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...an ancient Celtic festival associated with the goddess Brigit, held on Feb 1 or 2 to mark the beginning of spring. It is the midpoint of Winter.
...also known as "Oimelc", meaning "ewe's milk", named because of the first lambs being born during this time.
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Brigit of the mantles, Brigit of the hearth flame, Brigit of the twining hair. Brigit of the augury, Brigit of the white feet, Brigit of calmness, Brigit of the white milk, Brigit of the crossroads. I am under the keeping of my Mother Mary. My companion beloved is Brigit. I shall not be slain, I shall not be sworded, I shall not be put in a cell, I shall not be hewn, I shall not be anguished, I shall not be wounded, I shall not be blinded, I shall not be left bare, Nor will Mary leave me forgotten. I am under the shielding of good Brigit each day. I am under the shielding of good Brigit each night. I am under the keeping of the Midwife of Mary Each early and late, every dark, every light. Brigit is my protector, Brigit is my maker of song. Brigit is my sword and shield, Brigit is my guide.
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Brigit ~ The goddess of the flame to the ancient Celts. To this day her eternal flame burns in Kildare, Ireland and her ancient sacred wells are still revered and visited. It is believed by pagan catholics that Brigit, Lady of the Fairies - watches over their sacred green places and, if you look into her Magickal Mirror, you can see the Faerie Realm. Brigit is a triple goddess. This triple aspect of the goddess is where catholics got the idea of exploiting the Trinity concept. The three-leaf shamrock was originally of "The Three Mothers", as well as the three phases of the moon being her symbols. She shares some attributes with the ancient Greek triple goddess Hecate. Brigit is known by various names, Brigit being the most ancient form. The name variations are: Brighid, Bride (Scottish), Brid, Brigit, Bridget, Brigantia (English), Brigan, Brigindo (Gaul) and Brigandu. Into the 18th Century, her sacred flame was tended, at first, by priestesses, who later became catholic nuns, when the pagan shrine became a convent, at Kildare, Ireland. These nineteen virgin priestesses (called nuns by the catholic church) were called 'Daughters of the Flame'. No man was ever allowed near. In fact, these women had other women in the village bring them their necessary supplies so they wouldn't have to deal with men. This no-men policy infuriated the catholic church. Because they would not submit themselves to inspection by a priest, the bishop ordered the sacred flame to be extinguished. Even so, Brigit remained Ireland's most popular saints, and in 1993, the Brigidine sisters of Ireland rekindled her flame at Kildare. Brigit's triple aspects are of Inspiration, Smithcraft, and of Healing. As the goddess of Inspiration, she blesses poetry, creativity, prophecy and the arts. She was even esteemed as the patron diety of language, having inspired the alphabet. As the goddess of Smithcraft, she blesses blacksmiths, goldsmiths, and other crafters of the household. As goddess of Healing, she blesses physical and spiritual healing, fertility of crop and livestock and mid-wifery. Imbolc (Candlemas and Groundhog Day), the Celtic spring festival, honors Brigit. The Druids called this sacred holiday Oimelc, meaning "ewe's milk". Held on February 1st or 2nd, it celebrated the birthing and freshening of sheep and goats. The catholic version of Imbolc (Candlemas), also, involves much elaborate rituals and feasting, and to this very day, many Irish homes have a St Brigit's cross for protection, still made from rushes as in days of old.
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...light the candles (Imbolc is also known as "Candlemas")
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