Wheel Of The Year

Wheel Of The Year With Brighid

The following explanation of The Wheel of The Year, felt as if it was channeled through me from Brighid herself. One of the most important aspects of these special days is to connect with nature, the seasons, family, ourselves, Brighid, and whomever else you consider to be Creator or the Divine. It doesn't matter if you come here in devotion to Brighid as Saint or Goddess, celebrating life and all that is provided for us here on this beautiful planet has no set religion or spirituality. Whether you believe in a Goddess, God, one or many, none of that matters because in one way or another, we have been blessed with all of the plants, animals, and waters that nourish us, maintain our health, and bring so much joy into our life and that alone is worth celebrating. In this busy world, we don't take enough time to just pause and enjoy the beauty that is all around us. Or the beauty that this life we live truly is, in all of its stages, from birth to death and everything in between. You will see that I am using the stages of Brighid's life with each sacred day, as a way for us to connect and cherish each one, both seeing those stages of Brighid's life and also each of these stages within our own lives. Last I will state this isn't how you have to celebrate, I'm only presenting ideas and examples that I have used over the years. These are practices that I have found to be special, rewarding and have helped me find a deeper connection with Brighid and the world. As with all spirituality, you take what feels right and let go of what doesn't serve you.

Brightest Blessings,
Tracy (Abbess of Ord Brighideach)

Artwork by Dee Mulrooney

Yule

We begin with Yule for me Yule is about birth, and/or new beginnings. We see this both with the Winter Solstice, as the Sun is reborn each year and with the Christian holiday of Christmas when Jesus is once again born to this world.

This is a time of deep sould searching. A time to reflect back on this year, cherish the memories that were good and release the rest. A great way to release the things that no longer serve you from this past year is by taking it to the fire. Perhaps it's a friend, a family member, an argument, a job an emotion, plans you had that didn't turn out the way you had wished, write it down on a piece of paper, set your intention that you will no longer carry this burden. Ask Brighid to lift this burden from you and replace it with her divine energy and light. Now allow yourself to feel, see, hear, smell, taste and know that this issue / burden has been lifted from you. Sit with Brighid in meditation for a while, be open to hearing any messages she may have for you at this time. Once you feel your meditation is complete thank her for assisting you.

Another one of my favorite things to do during this time of the year is to decide on a Word of The Year. A Word of the Year is your “mission statement” for the next 12 months. You use it to guide and inspire you when making decisions throughout the year. I enjoy finding something small that I can wear with the word on for that year as a gentle yet constant reminder of what I want to focus more on and the goals I have for the year.

This is another great time to light a candle and ask for Brighid to guide you and inspire you on deciding on the perfect word for you at this time. Take some time with Brighid to journal, meditate, pray and deeply think of what word would truly inspire you for the coming year. What is it you want to accomplish, change, be or birth to life? Some examples would be peace, balance, partnership, shine, pause, play, etc. Once you decide on your word, perhaps you would like to create a small ceremony / ritual to commit yourself to doing your best for the coming year to achieve what it is this word means to you.

Imbolc

Imbolc is a time of connecting with that inner child. Perhaps your inner child needs some healing, or some extra love that it didn't feel it had years ago. This is the time to ask Brighid to show you the way of reclaiming that child like wonder.

Bundle yourself up and take a walk out in nature. The earth is still barren, but if you look closely you will see the beginning of new growth. Connect with that inner child and really see the magic that this world truly is.

Another beautiful way to connect to that inner child is to use our imaginations and create something. Brighid is known to be a wonderful inspiration and guide when it comes to all forms of creativity. It doesn't matter what it is, but take sometime to make something. Be creative, have fun, it doesn't need to be perfect, instead just allow yourself to be completely in the moment, as we once so easily did when we were young.

It's still pretty cold in most areas of the world, so beginning to plant actual seeds isn't always an option, but we can begin to plan for the time of planting. Just like planting seeds, we can also begin to plan out something we would like to accomplish in the next few months. What was it we wanted to accomplish with our word of the year?

Sometimes in order to find the inspiration we need to clear out the clutter. At Yule we cleared the clutter in our brains by releasing what no longer served us, so for Imbolc it's time to clear out the clutter in our homes and offices. By clearing space we are sending out to the universe that we are open to new adventures and abundance. Don't see this as a chore, instead make it into a beautiful ritual. Light a candle, burn some incense or essential oils, create an uplifting atmosphere and begin to look at the things around you. Ask Brighid for her guidance. For some of us letting go of things is hard, so allow her to hold your hand during this time. As you begin Do they still carry the same meaning to you? If you haven't used, worn or paid attention to it for the last year then it's time to let it go. It may be something that is no longer meaningful and useful to you, but might have great meaning for someone else, so pass it on to loved ones, or donate things to your local charities. When you have finished

Artwork by Cailleach Moon Cottage

Artwork by Lauren Mills used in the book Once Around The Sun

Ostara

As I sat and thought about how I celebrate Ostara / Spring Equinox I realized my way is celebrating the birth of my so Joshua. Although he was born to the spirit world, when I began celebrating this day instead of mourning, my connection to him grew stronger. As I thought about this I realized this is actually in incredible way to approach this beautiful day. We celebrate the birth of new life all around us. And by doing so we create a stronger connection with nature.

Now that we have cleared away the old on the previous Sabbats, it’s time to bring in something new. This is the time to begin the projects that you have been thinking about but never had the chance to start. Remember Brighid is Goddess of inspiration. Allow