Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 6 – The Seven Elements

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 6 – The Seven Elements

Last updated on: June 25, 2015 at 10:17 pm by Christopher Scott Thompson

6 Comments

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 6 – The Seven Elements 2015-06-25T22:17:37+00:00 Christopher Scott Thompson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Neoplatonist philosopher Iamblichus taught a form of pagan mystical practice he referred to as theurgy, the goal of which was a mystical state he called henosis. Theurgy is the ritual practice of magic for mystical purposes, and henosis is mystical union with the divine in a pagan context. One of the methods of theurgy Iamblichus taught was the use of visualization to take on the role of the gods in creating and sustaining the universe. The Tibetan practice of deity yoga is based on a similar concept.

We have no way of knowing if anything like this was ever practiced in a Celtic context, but there is an interesting gloss on the story of Conlai in the Senchus Mor, to the effect that the druids claimed to have created the earth, sea, sun and moon. If druidic practice contained rituals dramatizing the creation of the world and the elements, this could be seen as a similar concept to theurgy, henosis or deity yoga.

As wildly speculative as that certainly is, we can make use of the concept in our visualization practice by combining it with the seven duilean or elements of Gaelic lore: the earth, the sun, the sea, the clouds, the wind, the stones and the spirit. In medieval Irish lore about the “Body of Adam,” the earth is identified with Adam’s body, the sun with his face or eyes, the sea with his blood, the clouds with his thoughts, the wind with his breath and the spirit or Holy Ghost with Adam’s soul.

This lore did not originally refer to Adam, as it appears in many different cultures and religions in similar forms and appears to be very ancient. For instance, in Hindu mythology the primal man is referred to as Purusha, but the story is otherwise much the same — a primal human whose body is identified with the elements. In some legends, the entity in question is a goddess rather than a “primal man,” and in some Neoplatonist and Gnostic versions of the concept, the primal human is neither male nor female.

In medieval Ireland, the dominance of Christianity ensured that any concept of a “primal human” would be referred to as Adam, but otherwise the lore in question is very similar to other such legends from many different cultures. In the next visualization, we’re going to use this lore to focus as intensely as possible on the goddess Brighid and to create the universe in union with Her.

Begin by breathing slowly and deeply, then raise the circle of fire. You can also perform the fiery water, three sisters, four treasures and manor of Tara rituals if you wish. Once you have attained a mental state in which you can feel the power of Brighid’s fire and presence, try to let go of your sense of self and of a distinct identity. Sink back into Brighid’s fire, into the Brig of creation. Let everything drop away except the ground of reality, the fiery power of consciousness itself.

Now feel yourself breathe. Watch your breathing go in and out and see the changes in the flame of consciousness, the ebb and flow of its tide-like rhythms. There is a mantra-like Gaelic proverb that describes the tide with these words: Mar a bha, mar a tha, mar a bhitheas gu brath, ri tragadh ‘s ri lionadh.

“As it was, as it is, as it shall ever be, with the ebb and with the flow.”

Watch the ebb and flow for a long time; recite the proverb as a mantra if you wish. Then, very gently, let thoughts arise. Don’t try to do anything in particular with them, but watch how they flow. Let them take the shape of passing clouds driven by the wind of consciousness.

You are now three things: the fiery Brig of consciousness, the ebb and flow of your breathing and the passing clouds of your thoughts. Remain with these three for a good long while, but eventually allow an awareness of your physicality to emerge into your mind. Begin with the flow of your blood, like the darkness of the sea. Imagine your waters advancing and receding, in the same rhythm as the tide of your breath. Let the picture take shape in your mind: a lightless sky filled with clouds, a great wind driving the clouds across the heavens, the endless depths of the ocean. This is the time before the creation, and the world is nothing but the Sky and the Sea. There is as yet no Land.

When the moment is right for it, allow the Brig to strike a spark, lighting the heavens with your two eyes: the sun and the moon. Abstract consciousness is now particularized, localized into a time and place. Instead of the dark waters of the chaos sea, unlighted by sun or moon, there is now a world.

Allow your consciousness to perceive your body as the Land takes shape, rising up out of Sea and taking form beneath the Sky. The picture in your mind’s eye becomes an Earth, complete with both land and sea, a world teeming with life. Feel that your body is the Earth and that your blood is the sea, that your eyes are the sun and the moon, that your thoughts are the clouds, that your breath is the wind and that your consciousness is the Brig.

You have just created the world.

Loop of Brighid is published on alternate Thursdays. Follow it via RSS or e-mail!

Columns

Loop of Brighid

Prayers, Poems, Blessings & Stories

Previous Post

June 4, 2013

New Anthology - Rooted in the Body, Seeking the Soul: Magic Practitioners Living with Disabilities

Next Post

June 7, 2013 A Professional Priesthood?

Recent Comments

6 Comments | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Lakeside Hearth Adventures in Wortcunning Alone In Her Presence Arts, Crafts & Cooking Birthing Hereditary Witchcraft Book of Blackbirds Book Reviews Born-Again Witch Cauldron, Sword, Spear, & Stone Cermony and Liturgy Columns Community Dandelion Seeds Dear Jasmine Druid Thoughts Editor's Picks Everyday Pagan Family & Household Practice Family Traditions Full Frontal Magic Gateway Goddess Guest Articles Happily Heathen Health and Wellness Hearth of Hellenism Heathen Woman Hills of the Horizon History Holidays Horse Goddesses Interfaith Interviews Irish-American Witchcraft Jewish Witch Lamp & Labyrinth Letters from Midgard Literature, Media, Film, Music Loop of Brighid Love, Sex & Relationships Magic or Magick Making Light Naturalistic Traditions Nature News Outside The Circle Pantheisticon Politics Prayers, Poems, Blessings & Stories Queer Femme Mystic Queer of Swords Recipes Ritual and Practice Science and Research Seekers and Guides Seeking the Grail Socially Responsible Magic Spear of Athena Star Made Witch Syncretic Electric Technology The Blooming Staff The Busy Witch The Cartomancer The Crow's Nest The Dance of Pagan Recovery The Hearth of Hellenism The Lady's Quill The Other Side of the Hedge The Path of She The Rantin' Raven The Witches Next Door The Zen Pagan Theology, Ethics, Philosophy Tree City Witch Urban Earthwitch Wayfaring Woman Witch on Fire Wyrd Words

Select a Month January 2026 March 2025 December 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Jonathan's son, crippled as a child, whom David showed kindness?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mephibosheth Jedidiah Abinadab Siba