Category: Spirituality

The sanctity of the confessional

Last week, I mentioned the “sanctity of the confessional” in the post on high control religions. It occurred to me afterwards that it’s entirely probable there are people out there who are not familiar with the term and may not be aware of its uses and problems and loopholes. So here we go!

What is a confessional?

The confessional is the fancy box in a Catholic Church where people go to make their confessions. It’s usually three compartments in a row: the one in the middle is where the priest goes, with sliding windows into the two at the for the penitent sit or kneel in. The priest would slide open one window and slide closed the other to hear a confession. It’s meant to be private, and the priest is not technically meant to even know whose confession he’s hearing.

This is, of course, less true in practice. A priest who has served in a given parish for longer than 3 months will learn to recognise certain parishioners voices and habits. Not to mentioned, these days, it’s few enough people going to confession in Ireland anyway…

The whole point is to unburden your soul of sin. It’s one of the seven sacraments of the Church. The full list?

  • Baptism
  • Confession
  • Communion
  • Confirmation
  • Holy Orders (men only)
  • Marriage
  • Last Rites (Anointing of the Sick)

In the Roman Catholic faith, you get plenty of chances to confess throughout your life and the idea is that it is a continual process. It wasn’t always this way of course, but at one stage in Ireland, the weekly trip to confession was absolutely necessary if you didn’t want to get turned away by the priest at Communion. Kinda putting paid to the “anonymous” idea…

What is the sanctity of the confessional?

In shorthand, it’s the Catholic Church’s version of “what happens in Vegas…” OK that’s a bit glib, but listen to me. It’s written into Canon Law. Or at least the Catechsim. Quoting Canon 983.1 of the Code of Canon Law, the Catechism states, ā€œā€¦It is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reasonā€.

A picture of my copy of the 2nd edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Wherein - Quoting Canon 983.1 of the Code of Canon Law outlining the sanctity of the confessional is described.
Why yes, I am re-using a picture from an old post.

Now, the theological reasons for this are fairly well grounded.

The whole point of making a confession is to unburden your soul to God. The priest is there so someone human hears it, but essentially, the trust is between you and God. No one else. So, the sanctity of the confessional is paramount in keeping that sacred trust. The thinking is that in unburdening their soul, the penitent is engaging with a sacred ritual, and should be free to say what they wish with no intervention from anyone else but the priest.

A priest, therefore, cannot break the seal to save his own life, to protect his good name, to refute a false accusation, to save the life of another, to aid the course of justice (like reporting a crime), or to avert a public calamity. He cannot be compelled by law to disclose a personā€™s confession or be bound by any oath he takes, e.g. as a witness in a court trial. A priest cannot reveal the contents of a confession either directly, by repeating the substance of what has been said, or indirectly, by some sign, suggestion, or action. A Decree from the Holy Office (Nov. 18, 1682) mandated that confessors are forbidden, even where there would be no revelation direct or indirect, to make any use of the knowledge obtained in the confession that would ā€œdispleaseā€ the penitent or reveal his identity.

– The Seal of the Confessional ā€“ CERC

The church takes this pretty seriously and has gone up against the law on many occasions for this. There are stories of priests being killed, tortured, imprisoned, etc for refusing to give up information given to them as part of the sacrament.

And this is admirable.

However…

Problems

I’m sure you can see the problems right?

This brings a priest right into conflict with the Children First Act (2015). Section 14…

  1. (1) Subject to subsections (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7), where a mandated person knows, believes or has reasonable grounds to suspect, on the basis of information that he or she has received, acquired or becomes aware of in the course of his or her employment or profession as such a mandated person, that a childā€”

(a) has been harmed,

(b) is being harmed, or

(c) is at risk of being harmed,

he or she shall, as soon as practicable, report that knowledge, belief or suspicion, as the case may be, to the Agency.

(2) Where a child believes that he or sheā€”

(a) has been harmed,

(b) is being harmed, or

(c) is at risk of being harmed,

and discloses that belief to a mandated person in the course of the mandated personā€™s employment or profession as such a person, the mandated person shall, subject to subsections (5), (6) and (7), as soon as practicable, report that disclosure to the Agency.

– Children First Act 2015, Section 14

There’s a whole section of the Act that outlines the “mandated persons”, many of which might apply to a priest, but priests are specifically called out in Schedule 1 to do with activities:

“Any work or activity as a minister or priest or any other person engaged in the advancement of any religious beliefs which would or could bring that minister, priest or other person, as the case may be, into contact with a child.”

So… you can see how this would affect things. Children go through confession from the age of about 8ish (in Ireland it’s done through schools – don’t start me – so it’s done by class….) And many of the survivors of the industrial schools and the mother and baby homes and orphanages run by clergy… have all outline the many, many ways the “sanctity of the confessional” could be used to protect abusers.

That’s focusing mainly on children, of course. It could protect the perpetrators of many crimes – and did! And of course, as part of the act of reconciliation, the confessor (the priest) is meant to encourage the sinner to come forward to the law, make amends, etc. But that’s counselling and enforceable. Although, the confessor could withhold forgiveness, but that’s another days work.

When can it be useful?

Well, there is spiritual relief in unburdening your soul. I firmly agree with that. I just don’t think it should protect you from the law. On the other hand, priests have used the sanctity of the confessional to help with rebel organisations throughout Irish history -or at least the 800 years where we were (and some parts still are) colonised by our neighbours to our east…

Mind you, torture was used in those situations as well, and some stories were better than others in the outcome.

Where does this leave us?

For many years, centuries, the Roman Catholic Church was an immense power in its own right in Europe. And it got to set the rules and expect rulers to obey.

It’s not the case any more and there are many occasions when rulers have, for good or ill, disagreed with the church. The sanctity of the confessional is one where the church won’t budge though. And there’s a reluctance to test it in Ireland anyway. (Or there appears to be…)

And there are very sincere priests out there who hold this sanctity and obligation and privilege dear to their hearts. No less sincerely than I hold my own spiritual beliefs. I find it hard to forgive the offenses committed against the oppressed and suffering in our societies in times gone by, particularly those that were further perpetrated by clergy being moved from pillar to post, always just ahead of trouble and rumours and retribution…

High Control Religion (part 2)

Part 1 of High Control Religions can be found here.

I want to delve a little bit deeper into what high control religions are, as well as some indicators of any group that might be high control. Essentially – I want to talk about red flags. For ease of referencing – this information is available widely on the internet, but this article by Anastasia Somerville-Wong is the one I found most information on. It is also very clearly laid out! Now, I’m not going into the detail Somerville-Wong did. I’m trying to keep this series digestible and I know not everyone will dive into a rabbit hole as willing as I do…

But I will say that I’d like ye to keep in mind a few points:

  • Any group can be a high control group, even a non-religious group
  • Some very mainstream groups can be high control
  • Just because a group is small, doesn’t mean it is high control
  • Just because everyone agrees on certain things, doesn’t mean it’s high control
  • A red flag is just that – an indicator. One might not be too bad. But two or more might suggest a theme developing…
A picture of a hand hold scissors, overlaid with a hand holding the wooden bit that a puppets strings connect to. Leaving a high control religion can feel like having strings cut!
Leaving a high control religion can seem like have strings cut!

Let’s talk about self-doubt

Self-doubt is normal. And self-questioning and self-assessment are, to my mind, important parts of human life. But a high control religion encourages self-doubt. Most healthy groups encourage and nurture self-esteem and self-confidence in their members. But a confident person isn’t as easily controlled as someone who continually doubts themselves. Just ask my current employers…

But in a high control religion, self doubt and self questioning is always encouraged. It keeps people off-balance. It almost forces people to use energy in ways that are not questioning leadership .

Now, this can start off really low level as well. Leadership encourages the general member to think the leader has better knowledge, more experience, or just knows things. So, of course they know better how the member should behave.

Or they can pick and choose scripture or holy writings or information to support their position. Which is of course, better, higher, more advanced than the ordinary member. Or the leader can ask questions meant to “increase your self understanding” but which are designed to create self-doubt.

Not to mention, any negative things that happen – illness, loss of money, death in the family, anything – will be put down as lack of faith.

High control rules… but only for you!

A sense of the leader or leadership being above the law is inherent in high control religion. While strict, draconian laws and rules might hold the main group in check… no one will hold the leader to account for not adhering to the same standards.

This can show up in different ways. But a lot of the time, it’s sex related. Or clothing. And the excuses are widespread. The leader needs the stress relief. The leader needs to make an impression. He (because it’s pretty much always a he) needs to populate the world. The leader is of a higher spiritual order, so doesn’t need the same restrictions to maintain his holiness.

Sometimes a high control religion will establish layers of rules and privileges. So that the more “spiritual” you are, the more freedom you can access. With the leader being the “freest” of all, obviously. Not only does this enforce their own “specialness”, it also builds in a sense of hierarchy and authority to support them. No one wants to be stripped of privileges, after all…

Threats, violence and threats of violence

For a high control group, it is very common to penalise members for leaving. Now, ok, this doesn’t always end in violence. But penalisation…. oh that’s a broad term. Here are a few options:

  • Lose contact with friends and family still in the group
  • Lose any money invested
  • Threatened with hell or other afterlife consequences
  • Have your nature and character disparaged by those still in the group – even those who were formerly close to you
  • Name calling
  • Threats of violence or death
  • Actual violence or death

Now, in leaving a high control group, losing money may not be your primary worry. But another aspect of high control group, as I said last week, is that they can control your money as well. So, when you leave, you leave with nothing.

In many cases, this is definitely the better option. But money makes the world go round and especially for women and children, a lack of money adds to other oppressive factors outside the group. It makes people think, “well, at least here we have food and shelter and clothing… of some sort”.

The thought of waiting til children reach a certain age, or until some event has passed… it’s really tempting. But the fact of the matter is, the longer you leave it, the more difficult it is to get out.

In a not-high-control group, leaving is easy. Honestly, I’ve left many groups in my time. Mostly, you just stop paying your dues. Seriously, it’s that easy. However, there is a group I can’t leave. The Roman Catholic Church. Yup. No way to leave it. There was a loophole up to 1996, but I missed the cut off date.

And most of us accept this as normal…

Here’s a good one…

Members frequently experience feelings of shame, guilt, fear and dreadā€¦

(That’s a direct heading from the blog post I linked earlier. Heading 17, if you’re interested)

This hit me hard. We joke in Ireland about the “Catholic guilt” we all feel, but it’s true. Catholics are pretty much meant to feel guilty about everything… I think they’d limit breathing sometimes, if they could.

I won’t speak for other Catholics around the world, but I can say for definite in Ireland there is

  • shame about perfectly normal human activities, e.g. sex, masturbation
  • a disconnect between what Jesus said and what the Church dictates
  • a lot of abuse hidden behind closed doors, some carried out by clergy and religious folks, some “just” endorsed by them
  • a attitude of full disclosure required from the congregation but no disclosure required from the clergy
  • the “sanctity of the confessional” protecting criminals, abusers and paedophiles. Among others. Google it if you have the stomach for it.

The people who are meant to look after the flock, the congregation, are the ones tormenting them with shame, guilt, fear and dread. And worse – protecting those who prey on the innocent.

The wrong people are feeling guilty.

Some repetition

I’ll be revisiting this topic again. And I know some of today was repetition from last time on this topic. But these are the parts I think it’s worth investigating.

I still call myself a Pagan Catholic, because it’s the closest I can get to describing my faith and spirituality. And I still see immense value in the teachings of Jesus and the Catholic faith itself.

I see many problems in the institution of the church and how the hierarchy is failing to address them. Or worse, obstructing genuine efforts to address the failures and the hypocrisy and the crimes inherent in that hierarchy.

Have a think. Maybe the organisation you’re involved in is trying to be high control, but failing mightily because it’s too easy to escape them. Or maybe you’re looking at these blog posts and thinking some of this seems familiar, but is your church really high control? Or is it a problem for you? It might not be.

At the very least, I hope it’s provoked some thoughts. Which will hopefully lead to action. And if you’re really unsure – reach out to me. I’ll do my best to help.

Humour in spirituality

Humour and spirituality don’t tend to go together in the modern mind… I have mentioned the notion of joy in spirituality before, but I’m not sure I’ve written about humour at all.

A picture of a woman with long brown/black hair, dressed all in white, sitting crossed legged, holding prayer beads in front of her, laughing away. Humour in spirituality is NOT anathema!!
Laughter is not anathema in my spirituality!

What do I mean by humour in spirituality?

Well here’s the thing. I mean anything that can make you smile or laugh. I grew up in a situation and culture where funerals were as much social occasions as religious ones. Pretty much any religious celebration had a social element to it.

And while, as a child, I mostly resented the apparent hours my parents would spend after Mass on Sundays catching up with a neighbour they hadn’t see in a while, as an adult, I can appreciate the need to connect like that. Community and connection are two of the main reason people join religious organisations, after all. It’s not just about the spiritual, it’s about the community.

Now, while, yes, there are a lot of organisations out there that permit no humour at all in their spirituality, I’ve always been of the opinion that humour is an essential part of the human condition. And so, needs to be part of our spiritual lives.

Those of you who have taken classes with me (check this out) will know I see humour in the ridiculous and the sublime. And yes, it takes practice, but it is possible to have humour as well as joy be a foundational part of your experience.

The point, Orlagh…

Fair. OK, so the humour in spirituality can sometimes be more along the lines of gallows humour. it can be the jokes you hear in Irish society about the rule of the brothers or the nuns in educational or health establishments. It can be the sidelong glances and whispers about the parish priests “live-in housekeeper”.

It can be the ridiculous nature of the church ponfiticating on topics like marriage and relationships when the people declaiming have no experience of such.

For funerals (and weddings and christenings) it can be the memories of those gone before.

“Can you imagine now, if she was here, what she’d say to that get-up?”

“A Cavan priest? The poor man must be rolling in that grave!”

“I keep expecting her to turn up and tell us all what we’re doing wrong…”

Humour in spirituality is a great way of coping with the difficult events in life.

There’s also the more situational humour in spirituality. Take for example*** a few Irish pagans, maybe a few drinks in, loudly and vociferously debating the topic of Brigid’s mother for example. For extra points, imagine this in a pub, with a soccer match on in the background. The passion and engagement is high, but so also is the humour. Especially when brought down to earth with a “does it really matter?” by an innocent bystander.

(*** Hypothetical situation obviously. Never happened in reality. Nope. Never…)

Humour helps us from getting to serious and being too up ourselves, frankly.

What’s the problem with that?

Losing the ability to laugh at ourselves, whether in public or private, is a step on the path to assuming we, above all others, are right. And, by default all others are wrong. Humour in our spirituality helps us recognise when we are being ridiculous or pompous or even un-necessarily earnest in our words and actions.

It can also lead to an inclination to refuse to hear or see other people’s point of view. After all, spirituality is meant to be serious, not frivolous. But who came up with that rule?

You think Brigid won’t enjoy a silly song you sing?

Or the Dagda won’t take great enjoyment in a filthy joke?

Or Mary Magdalene won’t partake in a bit of witty banter?

I mean… if you believe in the idea that God created the world and everything in it (i.e. that Genesis is the literal truth) just look at the human body. I mean, you can’t deny the God that created us didn’t have a sense of humour…

Not to mention, humour, in spirituality and elsewhere, helps life go a bit easier. Life is hard. No need to make it harder!!

Brigid’s lessons on sovereignty

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.

This is the Claddagh ring my Dad gave me when I was 18, symbolising my sovereignty at that point. I still wear this daily and it's hugely important to me! (But the pic is blurry!) Brigid's direct lessons on sovereignty didn't come til later, but I should have seen this as a sign!
This is the Claddagh ring my Dad gave me when I was 18, symbolising my sovereignty at that point. I still wear this daily and it’s hugely important to me! (But the pic is blurry!)

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 DĆ© 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 EtĆ”in.

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 EtaĆ­n, poet of the Tuath DĆ©. 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.


ā€˜So there is no amain in Bresā€™, 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.

– The Second Battle of Moytura

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.

Joy as a revolutionary act

Joy as a revolutionary act might seem counter intuitive, right? I get it. Joy seems so innocuous, so innocent, so easy. But it’s not easy. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need to talk about it. But in this post, I’m going to talk about why this is so and what the alternatives are. I mean, I’ve written about Brigid and joy before, but today I want to focus on a different aspect of joy!

What is joy?

I mean, joy is the third step in my 6-step Brigid’s Path to find your spiritual path in life. There’s a reason for that. But I suppose, I’d better talk about what joy is first. Talking about joy as a revolutionary act is no good if we don’t have a shared understanding of joy!

There are elements, as always, to a shared understanding of joy:

  • great delight or happiness
  • positive energy
  • well-being
  • success
  • good fortune

We can be joyous about small things as well. A standard joke in Ireland is, “Do you remember last summer?” “Sure, it was a Tuesday afternoon, right?”

But when the sun comes out in this country, we have fun. The banks of the Grand Canal in Dublin, and indeed most other waterways across the country, will be crowded with people out enjoying the sunshine, with a few drinks and some friends. Old friends, new friends, whoever’s about. It’s a truly joyous experience.

A picture of a Grand Canal in Dublin, by a lock, with not a spare patch of ground to be seen because of the crowds there. All hanging around, drinking, having a bit of fun. Joy is a revolutionary act!
A picture of the traditional crowds around the Grand Canal on a summer’s day

But it could be the sight of a rainbow, on a filthy, wet day. The first flower in springtime. The joy of seeing the sun rise before heading to the office for the day. Joy can come in all sorts of forms.

These are not necessarily examples of joy as a revolutionary act, of course, but they can be. For years, in Ireland, just even the notion of celebrating, of feeling joy, took mammoth effort and was definitely revolutionary. Basically, we have form in this area!

What’s the opposite of joy?

Fear. Fear is the opposite of joy. If you look at the rigid, religious structures in the world, you will notice they control people using fear. Whether it’s fear of the afterlife, fear of standing out, fear of failure… it doesn’t really matter what fear they’re using. But fear will work.

And joy is a wonderful way of confronting fear. When you are feeling strongly, deeply, firmly, rooted into your spiritual path, when you feel that joy in your soul… people find it much, much harder to control you. I speak from the history of the Catholic church in Ireland. I speak from experience of “respectability politics”. This comes from a place of knowledge.

When you are afraid, whether of the afterlife, or losing your job, or illness, or starvation… you are easier to control. On an individual level and on a population level. And when people seek to control you, joy becomes a revolutionary act. Smiling into the darkness.

Joy as a revolutionary act

The image shows a Baton Rouge protestor, Iesha Evans, a black woman, standing calmly, silently, quietly, in the face of oncoming riot police. She is rooted, strongly in her power. they are off-balance and nervous, despite their heavy looking army and protective helmets, and her attire of sun top and flowy skirt. Joy, as a revolutionary act
This image rocked around the world during the riots following George Floyd’s death in 2016. Iesha Evans standing calmly, quietly, in the face of oncoming riot police in Baton Rouge.

I saw a post on Facebook a few days ago, outlining the memories and advice given to an offspring from their father, who had been captured by the Gestapo and tortured for four days in World War 2. You can see the full thread here. There are a few key things we can learn from this man and I will tie them into joy as a revolutionary act.

  • The point of the resistance is to create friction, make it hard for your adversary to operate, to increase transaction costs. They will find it easier to control you if you are fearful, because you won’t dare create the friction. But even laughing at the oppressor is a revolutionary act and can cause joy in others!
  • Resistance doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be refusing to bow down to fear. It can be persevering in feeling joy in the world, despite the oppression.
  • Use your privilege. Yes, feeling joy can feel like privilege, but sometimes that can help you help others.
  • Sometimes, the best way to do things is out in the open. And that can lead to hearts racing, nerves, etc. But laughter and joy can hide some of the physical effects of this. And honestly – you can fake joy when you know it well enough!
  • Bide your time and take the opportunity as it arises. Sometimes, this means possibly risking a laugh at a ridiculous statement or action. Sometimes it means taking that extra time to process something for an oppressor. It can mean helping someone else hide by sharing a joke and being obviously joyful – standing out to hide.
  • Operate in cells to limit the people who can be hurt when the cell is taken out. Limit the damage. But also, build strong relationships with your fellow cell members. Which includes sharing joy. But also…
  • … beware of informers. The stronger the bonds you share with your partners, the harder it will be for informers to gain entrance. But they can and will. I’m struggling to find the joy in this one people!

OK but really, joy as a revolutionary act?

What could be more revolutionary than finding joy in a life that someone is determined to make miserable? Joy, laughter, happiness… these are all tools to fight oppression with. Trust me, the Irish have been doing this for centuries.

I’m going to suggest you go have a look at the old 1980’s comedy, The Irish RM. Based on a book by the same name. The Irish in this show are continually getting one over the Regional Magistrate – the Englishman of the title. Have a look at how the whole community will conspire to get the outcome they want or need… and laugh at the danger of it.

There are reasons the Irish have a dark sense of humour, of course. We are well experienced in most forms of revolution, including joy. Sometimes existing is an act of revolution. Existing with joy? Well that just makes things better.

So think about. Where is the joy in your life? When the world around you is trying to turn you to fear, to force you into small, fearful, homogenous groups… Joy can expand your mind, transform the fear into action.

Look at those trying to control you with fear. What are they trying to accomplish? Usually, it’s a power grab. That’s what I saw happening in the US elections a few weeks ago. And now is the time to revolt.

Revolution isn’t necessarily guns and violence.

Joy can be an act of revolution.

Dreaming and planning

I’ve written before about Brigid and Dreams, but today I want to write about this time of year. The darkness of winter between Samhain and Imbolc. The time I do my dreaming and planning.

For many of you, this won’t be the first time you’ve heard about my usual annual cycle.

Samhain – Imbolc: dreaming and planning

Imbolc – Bealtaine: planting, fertilising

Bealtaine – LĆŗnasa: growing, feeding, weeding

LĆŗnasa – Samhain: harvesting and assessing

What does dreaming and planning look like?

Well, you have to understand, this is just for me. Other folk have different ways of working and doing things. This isn’t the One True WayTM or anything like that.

But it is my way.

A cartoon of a lightbulb with trees and buildings and splashes of paint and colour, random numbers and letters written: a visualisation of my dreaming and planning process
a visualisation of my dreaming and planning process

Honestly, a lot of the time it can look like random staring into the fire. Or scribbling/ doodling in my notebook. Wrapping myself in a blanket and sitting outside to look at the stars.


It can be more strategic, where I’m putting together goals for the year, but that’s later in the process really. The earlier part is much more fluid and less concrete. For serious details on how the dreaming and planning starts, you can take my Samhain Ritual class over at the Irish Pagan School. But here’s an overview.

Initial divination

I say I start off with an initial divination using oracle cards to determine what’s coming up for the next year. But really, the first part of the divination comes through in which cards I use for the divination!

I have a number of decks (I can hear my husband’s snort of derision as I type!) so this can be a bit of a process. And I have decks that I find more attuned to different aspects of my life. My Buffy Tarot deck is great for general life queries. I have decks better attuned to career/business areas and others that are better attuned to personal issues, health, family etc.

I also have decks I use regularly, because I’ve built up a relationship with them over years, but that I couldn’t recommend now to anyone because of details I’ve found out about their creators. (Ahem Link is to a google search page. There are reasons to not recommend this person, but because of relationships I’ve built with some of their decks I still use them… But this is only one example of such.)

These divinations feed into the dreaming part of “dreaming and planning”.

I usually do an overall card for the year, one for each month and maybe and extra one for clarification.

Dreaming (not planning)

Sometimes the dreaming is strongly linked to the cards I pull, sometimes it’s not. But a lot of the time it is. And dreaming is a time of expansion.

This is the time that all my ideas come out. From the wild and wonderful to the practical and pragmatic. Here’s where I come up with the ideas to launch a full on, six-month, deep-dive coaching program from scratch without warming any of ye up at all… (This is where Brigid’s Path came from basically!!) Or where I come up with the plan to actually create an email list and a blog and utilise bother to help people learn about Brigid and how I work with/for her. (No, we’ve not yet sorted out that preposition issue)

It’s also where myself and the husband will spend nights over a bottle of wine or a good meal and talk, tell stories in front of the fire, feed our visions for the future. It’s great bonding time. Time for exploration of what we want and don’t want in our lives.

I can’t even say this is one conversation, it’s a process where we work together to shape that life. OK, very often, it’s me coming up with wild ideas and Al asking some pertinent questions such as “where will you find the time to do all this?” and “how exactly do we get the money to buy that land?” (I have sensible answers to neither of these just yet, but that doesn’t stop us working towards the dream!

Planning (not dreaming)

The “planning” part of the “dreaming and planning” process comes into play then. This is where my practical and pragmatic side comes into play big time. It’s where I think out, well, when actually will I find time to do this and will the payback be worth the investment I put into place for it. Sometimes that means the planning overrules the dreaming.

But sometimes the dreaming wins over the planning. So, y’know, swings and roundabouts.

No matter how audacious the plan, once I reach planning stage, that’s when the nuts and bolts come into play. If we need to save money, then how much are we saving, when are we starting, and I put the automatic transfer into place to make sure it happens.

If we are looking for a holiday, then where are we going, when, how much as we spending, etc.

When I dream up a new course, the planning stage is when I look to outline the material, decide is it a one-off few hours or a longer commitment from both me and the people who sign up. Sometimes this changes as I work through things, but the planning stage is when the concrete steps come into play.

I also add in things like courses I want to take in the coming year, for work or for Brigid or for myself. Or I might look at people I want to contact, that I’ve been really crap about contacting in the previous year.

That’s the process!

I usually end up with about 10 firm, SMART(ish) goals for the year and I try to make sure they build on each other. So for example, I don’t usually have a goal that will last the full year, I work off the 12 week year principles and try to keep things contained. Well, I try to keep things contained after the dreaming stage of the “dreaming and planning” process…

Yeah, that’s kinda it. Really easy to type up and explain. Not so easy to do and follow through on continually.

Now, it’s not 100% clear cut, in that there will be practical steps (like the standing order for savings I mentioned above) that I will action straight away. Particularly if it’s a quick, easy step to take. And sometimes “planning” is a bit fluid as well.

I could lay out a course outline. I could plan how I tell people about a new course. Maybe look at when I will do all this and lay out a year lookahead.

Or I could book a holiday. Join up to a course that isn’t running for six months. Arrange for time off work in a busy period of my Brigid life. That sort of thing.

There aren’t hard and fast rules here and sometimes, I do another divination later in the year or in the cycle and it comes up differently. Or life happens and I change tack. But it’s really important and comforting to me to follow this process and know I at least have a plan. However well I stick to it!

Awakening the Flame (again)

I’ve written before about why I called the upcoming three-month course “Awakening the Flame“. But I wanted to revisit things. I stand by everything I wrote in the previous post, mind, but I’ve grown in the last year and I’m sure you have as well.

As I write this, we’re still a few weeks out from the course starting, but the post will only be posted on Nov 11th, so you have four days to sign up.

So, with the stage set, let’s dive into my thoughts and thinking about this.

Why this course?

I wanted to put together a course that gives people a solid, deep foundation of practical tools and techniques to develop an Imbolc ritual that really suits them. But after a few years running the “Preparation for Imbolc” course, I realised the course was far more than this.

Awakening the Flame was born out of this. A lot of the same content is covered, so if you’ve previously taken “Preparation for Imbolc”, I don’t think you need this one. But if you really want to take Awakening the Flame, let me know and I’ll set up a discount for you!

But if you haven’t taken either course yet, here’s why you should:

  • You’re confused as to what makes a “proper” ritual
  • You have great ideas but not sure how to make them fit with you
  • You’re in a situation where you can’t be public or obvious about your practice
  • You want your practice to be authentic – both to the lore and to yourself – but there’s so much rubbish on the internet that you have no idea what to do or where to start!

Honestly, I get you. Awakening the Flame was designed with you in mind. Seriously. That’s why it started off as “Preparation for Imbolc” but I found my students and clients got so much more from the course.

So here’s what we cover and why it’s important.

What’s in the Awakening the Flame course

Well, the high level outline is

  • Introduction
  • The physical realm
  • The emotional realm
  • The spiritual realm
  • The ritual/ celebration

Now, you might think I’m giving away a lot when I say this, and maybe I am.

An image of a large number of green tea lights with the first one in clear focus and the rest extending into the background in a kind of triangular shape, getting less in focus as they go. Sometimes Awakening the Flame is gentle and easy...
Image of tea lights. Flame can be gentle

But it’s no secret and throughout the course, I link the Smith, the Poet and the Healer with different aspects of the realms and there’s a lot of practical exercises to support the work you’ll be doing.

Now, while the course is aimed to have you completing a ritual of your own design at Imbolc, there’s no rush. The aim of the course is that you work at your own pace. And the plan this year is that the videos are a LOT shorter.

So, you can dip in when you have 10mins or so and cover a video, then leave again. You can move in and out at your own pace. There’s no timeline – once you sign up you have access for as long as you want. Awakening the Flame may not be available for new sign ups forever, but you will also get the chance to download whatever videos and resources you want to keep. Just ask anyone…

In each section, I go through why I (mostly) associate the sister with the realm, what the tools and techniques are that I use in this area, some other ideas for you to explore, a few key journal questions to consider and possible a meditation or two along the way.

Students transformations

Yes, seriously. Transformations.

Previous students have had major life changes and some not outwardly major, but deeply impactful.

  • Decided to become a practicing non-denominational minister
  • Started women’s circles
  • Became a death doula, and then moved on to become a counsellor
  • Started a shoebox altar
  • Changed jobs, changed relationships, changed homes, changed their entire life
  • Began a prayer practice and still continues it five years later

Now, if you recognise yourself in that list -hope you’re not offended, but I am trying to keep people anonymous as well. Feel free to comment if you do recognise yourself though!

Mostly? People come out the end of this course and feel assertive in their practice. They have a deep, grounded practice that they are happy with and know how to adjust if they realise it’s not working.

Awakening the Flame vs Brigid’s Path?

So, how is this different to Brigid’s Path? There are a few key differences.

Awakening the Flame is for those who want to work with Brigid. Definitely. Brigid’s Path is for those who need a wider exploration and more coaching support.

Awakening the Flame focuses on learning new; Brigid’s Path also looks at unlearning old…

Fundamentally? There is a much more in-depth approach in Brigid’s Path and the courses in that “bucket”, let’s call it, are more coaching rather than teaching, although there are elements of both. Brigid’s Path is for those who aren’t sure. Awakening the Flame is for those who know Brigid is for them and they want to have a practice based on real, authentic, proven practices.

Join me!

We start on 15th November. New videos will drop every few weeks. (Last ones drop on 7th February, 2025)

Are you looking for an authentic Brigid practice, deeply rooted in Irish tradition?

Are you looking to go beyond candles and rush crosses for Imbolc?

Are you looking for a Brigid practice that fits your life and is still authentic?

Join Awakening the Flame before 15 November!

Brigid and Radiance

I know it’s not obvious, but Brigid is strongly linked to radiance for me. Some of you will have seen the post in the Facebook group a few weeks ago about the event I’m taking part in on the 10th November. The of the event is the Radiance Revolution and you can sign up here. But I wanted to share some information about why events like this are important to me and why I like to share them with ye.

A picture showing Tanio, Sabrina, Me, Beth, Carina: the Radiance Revolution team!We all look so happy and radiant in this picture. Although Brigid and radiance isn't picture, you can see the effect of the sun's radiance on me anyway!!
From left to right: Tanio, Sabrina, Me, Beth, Carina: the Radiance Revolution team!

Brigid and Radiance

I’ve written about Brigid and Light before. But not about Brigid and Radiance. But what do I mean by radiance?

As a scientist: radiance is the radiant flux emitted, reflected, transmitted or received by a given surface, per unit solid angle per unit projected area.(This is the standard definition)

But we all know I’m not talking about a scientific measure here right? Radiance as a scientific principle doesn’t need a revolution, it simply is. But I do often describe the light I associate with Brigid. (In fact, there’s a whole 3 month long course about Awakening The Flame I run annually – starting November 15th if you want to join the 2024 cohort!)

I strongly associate Brigid with light, with fire and as a result of this… with radiance.

When I speak of radiance in terms of spirituality, I mean a self knowledge, a self awareness and a self confidence. Something within ourselves that gives us that oomph to keep going. This is the journey that Brigid has taken me on.

Joy, Radiance…

Here’s the thing. Life brings us down. As Carina writes about the Radiance Revolution:

Do you ever hide your brilliance because you fear what others will think?
Do you shut down your ideas because they seem “stupid” or frivolous?
Do you worry that you’re not good enough – and/or that if they knew you, you’re “too much”?
Do you constantly beat yourself up for what you should have done and procrastinate on decisions
because you’re afraid to make a mistake?
Fear runs the show. So does self-doubt. And you’re tired of it.
Do you worry that you’re selfish for wanting your own life?
Are you overwhelmed with life but can’t get off the hamster wheel?
Do you crave MORE – but have no idea what that is or how to get it?

We are trained by life to keep ourselves small. Or beaten down. Honestly, it suits the world to have us demoralised and feeling helpless.

But we’re not. Helpless, that is!

This is where our radiance comes in. I’ve written about Joy before now. And how important I feel it is in life. It’s step 3 in my 6 step process of Brigid’s Path. That’s how important I consider joy.

We deserve…

We deserve radiance. Actually, we deserve a lot more. But at a minimum, we deserve radiance.

What is radiance though?

What would it be like to feel alive, happy, sexy, vibrant… in charge of your destiny?

That’s what my work with Brigid has brought me. Now, ok, it’s not been easy. It’s been bloody tough in fact. I’ve been on retreats. Been praying and meditating and yoga and all sorts. I’ve used coaches and mentors. Read thought provoking books. Danced. Laughed. Cried.

Seriously. There have been dark nights of the soul. Radiant mornings of the soul. And all sorts of lighting situations of the soul in between.

Join us

There are five of us presenting in this event. We know as women, that once we initiate change within ourselves, we initiate change within the world. We know because we’ve done it. Look at worst? You might waste a few hours of your life.

At best? You’ll embark on a journey to the core of yourself. Face the best and worst parts of you. But you will remember who you area. You will rediscover Brigid’s radiance inside you. You’ll hear some amazing women speak to their radiance and their journeys and how we all travelled different paths to regain ourselves and our radiance again.

Saints are often portrayed with a golden halo around their heads. Another form of radiance. Brigid is no different. Why would she expect different from you?

Brigid VIP Day – what is it?

I posted on Facebook recently about having a couple of slots for coaching and that I offer Brigid VIP days. And ok, I know this is the first time I’ve been public about this, so it’s not overly surprising that this was confusing for some people.

In this post, I’ll explore what the Brigid VIP day is, what structure it can take and how it can help your Brigid journey. (And don’t worry if you’re not travelling to Ireland any time soon – there’s a section at the end for you!)

What is a VIP day?

Essentially? A day where you get treated as a VIP. It’s often described something along the lines of a “high-impact session where a coach dedicates their focused attention for an entire day to one client“. Now, when I say “day” here, it usually includes, breakfast, lunch, and approx 6 hours of dedicated coaching.

Why yes, food is provided. The purpose of the day is to focus on what you specifically want and need. What are the urgent issues and obstacles facing you in your spiritual journey? (I know I’ve written about my coaching before, but this is far more intensive and focused. More on the fire than the water path!)

Now, as part of the VIP day in general, as I mentioned above, you get fed. But this isn’t just any auld sandwich and coffee. This is about making this day special and supportive for you.

A picture of me in a green dress with a green colouredy scarf around my waist (it was Madrid, and I needed the sun protection!) And yes, I tend to dress up for at least part of the Brigid VIP days!
This is one of my posh coaching pictures! Beautiful surroundings are an essential part of the process. And yes, I tend to dress up for at least part of the Brigid VIP days!

So, as part of our preparation for this day, we will be talking about the food and drink that best nourishes and supports you. What makes you feel like a VIP. And indeed, in many cases, why you feel you don’t deserve to be a VIP as well.

What makes a Brigid VIP day different?

Well, for a start, it’s Brigid based. As in, ye all know Brigid is my deity of choice. Kinda of choice, kinda by default. But we’ll leave that between me and herself. So, usually, when I take someone out for a VIP day, it’s heavily Brigid based.

We’ll visit Brigid’s Gardens in Kildare, or even pop down to Liscannor. Sometimes, we’ll spend a lot of time in the car… but equally, sometimes that means the in depth conversations come easier than if we’re sitting face to face.

We have longer to delve deep into the depths of what’s bothering you, holding you back, stopping you from grasping your spirituality with both hands and living your best life. Now, I know I have followers who have other deities as well – that’s grand. We can work through that as well.

The whole point is that you work on the things that are bothering you.

And fair warning – it’s not all spiritual in this. Seriously. We can start off by working on your spiritual journey and end up talking about how you’re gonna start up your own business to support yourself better in life. (True story).

How does this work

Well here’s the thing. The “day” involves a lot of preparation. And if you are to get the most out of it, you need to be involved in this preparation. And I really do want you to get the best out of your Brigid VIP day.

Step 1 is contacting me, saying you are interested in a VIP day. Seriously -the amount of people that overlook this step… and then appear more in the step 2 or 5 or something… So, if you’re interested in a VIP day, contact me first.

Step 2 is a call with me, to see if a VIP day is actually what you want or need. Y’see, I want this to be valuable, transformative, engaging and exactly what you want and need right now. If you insist, I will accommodate you, of course, unless I feel like it’s completely inappropriate for you. But there may be a better means to accomplish what you want and need. And I will point that out to you!

Step 3 is when we decide on the day. It’s a mutually agreeable day with no other commitments or responsibilities on either side. I mean, I barely even talk to my darlin husband on these days!!

Step 4 is when I confirm the basics with you: times, food preferences, what makes you feel like a VIP, what sort of experience do you want this to be. (Some people prefer more conversation, talking, others prefer more ritual and experiential. Still others go for a mix).

Step 5 is the Brigid VIP Day itself (see the next heading)

Step 6 is the follow up. You’ll get two weeks of WhatsApp contact with me to help cement in the learnings of the day. And of course, there’s always email with random questions that can be made more general.

The Brigid VIP day itself

So, the Brigid VIP day will start off with coffee or breakfast. I find 9am or 10am is the best starting time. It’s late enough that you can have a bit of a lie on and early enough to fit in a good 6 hours of engagement before we drop from exhaustion.

Oh, sorry, is that a spoiler? These days tend to be intense and that’s also why they’re not for everyone. When we look at a Brigid Vip Day, it takes the inensity of Brigid in the forge or the Healer with an emergency and focuses it tenfold.

This is a day for you. And part of that means you get fed, watered, rested when you need to. And this forms part of my discussions for the day involved.

So, we’ll start off with a quick chat, to outline the plan for the day and make sure we need no last minute changes. (A twisted ankle might put paid to the extensive period we planned on the beach for example. That’s ok, there’s always alternatives!)

Then we’ll get breakfast. Or we may even have the chat over breakfast. Now, this is important. You don’t put your hand in your pocket for the entire day and you choose exactly what it is you want whenever we stop for a meal, a cuppa or a snack. The amount of arguments I get over this. The pure hesitancy people feel about just receiving things. It’s a skill and I will help you learn it. šŸ˜

Then we’ll head into the morning session. This usually lasts about 2-2.5 hours. If we are doing experiential stuff, this is when I prefer to do it. So, if we’re visiting someplace. Or working with our bodies. Maybe doing a ritual. It helps to do this physical stuff in the morning and work up a good appetite for lunch, in my opinion.

This is subject to weather occasionally. Or your preferences. I mean, if you want to spend the morning preparing for ritual and the afternoon in ritual, that’s absolutely fine. Like I keep saying, this is your day.

Then we have a nice long lunch. With or without alcohol, according to your preference. If you are doing a specific sort of ritual after lunch, we may have a light lunch and a more luxurious dinner later on. It depends on what’s happening.

The afternoon is another 2-2.5 hours session as well, then. And again – it depends on your preferences.

How many times will I type out the sentence “This is your Brigid VIP Day” in this post?

But I’ll keep saying it.

By the end of the day, you’ll have had a transformative experience. You’ll be clear on what’s next for you. You’ll feel excited, happy, engaged.

And we will plan an official follow up call as well. Just to make sure things bed in.

But what about if I’m not in Ireland?

Well there’s a few ways to do this. First off, if you wish, you can pay for my airfare to where ever you are and pay for overnight accommodation (if it’s needed). I will say though, that if it’s a flight of over 6 hours, I will be insisting on business class for the trip back. Purely for my own sanity. In that case, I will check out the local restaurants in advance, do the driving etc. and the day follows on as above.

But I do see that the above is not an option for a lot of people. Many of you have pointed out if you had the money to pay for my air fares, you’d have the money for your own blessed airfares anyway… Which is very true. But if a Brigid VIP day is something you are really interested in and travel isn’t an option for you, it might be possible for me. Keep that in mind.

Virtual Brigid VIP Day

I have run virtual days before. Now, I’m going to say, the experience isn’t quite the same – virutal hugs are not the same as real hugs. I don’t care what anyone says.

But the value from the day is the same. There are ways to work around almost anything. Want a live video visit to Brigid’s Gardens in Kildare? Totally doable.

A particular type of food? I’ll need your address, but it will be delivered.

Want a day out of your normal environs? Tell me the criteria and I’ll arrange somewhere with internet connections for us to meet.

The preparation, the transformation, the conversations… all of these will be as good as the real-life Brigid VIP Day. Trust me. But I do want to make this accessible to everyone. Possible one key difference is we will have more movement breaks on a virtual day. Even if it’s just a head roll, we will move more consciously, because we will probably be moving less in general.

But we will still spend the time in preparation. If there are specific materials we need, I will arrange to have them delivered to you. (I say that like it will be a personal carrier, but honestly, internet shopping is my forte.) If the day devolves into an online shopping trip, because that’s what you need – this will happen. (And yes, it has happened. I am an expert in finding clothes that fit larger bodies, are comfy and look good. And sometimes, you want to find something particular for your spiritual work and finding the right clothes, in the right sizes, and of the right quality is a task in itself.)

Finishing up now

Cost of a Brigid VIP day depends on a lot of different factors, as these tend to be bespoke days. But if this sounds like something you are interested in, give me a shout and we will set up a call.

I honestly didn’t believe the value of these days until I went on one myself. And it was amazing. I mean, ok, mine involved a morning dip in the Pacific which was pure heavenly and for most of the year in Ireland, foreigners tend to need wetsuits for the Atlantic. So, y’know. It can’t be a direct replication.

But no two days are. Because these are bespoke to you, your relationship to yourself, to Brigid, to your spirituality… they are all unique days.

Hope that answers all the questions people have been asking, but sure shout up if not and I’ll reply! orlagh@mybrigidsforge.com

Brigid joy

I know, it seems like a strange one, to link Brigid and joy. Many of us are used to solemn, serious, rigid spiritualities and rituals. Very formal, very dignified, very sober. For most of us, even the religious aspects of weddings and christenings (ok this is very Catholic focused!) are serious, with little enough laughter in them.

Why is that though? I mean, I know, spirituality is a serious business. But why does it all have to be serious? And why is joy important to us?

Positive health effects

OK, I google-scholared the idea of joy in spirituality. I looked at just the descriptions for each entry on the first few pages. Pretty much all of them mention the positive health side affects of feeling joy, across physical, mental, spiritual and emotional spheres. Now, I’ve written before on “What is spirituality“, so I’m not going to go into that again. And it’s important to remember that the definition of “health” will vary from person to person, across different geographical areas, abilities, conditions, resources, etc, etc, etc.

So when I mention positive health side effects, please remember that. “Health” doesn’t look the same to everyone.

But everyone can feel positive health side effects from feeling joy.

The pathways aren’t necessarily fully determined, but it links with the negative side effects linked with chronic stress. And reducing the effects of stress on me, my mind, my body, my soul is a major part of my spiritual process.

How to find joy?

Well, those of you who have taken my Building a Daily Practice with Brigid course will know I highly recommend music and dance as part of a spiritual practice. Now, music and dance may look differently to different people, but for me, they are inherently joyous activities. And Brigid encourages this joy.

I do sometimes find joy in prayer and meditation. It’s more difficult for me, but it does happen. There are times a meditation goes really, really well and I come out of it just feeling full of the joys of life. There are other times when a meditation is plain hard work, and I come out of it exhausted. This is ok, this is fine.

But there is joy to be found in collaboration and work with the Divine, whatever form that takes for you. There are numerous reports of the ecstatic experiences within Catholic history. (There are of course numerous reports without Catholic history as well, mind you, but I’m relatively confident about the Catholic stuff)

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

ECSTASY

In general, the state of being beside oneself through some overpowering experience. As a mystical phenomenon, it includes two elements, one interior and the other exterior. The invisible element consists in the mind being riveted on a religious subject. The corporeal aspect means that the activity of the senses is suspended, so that not only are external sensations unable to influence the soul, but these sensations become very difficult to awaken. Many saints have received ecstasies as a supernatural gift from God, although ecstasy of itself is not a criterion of holiness. (Etym. Greek ekstasos; from ex, out + histanai, to cause to stand: existanai, to derange.)

It’s a recognised state within Catholicism.

A picture of a black woman with her hands above her head and a blue turban/ head wrap, with dangly earrings, and a multi coloured dress with blue top and the top of her skirt showing a colour change from pale orange to deep orange. Blurred trees are in the background. This definitely shows the kind of joy I find in my Brigid practice!
Joy comes in many forms. And I have to admit, the colours in this pic bring me joy, just looing at it.

So specifically, then, Orlagh. Please? Joy and Brigid.

Dance and music for me.

For me, ecstatic dance is a great way to release emotions and regain my joy and equilibrium. It helps my brain switch off and get out of it’s own way. And some people find this in deep, repetitive work- knitting or crocheting an item for an altar perhaps?

What aspects of your spiritual practice bring you joy? Dancing might not cut it for you. Prayer might though?

Engaging with your community might.

A really good discussion on an aspect of your spirituality might bring you immense joy.

This comes back to knowing yourself. What brings you joy in life? (It’s also step 3 on my six step Brigid’s Path process for a reason!) Is there a way to integrate joy with Brigid’s work in your life?

Reminder

So here’s the thing. Joy in spirituality has been shown to connect individuals to the divine, fosters inner peace, generates positive energy, builds resilience, and promotes gratitude, mindfulness, compassion, healing, inspiration, fulfilment, community, alignment with spiritual values, and transcendence.

But we can be caught in the notion that Brigid doesn’t want joy in our spiritual practice and in my experience, it’s categorically not the case. It’s worth going through this step. It’s worth examining what brings you joy in your spirituality. Trust me.

Plus, feeling joy in the spiritual process means you’re more likely to engage with it than if you’re feeling downright miserable!!