Brigid is one of the oldest Celtic deities; a goddess with many diverse aspects. She is both a fire and water goddess, and is invoked over almost every aspect of daily life. At her heart, Brigid is the goddess of the everyday, the very marrow of our existence. Her power imbues magic into the mundane. She needs no temples; her sacred places are everywhere.

The goddess Brigid is honored by the forge, sacred wells, and is the patroness of midwives, doulas, and foster parents. She is a goddess of healing, and water is her sacred element. Brigid’s waters serve as a portal into the Otherworld, and help with every transition we face in life.

In Part 1 of this series, we explored the Fire and Creative aspects of Brigid. In this article, we will learn about Brigid as the keeper of the forge, the lady of the sacred waters, and the patroness for those caring for children and supporting the cycle of birth and death that creates life.

Keeper of the Forge

Brigid is the keeper of the forge — the transformational flame. The forge esoterically represents burning away all but the truth, and overcoming “trials by fire” to become our most authentic and courageous selves.

Blacksmithing as a craft requires power and incredible precision, and in ancient times provided many necessary items for protection and practical living. Weapons were also made in the forge, and the warrior aspects of righteous Brigid were called in to bless swords, knives, and shields.

Metalwork is the art of integration, using both fire and water to meld differing elements into something whole and true. In the same way, Brigid the Blacksmith melds all the seemingly separate parts of who we are into something glorious: a sword of truth, shining with sharpened edge, to be wielded with care and honor.

Magical Jewelry

Jewelry often includes working with metal or precious stones, and in this way Brigid is present. The brilliant neck torques of the ancient Celts were created in the forge, and often incorporated the sacred symbols of Brigid.

Whether we are making or simply wearing jewelry, blessing it with a prayer to Brigid can adorn us with magical protection as well as beauty.

Woman of the Healing Waters

Ireland contains over 3,000 sacred wells, of these at least 15 are documented as being dedicated to Brigid. She is the lady of the waters, and she is present anywhere water springs forth from the earth.

Brigid's healing element is the water. It is customary to practice a form of healing magic by dipping a piece of cloth into a sacred well, touching it to the afflicted body part, and tying the cloth to a tree (often a Hawthorn) nearby. As the cloth naturally disintegrates, so will the affliction fade away.

It is traditional to give metal offerings to Brigid’s waters, and the practice of tossing a penny into a well or fountain and making a wish is rooted in this practice. Women wanting to conceive can give an offering at a sacred well and ask Brigid to bless their fertility.

In Celtic lore, water is considered a portal into the Otherworld, and can be used to ask for healing, speak with ancestors, spirits, fairies, or receive magical gifts. Brigid is a guide that can offer protection and healing through the element of water, giving life to our world.

Any source of water can be a portal into Brigid’s magic. You can certainly travel to her dedicated wells in the British Isles, but even blessing the water pipes to your house or hiking to a special lake or river in your area can be a potent way to connect with Brigid’s sacred waters.

Brigid The Healer

Modern medicine in the United States has forgotten the spells of yesteryear, but keeping these in our awareness and blessing our remedies, ourselves, and our loved ones embodies the power of Brigid the healer.

The healing journey can be difficult. If you ask it of her, Brigid will be by your side, giving you inspiration and encouragement along the way. As with all magic, it is only as potent as you allow it to be and matches your personal dedication and focus. Invoking Brigid into your healing journey and then sitting back and expecting everything to effortlessly change while refusing to take responsibility for yourself may or may not be effective.

Brigid as the healer is a companion, strengthening your dedication to yourself and leading you back to your heart and deep bodily intuition. Praying to Brigid can certainly bring about miracles, and also it may provide a path towards a certain practitioner, plant medicine, or procedure to aid you.

Above all else, Brigid is a goddess of truth, courage, and compassion. There are abundant stories of St. Brigid performing magical healing miracles, and when we embody these characteristics towards ourselves our healing journey truly begins.

A Simple healing Ritual

You can do this ritual at a sacred water source or at home with a foot bath you have made especially for this ritual and fancied up with candles, oils, and/or herbs placed into the water.

Sain (make sacred) the water and your immediate surroundings. Call in any guides or ancestors you connect with for protection.
Place your feet into the water. Take a few deep breaths and find your heart center and place of calm.
Do the following chant several times, until you feel the energy shifting:
Brigid of Water, Brigid of Light
Alleviate me from my plight
Brigid of Water, Brigid of Light
The end of pain is now in sight.
Allow your pain to leave your body and be released into the water. The water will know what to do with it. Allow at least 15 minutes for this process, but feel free to stay as long as you can.
When you feel complete, remove your feet from the water and take several minutes to integrate and ground. Tap your body, rub your arms and legs, and give thanks to the water.
Walk away from the water without looking behind. If you used a tub, open the drain and walk away. If you used a container of water, pour the water out onto the earth (ideally under a tree) and walk away without looking back, leaving your pain behind in trust.

Goddess of midwives & doulas

Brigid is intimately tied to birth, and is considered a midwife for both human and animal mothers, offering protection and support. She particularly oversees the moment of transition, the final push that propels the baby from the waters to the earth.

We birth many things throughout our lives, not just babies. Brigid is there to midwife any major life transitions or heartfelt project we wish to bring into the world. As women go through the many changes to their bodies, Brigid is there easing our passage through these moments of initiation.

In moments of struggle as we seek to give birth to our ideas and passions, Brigid is there to tell us to keep pushing. She is also there to help us if the project is not viable, aiding in letting it go and integrating that loss so we can make space for new creations in our lives.

The Final Transition

Midwives and doulas serve not only at birth, but at death as well. Traditionally midwives would be there for a community to help ease the dying into the Otherworld and support the surrounding family.

Brigid embodied as the midwife oversees the in-between. In the Celtic mind death is not instantaneous, but involves a crossing over the “black river of the abyss”, an in-between phase that each person must go through in order to reach the eternal joy awaiting them as they rest between lives. Brigid is not typically seen as a death goddess, but she is absolutely the goddess of transitions, and the final transition is no exception.

Patroness of foster parents

One of the many praises for Saint Brigid is as the “foster mother of Christ”. In Irish tradition fostering a child was commonly done for friends or family members, and the foster parents would often be more central to the education and development of children than their own parents.

Sending their children to other families would strengthen the bonds between clans, creating a foundation of respect and trust. In this way, the story of Mother Mary sending her son to be fostered by Brigid gives Brigid the highest honor in the Christian Celtic mind.

Today, people typically foster a child if the parents are unable for any reason to properly care for the child. Brigid opens the heart in a special way, for foster parents offer a different type of care – not inextricable, but something done by choice.

In our modern culture where foster children are often mistreated or passed from family to family, Brigid can give those wishing to offer safe haven to children the strength, compassion, dedication, and love required to successfully raise a child who has endured hardship early in life.

Brigid can also serve as a foster-mother directly to those without connection to their families, or those who sustain wounds from parents that feel impossible to heal. Brigid can give guidance and strength when we feel we have lost our way, as well as a sense of belonging and deep ancestral healing when she is called upon time and time again.

Conclusion

In Part 1 of this Brigid series, we learned about Brigid as the Flamekeeper. Here in Part 2, we see her Water aspects, and meet her as a practical companion through life’s transitions and a powerful guide for healing.

As both a fire and water goddess, Brigid is embodied by the combination of the two elements in the forge, and can be found in the water that flows to our homes or in the lakes, streams, springs, and rivers around us.

Bringing Brigid into my life has brought incredible healing as I follow the ley lines of my ancestry to a sense of beauty, belonging, and magic that honors the earth and holds true to values of honor, compassion, and generosity. She is always there, and always has been. It is up to us to open our otherworldly eyes and invite her into the everyday.

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