(La Fheile Bride, Ireland, Gwyl Mair Dechraur Gwanwyn, Wales,
 Laa'l Breeshey, Isle of Mann, Goel Kantolyon, Brittany)

 Moch maduinn Bhride, thig an nimhir as an toll;
 Cha bhoin mise ris an nimhir, Cha bhoin an nimhir rium.
 Early on Bride's morn, the serpent will come from the hollow;
 I will not molest the serpent, nor will the serpent molest me.

                  THE FEAST DAY OF BRIGHID

   Saint Brighid is one of the best known and most venerated of
 Celtic saints. She has been given many titles; The Lady of the
 Isles, Bride of the Mantle, Gentle Shepherdess, Guardian of the
 Cattle, Protector of the Newborn, Nursemaid to the Sick, Midwife of
 Mary and Mary of the Gael. Saint Brighid was said to have been
 reared on the milk of a white cow with red ears, the typical
 colorations of a Celtic otherworld beast. She was said to possess
 a girdle that could heal all disease.
  But long before Brighid the saint there was another Brighid, one
 whose identity and feast day (February 2) were gradually subsumed
 by the later historical figure, a Goddess who was known as
 Brighid in Ireland, Bride in Scotland and Brigantia in Britain.
 Daughter of the Daghda, She was a Triple Goddess, said to always
 appear as three sisters, each named Brighid. Her spheres of
 influence were poetry, smithcraft and healing. She was the
 Patroness of the Druids and Bards. The Brigantes, a British Celtic
 tribe, honored Brigantia as "The High One" and "Mother of the
 Gods". She was the most prominent pan-Celtic female deity.
   Brighid was especially associated with healing wells and springs,
 and with sacred fire. As Brigantia she was especially concerned
 with the flocks and herds and with the produce of the earth. These
 spheres were later taken up by Saint Brighid of Kildare, patroness
 of numerous holy wells, whose fire temple was tended by nine
 maidens until the Pope declared it heretical and shut it down. (The
 perpetual fire of Brighid has recently been re-lit by nuns in
 Ireland and women across the globe are once again tending fires in
 Her name).
   Brighid's sacred bird was the Oystercatcher, "giolla Bride"
 (Irish, Brighid's servant) and "Brideun" (Scots Gaelic, Brighid's
 bird) which was said to guide people who were under her protection.
 Her mother was Boann, Cow Goddess of the White Moon and Goddess of
 the Boyne river in Ireland, making cows her sacred animals. She was
 also associated with the white mare, the serpent, and red eared,
 white bodied hounds who guide travellers to the Otherworld.
   Imbolc is Brighid's own festival, one of the four great Celtic
 Fire Festivals along with Samhain (summers end), Beltaine (Fires of
 Bel, summers beginning) and Lughnasad (the first fruits festival
 inaugurated by the God Lugh in honor of his foster mother at her
 funeral games). It marks the midpoint of the dark half of the year.
   It also marks the beginning of the lactation of the ewes, an all-
 important milk festival of the ancients. The name of the festival
 may derive from m(b)lig, "milk" or the Old Celtic Ouimelko, "ewes
 milk" .
   Along with the streams of new milk Imbolc marks the time when
 other steams of life are re-kindled in the land - forest animals
 begin their mating rituals and serpents begin to stir in their
 lairs. Farmers test the soil to see if it is thawed enough for the
 first plowings and snowdrops spring up in the spots where Brighid's
 feet have trod.
   At this time the Hag of Winter, the Cailleach, who has ruled
 since Samhain visits the Well of Youth. At dawn on the day of the
 festival she drinks from the Well of Youth and her face is
 transformed from haggard old age to the serene and youthful face of
 Brighid. For this reason Brighid is sometimes called The Maiden of
 the Rising Sun.
   The Cailleach carries a Druid Wand of great power, a white rod or
 slachdan made of birch, willow, bramble or broom. With its magic
 powers She controls the elements and the weather. Brighid carries
 a white rod too but where the Cailleach's rod brings storms and
 harsh weather, Brighid's brings warm winds and new life.
   It was said that where Brighid walked over the waters or touched
 them with her finger the ice melted. And that the land turned green
 where she spread her mantle upon it, or when she breathed upon the
 hills. Families would leave a mantle or a cloth outdoors on the eve
 of the festival to be blessed by the sun and by Brighid on Imbolc
 morn. The mantle was later used to cover the sick and the cloth
 would be cut into strips to be tied onto a sick person or animal
 throughout the remaining year.

                 PURIFICATION BY FIRE AND WATER

   Imbolc celebrates the re-kindling of the fires in the earth which
 give life and movement to plants and animals. Seeds burst open, sap
 rises and animals begin their mating rites. The fire in the sun
 begins to wax noticeably. Imbolc marks the time when it is no
 longer necessary to carry a candle to do the early morning chores.
 Candles are left burning on windowsills all night to mark the
 seasonal passage.
   Brighid's blessings are invoked on the forge and on the tools of
 the smith, and also on agricultural implements and the plow, the
 product of the smith's transformative art. Smith craft is potent
 magic, the ability to fashion metallic ore into bronze or iron. It
 is directly under the sanction of Brighid.
   To this day in Ireland there are numerous holy wells dedicated to
 Brighid. The ancient Celts marked the beginning of each
 agricultural cycle by purifying themselves with water. The feet,
 hands and head were ritually washed and who better to bless the
 waters than Brighid Herself? Fire and water were seen as the
 building blocks of creation, the basic foundations for all
 transformative magic. By invoking a Fire Goddess into the waters
 the stage was set for growth and change.

                   THE SOLAR CROSS OF THE GODDESS

   Equal armed solar crosses (a design that long predates
 Christianity) were plaited from rushes to bring luck to the home.
 In the Western Isles of Scotland the women dressed a doll, named
 her Brighid, and placed her in a reed basket. On Imbolc Eve, at
 sunset, they circled the house three times sunwise, carrying the
 basket and moved from house to house carrying Brighid's crosses and
 lit candles to every home in the village.
   In parts of Ireland the eldest daughter of the house gathered
 rushes and brought them home where she was formally welcomed by the
 family as a representative of Brighid. The girl would then move
 through the house blessing the home, the food and drink within it,
 and especially the hearth.
   A solar cross shaped bread was placed on top of the rushes to be
 eaten later or crumbs from the cross shaped bread were strewn on
 the rushes. The whole family participated in the making of Crosoga,
 equal armed crosses that were hung in the home and placed in
 windows. Rushes might be left by the fire overnight, covered by a
 white cloth, as a "Bride's Bed". The Goddess was invited to sleep
 there overnight, thus empowering the rushes with Her healing
 strength.
   Any left over rushes were used for healing work throughout the
 year. They could be tied to the horns of cattle as protection or
 fastened to the handle of the churn to prevent hexing of the milk.
 They could also be tied around an ailing limb or placed around the
 neck of one who was ill.
   A Crios Bride, a hoop of staw with four solar crosses tied to it,
 was carried from home to home. Men would step through it and women
 would lower it over their heads and step through it three times to
 mark a ritual "rebirth".
   In some areas a Brideog, a straw doll wearing childs clothing,
 would be carried from house to house by young girls who sang and
 recited prayers at every door where they were given small gifts in
 exchange. Often the girls would meet at the last house for a party
 with music and dancing.
   Sometimes a single woman was chosen to carry a solar cross from
 door to door. She was understood to be the representative of
 Brighid, bringing blessings to each household. In Munster and
 Connacht the procession was composed entirely of men, dressed in
 white skirts and with conical straw masks over their heads.


                     SNAKES AND HEDGEHOGS

   The festival of Imbolc marks the true origins of Groundhog Day.
 In Scottish tradition a snake was said to emerge from its mound,
 its motions and behavior determining the remaining days of frost.
 If the snake became active a thaw was immanent. If it returned to
 its nest a month more of winter was to be expected.
   The serpent was an ancient symbol of the powers of the earth and
 of the spirit that motivates the forces of growth, decay and
 transformation. As the serpent shed its skin it illustrates the
 eternal powers of renewal inherent in the land. Snakes were also a
 symbol of healing. Pictish stone carvings often depict sacred
 snakes.
   In Ireland it was the hedgehog who made an Imbolc appearance and
 in the modern United States it is the ground hog who carries on the
 tradition.

                       TRADITIONAL FOODS AT IMBOLC

   To celebrate the lactation of the ewes, butter was a traditional
 addition to any Imbolc dish. Cake, bread, butter or porridge would
 be placed in the window and left as an offering for Brighid's white
 cow, with whom She travels. The next morning these foods blessed by
 Brighid were eaten by the household or shared with the needy. Straw
 or fresh rushes would be left on the doorstep overnight as well, in
 hopes that the Goddess would stop there and bless the home. Butter
 left out on Imbolc night would be saved to make healing salves and
 ointments later in the season.

                               Colcannon

   Chop and shred a white cabbage and cook until tender. Steam eight
 medium potatoes and pass through a food mill or boil until soft and
 mash in a hot pan. Chop a bunch of scallions and simmer lightly in
 1 1/2 cups milk for five minutes. Beat the scallions into the
 mashed potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the cabbage. Add
 salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a large lump of butter melting
 on top and a glass of cold milk. (This dish is also traditional at
 Samhain).

                             Dandelion Salad

   Dandelions, with their yellow solar flowers and their milky white
 sap are sacred to Brighid. Dandelions first bloom at the time of
 Brighid's festival and their greens make a healthful early spring
 dish. The roots are medicine for the liver and the flowers are used
 to make a yellow wine.

   Soak the new greens and freshly grated roots for twenty minutes
 in cold water with 2 tbsp vinegar added to remove possible
 parasites. Rinse thoroughly and toss lightly with lemon juice,
 olive oil and sea salt. Try adding slivered onions, grated carrot,
 baby lettuce, violet leaves and flowers or spinach. Top with grated
 garlic or nutmeg, or grated lemon peel for variety.
   Add dandelion greens to soups or boil the greens like spinach.

                          Blackberry Wine and Jelly

   The blackberry is another herb sacred to Brighid. Its leaves are
 used to poultice wounds and burns and its roots are made into a tea
 to cure diarrhea. Crawling under a blackberry bush was once
 regarded as a potent charm against rheumatism, boils and
 blackheads. The whole plant was valued as a charm against disease.
 Blackberry pies, jams, jellies and wines can be added to the feast
 in Brighid's honor.


                               Bonnach Bride

   In Scotland a bonnach Bride or bannock of Bride was made at
 Imbolc, a bonnach Bealltain at Beltaine, a bonnach Lunastain at
 Lughnasad and a bonnach Samthain at Samhain. In each case a large
 cake was baked for the family and smaller cakes for each family
 member. The family walked out into the fields to eat the cakes,
 throwing a piece over each shoulder and offering it to dangerous
 spirits who might harm the fields and flocks such as wolf, fox,
 eagle, hawk, martin and raven. The cakes and breads used in this
 way featured hidden fruits and nuts.

                                Barm Brack

   Cream 1 tsp yeast with 1 tsp sugar and allow to froth up in 1 1/2
 cups warm (not hot) milk. In a separate bowl sieve 2 cups flour, 2
 tsp powdered sugar and 1 tsp allspice. Cut in 3 tbsp butter. Make
 a well in the center and pour in the yeast and milk mixture and one
 beaten egg. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes. Work in
 a pinch of salt and 2 cups of mixed fruits (currants, raisins,
 candied peels, etc.). Knead well.
   Place in a warm bowl, cover and allow to rise for about an hour
 or until doubled in size.
   Knead lightly and place in a greased 7 inch cake pan. Allow to
 rise 1/2 hour more. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Upon
 removal from the oven glaze with a syrup made with 2 tsp sugar
 dissolved in 3 tsp boiling water.

                                Porter Cake

   Melt 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar in 1 cup Porter (a type
 of dark ale) in a saucepan. Add 6 cups of mixed fruit (currants,
 raisins, slivered almonds, about half as much mixed candied peel)
 and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to go cold and add 4 cups sieved
 flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp grated lemon zest, and 1 tsp
 allspice. Beat 3 medium eggs and fold in with a wooden spoon.
   Pour into a greased 9 inch cake pan and bake in a pre heated oven
 at 325 degrees for about 1 3/4 hours. Test with a skewer until the
 skewer comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the tin.

                                  Crepes
   In Brittany the ubiquitous crepe is the traditional festival
 dish.

                           THE FAIRIES AT IMBOLC

   On the eve of every quarter feast (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine,
 Lughnasad) the fairies are said to move from one Fairy Hill to
 another. Those with "the sight" should be able to easily observe
 them. A witch can be detected on the first Monday of each quarter
 because the smoke from her chimney will blow AGAINST the wind. _

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