the Enchanted Life (Brigid's Days Part Two)

Simply Enchanted ...

The key to living a magic(k)al life is to embrace the enchantment of every moment. I think that is a big part of why I enjoy celebrating the Wheel of the Year. While many modern practitioners focus on Halloween and the "witchy" season of fall, the Wheel of the Year celebrates each and every season with holidays on the equinoxes, solstices, and days in between.

One such in between day was yesterday. February 1st is the halfway point between the December solstice and the March equinox. Depending on one's location in the world and tradition, this day is either Imbolc (in the Northern Hemisphere) or Lammas (in the Southern Hemisphere). I personally like to combine the two and general celebrate Brigid's Days on the 1st and 2nd of February.

Where I live in Argentina, South America February is often the hottest month of summer. In the wildlands and in my own yard there is lots to harvest and tons of colors all around.

Summer is also a season of gathering with friends and celebrating the abundance of the season. In honor of enjoying the height of summer we had two gatherings; one to try a homemade beer crafted by a neighbor and yesterday a picnic/creek exploring day with my best friend and her kids.

One day I brought a platter of cheese, snacks, and homemade bread to share with the bread. As this is the first of the season of harvest days I made a organic wheat flat bread, which goes quite well with the traditions of Lammas. Mostly though, I focused on the traditions surrounding Imbolc and especially that of "Brigid's Cloak" ...

Brat Bríde

I wrote all about the goddess turned saint Brigid in yesterday's post but, if you missed that here is a recap:

Brigid is a goddess of many areas of life like crafting, healing, and poetry. There is a little picture of Brigid above my desk where she looks over the writing that I share with the world. More than writing, however, I often ask for Brigid's help in the realm of natural healing.

So the Irish tradition of Brat Bríde or in English Brigid's Cloak really intrigued me. The tradition requires that the practitioner leave a piece of cloth or scarf hanging on a tree overnight. By the next morning the cloth is said to be infused with healing powers. Yesterday I had planned to put out the same scarf as last year but, at the last minute I decided upon a piece of cloth instead.

It isn't just any cloth! With this cloth I plan to make curtains for my herbal apothecary to better protect the jars of dried herbs and steeping healing potions for sunlight.

My apothecary is so beautiful and full of so much healing potential. From this workshop I store the herbs I worked so hard to grow in my garden and create medicines that I share (virtually) here on HIVE and those that I share with people in my social sphere.

So, it only seems right to channel the healing energy of Brigid towards improving my medicine storing system. I know the apothecary will turn out so aesthetic and cannot wait to share more, both here in the Magick community as well as The Herbal Hive Community.

Happy healing to you all!