Origin: Pre-Christian Ireland.
Commonly associated with: fertility, motherhood, protection, wisdom, poetry, blacksmithing, prophecy, divination, fire, hearth, home, childbirth, inspiration, domesticated animals, justice, equality, peace.
Patroness of: healers, poets, blacksmiths, midwives, single mothers, babies.
Other Names: Brigantia, Brid, Bríg, Bride, Briginda, Brigdu, Brigit, Saint Brigid, The Exalted One, The Mistress of the Mantle, The Fiery Arrow, The Bright One.
Symbols: Cow, Brigid’s cross, fire, eternal flame, ewe, cockerel, holy wells, cauldron, corn doll, serpent, the Sun, spring.
Triple Goddess Aspects: Brigid the Healer (goddess of fertility, family, childbirth and healing), Brigid the Smith (goddess of the crafts and justice), Brigid the Poetess (goddess of inspiration and poetry).
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Brigid, Brigit or Bríg is a goddess of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland. She appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the pantheon of Celtic pre-Christian gods worshipped by the Gaelic people. The Tuatha Dé Danann, also known as Tuath Dé (“tribe of the gods”) dwell in the Otherworld (the realm of deities and the dead) but interact with humans and the human world. Each member of the Tuath Dé is connected with a particular feature of life or nature. They are associated with ancient passage tombs, burial sites, cairns and mounds, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. Celtic deities were highly integrated into various aspects of daily life, such as domestic and labor-related tasks, and elements of the natural world, like streams, trees, or hills.
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Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda, an important god in Irish mythology portrayed as a father-figure, king, and druid. In Old Irish, the root of her name means “the exalted one”, and her most ancient Gaelic name, Breo-Saighead, means “fiery arrow”. She is associated with wisdom, poetry, fertility, motherhood, childbirth, healing, protection, the hearth and home, divination, blacksmithing and domesticated animals. She is connected to fire, domesticity, and family life. Brigid was the patron of poets and bards, as well as healers and magicians. She was especially honored when it came to matters of prophecy and divination. Brigid was known for protecting mothers and their newborn children. She was described as a fiery-haired goddess, wearing a cloak of sunbeam. Her ability to sense and attend to the needs of others was one of her many sacred gifts.
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Cormac's Glossary, an early Irish glossary written by Christian scribes in the 9th century, describes her as “the goddess whom poets adored” and “woman of wisdom” or sage, who is famous for her “protecting care”. The glossary suggests that Brigid had two sisters, suggesting that Brigid may have been a Triple Goddess—a deity who appears in three forms or aspects. Unlike other mythologies where the Triple Goddess represented the three chronological stages of a woman's life (Maiden, Mother, and Crone), the three Brigids were all of the same generation, and the distinctions between them were based on their domains of responsibility.
Brigid the Healer, or the ‘Fire of the Hearth’, was the goddess of fertility, family, childbirth and healing.
Brigid the Smith, or the ‘Fire of the Forge’, was a patroness of the crafts (especially weaving, embroidery, and metalsmithing), and a goddess concerned with justice and law and order.
Brigid the Poetess, or the ‘Fire of Inspiration’, was the muse of poetry, song and the protector of all cultural learning.
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Saint Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron saints, shares many of the goddess’s attributes and her feast day, February 1st, was originally the pagan festival Imbolc, which marked the beginning of spring and was associated with the goddess Brigid. It has been long asserted that Saint Brigid’s persona is based on the cult of the pre-Christian goddess Brigid. It is therefore argued that the saint is a Christianization of the goddess, a form of syncretism—a merging or assimilation of several mythologies or religions.
Brigid is one of the most prominent and loved deities of the Celtic pantheon, appearing in many stories in Irish mythology and in the Middle Ages. However, many of these stories seem contradictory, relaying her life in many different ways. Additionally, her quality as a triple goddess fostered a multiplicity of stories surrounding her and her different identities, diverging into multiple storylines and creating further complexity.
In the Cath Maige Tuired, a text of Irish mythology, Brigid is the wife of Bres, a king of the Tuatha De Danann, and bears him a son, Ruadán. It says she began the custom of keening, a combination of wailing and singing, while mourning the death of Ruadán, who was killed in battle. She is credited in the same passage with inventing a whistle used for night travel.
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In her English retellings of Irish myth, Lady Augusta Gregory describes Brigit as “a woman of poetry, and poets worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the night”. In England, Brigid is known as the warrior maiden and a symbol of justice and authority. In many stories, her overall role was to help humans realize their potential. Brigid has three rivers named after her in Ireland, Wales, and England.
Brigid has been kept alive through oral traditions, including poetry and bardic lore. A common belief is that after their death, poets stay in both the realms of the living and dead, spreading the old songs and stories of Brigid, so she will not be forgotten and continue to inspire humans.
Brigid is an important figure for many modern pagans, who continue to honor her today as a goddess of the hearth and home, in particular within the revival of the pagan festival Imbolc.
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During the Middle Ages, it is believed that the goddess Brigid was syncretized with the Christian saint of the same name. According to medievalist Pamela Berger, Christian monks “took the ancient figure of the mother goddess and grafted her name and functions onto her Christian counterpart”, Saint Brigid of Kildare. It is speculated that the goddess Brigid may have been turned into Saint Brigid in order to convert the Celts to Christianity.
According to tradition, Saint Brigid was born into slavery, to a Pagan Scottish king and his Christian slave, after her mother was sold to a druid. Her mother raised her as a Christian. From a young age, Brigid was highly compassionate and helped those in need with an open heart. As she grew older, she started healing and feeding the poor, and blessing the cots of newborns. When her religious journey developed, she founded a monastery at Kildare—a name which means the 'church of the oak tree’—in the 5th century, on the site of a pagan shrine to the Celtic goddess Brigid. At this site, a sacred perpetual fire burned, tended to by young priestesses who used to gather on the hill of Kildare to tend their ritual fires while invoking the goddess Brigid to protect their herds and to provide a fruitful harvest. When St. Brigid built her monastery and church in Kildare she continued the custom of keeping the fire alight, and became associated with perpetual sacred flames, like the goddess Brigid.
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In the Christian era, the sacred flame at Kildare was said to have been maintained by 19 nuns, and surrounded by a hedge, which no man could cross. Men who attempted to cross the hedge were said to have been cursed with insanity or death. The tradition of female priestesses tending sacred, eternal flames is a feature of ancient Indo-European pre-Christian spirituality. Other examples include the Roman goddess Vesta, and other hearth-goddesses, such as Hestia. The sacred flame survived possibly up to the suppression of the monasteries in the sixteenth century.
The sacred flame was re-lit in 1993, in the Market Square, Kildare, by Mary Teresa Cullen, the then leader of the Brigidine Sisters, a small and diverse group of women who keep Brigid’s values and traditions alive. The flame was re-lit at the opening of a justice and peace conference, entitled “Brigid: Prophetess, Earthwoman, Peacemaker” and organised by Afri, (Action from Ireland), a justice, peace and human rights organization. Since then, the Brigidine Sisters in Kildare have tended the sacred flame in their centre, Solas Bhride.
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Women looked to Saint Brigid as an advocate and role model. She was a fierce protector of women, with many legends depicting her as saving innocent women from death, assault and harassment, assisting them through pregnancy, and protecting and healing them. Saint Brigid is also credited with organizing communal consecrated religious life for women in Ireland. She is celebrated for her generosity to the poor, her community-building qualities, her peacemaking and leadership. Most of the miracles associated with her relate to healing and household tasks usually attributed to women.
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Saint Brigid is credited for having initiated the monastic movement in Ireland, which spread across the country and allowed monks and nuns to live devotional lives of solitude, prayer, and physical labor. The movement would help define Irish Christianity with convents and monasteries throughout the nation serving as the administrative, legal, intellectual, cultural, and agricultural centers for their areas. Brigid was known to be a deep carer for the Earth. In keeping with her Celtic tradition, she was wonderfully attuned to the seasons and cycles of nature. Today, in Ireland, many individuals and groups concerned about the environment draw inspiration from the reverence and respect which Brigid had for the land. She is often referred to as the saint of agriculture.
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Saint Brigid was a strong and gentle woman, a powerful leader, a good organizer, a skillful healer and a wise spiritual guide. She has become—for both men and women—a potent symbol of Christian womanhood.
Her popularity made the name Brigid (or its variants such as Brigitte, Bridie, and Bree) so popular in Ireland over the centuries, that at one point in time, every family had a Brigid. In the nineteenth century as many Irish women emigrated to England seeking jobs as housemaids, the name Brigid became virtually synonymous with the word "woman".
Saint Brigid’s feast day is February 1st, which was originally the pagan festival Imbolc during which the goddess Brigid was celebrated, a day marking the beginning of spring in Irish tradition.
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Brigid: The Goddess Of Inspiration, Healing & Smithcraft
Video by Mythology & Fiction Explained
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Imbolc or Imbolg, also called Saint Brigid's Day, is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians (especially Irish Christians), it is the feast day of Saint Brigid. It is held on February 1st, which is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Historically, Imbolc was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Beltaine (the beginning of summer), Lughnasadh (the beginning of autumn or harvest season), and Samhain (the beginning of winter, the pagan Celtic festival of the dead).
Early Irish literature indicates that Imbolc was an important date in ancient times. It is believed the day was originally a pagan festival associated with the goddess Brigid in her role as a fertility goddess, and that it was Christianized as the feast day of Saint Brigid, who was also believed to be a Christianization of the goddess.
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To fully appreciate the importance of Imbolc for Celtic people, it is necessary to understand the life-and-death struggle that winter represented for agrarian societies. The snow, cold and ice of winter literally held people in its grip, only alleviated with the arrival of spring. As it marked the beginning of spring, Imbolc was the promise that better times are coming. During the winter months, people worried about the amounts of food for both humans and animals, illnesses, and the health of the young, the old and nursing mothers.
With the arrival of Imbolc, the pregnant animals who survived the winter months birth their young and their milk would be flowing. Milk, to the Celts, was sacred food, equivalent to the Christian communion. The cow was symbolic of the sacredness of motherhood, life-force and nourishment, and was associated with the goddess Brigid.
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Imbolc divides winter in half; the cold winter months are departing—represented by the Crone feminine archetype—and the promise of Spring is around the corner—represented by the youthful Maiden. This celebration was undoubtedly a feminine festival. Women would gather to welcome the maiden aspect of the Goddess as embodied by Brigid. The festivities included the making of corn cakes and the weaving of Brigid's crosses. A doll-like figure of Brigid (a Brídeóg) dressed in white would be paraded from house-to-house by maidens, also dressed in white. On the eve of the festival, people would prepare their homes to be visited and blessed by Brigid, by making a bed for her, preparing food and drink offerings, and leaving items of clothing outside for her to bless. Brigid was also evoked to protect homes and livestock. Holy wells were visited in her honor, a special feast was given by and for the maidens, and it was a special time for divination. On this day, Brigid was honored as the Great Mother and all-encompassing deity.
Although many of Imbolc customs died out in the 20th century, the festival is still observed by both Christians and non-Christians, and its customs have been revives in its Christian and neo-pagan forms in some places. Since the end of 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed Imbolc as a religious holiday.
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Here, you will find simple nature-oriented practices, prompts and rituals
that will help you embody the energy and qualities of Brigid.
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Ground and center. Take a deep breath. Be conscious of the electric spark within each nerve as pulses jump from synapse to synapse. Be aware of the combustion within each cell, as energy releases and moves throughout your body. Let your own fire become one with candle flame, bonfire, hearth fire, lightning, starlight and sunlight, one with the bright spirit of the Goddess.
Fire teaches us that power results from combining and integrating, rather than fighting and dominating. Remember, there is ease and grace in true power. Connect with your inner fire. Feel that expansive power within.
Meditation from The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk
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In a quiet, darkened room, light a candle. Ground and center, and gaze quietly into the heart of the candle. Breathe deeply, and let yourself be warmed by the light of the candle. Let its peaceful radiance fill you completely. Follow the movements of the flame with your eyes. As thoughts surface in your mind, gently let them go without judgment. Do not let the flame split into a double-image: keep your eyes focused.
As you gaze at the flame, visualize a diamond at the center of your forehead, between and just above your eyebrows. This is where your intuitive third-eye chakra lies. The diamond reflects the light of the candle, and the candle reflects the light of the candle. Feel the reverberation of energy.
Gaze for as long as possible without straining the eyes, and then close them when you need to. Your eyes might start to tear or water during your practice, that is perfectly normal. Once this happens, close your eyes. This is said to clean and purify the eyes, leaving them clear and bright. When you close the eyes, you may be able to visualize an after-image of the flame with closed eyes. Try to bring and maintain this image at the location of the diamond you visualized, or your third-eye. When the image eventually disappears, open your eyes again and repeat the gazing process.
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As you candle-gaze, you can contemplate the inner light and intention you want to bring in. Perhaps you want to cultivate grounding or send love and compassion, or feel the quiet hum of inspiration, or the soft whisper of gratitude. If you aren’t sure what to focus on, you can allow your candle-gazing to be a space of curiosity. Quieting the mind and inviting in space for curious questions or giving energy to your meditation and practice.
Pause and slow down to spend time in your sacred space in the light. Taking a few minutes or longer to spend time in the space of sacredness and awe is an inspiring way to bring your meditation alive. When you’re ready to end your practice, send yourself gratitude for taking the time to connect to the light outside and within. Thank your candle and blow it out if it’s lit. Your practice is complete.
Five to ten minutes of practice is sufficient, but if you feel the urge to practice longer, you can lengthen your practice.
In Sanskrit, the word “trataka” means to look or to gaze. Trataka is part of a holistic approach to health that includes mind, body, and spirit. Practicing trataka has a direct impact on your mind and mental state—as stillness of the eyes can bring stillness to the mind, helping to instill a sense of calm.
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Experts suggest that candle-gazing meditation can help enhance cognitive function, mental health, and spiritual connectedness. The spiritual benefits of candle-gazing meditation may include: reduction in excess rajas (passion, action, and movement), increase in sattva (consciousness and clarity), improvement in intuitive or spiritual vision, connecting to the 3rd eye—center of intuition, perception, connectedness, calming the mind and providing inner peace and silence, and providing stress relief and deep relaxation.
Caution: This exercise is not suitable for people with psychic problems. Those who have a tendency towards Schizophrenia or hallucinations should not practice Trataka.
Meditation from The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk and Healthline
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The 1979 installation artwork The Dinner Party by feminist artist Judy Chicago features a place setting for Brigid/Saint Brigid. Widely regarded as the first epic feminist artwork, the installation is a symbolic history of women in civilization. It features a massive ceremonial banquet arranged on a triangular table, with 39 elaborate place settings each commemorating a mythical or historical famous woman, including Virginia Woolf, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, Georgia O'Keefe, Ishtar, and Kali, to name a few. Each place setting includes a hand-painted china plate, ceramic cutlery, a chalice and a napkin. Each plate depicts a brightly colored, elaborately styled vulva form. The settings rest on intricately embroidered runners, using a variety of needlework styles and techniques.
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In an early drawing for the plate of Saint Brigid, Judy Chicago refers to her as a “goddess of milk and fire.” She is represented as a flame in the plate. The flame appears again on the back of the runner surrounding the Celtic cross, and on the runner’s front, in the letter “S” in her name. The flame is a literal translation of Brigid’s Celtic name, which means “fiery arrow.” It also represents the eternal flame that the nuns of Saint Brigid kept lit in her honor, after her death.
The flame on the plate appears as an abstract form in reds, oranges, and yellows interwoven with the greens and blues. The overlaying of flame and plant imagery suggests the Christian Saint Brigid emerging from the Pagan and Celtic goddess Brigid.
The runner’s iconography also suggests the Celtic and Christian merging of Brigid the Goddess and Brigid the Saint. The front border is a wooden panel carved in a Celtic knot motif. The back of the runner features a stylized wooden Christian cross, based on a Muiredach cross, a symbol of Irish Christianity. The oak used for both the Celtic and Christian iconography and the bark-colored silk in the runner represent the first convent Bridget founded, Kildare, or “the church of the oak.”
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Brigid Mural
A mural of Brigid by the artist Friz, located in Dundalk, Ireland. The artwork features both aspects of Brigid, the Christian Saint and the Pagan Celtic Goddess.
Dive deeper into the world of Brigid, her history and mysteries, and Celtic mythology and wisdom, with these resources including books and articles.
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‘Brigid of Kildare: A Novel’
by Heather Terrell -
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‘Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess’
by Courtney Weber -
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‘Tending Brigid's Flame: Awaken to the Celtic Goddess of Hearth, Temple, and Forge’
by Lunaea Weatherstone -
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‘Brigid's Light: Tending the Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess’
by Cairelle Crow & Laura Louella (Ed.) -
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‘Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines’
by Patricia Monaghan -
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‘Imbolc: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Brigid's Day (Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials)’
by Carl F. Neal -
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‘The Spirit of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses: Their History, Magical Power, and Healing Energies’,
by Carl McColman & Kathryn Hinds -
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‘Pagan Portals - Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism’
by Morgan Daimler -
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‘The Pagan Book of Days: A Guide to the Festivals, Traditions, and Sacred Days of the Year’
by Nigel Pennick -
☾ Illustrated Book
‘Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales’
by Kate Forrester -
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‘Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World’
by John Philip Newell -
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‘Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and Saint’
by Brian Wright -
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‘Brigid's Mantle: A Celtic Dialogue Between Pagan and Christian’
by Kenneth McIntosh & Lilly Weichberger -
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‘Pagan Portals - Gods and Goddesses of Ireland: A Guide to Irish Deities’
by Morgan Daimler -
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‘Saint Brigid of Kildare: Life, Legend and Cult’
by Noel Kissane -
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‘Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine’
by Joseph Campbell -
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‘Great Goddesses: Life Lessons From Myths and Monsters’
by Nikita Gill -
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‘The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets’
by Barbara G. Walker -
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‘The Goddess Guide: Exploring the Attributes and Correspondences of the Divine Feminine’
by Priestess Brandi Auset -
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‘Wild Irish Women: Saint Brigid’
by Rosemary Rogers -
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‘A Brigit of Ireland Devotional: Sun Among Stars’
by Mael Brigde -
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‘Pagan Portals - Brigid: Meeting The Celtic Goddess Of Poetry, Forge, And Healing Well’
by Morgan Daimler
Image Credits:
The Dinner Party (1974–79) by Judy Chicago, Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum © Judy Chicago • Wendy Andrew • Kyle Gray • Thalia Took • Hrana Janto • Riders of the Sidhe by John Duncan (1911) • Nataša Ilinčić