What do I mean by Brigid’s lessons on sovereignty? Well, there’s really a lot to learn from her and from the tales she is mentioned in. We’ll explore in more detail the following:
- What is sovereignty?
- What are Brigid’s links to sovereignty?
- What can we learn from this?
- How do we implement this?
Although of course – it won’t be anything like so organised as those bullet points appear!
What is sovereignty?
I have written about Brigid and sovereignty before, of course. But I didn’t necessarily tie that into how we interact with the world today. And that’s what I want to talk about here.
When we speak about sovereignty in spirituality, people can get a bit confused. Surely we follow the teachings of the past in any religion? Well sure. But religion has changed over the millennia as well. Just google “arguments about Leviticus” to get some ideas around that! I mean, most Christians don’t worry about many of the restrictions in Leviticus, but pick and choose what we follow.
When it comes to spirituality, I see sovereignty as choosing a path that resonates with our souls. Reclaiming our spiritual autonomy and finding the path that works for us. What has this to do with Brigid’s lessons on sovereignty?
Isn’t that what she did herself? When her father and brothers wanted to marry her off, she pulled out her own eye to chase away her suitor. Just so she could follow her own path to a convent. Now, I don’t fully understand the attraction of a convent, but I suppose if my choices were convent or marriage, I might choose the convent.
The important thing is, she chose her own spiritual path.
Fundamentally, sovereignty is about having the power and ability and control to choose our own path.
What other lessons on sovereignty can we learn from Brigid?
Well, remember the Second Battle of Moytura?
So Bres held the sovranty as it had been conferred upon him. But the chiefs of the Tuath Dé murmured greatly against him, for their knives were not greased by him, and however often they visited him their breaths did not smell of ale. Moreover, they saw not their poets or their bards or their lampooners or their harpers or their pipers or their hornblowers or their jugglers or their fools amusing them in the household. They did not go to the contests of their athletes. They saw not their champions proving their prowess at the king’s, save only one man, Ogma son of Etáin.
This was the duty which he had, to bring fuel to the fortress. He used to carry a bundle every day from the Clew Bay islands. And because he was weak from want of food the sea would sweep away from him two thirds of his bundle.
So he could only carry one third, and yet he had to supply the host from day to day. Neither service nor wergild from the tribes continued, and the treasures of the tribe were not delivered by the act of the whole tribe.
Once upon a time the poet came a-guesting to Bres’ house, even Corpre son of Etaín, poet of the Tuath Dé. He entered a cabin narrow, black, dark, wherein there was neither fire nor furniture nor bed. Three small cakes, and they dry, were brought to him on a little dish. On the morrow he arose and he was not thankful. As he went across the garth he said:
Without food quickly on a dish:
without a cow’s milk whereon a calf grows:
without a man’s abode under the (gloom) of night:
without paying a company of story-tellers, let that be Bres’ condition.
‘So there is no amain in Bres’, saith he. Now that was true. Nought save decay was on him from that hour. That is the first satire that was made in Ireland.
It was lack of the hospitality which was the due of the king that lost Bres the kingship, the sovereignty of Ireland. And led to CMT 2.
Now, Brigid was married to Bres. There’s no mention of her in this part of the story. This is probably down to the general misogyny evident in many ancient (and to be fair, modern) cultures. But I also like to imagine she was keeping her distance, seeing which way the wind was blowing.
With sovereignty comes rights and privileges, yes. But one of the most important of Brigid’s lessons on sovereignty is this: with sovereignty comes responsibilities as well.
What responsibilities come from personal sovereignty?
Well. I’d say that making sure your spiritual path is authentic is important. It’s all well and good developing an awesome ritual and sharing it widely. But it’s very important to be clear on where it originated and what it comes from.
Listen, I carry out a lot of rituals, based on nothing more than a need, resources available and my own mind. Technically speaking, that’s an authentic Irish ritual, seeing as it is, in fact, carried out by an Irish person, in an Irish tradition. But I’d be well off track claiming it as an authentic, traditional ritual, handed down through generations…
Being honest with ourselves and those who work with us is important.
I’m going to take this one step further as well. This spreads into our mundane lives. And here is where our personal sovereignty links in with our land’s sovereignty. And yes, I’m going to talk about the US here. Because there are definitely parallels… and some warnings from Brigid’s previous lesson in sovereignty.
Ill-advised leadership
There are large numbers of the population in the US right now that are rejoicing, because they believe they have regained the sovereignty they’ve been told they lost. But the king’s sovereignty is tied to the lands prosperity. When the king (or in modern times, the leader, the Taoiseach for example, or even the President) doesn’t act in the appropriate manner, puts his own advancement and comfort above that of his people, doesn’t allow the wealth and prosperity of the land to flow to his people… what do you think that does to the sovereignty of the land?
To my mind, the land the US currently occupies might be thinking about coming around to its occupation. Although it’s a very quick turnaround for earth – a period of <250 years. If that process is desecrated by someone who has been put back into power and given sovereignty when he has proven he has no regard for his land or people… Remember Brigid’s lessons of sovereignty from CMT 2.
The land will turn against the kind. Or leader in this case.
But how bad can it be?
Rights and responsibilities. Privilege and lack. Oppression and freedom. Brig Ambue is very clear around this. Look after the oppressed. Mind them and make life fair – or as fair as we can.
That means looking at what’s good for the land and her people. Not just what we think will benefit ourselves. I found this site to be really interesting in terms of who voted for whom in the US presidential election. If we look at the type of “king” (leader) that has been elected, let’s look at some facts about his crimes. And by crimes, I mean ones that have been proven through conviction, not just ones we think happened. I pulled this from this website:
- New York State: Fraud
- Manhattan: Defamation and Sexual Assault (civil suit)
- Manhattan: Hush Money
- Department of Justice: Mar-a-Lago Documents
So, we’re not talking about the most upstanding citizen here. Some of the above included: wilful retention of national-security information, obstruction of justice, withholding of documents, and false statements. According to Judge Lewis A Kaplan, Trump did for all intents and purposes, rape E. Jean Carroll, according to any commonly understood definition.
It remains to be seen what effect this will have on sovereignty in the US. I don’t think it will be positive though.
For the rest of us – what does Brigid tell us?
Brigid’s lessons on sovereignty have far reaching consequences for us. Especially, if we take our own personal sovereignty as well as our responsibilities to our land and our people.
How do we both retain our own spiritual autonomy and allow others to retain theirs?
How do we ensure the oppressed, the poor, the hungry in our societies are freed, taken from poverty, fed?
How do we incorporate our own sovereignty into our normal, every day lives?
How does our spirituality feed into our lives, buying choices, voting habits, engagement with the world at large?
These questions are fundamental to Brigid’s lessons on sovereignty for all of us. And well worth journaling over.
