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Loop of Brighid

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June 2014

June 04, 2014

Loop of Brighid: The Nine Pure Choice Graces, Part 3 – The Grace of Fortune

The grace of fortune is not the condition of being lucky, but a lighthearted and...

April 2014

April 30, 2014

Loop of Brighid: The Nine Pure Choice Graces, Part 2 – The Grace of Voice

The second of the nine “pure choice graces” is the grace of voice. While the...

April 16, 2014

Loop of Brighid: The Nine Pure Choice Graces, Part 1 – The Grace of Form

Bathing the head, feet and hands was once an important part of the Imbolc celebration....

January 2014

January 31, 2014

Loop of Brighid: Clann Bhride

Clann Bhride, also known as the Children of Brighid, is a spiritual path of devotion...

November 2013

November 21, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Bride, the Cailleach and Nicnevin

Are Bride and Nicnevin estranged sisters? Or, if Mackenzie was right and the Cailleach and...

November 07, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 7 – The Devotional Moods

In an earlier series of columns on “The Mysticism of Devotion,” we explored the devotional...

October 2013

October 24, 2013

Loop of Brighid: The Cauldrons of Inspiration

A God Who Makes Fire: The Bardic Mysticism of Amergin includes a new translation of...

October 10, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces, A Brigidine Sacred Text – Part 9

On Patheos Agora, Christopher Scott Thompson concludes his study of the Invocation of the Graces...

September 2013

September 26, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces, a Brigidine Sacred Text – Part 8

On Patheos Agora, Christopher Scott Thompson presents his own translation of the "Ora nam Buaidh"...

September 12, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces, a Brigidine Sacred Text – Part 7

The ancient Gaels swore oaths on the sun, moon and stars. Modern devotees of Brighid...

August 2013

August 29, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces, a Brigidine Sacred Text – Part 6

As part of his exploration of Brigidine Paganism, Christopher Scott Thompson looks at how "Invocation...

August 15, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces – A Brigidine Sacred Text, Part 5

In his ongoing exploration of Brigidine Paganism, Christopher Scott Thompson analyzes the original Gaelic text...

August 01, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces – A Brigidine Sacred Text, Part 4

In "Invocation of the Graces," all eight “ethical empowerments” express essentially the same concept: to...

July 2013

July 18, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces – A Brigidine Sacred Text, Part 3

The power of the “Invocation of the Graces” to grant victory over one's enemies should...

July 04, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces – A Brigidine Sacred Text, Part 2

The “Invocation” is not only a piece of folk magic but a commentary on virtue...

June 2013

June 20, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Invocation of the Graces – A Brigidine Sacred Text, Part 1

The “Invocation of the Graces” is a charm or blessing that was recited over young...

June 06, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 6 – The Seven Elements

There is an interesting gloss on the story of Conlai in the Senchus Mor, to...

May 2013

May 23, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 5 – The Manor of Tara

Turn toward the east again to gaze up at the Sky, the upper realm of...

May 09, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 4 – The Four Treasures

In the fourth of this series on private practices, we're going to visualize the four...

April 2013

April 25, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 3 – The Three Sisters

In Celtic Christianity, it is said that prayer should be continued “until tears come.” Not...

April 11, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 2 – The Fiery Water

The practice of making pilgrimages to holy wells is so ancient it is probably pre-Celtic...

March 2013

March 28, 2013

Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 1 – The Circle of Fire

The title of this column, the “Loop of Brighid,” refers to a traditional charm called...

March 14, 2013

Loop of Brighid: The Brig – Divine Energy of Creation

You often hear pagans say that our religions are defined more by practice than by...

March 01, 2013

Loop of Brighid: The Mysticism of Devotion, Part 4

Just as in bhakti, you can either focus on one of these moods exclusively or...

February 2013

February 14, 2013

Loop of Brighid: The Mysticism of Devotion, Part 3

It's easy to understand why most people would find it degrading to describe themselves as...

January 2013

January 31, 2013

Loop of Brighid: The Mysticism of Devotion, Part 2

In the ancient Celtic world, there were people with names such as Giolla Bride (“Servant...

January 17, 2013

Loop of Brighid: The Mysticism of Devotion, Part 1

Part 1 of a series on devotional mysticism in Brigidine paganism. Devotional mysticism focuses as...

January 03, 2013

Loop of Brighid: What Is Brigidine Paganism?

Brighid is one of the most beloved and widely-venerated deities in the entire world, and...