can.

dark stone before sunrise

sun is rising, stone is glowing

a few minutes of glow

above, sun that lights the stone and, left, is an indent image of the sun and the light moves from the stone

sun risen, and now the fog lifts

A wonderful easy read illustrated guide to Calendars, Sundials, and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland by Martin Brennan. The most comprehensive collection of Irish megalithic art ever published You can read more about, and order, The Stones Of Time from these links ... USA Canada UK/Ireland

quartz standing stone is the pillar on the left and cairn entrance is from the right

Kindling The Celtic Spirit

What to do on the holidays

From now until Imbolc, the three months of Celtic winter when the ancestors, angels and swans guard, guide and protect us, as the traditions tell, my enquiry emails are more about what traditions can be followed. I receive interesting enquiries about rituals, decor, food recipes, more than enquiries about visiting Ireland. I still do tours through winter, though.

Its Samhain season now, which is not just reflecting on the year past or even dreading the winter to come. In Europe we tend to look to Christmas as our time of "gathering the tribe" the time of getting together with family, inviting the neighbours and having a "sacred" feast. In the USA this is more important at Thanksgiving, a bit closer to Samhain.

Create Your Own Feis

Its occurred to me that really this is the best time to for gatherings, our own little "Feis Of Tara", or own cleaning of the hearth and re-kindling the flame and lighting new candles. It is also the time for Kindling the Celtic Spirit. During my brief spell as a market gardener, years ago, I remember this as being a time when the nursery seed catalogues arrived and we planned for the growing season of the next year and even ordered our seeds now, before the best ones were sold. After the seed order was the time to build things, rockeries, pools, and walls. Its what led to my years as a stone mason.

This is truly a time of conception and plans. By meeting our family, neighbours and friends its a wonderful time to heal wounds of disputes and trade to form treaties to plan a better peace ahead, just like they did in the High King's court at Tara, Our home is our Tara

One thing we do not have any more is the local priest or minister delivering us a flame from a sacred place for our fire. Some places do have bonfires at sacred places where we could take our carved turnip or pumpkin and pick up our blessed fire. So where is your local Tlachtga?

At Christmas we give presents but Samhain was a time of sacrifice, not of the Hammer Horror vision but as gifts from what was abundant from our harvest and our year. Today its a bit of money or something we don't use any more as few of us farm or fish so we cannot tithe a portion of our yields. A bag or two of coal, peat or wood is a good and appropriate gift.

Another loving tradition that seems to have long gone, though we did it when I was a child, was to say prayers of prayer to blend into objects we held, objects that were related to the person of the prayer and then cast the object to the fire. Prayers were also said and writing onto cloth or paper, also put into the fire. For some this might seem demonistic, occultish and even voodoo but prayers need to have sincerity to be powerful and passage to the flame at this time of year seems to enhance that essential healing power of prayer.

This is surely the time of beginnings, kindling new dreams, and commencing projects we've promised to start. Its an ideal time to start new routines that start with plans, writings and construction indoors to prepare for the outdoor creations ahead.

Apple Magic

How about ducking, "dooking", for apples at your "feis"?.. At the heart of the celtic otherworld is an apple tree. Legends say that the reason the first people arrived in Ireland from the west was news of the apple tree of life being here. Ducking for apples is a re-enactment of crossing the sea for that magic apple tree.

Baking them in foil in your hearth coated in brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg is good too and then taken from the hearth with a hazel or rowan stick to eat your apple from. This is said to bless you with the healing flame of Brighid to protect you from the snake.

Oh, before you light your fire fetch three stones from the nearest natural water source to where you live, a stream, brook, bubbling well, each for your mind, body and spirit. Circle them in your hearth to get hot, and that is where you place your apple. As you eat your hot, spicy, sticky apple and as it warms you inside say a quiet prayer for guidance or solution to problems, and somehow, before the apple is fully eaten, a solution will be brought to you. A wonderful way to Kindle The Celtic Spirit.

The Book

Once day I should write a book of all of this lore I collect but while I think of it there is a nice easy read out there by another traveller, Mara Freeman, that is rich in lore and recipes for all of the Celtic celebrations and seasons ..............

This book is an easy read compendium sharing stories, recipes, poetry, symbols, and Gaelic expressions that go with each of the Celtic festivals and celebrations. She sets this out month by month. Very useful is the February chapter covering Brighid, Brigit, and Imbolc. Samhain is very well covered with spooky stories and poems plus how to carve turnip lanterns, using a large rutabaga (swede)  You can read more about Kindling the Celtic Spirit here, and order worldwide arriving in time to prepare for Yule and Imbolc.