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Brigid: Meeting the Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Forge, and Healing Well
Pagan Portals - Brigid is a basic introduction to the Goddess Brigid focusing on her history and myth as well as her modern devotion and worship. Primarily looking at the Irish Goddess but including a discussion of her Pan-Celtic appearances, particularly in Scotland. Her different appearances in mythology are discussed along with the conflation of the pagan Goddess with Catholic saint. Modern methods for neopagans to connect to and honor this popular Goddess include offerings and meditation, and personal anecdotes from the author's experiences are included as well. Who was Brigid to the pre-Christian pagans? Who is she today to neopagans? How do we re-weave the threads of the old pagan Goddess and the new? Learn about Brigid's myths among the pagan Irish, the stories of Bride in Scotland, and the way that people today are finding and honoring this powerful and important deity to find the answer.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
133 people are currently reading
818 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
October 8, 2017
The reason I'm only giving this four stars and not five is because the first chapter was so awful (repetitive and boring) that I probably wouldn't have kept reading if my friend hadn't recommended Morgan Daimler's work so highly. I'm glad I pushed through. The rest of the book was informative, well researched, and well-written. The first chapter was about all of Brigid's various names and should have been included only as an appendix.
January 9, 2018
I love a good easy-to-read, highly researched, Goddess book with an extensive bibliography and that is exactly what this book was. Daimler's books have become quick favorites of mine as she wastes no time getting to the history (with numerous citations!!!) of things and includes many perspectives on interpretations. I also appreciate the focus on modern approaches to the Goddess including the origin of some non-historical tales surrounding Brigid that I had heard but always seemed questionable. As always, I find myself wishing there were more pages to this book as I enjoy Daimler's writing style but it is an excellent introduction to a complex Goddess with a plethora of paths to follow for continued learning.
August 6, 2020
A well thought out and put together book piecing together what is known about goddess Brigid from the past to the present. It gives you tips but is a brilliant stepping stone to help you find your way. It can get a little repetitive and in-cohesive throughout.
January 3, 2020
This is my absolute favorite book on Brigid. It's concise and well-cited, and it balances the academic with the experiential. Highly recommended!
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December 14, 2024great book to learn more about Brighid, i really feel like i know her a bit better now! of course, as Morgan mentioned in the book, Brighid has many layers and she is a complex Goddess.
but i cannot deny the fact i felt very warm and happy reading this book. the parts where the author wrote about her personal experiences were very interesting.
definitely a book i will fall back upon now that i am in the beginning stage of honouring this special Goddess (not to say other deities are not special, they all are). would definitely recommend this book for people who are starting their journey with honouring Brighid like me!
but i cannot deny the fact i felt very warm and happy reading this book. the parts where the author wrote about her personal experiences were very interesting.
definitely a book i will fall back upon now that i am in the beginning stage of honouring this special Goddess (not to say other deities are not special, they all are). would definitely recommend this book for people who are starting their journey with honouring Brighid like me!
February 18, 2025
I hear so many complaints about Pagan Portal books, about how they're too expensive for how small they are and all that. Personally I think they're great, they pack as much information as they can into something you can read over a weekend. They're great introduction books to a subject when you don't want to start with a massive textbook. Reading a 'little book' is still valid when that book is packed with info or a beautiful story, and also, books are just expensive in general these days.
April 9, 2023
Great brief summary of what is known of the goddess Brigid of Celts.
April 30, 2019
Voici enfin un petit ouvrage, en français, qui introduit avec intelligence la déesse celtique bien connue, Brigid. Bien connue, comme je le disais, car son pendant chrétien, Sainte Brigid, est vénéré avec autant de dévotion que la déesse païenne. Morgan Daimler nous présente donc les différentes facettes de la déesse, son mythe, son histoire, mais également son culte dans le monde moderne.
Indépendamment de tout cadre religieux, l'auteure référence autant les informations académiques qu'ésotériques, ce qui permet aux néophytes d'arpenter les sentiers souvent sinueux de la découverte d'un culte avec facilité, le vocabulaire et les différentes pratiques présentées étant très abordables.
Voici donc 110 pages fort intéressantes qui pousseront probablement ceux qui veulent en savoir plus à fouiller un peu plus en profondeur (l'auteure donne une bibliographie en anglais à la fin du livre), mais qui permettent surtout de découvrir (ou redécouvrir) une déesse phare du culte celtique irlandais et la manière dont nous pouvons l'honorer.
Indépendamment de tout cadre religieux, l'auteure référence autant les informations académiques qu'ésotériques, ce qui permet aux néophytes d'arpenter les sentiers souvent sinueux de la découverte d'un culte avec facilité, le vocabulaire et les différentes pratiques présentées étant très abordables.
Voici donc 110 pages fort intéressantes qui pousseront probablement ceux qui veulent en savoir plus à fouiller un peu plus en profondeur (l'auteure donne une bibliographie en anglais à la fin du livre), mais qui permettent surtout de découvrir (ou redécouvrir) une déesse phare du culte celtique irlandais et la manière dont nous pouvons l'honorer.
December 20, 2021
A good, quick spiritual look into one of our pan-celtic goddesses. It's pretty clear to me that she was a deity that was Christianized into a saint, or perhaps a human was named after her. It struck me reading this how confusing Irish mythology can be in its obsession with the number three. Everything is in threes, including individuals. Makes me wonder how much of that is trinitarian filtering vs old pagan worldviews. I don't doubt the number was big to the old ways but it's very trinitarian to make a deity both one and three people simultaneously. Anyway, I'm most interested in her Cailleach relationship.
September 24, 2020
Un formidable petit livre très bien construit et documenté, en guise d'introduction sur Brigid et plus globalement sur l'histoire et la traditions celtiques.
Tout y est sourcé et expliqué simplement.
Tout y est sourcé et expliqué simplement.
March 9, 2016
Please see my review of this book at Celtic Scholar's Reviews and Opinions
September 6, 2023
Brigid: Meeting the Goddess of Poetry, Forge and Healing Well is an introduction to the multi-faceted Celtic goddess, Brigid, by Irish Polytheist Morgan Daimler. In this book, Morgan traces the threads of the ‘enormous, brightly coloured tapestry’ that gives form to Brigid in the twenty-first century to their original sources.
Morgan centres on the well-known Irish depiction of Brigid as three sisters in the 14th C Sanas Cormac: ‘Brigid of the Poets, Brigid of the Forge, Brigid the Healer’. She introduces Brigid’s earliest representations as the daughter of the Dagda and member of the Tuatha dé Danann in The Caith Maige Tuired and Lebor Gabala Erenn. Lesser know Brigids from the Ulster Cycle: Brigid the Hospitaller, Brigid of the Judgements and Brigid the Cowless are also introduced.
A chapter focuses on Brigid by other names: the Gaulish Brigandu, British Brigantia, Scottish Bride, Welsh Ffraid and Saint Brigid. Morgan traces a trajectory from her earliest worship in Gaul and Britain through her introduction to Ireland by northern British settlers in the 1st C to her arrival in Wales with Irish settlers in the 7th C.
Brigid’s Irish myths are covered along with variants of the Scottish seasonal story of Bride’s imprisonment by the winter goddess, the Cailleach, and rescue by her lover, Angus. A wealth of folkloric material is presented including the Imbolc rhyme ‘the serpent comes out of the mound’, the background of Brigid’s crosses, Bride dolls (brideog ‘little Brigid’) and the braht Bride (Brigid’s mantle or cloak).
My favourite part was the menagerie of creatures associated with Brigid; two famous kings of oxen, a king of boars, a king of rams, an oystercatcher, linnet, dandelion and Ffraid’s smelt. Morgan also shares traditional and modern prayers, chants and charms including her own translations and magical workings.
Each chapter ends with a section on Morgan’s relationship with Brigid. Three of these voice minor miracles. The first is remarkably evocative. Morgan speaks of going to a public chant circle led by pagan folk singer Kellianna. A small candle was lit in the centre of the room but before they called to Brigid it went out. In spite of this everyone held hands and sang a chorus for Brigid. The room was filled with warmth and Morgan felt Brigid’s presence. When she looked down, the candle flickered into life then settled into a steady burn and did not go out until the end of their songs. When I read this, I felt like I was in the room with Morgan experiencing her awe.
I’ve known Brigantia as the goddess of the Pennines for several years. I’ve learnt a little about Brigid from books and websites but have never seen her mythos brought together with such lucidity and coherence. I’ve also learnt new things to follow up such as the associations between Brigid the Cowless and the fian.
I would highly recommend Brigid: Meeting the Goddess of Poetry, Forge and Healing to anyone starting to seek Brigid on the grounds of its clarity, depth of research and provision of an excellent bibliography. I’d also endorse it to people with some knowledge of Brigid and longstanding devotees because it’s packed with fascinating information and shares touching personal testimonies to Brigid’s presence in the modern world.
Morgan centres on the well-known Irish depiction of Brigid as three sisters in the 14th C Sanas Cormac: ‘Brigid of the Poets, Brigid of the Forge, Brigid the Healer’. She introduces Brigid’s earliest representations as the daughter of the Dagda and member of the Tuatha dé Danann in The Caith Maige Tuired and Lebor Gabala Erenn. Lesser know Brigids from the Ulster Cycle: Brigid the Hospitaller, Brigid of the Judgements and Brigid the Cowless are also introduced.
A chapter focuses on Brigid by other names: the Gaulish Brigandu, British Brigantia, Scottish Bride, Welsh Ffraid and Saint Brigid. Morgan traces a trajectory from her earliest worship in Gaul and Britain through her introduction to Ireland by northern British settlers in the 1st C to her arrival in Wales with Irish settlers in the 7th C.
Brigid’s Irish myths are covered along with variants of the Scottish seasonal story of Bride’s imprisonment by the winter goddess, the Cailleach, and rescue by her lover, Angus. A wealth of folkloric material is presented including the Imbolc rhyme ‘the serpent comes out of the mound’, the background of Brigid’s crosses, Bride dolls (brideog ‘little Brigid’) and the braht Bride (Brigid’s mantle or cloak).
My favourite part was the menagerie of creatures associated with Brigid; two famous kings of oxen, a king of boars, a king of rams, an oystercatcher, linnet, dandelion and Ffraid’s smelt. Morgan also shares traditional and modern prayers, chants and charms including her own translations and magical workings.
Each chapter ends with a section on Morgan’s relationship with Brigid. Three of these voice minor miracles. The first is remarkably evocative. Morgan speaks of going to a public chant circle led by pagan folk singer Kellianna. A small candle was lit in the centre of the room but before they called to Brigid it went out. In spite of this everyone held hands and sang a chorus for Brigid. The room was filled with warmth and Morgan felt Brigid’s presence. When she looked down, the candle flickered into life then settled into a steady burn and did not go out until the end of their songs. When I read this, I felt like I was in the room with Morgan experiencing her awe.
I’ve known Brigantia as the goddess of the Pennines for several years. I’ve learnt a little about Brigid from books and websites but have never seen her mythos brought together with such lucidity and coherence. I’ve also learnt new things to follow up such as the associations between Brigid the Cowless and the fian.
I would highly recommend Brigid: Meeting the Goddess of Poetry, Forge and Healing to anyone starting to seek Brigid on the grounds of its clarity, depth of research and provision of an excellent bibliography. I’d also endorse it to people with some knowledge of Brigid and longstanding devotees because it’s packed with fascinating information and shares touching personal testimonies to Brigid’s presence in the modern world.
February 2, 2024
Intenso.
Sono poche pagine ma ricche di informazioni utili. Avevo letto libri su Brigid, ho partecipato a varie conferenze ma devo dire che niente mi ha chiarito le idee come questo testo "introduttivo".
L'autrice ha creato una onesta e netta (dove possibile) distinzione tra le tradizioni antiche, il culto legato alla santa e le tradizioni moderne. Non arriva mai a giudicare quale sia l'interpretazione migliore del culto anzi, ma permette giustamente di prendere decisioni informate sulla propria pratica personale o sui gruppi che si vogliono seguire.
Avendo sentito da subito un certo feeling con questa Dea, sono davvero soddisfatta di quello che queste pagine mi hanno insegnato.
Molto utili anche le appendici e tutte le risorse citate sia in bibliografia che nell'apposita sezione. L'autrice ha fatto davvero un grandissimo lavoro.
Sono poche pagine ma ricche di informazioni utili. Avevo letto libri su Brigid, ho partecipato a varie conferenze ma devo dire che niente mi ha chiarito le idee come questo testo "introduttivo".
L'autrice ha creato una onesta e netta (dove possibile) distinzione tra le tradizioni antiche, il culto legato alla santa e le tradizioni moderne. Non arriva mai a giudicare quale sia l'interpretazione migliore del culto anzi, ma permette giustamente di prendere decisioni informate sulla propria pratica personale o sui gruppi che si vogliono seguire.
Avendo sentito da subito un certo feeling con questa Dea, sono davvero soddisfatta di quello che queste pagine mi hanno insegnato.
Molto utili anche le appendici e tutte le risorse citate sia in bibliografia che nell'apposita sezione. L'autrice ha fatto davvero un grandissimo lavoro.
July 10, 2024
This is a well written, researched and referenced book, which is particularly refreshing for a book on neopaganism. I can see why many consider this the starting point for a neopagan approach to Brigid. My one difficulty is that the author takes the theory of pagan survivals for granted, uncritically quoting James Frazer. At one point it's suggested there is no evidence for a historical St Brigid, but if we're being honest, is there really any hard evidence that Brigid was worshipped as a goddess prior to the saint, considering that the scant references to the goddess only appear centuries after the written lives of the saint? Such a view requires a lot of supposition. That said, the author is not ultimately seeking historical purity, and helpfully shows how modern Brigid devotion draws on an amalgam of sources.
November 3, 2025
O segundo livro do Pagan Portals que comprei e li, desta feita sobre a minha outra Senhora, Brigid.
Gostei ainda mais deste livro do que o anterior, porque fiquei a conhecer as várias facetas da Senhora, que é muito mais poderosa do que eu poderia imaginar. As suas valências como senhora do fogo, da cura e das artes tocaram-me muito, e descobri que um sonho que tinha tido era - precisamente - sobre Brigid.
Fiquei muito feliz por descobrir esta autora e esta colecção.
Gostei ainda mais deste livro do que o anterior, porque fiquei a conhecer as várias facetas da Senhora, que é muito mais poderosa do que eu poderia imaginar. As suas valências como senhora do fogo, da cura e das artes tocaram-me muito, e descobri que um sonho que tinha tido era - precisamente - sobre Brigid.
Fiquei muito feliz por descobrir esta autora e esta colecção.
March 20, 2019
Everything I was looking for
I've been aching for a book that could provide me with good references and a jumping off point to deepen my relationship with Brigid. This was that and so much more. For such a short book, it packs in a lot of information. I appreciated Morgan sharing her personal experiences as well. It's something I enjoy from others in the community.
I've been aching for a book that could provide me with good references and a jumping off point to deepen my relationship with Brigid. This was that and so much more. For such a short book, it packs in a lot of information. I appreciated Morgan sharing her personal experiences as well. It's something I enjoy from others in the community.
February 26, 2021
Two stars is kind.....
I really wanted to connect with this book and learn more about Brigid. Although I finished it, because, book club, she lost me at about chapter 3. I have never been a "purple smoke and mirrors" pagan and have learned to be careful about buying into the Victorian and post-Victorian writings that so much of modern Paganism takes as Gospel. Ms Daimler has sourced her work almost entirely in that genre of "parlor magic" books of that era. I'm glad she finds comfort in her version of Brigid, it did not speak to me.
I really wanted to connect with this book and learn more about Brigid. Although I finished it, because, book club, she lost me at about chapter 3. I have never been a "purple smoke and mirrors" pagan and have learned to be careful about buying into the Victorian and post-Victorian writings that so much of modern Paganism takes as Gospel. Ms Daimler has sourced her work almost entirely in that genre of "parlor magic" books of that era. I'm glad she finds comfort in her version of Brigid, it did not speak to me.
January 14, 2023
I absolutely adored this book🌷
I got it for about $6 on Kindle and read it in a day. It was short but jam packed with information, so it didn’t ever seem to drag on.
I’ll still want to read more on Brigid in the future if I can— but this was a great step in deepening my understanding of Her (and Her triplicate sisters).
I got it for about $6 on Kindle and read it in a day. It was short but jam packed with information, so it didn’t ever seem to drag on.
I’ll still want to read more on Brigid in the future if I can— but this was a great step in deepening my understanding of Her (and Her triplicate sisters).
December 8, 2023
Brigid, is my goddess and this is a wonderful introduction to her. Pagan Portals are fantastic books for anyone looking to get a quick overview on different subjects of the magickal nature. Beautiful tribute to, Brigid and get information on all aspects of her. If you’re interested in Brigid and looking for a starting point to learn about her, this is it.
September 12, 2018
This book is part of a series called Pagan Portals.
I enjoyed this book very much and think it's a great resource to use if you're new to Brigid. Great information in a compact volume and I appreciate that the author included her own experiences with this goddess.
I enjoyed this book very much and think it's a great resource to use if you're new to Brigid. Great information in a compact volume and I appreciate that the author included her own experiences with this goddess.
February 20, 2019
This has served as a good introduction to Brigid for me.
As always, I appreciated that the author is scholarly and cited her sources.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Brigid, especially Reconstructionists.
As always, I appreciated that the author is scholarly and cited her sources.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Brigid, especially Reconstructionists.
April 8, 2019
Short and dry. Sort of a just-the-facts-ma'm Cliffs Notes introduction to Brigid the Celtic Goddess and her namesake Irish saint. An okay starting point but it left me wanting more, so I'm reading "Tending Brigid's Flame" next.
April 19, 2020
Enlightening
As part of my First Degree course I must submit a Deity Focus with each lesson. This time I chose Brigid* This book has given me soo much of the information I needed not just to complete my essay but to put me on solid ground to following my path to her.
As part of my First Degree course I must submit a Deity Focus with each lesson. This time I chose Brigid* This book has given me soo much of the information I needed not just to complete my essay but to put me on solid ground to following my path to her.
January 9, 2022
I loved how historical this book was in examining all the many aspects of Brighid in both the Pagan and Christian paths. Brighid's love and power is so universal that she transcended a whole absconding of the ancient Celtic religion by Christianity.
November 17, 2023
I can't say enough good about this little book. I've read it through three times now and I keep finding new little nuggets of understanding each time. If you're interested in this particular Irish deity, I suggest reading this book first.
March 24, 2018
Lots to learn
May 16, 2018
Brigid
Absolutely amazing introduction to the goddess, and definitely looking to expand my knowledge of this particular Celtic deity with more works.
Absolutely amazing introduction to the goddess, and definitely looking to expand my knowledge of this particular Celtic deity with more works.
October 9, 2020
This may only be a short book, but it is the perfect introduction to Brigid for anyone wanting to find out more about her.
February 2, 2021
Well sourced and informative! I really enjoyed it.
January 31, 2022
Fantastic introduction and lots of resources to go further
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews