(Left, sometimes pilgrims hammer coins into the bark of a tree instead of tying clooties onto them. Photo © 1999 Shae Clancy.)

Insights from Celtic Well Listmembers

By Susan Wessells

Celtic Well Listmembers share their experiences associated with this time of year.

I came to Celtic Studies through my attraction to the figure of Brigid as both saint and goddess of Ireland, and a sense of being called by her. My initial introduction to paganism was through a Celtic-influenced form of Wicca. Now I'm part of two groups, one Wiccan and one Celtic Reconstructionist (CR). As time goes on, the Wiccan group's Imbolc ritual shows more and more influence from CR. In addition, we try to do something different each Imbolc as we evolve and learn more about historical practices. We recognize that we cannot reproduce rituals exactly because so much has been lost, so we take the historical evidence and incorporate it with our own practices. For example, we replaced casting a circle with an encompassing prayer from the Carmina Gadelica. More modern touches: we incorporated Irish-style soda bread and Bailey's Irish Cream into last year's ritual; the Bailey's was used because of its dairy associations: kick-ass cream! This year we plan to emphasize the triple aspects of Brigid by having three priestesses lead the ritual. One meditation will focus on the three cauldrons of poesy as a way of opening ourselves to her inspiration. Also we are trying to incorporate Irish phrases that we found in Erynn Rowan Laurie's book, A Circle of Stones. Of course we always have a Brigid's cross in the room. Each year we try to include symbols that reflect Brigid's association with fire. For example, we try to hold the ritual in a place where we can light a fire, like a room with a fireplace. Some years I have appeared wearing a crown of lit candles. We also have emphasized Brigid's association with holy wells by having an artificial tree form and placing it next to a cauldron of water symbolizing a holy well. Each participant was invited to make an offering and ask a favor, tie a strip of cloth to a limb of the tree (like a clootie), and touch the water. In these various ways, we try to respectfully adapt folk practices from Ireland into our own modern environment.

Editor’s Note: An encompassing prayer or caim is an invocation of a saint or deity to surround oneself with protection. Several are described in the Carmina Gadelica, a nineteenth century collection of folk prayers, charms, and devotions recorded by Alexander Carmichael during his numerous travels in the Scottish Highlands. Carmichael describes the specific way that en encompassing prayer is performed:

"In making the caim the suppliant stretches out the right hand with the forefinger extended, and turns round sunwise as if on a pivot, describing a circle with the tip of the forefinger while invoking the desired protection. The circle encloses the suppliant and accompanies him as he walks onward, safeguarded from all evil without or within."

Carmichael further explains that an encompassing prayer may be used whenever and wherever one feels the need for protection. In Ireland, a clootie is a piece of cloth tied to a tree next to a holy well as a symbol of the request someone has made. For images of trees covered with clooties, see Crossing the Circle at the Holy Wells of Ireland by Walter L. Brenneman, Jr. and Mary G. Brenneman (March 1995) Univ Press of Virginia; ISBN: 0813915481.
-- Francine Nicholson

This article in the Celtic Well E-Journal is © Copyright 1999 by Susan Wessells. Sections may be freely quoted, provided the author is properly cited with the URL and the words"electronic version." You may link to this site, but please do not copy this web page and its dependent web pages without contacting one of the Celtic Well List moderators.