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Brigid's Light: Tending the Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess
Stories, spells, rituals, and recipes celebrating the worldwide influence of this beloved Celtic goddess, with contributions from Amy Blackthorn, Laura Tempest Zakroff, Courtney Weber, and many others
This anthology celebrates Brigid, an ancient and mysterious Celtic spirit who ranks among today’s most popular modern goddesses. Venerated in many forms including as a saint and a goddess, Brigid has traveled the globe alongside the Celtic diaspora. Once a goddess with a narrow territory, she is now an internationally beloved presence. While acknowledging her origins, this book also explores Brigid from the perspective of those outside her original Celtic homeland.
Editors Cairelle Crow and Laura Louella have gathered art, poetry, stories, spells, rituals, recipes, and traditions as an homage to the worldwide influence of Brigid’s magic and lore, especially among the descendants of immigrants to the Americas. In compiling these individual works, Cairelle and Laura have given voice to those traveling ancestors by showcasing a rich and beautiful heritage manifested through embodiments of devotion by their descendants, as well as others touched by Brigid.
This anthology celebrates Brigid, an ancient and mysterious Celtic spirit who ranks among today’s most popular modern goddesses. Venerated in many forms including as a saint and a goddess, Brigid has traveled the globe alongside the Celtic diaspora. Once a goddess with a narrow territory, she is now an internationally beloved presence. While acknowledging her origins, this book also explores Brigid from the perspective of those outside her original Celtic homeland.
Editors Cairelle Crow and Laura Louella have gathered art, poetry, stories, spells, rituals, recipes, and traditions as an homage to the worldwide influence of Brigid’s magic and lore, especially among the descendants of immigrants to the Americas. In compiling these individual works, Cairelle and Laura have given voice to those traveling ancestors by showcasing a rich and beautiful heritage manifested through embodiments of devotion by their descendants, as well as others touched by Brigid.
256 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2022
28 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 18, 2022
Brigid is my goddess, so I felt it important I read this book. This book did touch me and I even shed a few tears, but it is very much about people who have strong family connections. I don’t. I am Irish but can’t make family connections nor did I have a good relationship with my parents, as the authors did. That being said this book left me feeling like l’m supposed to have a strong family connections in order to feel connected to Brigid. Yes, the title says tending the ancestral flame but I assumed it was more about Brigid’s, not everyone’s personal family history. There are a couple spells, a few recipes and poetry, but the book is really personal family histories from the authors and them mentioning times they were connected to Brigid. The book really isn’t what I thought it was going to be. It’s definitely not for people looking to connect with Brigid for the first time. If you’re looking to read about family connections to Ireland and what peoples family connections to Saint Brigid are then this is a good book to read.
March 23, 2022
I admit I grabbed this book before really checking to see what it was about (meaning, upon first glance I thought it was a book by one author about the goddess Brigid). I'm not really a fan of collections like this. Other books like it I've gotten have been sorely lacking, but I found I don't quite feel that way this time. Pleasant surprise.
The experiences related by the various contributors range from inspirational to questionable. Most of them seem to be rooted firmly in truth but some have the feel of heavy exaggeration. Or downright falsehood. That sort of thing you've just got to take with a grain of salt.
There are recipes, poems, art, photos, prayers, and even a tarot spread.
Overall the book was enjoyable. Not what I'd wanted, but I still found most of it interesting.
The experiences related by the various contributors range from inspirational to questionable. Most of them seem to be rooted firmly in truth but some have the feel of heavy exaggeration. Or downright falsehood. That sort of thing you've just got to take with a grain of salt.
There are recipes, poems, art, photos, prayers, and even a tarot spread.
Overall the book was enjoyable. Not what I'd wanted, but I still found most of it interesting.
August 7, 2022
You want this book for your Brigid library, or, if you are new to this goddess, and curious, this anthology offers a window into the devotional practices maintained for her from an array of perspectives, transferred through a variety of writing styles including poetry, ritual, recipe, charm, and essay, collected here from many voices across the world.
Judika Illes, author of The Big Book of Practical Spells and Magic When You Need It , wrote the Foreword for it, and that was enough to convince me to read it. I have learned that when a project has her name on it, I want to listen carefully and learn more, and that proved true in this case once again.
For those new to this goddess, I want to take a moment to recommend Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess by Courtney Weber, one of the contributing authors to the anthology. Her stand-alone book will establish you in Brigid’s history and accompany you as you begin to create a devotional practice of your own. Having read a handful of books on this goddess and enjoyed them all for different reasons, this is the one I turn to the most often.
Lastly, if you turned to this anthology with an established practice, I want to recommend another of the contributing authors, Mael Brigde. Her collection of devotional poetry, A Brigit of Ireland Devotional: Sun Among Stars , is radiant, like the goddess, with bardic inspiration. It carries Brigid’s stories, it transmits her truths and suggests her mysteries. Not a book to speed through, one to be savored.
Wishing you well on your Brigid reading journey, and if you have a book to recommend for my library after reading this, please drop a note in the comments.
Judika Illes, author of The Big Book of Practical Spells and Magic When You Need It , wrote the Foreword for it, and that was enough to convince me to read it. I have learned that when a project has her name on it, I want to listen carefully and learn more, and that proved true in this case once again.
For those new to this goddess, I want to take a moment to recommend Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess by Courtney Weber, one of the contributing authors to the anthology. Her stand-alone book will establish you in Brigid’s history and accompany you as you begin to create a devotional practice of your own. Having read a handful of books on this goddess and enjoyed them all for different reasons, this is the one I turn to the most often.
Lastly, if you turned to this anthology with an established practice, I want to recommend another of the contributing authors, Mael Brigde. Her collection of devotional poetry, A Brigit of Ireland Devotional: Sun Among Stars , is radiant, like the goddess, with bardic inspiration. It carries Brigid’s stories, it transmits her truths and suggests her mysteries. Not a book to speed through, one to be savored.
Wishing you well on your Brigid reading journey, and if you have a book to recommend for my library after reading this, please drop a note in the comments.
June 3, 2025
Some good essays, and I loved the recipe. The kind of reading that makes up for not having a direct community around Brighid, helping one feel connected. Though I do not resonate with the neo-pagan approach at all, I still loved basking in Her glow for the time of the reading.
October 28, 2023
I am always looking to read more about Brighid, so when I found this anthology on sale, I went ahead and bought a copy. I've enjoyed other work by some of the contributors and expected something similar. And this book is... fine? I couldn't really relate to the many writers speaking of these strong, recent family connections to Ireland, and I don't practice the kind of Wicca adjacent, Holy Wombyn, Goddess Spirituality that seemed most common here. I have a couple of other petty grievances (you cannot, by definition, "smoor" a candle, ugh), but overall, I just don't have many feelings about reading this anthology, so I'm giving it a mediocre, middle of the road three stars. I'll hang on to my copy, but it won't be high on my list of recommendations.
December 25, 2023
While I enjoyed quite a few of the selections from this anthology, especially the tarot spread and history behind Brigid, as an AFAB nonbinary person I was perturbed by the fact that a lot of the pieces assume the reader is a woman, especially a cis woman via talk of wombs, literal birth, etc. Just something to look out for while reading. I’ll definitely be modifying some of the rituals and prayers to suit me gender wise. It also could have been a lot more inclusive of those who don’t have Celtic ancestors but are interested in Brigid.
February 26, 2022
I received a digital arc from the publisher.
I couldn't love this book more if I wanted to. With the stories woven together in this anthology, I felt closer to the community of people who, like me, have stories and kinship to Brigid. I loved the reflection and history of Brigid at the beginning and I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who has a connection to the goddess, the saint, the deity, the ever-evolving, shapeshifting figure that is Brigid. Beautiful.
I couldn't love this book more if I wanted to. With the stories woven together in this anthology, I felt closer to the community of people who, like me, have stories and kinship to Brigid. I loved the reflection and history of Brigid at the beginning and I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who has a connection to the goddess, the saint, the deity, the ever-evolving, shapeshifting figure that is Brigid. Beautiful.
October 5, 2023
The moment I learned of Brigid's existence I felt an instant connection with her and all that she represents. This anthology only deepened my respect and adoration for her. This inspirational book will never be far from my alter on days that I would like to see her through the eyes of others to appreciate her in a different light.
June 6, 2023
Most poetry was kinda mediocre and the weight was too much on female only themes. I liked some of the stories but they could have been blogposts.
March 22, 2025
this is probably not really nonfiction since there are a bunch of poems and memoirs and at least one story in it. it's also probably 3.5 stars for me, primarily because the contributors are not all writers first, but witches first, which leads to some overwrought writing like "I revel in the undertones of molasses melting in the oven." does molasses melt? are you really reveling?
the most interesting facet of this book is that it focuses on brigid in the diaspora - both editors have celtic lineage but are american and live in the US. so there are a lot of trips to the UK and writing about how people connected to brigid despite not being there and/or not being that british/irish/scottish. there are a lot of stories about how brigid called the authors and discussions of her various spheres of influence - fire, water, healing, smithing, poetry, midwifery, liminal spaces. from all the different voices a rounded picture emerges of how different people experience and interact with brigid. there is a lot of talk about grandmothers and various perspectives on the goddess/saint syncretism you get with brigid. not all the writing was for me but there is a lot of valuable information and inspiration.
the most interesting facet of this book is that it focuses on brigid in the diaspora - both editors have celtic lineage but are american and live in the US. so there are a lot of trips to the UK and writing about how people connected to brigid despite not being there and/or not being that british/irish/scottish. there are a lot of stories about how brigid called the authors and discussions of her various spheres of influence - fire, water, healing, smithing, poetry, midwifery, liminal spaces. from all the different voices a rounded picture emerges of how different people experience and interact with brigid. there is a lot of talk about grandmothers and various perspectives on the goddess/saint syncretism you get with brigid. not all the writing was for me but there is a lot of valuable information and inspiration.
February 17, 2022
What an amazing compilation of activities, inspiration, and stories! Kudos to the Editors for their thoughtful and creative book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews