collapse

* Recent Posts

Re: "Christ Is King" by Altair
[Today at 10:58:24 am]


Re: "Christ Is King" by SirPalomides
[Today at 08:57:21 am]


Re: "Christ Is King" by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 11:06:51 pm]


Re: "Christ Is King" by SunflowerP
[Yesterday at 10:30:17 pm]


Re: "Christ Is King" by Darkhawk
[Yesterday at 08:31:19 pm]

Author Topic: Other Deities and Brighid  (Read 8060 times)

Sage

  • Adept Member
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 2186
  • Total likes: 6
    • View Profile
    • http://sageandstarshine.wordpress.com
Other Deities and Brighid
« on: July 04, 2011, 01:58:06 pm »
I've noticed that some folks find their work with Brighid to be complemented through work with another deity - and I've also noticed that some deities seem to be more common complements to Brighid. (For example, I seem to know a lot of people who view their work with Hekate or tM intertwined with that of Brighid.) Do you find this to be the case? Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?

Though I haven't explored too much, I'm finding interesting connection points between Brighid and Manannan. The fire/water and conscious/subconscious dualities are really interesting to me. (That is, I see Brighid as a goddess of conscious thought, logic, rationality, and closer to civilization than nature, whereas Manannan is more about dreams and the uncontrollable stormy sea of emotions. But not as clean-cut as that.)
Maker, though the darkness comes upon me,
I shall embrace the light. I shall weather the storm.
I shall endure.
What you have created, no one can tear asunder.

-Canticle of Trials 1:10

Sage and Starshine (my spiritual blog): last updated 2/25.
Friday Otherfaith Blogging: last updated 2/27
Join the Emboatening Crew over on Kiva! Emboatening the boatless since Opet 2013.

AlisonLeighLilly

  • Journeyman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 230
  • Total likes: 1
    • View Profile
    • http://alisonleighlilly.com/
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2011, 02:40:41 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745
Do you find this to be the case? Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?

 
Yes. Definitely.

Quote
Though I haven't explored too much, I'm finding interesting connection points between Brighid and Manannan. The fire/water and conscious/subconscious dualities are really interesting to me. (That is, I see Brighid as a goddess of conscious thought, logic, rationality, and closer to civilization than nature, whereas Manannan is more about dreams and the uncontrollable stormy sea of emotions. But not as clean-cut as that.)


I've gone through phases where different deities come in and out of focus for me, or I've tried to reach out to various deities - but the two deities who have kind of asserted themselves most directly in my spiritual life have been Brigid and Manannan (sometimes in a very literal way - for instance, we always seem to have thunderstorms during my flamekeeping shift, it's thundering and pouring rain right now!).

I'm still in the process of exploring what this relationship between the two means for me in my life, but I definitely think there are aspects like some of the things you mention.

--Ali

Morag

  • Senior Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Location: witch's hut down the lane
  • *
  • Posts: 2735
  • Country: ca
  • Total likes: 356
  • cranky witch mom
    • View Profile
    • Priestess of the 3
  • Religion: Priestess of the 3
  • Preferred Pronouns: she/her
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2011, 03:17:08 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745
I've noticed that some folks find their work with Brighid to be complemented through work with another deity - and I've also noticed that some deities seem to be more common complements to Brighid. (For example, I seem to know a lot of people who view their work with Hekate or tM intertwined with that of Brighid.) Do you find this to be the case? Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?


I'm finding that both tM and Manannan complement my work with Brighid, and my path is quickly coming to honor Them as a Triad.

I'm not braining very well today, however, so I'm having trouble articulating the finer points of the relationship among the three of Them. There is definitely a sense of balance in working with all three of them, though not as much as there could be (for the reasons outlined in this blog post).
Pray drunk. Hex sober.
Priestess of the 3
"The most powerful god at any given moment is the one who can solve the moment's problem."
-Darkhawk

Chatelaine

  • Staff
  • *
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 773
  • Country: gb
  • Total likes: 93
  • Metaphors be with you.
    • View Profile
    • Are We There Yet?
  • Religion: Eastern Orthodox Christian
  • Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2011, 06:55:02 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745
I've noticed that some folks find their work with Brighid to be complemented through work with another deity - and I've also noticed that some deities seem to be more common complements to Brighid. (For example, I seem to know a lot of people who view their work with Hekate or tM intertwined with that of Brighid.) Do you find this to be the case? Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?


I was connected to Hecate long before Brighid approached me, and the two work great together. Or rather separately, complementing each other. In FlameKeeping terms, Hecate tends my Dark Flame and Brighid stokes my Bright Flame. One drives me inwards, the other outwards.
'You created us restless, O Lord, and we find no rest until we rest in You.'
~St Augustine~
Whole blog o' nonsense: Are We There Yet?

Nyktipolos

  • Grand Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • *
  • Posts: 1498
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2011, 07:50:03 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745


 
Well, there's Cailleach for me. Not-so-UPG has Her as a Sovereignty Goddess, probably much like Morrigan, although less on the battle aspect. It was last fall when the Lady of the Stars stuff started up that I seriously considered following Brighid, and Cailleach in a complementing pattern where They would "switch" (for lack of a better term) at certain points in the year.

Now... well, I'm not sure. It felt right before, but not so much now. I suspect I'll need to do some more divination on the matter if Brighid wants me still in the Cill past Samhain. Gut feeling says yes, but I've been wrong before. :D

As for Manannan, I'm not sure yet. I haven't done anything with Him or for Him yet.
"Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." - Sarah Williams
On the Rivers

JuniperMorgan

  • Journeyman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 197
  • Total likes: 0
    • View Profile
    • http://courtneygalloway.wordpress.com/
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2011, 10:54:11 pm »
Quote from: Chatelaine;988
In FlameKeeping terms, Hecate tends my Dark Flame and Brighid stokes my Bright Flame. One drives me inwards, the other outwards.

 
I have had the same experiences with Brighid and Hecate.  Brighid was my first patroness some 24 odd years ago.  Along the years I have also spent time with Persephone in my teens and early twenties, Hecate, Artemis and a few others as the situation needed.  My wife's patron is Loki - things get very interesting in this house at times and it's comforting to have Brighid's help to balance things out.
You can also find my ramblings at my blog although I\'m not the best at regular updates.  I\'m working on fixing that. Or look for me on FB here or Google+ here. :)

Micheál

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Location: Belfast, N. Ireland
  • Posts: 604
  • Country: ie
  • Total likes: 48
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Alexandrian Wicca, Gaelic Polytheism
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2011, 06:35:51 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745
Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?

I see a lot of correlation between Brighid and An Mhór-Ríoghain, but definitely in different ways. She can be similar, in as F.J Byrne states in Irish Kings and High-Kings[comparing lore of the saint&goddess]," St. Brigit too, as we have seen, functions as defender of the Laigin, terrifying their enemies in the same manner as the war goddess Macha, Babd and the Morrigu in heoric saga."Dáithí Ó hÓgáin says something similar if considering Mór-Ríogain's mythic traits in his The Lore of Ireland:An Encyclopaedia of Myth, Legend and Romance [commenting on Brighid's original role as an aspect of the mother-goddess],"This type of portrayal is repeated in an account that claims Brigh was the first to lament the dead with weeping and shrieking."

Now it's almost impossible to distinguish completely which aspects strictly relate to either the goddess or the saint, and considering the Brigantes brought her cult from Britain to South Eastern Ireland in the Laighin around the 1st century AD, the saint's lore associated with the Fotharta&Uí Dhúnlainge Septs could have easily stemmed from the goddess just as well. Her lore being rich in Leinster and south Ulster, most notably Kildare&Faughart, Faughart is where I usually go to honour her.

Now north Leinster used to be part of Ulster, but her shrine in Faughart, Co. Louth, is part of modern day north Leinster. This happens to be around the Armagh&Louth border, separating Northern&the Republic of Ireland. There's a huge persona to this area, as the lore&legends are still very rich. It's where the Cooley mountains are, very apparent in the Ulster cycle, Driving to it from the Republic side, you pass a bull statue on the side of the motorway commemorating the Táin, and coming from the North's direction, you pass the Táin trail. It's a beautiful part of the island, but unfortunately, this area also happened to be a huge hot bed of Republican activity during The Troubles. There were IRA strongholds all around, that murdered&buried many people in unmarked graves all around the land maintaining the lore. Before the motorway was built, people took their lives in their hands when passing through(my wife's childhood friend was blown up by the IRA with his parents returning from a family holiday in Disney land here) This knowledge further adds to the atmosphere of the place, which really brings the personages of the Ulster cycle alive to me. Indeed Macha&An Mhór-Ríoghain are also cult goddesses of the Ulaid, so even when driving out to worship Brighid, I feel a strong correlation with An Mhór-Ríoghain.

Acknowledging regional differences with deities also seems to come into my practice, so for some reason when acknowledging matched pairs, I association Brighid with Lugh, and An Mhór-Ríoghain with An Daghdha.
Semper Fidelis

Juni

  • Grand Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 1704
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 13
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Eclectic
  • Preferred Pronouns: she/her
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2011, 12:16:20 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745
I've noticed that some folks find their work with Brighid to be complemented through work with another deity - and I've also noticed that some deities seem to be more common complements to Brighid. (For example, I seem to know a lot of people who view their work with Hekate or tM intertwined with that of Brighid.) Do you find this to be the case? Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?


I've intended to post here before now, but I kept coming up against a wall. The thing is, I work with a thematic pantheon, and Brighid can and does pair with all of the other deities for different purposes; sometimes they are on opposites sides of a particular coin, and sometimes the same, and sometimes both.

So the short, simple answer is yes.
 
Quote from: Micheál;4011
Acknowledging regional differences with deities also seems to come into my practice, so for some reason when acknowledging matched pairs, I association Brighid with Lugh, and An Mhór-Ríoghain with An Daghdha.

 
This- in my thematic pantheon, these are their 'primary' pairs.
Join the Emboatening Crew over on Kiva! Emboatening the boatless since Opet 2013!

entwife

  • Master Member
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Location: Pittsburgh
  • Posts: 359
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 112
    • View Profile
  • Religion: ecclectic
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2011, 01:13:50 pm »
Quote from: Sage;745
Do you find this to be the case? Is there some sense of "balance" in working with deities in addition to Brighid?

T


Sometimes. The most common combinations for me are Brighid and Lugh Lamfada, or Brighid and Morrigan and occasionally Brighid, Morrigan and Aine... I get more far more combinations when working with Creature/Nature Teachers... plants, animals, elements etc and these too will sometimes combine with a deity like Brighid, Raven, Storm and Oak, for example
Wishing you laughter

Micheál

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Location: Belfast, N. Ireland
  • Posts: 604
  • Country: ie
  • Total likes: 48
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Alexandrian Wicca, Gaelic Polytheism
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2011, 04:11:25 pm »
Quote from: Juni;4266
This- in my thematic pantheon, these are their 'primary' pairs.

Always comforting to know when we're in similar boats :D
Semper Fidelis

SunflowerP

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Location: Calgary AB
  • Posts: 9911
  • Country: ca
  • Total likes: 736
  • Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs!
    • View Profile
    • If You Ain't Makin' Waves, You Ain't Kickin' Hard Enough
  • Religion: Eclectic religious Witchcraft
  • Preferred Pronouns: sie/hir/hirs/hirself
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2011, 09:16:39 pm »
Quote from: Juni;4266
I've intended to post here before now, but I kept coming up against a wall. The thing is, I work with a thematic pantheon, and Brighid can and does pair with all of the other deities for different purposes; sometimes they are on opposites sides of a particular coin, and sometimes the same, and sometimes both.

So the short, simple answer is yes.
 

 
This- in my thematic pantheon, these are their 'primary' pairs.

 
What she said, with two amendments.  One, the only wall I was up against w/r/t posting in this thread was prioritizing getting caught up over posting - especially, over making long posts that take a lot of time to construct, which this could have been if Juni hadn't provided me with a way to be much more brief.

Two, those would be "primary" pairs in my personal/thematic pantheon if I worked with Lugh.  Tried that; connection failure.  I have some ideas on what (some of) the issues might have been, and can probably make enough of a connection to work with Brigid and Lugh in partnership if circumstances call for doing so, but if so he's unlikely to become part of my PP.

Like Juni, I get "can and does pair with all the others for different purposes," not only for Brigid but with anyone in my PP; that they interact with each other is what makes it a pantheon.  Lately there's been a lot of Brigid being sort of paired with Hermes - some of it's defaultive; of the half-dozen that I work most closely with, tM is paired with the Chaotic Canine because they've been my primary patrons for nearly two decades, and Thoth and Seshat are an obvious pair (but they don't really "come in pairs" that way; this is not Noah's Ark:D, and like the PP as a whole, they team in whatever ways are relevant/that they wish).  But it's practical, too; f'ex, Hermes may be an overseer of travel, but Brigid is much, much better at overseeing trouble-free border crossings - I think he's too ready to see it as requiring a trick.

And of course I've written reams on the old board about Brigid and tM tag-teaming me w/r/t social justice issues.  I haven't written much about the tM/tD pairing in my practice, because that's not just work, it's Work, and much of it is private, but there's probably a bit.

Micheál, a question for you:  One of my connection-failure issues with Lugh seems to have involved tM not caring much for him.  D'you have any info - lore or UPG - that might be relevant to that?  (That's not restricted to Micheál; if others know something relevant, I'd be happy to hear it, but it seems right up Micheál's alley so I've directed it to him in particular.)

Sunflower
I'm the AntiFa genderqueer commie eclectic wiccan Mod your alt-right bros warned you about.
I do so have a life; I just live part of it online!
“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” - Oscar Wilde
"Nobody's good at anything until they practice." - Brina (Yewberry)
My much-neglected blog "If You Ain't Makin' Waves, You Ain't Kickin' Hard Enough"

Juni

  • Grand Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 1704
  • Country: us
  • Total likes: 13
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Eclectic
  • Preferred Pronouns: she/her
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2011, 09:48:43 pm »
Quote from: SunflowerP;4395
Micheál, a question for you:  One of my connection-failure issues with Lugh seems to have involved tM not caring much for him.  D'you have any info - lore or UPG - that might be relevant to that?  (That's not restricted to Micheál; if others know something relevant, I'd be happy to hear it, but it seems right up Micheál's alley so I've directed it to him in particular.)

 
Obviously not Micheál. :p

This is strictly UPG, but I've always assumed the...tension, I guess, was a few things- primarily, that she is Sovereignty, and that he was king without her assistance or approval. Granted, he was only king for a short time, but the fact that no woman of Ireland made him king I think bothers her. I also always got a sense that Lugh never entirely forgave her for making Cú Chulainn break his geis, causing him to be weakened and killed, and that she does not appreciate that he cannot appreciate that it was her nature, her duty, her right.
Join the Emboatening Crew over on Kiva! Emboatening the boatless since Opet 2013!

SunflowerP

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Location: Calgary AB
  • Posts: 9911
  • Country: ca
  • Total likes: 736
  • Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs!
    • View Profile
    • If You Ain't Makin' Waves, You Ain't Kickin' Hard Enough
  • Religion: Eclectic religious Witchcraft
  • Preferred Pronouns: sie/hir/hirs/hirself
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2011, 11:27:49 pm »
Quote from: Juni;4411
This is strictly UPG, but I've always assumed the...tension, I guess, was a few things- primarily, that she is Sovereignty, and that he was king without her assistance or approval. Granted, he was only king for a short time, but the fact that no woman of Ireland made him king I think bothers her. I also always got a sense that Lugh never entirely forgave her for making Cú Chulainn break his geis, causing him to be weakened and killed, and that she does not appreciate that he cannot appreciate that it was her nature, her duty, her right.

 
This makes total sense in context of the impressions I got at the time (including being highly pertinent to a specific point - to wit, if one is Wiccishly invoking a masculine and a feminine deity, pairing those two is... inappropriate), and while it is, as you say, UPG, it's lore-derived.

:o What can I say?  It was quite a few years ago, when I was much less mindful of culture-specific details.  And I can still follow my reasoning:  either tM or Lugh makes sense at Lammas, the festival on the opposite side of the Wheel from Brigidfeast, just not both.  (What I did do, in the end, was "neither":  I call it Lammas, because my practices bear no resemblance to speak of to Lughnasadh; so let's carry on the Germanic theme - and that's how I got to know Freyr [I was already acquainted with Freyja].)

Thank you; that's very helpful!

Sunflower
I'm the AntiFa genderqueer commie eclectic wiccan Mod your alt-right bros warned you about.
I do so have a life; I just live part of it online!
“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” - Oscar Wilde
"Nobody's good at anything until they practice." - Brina (Yewberry)
My much-neglected blog "If You Ain't Makin' Waves, You Ain't Kickin' Hard Enough"

Micheál

  • Sr. Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Location: Belfast, N. Ireland
  • Posts: 604
  • Country: ie
  • Total likes: 48
    • View Profile
  • Religion: Alexandrian Wicca, Gaelic Polytheism
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2011, 05:25:14 am »
Quote from: SunflowerP;4395

Micheál, a question for you:  One of my connection-failure issues with Lugh seems to have involved tM not caring much for him.  D'you have any info - lore or UPG - that might be relevant to that?  (That's not restricted to Micheál; if others know something relevant, I'd be happy to hear it, but it seems right up Micheál's alley so I've directed it to him in particular.)

Sunflower

It's something that I've never paid much attention to before, as I've never comprehended An Mhór-Ríoghain's relationship outside that of An Daghdha, but now that you mention it, there could be a few possibilities. Just as he was a newcomer to the TDD in the legends, his cult was a relatively newer introduction to Ireland, supposedly around the time of Christ, and replaced a lot of the existing harvest lore around the festival at Tailtiu. Whether or not any lore involving Mór-Ríoghain was replaced or not, it could be a possibility.

The principal cult Gods of the Ulaid were Macha&Dáire, believed to be designations of Mór-Ríoghain&Daghdha with more Ulster personages(Mór-Ríoghain was Ulsters original cult goddess), maybe to differentiate with the Connachta they were often in battle with, and the Ulaid and Connachta did have control of Tara at different times, where the Tailtiu festival was placed. Lugh just kind of randomly fits it here, as the Ulaid adopted him at a later stage. Co. Louth, which used to be part of South Ulster, takes its name from him, as a few other places in Donegal.

I try not to take the myths too literally, but its hard not to considering that's where the bulk of our information comes from, so I do personally believe that true beliefs are attached to some of their creation, and if not could become part of the Gods personages as they're believed throughout time. It's very interesting that Juni brought up the possibility of Lugh's feelings in regards to An Mhór-Ríoghain instigating Cú Chulainn to break the geis put on him, because although its commonly believed Lugh's name is equated with light because of the Latin lux, and he still has solar connotations, but many scholars believe his name is properly derived from the Celtic lugio , meaning 'an oath,' making him a patron of sworn oaths.
Semper Fidelis

stephyjh

  • Grand Master Member
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 1597
  • Total likes: 2
    • View Profile
Re: Other Deities and Brighid
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2011, 02:53:00 am »
Quote from: SunflowerP;4395


Micheál, a question for you:  One of my connection-failure issues with Lugh seems to have involved tM not caring much for him.  D'you have any info - lore or UPG - that might be relevant to that?  (That's not restricted to Micheál; if others know something relevant, I'd be happy to hear it, but it seems right up Micheál's alley so I've directed it to him in particular.)

Sunflower

 
I've had the same experience with tM not being fond of Lugh, and it's kept me from having a very strong relationship with her, because he's the deity I like to describe as my spiritual drinking buddy. Don't get me wrong--I can work with her, but she's more like a supervisor than like part of the family the way other gods in my practice are.
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

-Robert Burns

Tags:
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
70 Replies
15194 Views
Last post July 30, 2011, 01:59:36 pm
by Juniperberry
12 Replies
5329 Views
Last post May 15, 2012, 11:09:13 am
by Kelly Ann
7 Replies
2595 Views
Last post November 25, 2012, 12:08:01 am
by Zaphaux
14 Replies
2753 Views
Last post August 26, 2017, 12:22:28 pm
by Waldhexe
5 Replies
2040 Views
Last post May 13, 2018, 02:59:24 pm
by Oíche

Special Interest Group

Warning: You are currently in a Special Interest Group on the message board with special rules and focused discussions.

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 239
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 1
  • Dot Users Online:

* Please Donate!

The Cauldron's server is expensive and requires monthly payments. Please become a Bronze, Silver or Gold Donor if you can. Donations are needed every month. Without member support, we can't afford the server.

* Shop & Support TC

The links below are affiliate links. When you click on one of these links you will go to the listed shopping site with The Cauldron's affiliate code. Any purchases you make during your visit will earn TC a tiny percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you.

* In Memoriam

Chavi (2006)
Elspeth (2010)
Marilyn (2013)

* Cauldron Staff

Host:
Sunflower

Message Board Staff
Board Coordinator:
Darkhawk

Assistant Board Coordinator:
Aster Breo

Senior Staff:
Aisling, Allaya, Jenett, Sefiru

Staff:
Ashmire, EclecticWheel, HarpingHawke, Kylara, PerditaPickle, rocquelaire

Discord Chat Staff
Chat Coordinator:
Morag

'Up All Night' Coordinator:
Altair

Cauldron Council:
Bob, Catja, Chatelaine, Emma-Eldritch, Fausta, Jubes, Kelly, LyricFox, Phouka, Sperran, Star, Steve, Tana

Site Administrator:
Randall

SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal