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Elements :: The Celtic Goddess Brigit

BRIGIT - The Celtic Goddess

For those of you who missed out on the celebration of Imbolc and the opportunity to celebrate Brigit (or Bridgit), the Celtic patron Goddess of Imbolc, March 17th may offer you another opportunity.

Saint Patrick (original given name Maewyn) was certainly not a friend to the pagan community. He found his Christian calling while in prison (sound familiar) and upon his death was sainted for converting Irish pagans to the Catholic Church.

[Speaking of sainthood, the Celtic Goddess Brigit was supposedly baptized by St. Patrick, becoming Brigid, and sainted by the church.]

Originally a catholic holy day, and a few still celebrate it as such, St. Patrick's Day has grown, particularly in the U.S., to become a widely celebrated secular holiday.

Today, we wear something green (the elemental color of life and spring), drink beer (sometimes green), and join parades and go to parties. This rise in popularity is attributed to a need to put winter behind us and ring in the warmer, greener spring season

Given that St. Patrick's Day falls only a few days before the first official calendar day of spring (March 21st), don't you think St. Patrick's Day does offer us a second chance to revel in the sprit of Imbolc and Bridgit?

How ironic that pagans could celebrate their beliefs on what was once a Christian holy day. Not to be irreverent, but if the number of pagans celebrating on St Patrick's Day exceeds his number of 5th century converts, do you think they'd revoke sainthood?

But really, why not? There are several calendars out there. Many of the ancient local groups organized their celebrations around the first signs of spring.

I for one missed the formal Imbolc celebration and I'm ready for the spring season, so come March 17th, I'm celebrating Bridgit and the coming of spring.