Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry

Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry

"Brigid, that is to say, a poetess, daughter of the Dagda. It is that Brigid who is the goddess of poetry and the wisdom contained therein, that is, the goddess whom the poets used to follow. Her craft was magnificent and splendid. Therefore they called her the goddess of poets, whose sisters were Brigid, the goddess of medicine, and Brigid, goddess of metalwork, daughter of the Dagda; the goddess Brigid was called by these names by almost all of the Irish."

Sanas Cormaic, 9th century; trans. Antone Minard

The Irish goddess Brigit “whom poets used to follow.” Indeed, more turn to her every day.

Join Mael Brigde in this Poetry Intensive. Immerse yourself in poetry—your own and that of many other wise and articulate souls. Explore the history and importance of the poet in Ireland. Experience the reach of poetry in major spheres of life: healing, magic, battle, prayer, music, and more. Forge deeper connections with Brigit, with your poetic self, with poets across the ages, and with your chosen community. Free the poetry in your own soul with Brigit as your inspiration and Mael Brigde as your guide.

Over nineteen lessons you will have an opportunity to begin to awaken Brigit’s poetic presence in you, and to ease more deeply into the act of writing. Meet Brigit as goddess of poets, as inspiration, as protector. Music, spoken word, meditations, self-reflection, and many opportunities for writing with Brigit make this a journey of contemplation, aspiration, expression, and delight.

Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry is a self-paced course, open to people of any gender identity, creed, or race. This is  the third of Mael Brigde's Brigit courses. There is no prerequisite for taking this course. To learn more about Brigit and welcome her into you life, we recommend you take Discovering Brigit before Stepping Into Brigit: A 30 Day Goddess Activation Course. (Doing so will give you a $13 discount on Stepping Into Brigit.)

If you...

• love to read poetry, and to see its power in our lives
• have been looking for a goddess to whom poetry is a sacred undertaking
• are familiar with Brigit and are drawn to her
• have the fire of poetic inspiration and are looking for focus for beginning to write
• are in the midst of great creativity and wish for a further impetus to growth in your poetry
• are drawn to a Celtic spiritual path
• want to combine a knowledge of Brigit and the roots of poetic tradition in Ireland with your own writing
• would benefit from encouragement and guidance from a poet and longtime follower of Brigit

...then welcome to Mael Brigde’s nineteen session, self-paced Intensive class, Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry. All you need is a curious, open mind, and a love of words in creative and spiritual expression.

Included in this course:

• Brigit Banfile: Woman Poet, and her world
• Creating Sacred Space; Inviting Brigit’s presence and preparing to write
• Setting intentions to carry with you through the course
• An exploration of our relationship to poetry and how it can shape our lives
• The role of the Poet in Late Medieval and Early Modern Ireland, including The Poet in Folk Tradition (Song and Poem)
• Seeking Magic and the awakening of inspiration
• Music and Poetry
• Healing, Battle, Sacred Connection, Companions on the Journey
• Prayers, poems, meditations, music, spoken word offerings, and images to inspire a deeper connection to Brigit and to your own writing
• Writing prompts and exercises geared to free you to write in a sacred setting
• Links and downloads for further study (audio, pdf)
• The encouragement and knowledge of your teacher, Mael Brigde, as you experience this interactive course.
• Resource lists
• An invitation to deepen your learning and your immersion into Brigit by enrolling in Mael Brigde’s introductory course, Discovering Brigit. (Those completing Journey with Brigit, Goddess of Poetry will find a link to enroll in Discovering Brigit which will offer them a 9$ discount.)
• …and much more.

Testimonials:

“Mael Brigde draws on decades of study and personal dedication to Brighid in Her many forms. I recommend this course to anyone wishing to explore women's spirituality from the Celtic tradition.” --Rowan Hagen, Australia

“Brigit speaks through Mael Brigde in the healing community she has created in Daughters of the Flame.” --Gail Nyoka, USA

“I have learned what it means to follow Brigit through Casey's exemplary leadership and compassionate, wise ways. She has taught me not only about Brigit's history and mythology but its relevance and importance in one's own life and how having a personal relationship with Her can bring fulfillment and joy.”-- Nichole C. USA

From Morgan Daimler’s Review of Stepping Into Brigit: 

“The material looks at Brighid in a holistic manner including both the pagan Goddess as well as the Christian saint... It certainly was the most well-rounded view I think I've seen and I can't fault it's fairness in giving an equal voice to all sides…

“… I really did like the way the course offered a lot of quotes directly from source material. I think often this is the best way to let a student contemplate the original material without the filter of an author's opinion. I also like the amount of poetry included and the way that allowed me, as a student, to experience the material without overthinking it and to appreciate the beauty of the ideas presented… The overall feel of the course was contemplative and engaging without being tedious or excessively 'school-like' in its feel, which I think will have a wide appeal to modern adult spiritual seekers.

“There are many people out there interested in Brighid and many seeking classes or courses online to help them better connect to spiritual things of interest. For those looking to learn about and connect to Brighid I think this course would be a good option... for someone who has the desire to truly make use of what this course is offering I think a great deal of valuable knowledge can be gained here.”

Morgan Daimler is the author of Pagan Portals: Brighid from Moon Books.

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About your guide, Mael Brigde:

Since the early 1980s, Mael Brigde has found endless spiritual wealth in the conflicting and complementary traditions surrounding Brigit. Among her greatest pleasures are walking with Brigit as a steady companion, and sharing her with others.

In 1993 she founded the first interfaith Brigidine flame-tending group, the Daughters of the Flame, which continues to this day. She lit their first candle to Brigit on Imbolc 1993—the same day that the Irish Catholic Brigidine sisters relit her perpetual fire in Kildare.

She maintains the blog Brigit’s Sparkling Flame, which points readers to Brigit-related websites, books, CDs, and so on, as well as offering reviews and original materials. Feel free to contact her with suggestions for future postings.

Mael Brigde is the author of the upcoming book Sun Among Stars: Poems & Prayers to Brigit of Ireland. Some of her (and others’) Brigidine poetry can be found at Stone on the Belly.

She lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Daughters of the Flame

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Mael Brigde's Brigit Chants

Brigit Blogs: 

Brigit’s Sparkling Flame (general Brigit blog)

Stone on the Belly (Brigit poetry blog):

Online Courses: 

Discovering Brigit (Introductory Course)

Stepping Into Brigit (Goddess Activation Course)

Papers:

“A Long Sip at the Well” (Brigit book reviews)

“The Mythical Pairing of Brig and Bres: Its Origins and Meaning in Cath Maige Tuired (Revised)”: