Tag: escaping rigid spirituality

Energy is rising!

I’m lucky that the energy is rising at the time I most need it.

Yes, I am re-using this song. It’s a great song!!!

Now, I get it. You might be thinking, wasn’t last week’s blog post all about energy? Well, yes, it was.

But I want to get more focused this week. On specifically, the energy I can use and feed off – and the energy you can use as well!

Energy rising?

Look, I know. Ireland at the minute is having a cold snap. There was frost ALL over this morning.

Unfortunately, not bad enough for an excuse to stay home from work, but still…

OK granted, not much energy rising in a picture of a sheep in a lightly snowed landscape (this looks similar to my garden this morning but it was too dark to get a pic!) Picture is of a sheep in a snowy, Irish field, hills in the background and a lone tree standing.
No, this isn’t my garden, it was took dark to take a pic, but it’s a close representation

So, why am I talking about energy rising? Because the earth is stirring. I can feel it. Below the frost, there is energy. New life is starting.

I mean, the sheep in that pic doesn’t look pregnant, but there’s a chance she is. (Unless it’s actually a ram – my sheep expertise mostly runs towards staying out of their way, to be honest)

The days are getting longer. Not massively, as yet, but definitely there’s a few minutes each day. On 21st December, we technically had 7hrs 29mins of daylight. Today? We have 7 hrs 43 mins.

I know 14mins doesn’t seem like a lot, but trust me on this, ok?

We use this elsewhere as well

Much of the New Year, New Me energy builds from this as well. It’s riding a wave of rising energy. We’re emerging from the winter darkness. And ok, the darkness is still there, but we can see the light approaching.

Now, I’m not a fan of completely overhauling your life as that blog post will show. But there’s a means to engage with the energy without overkill.

For me, this is the time to prepare for planting those seeds. Not actually plant them yet, but get ready for it. Make sure the soil is prepared, ensure there’s water and nutrients and rest and everything ready. Clear the decks for growth so to speak.

How can we do this?

Well, here are some options:

  • clear up any loose ends from before the holiday season
  • help the energy move by moving yourself
  • help the energy move by giving the house a good scrub – or however you can manage a clean.
  • clear out your head! (More on this later)

What I will be doing

Well here’s the thing. Mostly, life will be continuing as normal. However, there are a few things I will be doing to make use of the energy.

This morning, I’m wearing a nice outfit for work. A green dress, with brown boots and a brown cardie. Dressing nicely does help me in the gloomy mornings. And the boots are comfy, but also give me a “fuck off” walk, which helps a lot in work these days when everyone is all eager-beaver and trying to catch up on all the stuff they didn’t finish before Christmas!

But there’s another reason to dress differently. It helps me rotate my clothes. So, I’m not doing a massive clear out or anything, but by taking a few minutes every day to assess a different outfit from my usual “work top and plain trousers”. It’s a way for me to migrate from the pre-holidays “Christmas outfits every day” to more standard fare.

I know it won’t last. But it’s nice while it does.

I’m also making a list of shorter jobs that need doing, but I just don’t get around to. So, for example, I had some candles melt really weirdly a few months ago – I just need to clean up the candlebra so I can use it again. Will take about 15mins, but I’ve just not done it yet.

Riding this wave of new year energy, I’ll make a list of similar things to be done and tick off as many as I can.

What I won’t be doing

Even with the energy rising, I will not be overhauling my life. I’ve learned over the years, that while it’s possible to use the rising energy of the year to do this, it doesn’t work for me in terms of lasting change.

Energy rising in January is more about clearing the way, laying the foundations, that sort of thing. So no, I won’t be starting a massive new exercise routine. I won’t be implementing a whole new nutritional plan.

I definitely won’t be committing to hours and hours of “self care” in the form of expensive treatments, time consuming hobbies, etc.

But this is your busiest time of year?

Yes, it is. And I will be surfing that rising energy wave all the way to March. Possibly April, to be honest. But it’s about the small actions for me right now.

Look at this list for items to do in January in an Irish garden. There’s mostly prep work and continuing work going on, not new work. That’s my approach.

So, yes, I will be setting some things up for Imbolc. I will be organising some online rituals, will probably be holding a retreat for the occasion. I will be helping people lay the ground work for the coming year.

Remember!

The calendar year is just that – the calendar year. It was set by Julius Caesar, with some accommodations by Pope Gregory XIII in the late 16th century.

There’s nothing really magical or innovative about having a New Year in January, other than we all need a bit of celebration in the winter. You can start afresh at the beginning of each new moon, new month, new day, new hour…

But it’s worth considering carefully how to take advantage of the rising energy and optimism of a clean new year.

(And, if you can, try not to feed the horrendous things being done by the US in particular, but also Israel and Russia in the new year. That’s not the sort of energy we really need to be rising right now! If you have energy to work on it, fight as best you can, however you can!)

Brigid and guilt

I know Brigid isn’t strongly associate with Christmas or Solstice for that matter. But guilt is. It’s a big one this time of year! Today we’re going to talk about how to manage guilt and use Brigid to help.

Now, I’ve written in passing about guilt before. But I’ve not done a deep dive into it at all. And particularly with women, particularly at this time of year, guilt tends to end up playing a major role in events.

OK, this isn't Brigid and guilt, but it does show a cartoon woman, with a collar and chain around her neck, and a large ball with "guilt" written on it that she's trying to pull around with her. Guilt has weight.
OK, it’s not always this obvious, but that’s part of the problem!

Guilt vs Shame

The two can often get confused. I like Psychology Today‘s differentiation:

Shame and guilt are two closely related concepts. While each has been defined in different ways, guilt is typically linked to some specific harm, real or perceived, and shame involves negative feelings about one’s self more generally.

Now, ok that article doesn’t link Brigid and guilt, but bear with me, ok?

Guilt has been posited to be useful in developing social conscience, communities, interpersonal relationships. Mainly in the “apologising when we do wrong” arena. But honestly, that’s not the guilt we’re talking about here.

The problem is that guilt can lead to shame. And both can lead to, or be an element in, mental illness.

So, y’know, I like to give some options.

Particular guilt around holidays

Listen, this is a time of year when “you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people, all of the time” comes into play. Brigid didn’t play with guilt when she had stuff she needed to get done! But also, Brigid wasn’t living in the modern world…

There are loads of conflicting priorities and it gets worse where there are kids involved.

  • Cost of presents
  • Trying to ensure the child doesn’t get the same pressie from 5 different people
  • The time everything takes
  • The inevitable feeling that one family or another feels left out
  • The growing list of things that make up Christmas (or Hannukah, or Solstice, or whatever your holiday is at this time of year)
  • The feeling of begrudgery at having to do all of this
  • The feeling of guilt over the begrudgery, followed by anger at the guilt, followed by guilt at the “lack of gratitude”…

Listen, we can spiral away here. What we need are some tried and true tactics.

Brigid, Guilt, What?

Brigid doesn’t play with guilt too much. Particularly in the hagiographies, we see her, time and again, taking steps to make things better rather than live with the guilt.

There’s no element of guilt in here when she makes an unborn baby “go away”. (Read: abortion). Certainly none mentioned at giving away her father’s sword, not to mention pulling out her brother’s eye…

She’s fierce practical, and practicality doesn’t always leave room for guilt. It does sometimes, no one’s perfect. But, y’know, it’s a barrier against guilt.

Y’see, it’s not that Brigid doesn’t feel guilt, I’m sure of that. The TDD weren’t necessarily human in the way we understand it, but they overlap a lot with humans. And that means guilt is on the menu.

But we can’t let guilt paralyse us.

What can we do?

Well, first and foremost, outline the areas where you might be feeling guilt. For most of us, it’s conflicting family needs and wants. There are many people who have a fixed idea of what Christmas must look like and any deviation from that is sacrilegious.

And when you’re the person who needs/wants to deviate from that set idea… well, it can lead to guilt tripping on a massive scale.

Now – there are people who will tell you they don’t feel guilt. I challenge those people to deal with a Catholic family background and say the same. It’s not that it’s a moral failing to not feel guilt. It’s more that it’s bred or bet into us…

So, what are the situations that guilt comes up?

  • Kids don’t get the toys they want
  • Parents or in-laws don’t feel like you’ve spent enough time with them
  • People feel the exchange of gifts was unequal

Honestly, the top two there are the main ones, and really… the second one is the killer.

Brigid was a mother too

Very true. And I’ve no doubt, as a mother, Brigid used guilt as a weapon in her toolbox to try and engage with her kid(s)

And, going by my experience in the last few days, it’s usually mothers pulling on the guilt strings. Worse – it’s usually their daughters they’re pulling on.

When the sayings such as “your son is your son til he gets a wife, your daughter is your daughter all your life” are still so common, maybe it’s no wonder.

But as Gen X women, and older Millennials, we are breaking these chains, ok?

And that means standing up and shaking off the guilt. Reach into yourself and imagine how you want your kids to feel about you in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond.

And think of what’s important to you in this holiday season.

Truly important

Do you hanker after a house full of people, chaotic, but full of love?

Is more a quiet day with no phones beeping?

A grand feast, with everyone squishing around the table?

My husband? His essential component is the Dr Who Christmas Special.

Mine? Two solid days away from work, emails, etc to read. And watch some films.

It hasn’t been easy getting here. But we had always said once we got married, we’d be spending Christmas on our own, building our own traditions.

But once people have built expectations, how do you re-set?

Bit by bit.

Looks, Brigid – nor guilt – never said things were easy or quick. And this probably won’t be either. But this year, pick one thing that is truly important to you. Is it a carol service? A walk with the family? A single hour alone, with no demands being placed on you?

Talk to those who will be affected by this. Set this plan in motion. Make sure it’s feasible. While I’d love to fly our whole family over to Lanzarote for a week in the sun – it’s not feasible. Not unless I win the lotto tomorrow night and even then…

But be clear on what you’re claiming for you this Christmas.

But the guilt, Orlagh!

Yeah, I know. Just remember, someone else trying to guilt you, doesn’t mean you have to take on their attempts.

And always have a few key phrases in your back pocket.

  1. “I hear that this matters to you. Here’s what I can realistically do.”
    This acknowledges their feelings while clearly stating your limits.
  2. “I appreciate how much you care about family traditions. I need to do what works for my family this year.”
    Shows respect for their values but asserts your autonomy.
  3. “I understand this is disappointing. My decision is not about you, it’s about what’s best for me right now.”
    Separates their emotions from your choices, reducing guilt.
  4. “I love you and want to enjoy our time together. That means I need to set this boundary so I don’t feel overwhelmed.”
    Frames the boundary as a way to preserve the relationship.
  5. “I can’t do everything you’re asking, but here’s what I can offer.”
    Keeps the tone collaborative while maintaining control.

Now, this isn’t easy. Especially not if you’re not used to setting boundaries and dealing with guilt. But it’s worth it.

The above phrases are the basis, but you’ll probably need to adjust to suit your situations. For example:

  1. Listen, I know you love the whole family being there on Christmas Day. The thing is, it’s a 3 hour round trip and we’ll be exhausted. How about we spend the night on the 28th instead?
  2. I completely understand that ye’ve always gone to Midnight Mass together. But we need to start traditions for our family now. And for us, it’s more important for the kids to get to bed before 9pm than to go to Midnight Mass.
  3. I completely understand you’re disappointed about not seeing us on Christmas Day. This isn’t about not wanting to see you, it’s about letting the kids relax in their own home.
  4. I love you, I want to spend time with you. But honestly, I finish work on Christmas Eve and I’m back in on the 27th. I just need to crash those few days so I don’t get completely overwhelmed.
  5. I don’t get enough time off work to stay with ye for 2 weeks. I could come up for New Year’s Eve and stay 2 days?

While Brigid might not have had to deal with this sort of guilt, she doesn’t understand clear boundaries. Operating in the liminal can be powerful, but when it comes to families – clear, concrete, deliberate boundaries tend to work best.

Don’t spend the holidays eaten up with guilt

Take a leaf out of Brigid’s book and try to wash away the guilt. It doesn’t do any good and basically, ties you and probably half the family in knots.

Set clear boundaries.

Stick to said boundaries.

Plan in time for your important thing.

And do better next year!

The Rosary

Last week, I wrote about the Memorare. This week, it’s the Rosary. I know, two Catholic posts in a row, but they’re heavily linked. Now, if you’re looking for the official Roman Catholic approach to the Rosary, the Vatican website on the topic is probably your best bet.

An image of a rosary, or rosary beads. A brown cross, with a light brown bead, then three dark brown beads n a string. This then linked to a circle of beads, from that 1 light brown bead, 10 brown beads, a gap, another light brown bead, a gap, etc. until you get around the 5 sets of 10 brown beads.
An image of a rosary

What is the Rosary?

The word “rosary” apparently means something along the lines of “crown of roses” or “garland of roses” in Latin. And it’s a prayer heavily linked to Mary. In fact, remember all those visitations I mentioned last week? Well, in pretty much all of them, she talks about the Rosary. Now, traditional convention is that when talking about the prayer beads, we use a lower case “r” and when talking about the prayer, we use the upper case “R”.

When I was growing up, the Rosary consisted of 3 rounds of 5 Mysteries, although it’s rare you’d be saying all 15 at once. Then in 2002 I think it was. John Paul II added another set (Luminous).

The Mysteries

Joyful Mysteries

  1. The Annunciation. Fruit of the Mystery: Humility.
  2. The Visitation. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of Neighbor.
  3. The Birth of Jesus. Fruit of the Mystery: Poverty, Detachment from the things of the world, Contempt of Riches, Love of the Poor.
  4. The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Gift of Wisdom and Purity of mind and body (Obedience).
  5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: True Conversion (Piety, Joy of Finding Jesus).

Luminous Mysteries

  1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit, the Healer.
  2. The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the Mystery: To Jesus through Mary, Understanding of the ability to manifest-through faith.
  3. Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in God (Call of Conversion to God).
  4. The Transfiguration. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness.
  5. The Institution of the Eucharist. Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration.

Sorrowful Mysteries

  1. The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin, Uniformity with the Will of God.
  2. The Scourging at the Pillar. Fruit of the Mystery: Mortification (Purity).
  3. The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit of the Mystery: Contempt of the World (Moral Courage).
  4. The Carrying of the Cross. Fruit of the Mystery: Patience.
  5. The Crucifixion and Death of our Lord. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance in Faith, Grace for a Holy Death, Forgiveness.

Glorious Mysteries

  1. The Resurrection. Fruit of the Mystery: Faith.
  2. The Ascension. Fruit of the Mystery: Hope, Desire to Ascend to Heaven.
  3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God, Holy Wisdom to know the truth and share it with everyone, Divine Charity, Worship of the Holy Spirit.
  4. The Assumption of Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Union with Mary and True Devotion to Mary.
  5. The Coronation of the Virgin. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance and an Increase in Virtue (Trust in Mary’s Intercession).

So, each number along there represents the one Our Father, 10 Hail Marys and one Glory Be we say.

Each round of the prayers above is devoted to consideration of and meditation on one mystery. Officially.

Unofficially?

OK, so I know plenty of people get all caught up on the “official” way to pray the Rosary. In my experience, I find Mary isn’t keeping count. Seriously.

I’ve used a decade or two to calm my mind. I’ve used the Rosary as a way to combat insomnia. Meditation. Desperation. Joy. Support. Thankfulness.

I’ve used 1 decade. I’ve used 100 decades.

There are times and seasons in my life I’ve turned to the Rosary and more and less than others. Saying it in Irish is different in my head to saying it in English.

Our Father

Ár nAthair, atá ar neamh, go naomhaítear t’ainm, go dtaga do ríocht, go ndeintear do thoil ar an dtalamh mar a ndeintear ar neamh. Ár n-arán laethúil tabhair dhúinn inniu, agus maith dhúinn ár bhfiacha, mar a mhaithimid d’ár bhféichiúnna féin, agus ná lig sinn i gcathú, ach saor sinn ó olc. áiméin.

Hail Mary

Sé do bheatha, a Mhuire, atá lán de ghrásta, tá an Tiarna leat. Is beannaithe thú idir na mná agus is beannaithe toradh do bhroinne, Íosa. A Naomh-Mhuire, a Mháthair Dé, guigh orainn na peacaigh,anois agus ar uair ár mbáis. áiméin.

Glory Be

Glóire don Athair is don Mhac is don Spiriod Naomh, mar a bhí ar dtúis, mar atá anois, is mar a bheidh go deo, trí shaol na saol. áiméin.

Why share this?

Well, today is the 8th December, which is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. In other words, it’s the day the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the fact that Mary, the mother of God, was the one person in the entire history of the world, that was born without original sin.

Yeah, it’s got nothing to do with Jesus at all, other than she was his mother.

The Immaculate Conception is very often misunderstood as a feast, with many people thinking it’s because Mary was a virgin who gave birth. Those of you who pay attention to my writings will know how I feel about virginity in general. But because Mary was going to be a vessel for the son of God, she’s special.

Personally though, there’s a bit more to this. As many of ye also know, I went to boarding school for secondary school and the 8th December was the day we celebrated Christmas as a school (well the boarders did. It used to be a day off in the 90’s ok?)

So for me, 8th December stands as the start of the Christmas season.

It’s a personal thing.

And no, it’s not the start of the 12 Days of Christmas – that’s from Christmas Day to Nollag na mBan or Women’s Christmas (also known as the Feast of the Epiphany) on 6th January.

So, this time of year, I start to think more about Mary. And pray the Rosary.

There’s a lot of light and hope there and I need it!

The Memorare

The Memorare is a lovely, powerful prayer to the Virgin Mary. And it’s one I have found reverberating through my head in the last few weeks.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.

Why this prayer?

I’ve written about my Catholic side many times before on this blog. But the Memorare is special to me.

The Memorare as a prayer card. It has the lines of the prayer on it, as well as pictures of roses on the top left and bottom right corners. A gold banner surrounds the worlds of the prayer as well.
I had – well not exactly this card, but close enough!

And yes, I was introduced to it by the nuns in secondary school. At the time, I wasn’t fully appreciative of the thing, cos it mean morning prayers lasted those few seconds longer. Thinking back -prayer wasn’t a huge part of my life in those days.

But these days, definitely more so. And this prayer in particular is a major part of my practice when times get tough.

Why the Memorare?

“Memorare” means “to remember” in Latin. Listen, the Catholic Church held onto Latin, and still does in many, many areas, far past the time it was considered a living language. So, calling a prayer by a Latin term? It’s not the worst they could do. As they have proved. Many, many, many times…

But why this prayer? What’s so special?

I love it.

Now, the Irish pantheon doesn’t have a mother-goddess figure. But, as with many pagan pantheons, there are plenty of strong goddesses within the pantheon. So, it’s no wonder the Irish – and many other Catholic countries around the world – have a strong devotion to Mother Mary. She’s a distinct and powerful entity in her own right in the Church.

And she’s an easier personage to approach than some of the male saints and entities around the place.

Look – when the angels appear, the first thing out of their mouths is usually “Don’t panic, we’re not here to cause harm”. Because people were bloody terrified of them.

Not so with Mary. For a start, she often appears to women and children, children especially. And she offers messages of hope and persistance, usually encouraging folk to pray the rosary.

In the Memorare, we are asking Mary to remember her vast power and her propensity to help those who come to her with petitions or requests.

Personal meaning for me

The regular words of a prayer I have known and prayed – with varying degrees of intention and integrity – for more than 30 years hold particular power for me. And the words themselves remind me that I am not alone in this Universe, that there are entities out there who support me and help me as best they can.

Mary for me has always been a more approachable character than either God or Jesus. They’re too big, too powerful, too male. (Although there is something to be said for the sophia aspect of God as being female… people sure do get upset when you use she/her pronouns though)

Mary was the mother of God, but she was also human. She got up, went about her day, did her work, all as a human woman. She had neighbours, work, bills, etc. Notably, she had a fairly rare type of son to rear.

She had family drama, was only a teenager herself when she got pregnant… she got it in ways that I couldn’t imagine God or Jesus getting it.

Pavlovian response to the Memorare?

And yes, there is an element of calming to the prayer for me. Just saying it helps me recapture the calmness of the nun’s chapel in school. We only ever said the Memorare on Fridays and December 8th (our Christmas celebration).

And just listen to the words:

Never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

No matter who comes to you for help, for sanctuary, for protection – you gave them help. You’re here, universally, for everyone. So, if you’re wondering can you pray to the Virgin Mary? Yes, you can. You don’t have to – I know damn well many people read this blog and are purely appalled when I talk about Catholicism. They tell me fairly frequently.

But the fact is, I’m Pagan Catholic, not pure pagan. That’s my life. Complicated.

This might be personal

I get that not everyone will be as drawn to this prayer as I am. But a prayer repeated so often is powerful. A prayer is essentially a spell after all – words with intention behind them.

And yes, of course, we can write our own prayers. That’s the joy and challenge of private, personal practice. And we can build up power in those prayers for ourselves by repetition. People underestimate repetition far too much in paganism I think.

But this prayer in particular sings to me. Maybe it’s just the repetition. Maybe there have been times in my life where there appears to have been no help and this was the lifeline I held on to.

Sometimes – my brain throws this prayer at me at random moments and I’ve stopped asking why. Because, I’ve learned it takes seconds to say, but has massive effects.

Do you have to pray the Memorare? Of course not! I’m offering it here for those who follow a similar path to mine. It’s an option. A beautiful and power option, but still only an option.

That’s the joy of personal practice!

If you want to change, you have to change!

The topic of change came up during our Brigid’s Forge Collective session last night. And I thought it warranted writing about today. Because so often, we want things to be different, we look for it, beg for it – but forget the basics.

I’ve written before about Brigid and liminality, not to mention transformation.

But change, real, physical change is difficult at the best of times. And last night I came out with the sentence: “If you want to change, you have to change!”

Hugely profound, I know. But it’s an extension of the “Be the change you want to see in the world”

An image of a nebula cloud, blue and orange - the original change?
Change can feel amorphous, but it’s usually not!

Why talk about change?

A quick Google Scholar search brought 6.4 million results on “change management process“. There’s a reason for that!

Now, I’ll let you into a secret. The key to a successful change management process is twofold:

  • Successful stakeholder management
  • Clear preferred outcomes

That’s it. Seriously.

You can see how this works in large organisations, right? There’s a decision made somewhere that X is moving to Y. Now this could be as wide ranging as changing the graphics or the company logo down to altering the core working hours by 30mins for a particular office.

It doesn’t matter which it is, to be honest. The point is – it is change.

And people – as a rule – don’t like it.

So, successful stakeholder management. This doesn’t mean getting everyone involved to agree to the new way of doing things. It means making sure everyone is aware of upcoming new way of doing things. Getting alignment rather than agreement.

Alignment is one of those weird corporate words. It generally means someone has agreed to go along with whatever is happening and publicly support it, even if they think it’s batshit cracked to be even thinking of this right now.

Yeah, I know.

But the whole process depends on key stakeholders holding the party line, at least long enough to pass through the gauntlet of the process. We’re aiming for minimising resistance, not eliminating it. A bit of resistance is good for a change process – it can highlight key elements that need to be considered that might otherwise have been overlooked.

The second bit – being clear on the desired outcomes – is vital to ensuring success. For a start, if you’re not sure what the desired outcome is, how do you know you’ve been successful? And trust me when I say, the simpler the better.

“Higher employee enthusiasm” is all very well and good, but how are you measuring it, what does “higher” mean, higher than what, which employee, what do we mean by enthusiasm… you can see where this is going?

“Moving from a 3.5 to a 4.0 on the employee satisfaction survey by end of Q3 2026” is much better. It’s clear what’s being measure, how it’s being measure and what the time frame is. Of course there are going to be more detailed elements below this. There will be projects, and initiatives and all sorts. But the key element, the root and heart of the change itself, is simple but clear.

What do large organisations have to do with me though?

Well, here’s the thing. Change management is based on people. And chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you’re a person as well.

Internal change needs to be the same as external change.

  • Be clear on the change you want to see
  • Manage your stakeholders

Now, if you’re looking at yourself, what does this mean?

Well, first off, what do you want to change? Or rather what’s the outcome you hope this change will drive?

“I want to get fitter” is an outcome. But it’s not very clear. Some outcomes from this might be:

  • complete a press up
  • run 5k
  • walk to the gate and back
  • complete a circuits class, doing all the exercises, without dying
  • Complete the Camino de Santiago

You can see how all these would come under the heading of “being fitter” for some people, right?

And I’m using fitness rather than anything else cos it tends to be more commonplace. And less personal. People don’t get as upset by talking about doing a 5k as they do about the mention of a daily prayer, for example.

Alright, I can hear you screaming about stakeholders, now as well.

Here we go.

Stakeholders

I know. You don’t really see the need for stakeholder management when making a more personal change. Allow me to challenge you on that.

How about you? Do you not count as a stakeholder? You need to manage yourself, your own expectations, as much as you manage other people.

Are you going to commit to the work required to make this change? Maybe it’s a daily step goal. Or a 3 day a week running routine. Possibly become a regular attendance at class?

And then think about timelines. Support.

It’s been a long time since I did a couch to 5k program, but I definitely remember the need to manage my food differently when I did so. I had to be more prepared and that meant saying no to other things.

Committing to attending one meeting in work meant missing out on something else. Agreeing to found and run an organisation meant saying no to engaging with a different organisation.

All of this is managing stakeholders.

And that’s before we get into other people.

Explaining to your family that you’re not available at 6pm on Thursdays any more so they may have to eat dinner without you. Rearranging childcare to allow time for your new challenge. Explaining to work colleagues that actually, no, you aren’t available to work late on Monday nights any more and you have a hard cutoff at X time.

This is all stakeholder management.

Planning your change

Any change requires planning. It doesn’t matter if it’s as simple as a reminder on your phone or major changes to family routines. All change required planning.

A picture of the Wellness From Within Journal from Little Penny Thoughts which is my new foray into journalling, Book is sage green with an elastic strap and a pen holder!!
Wellness From Within Journal from Little Penny Thoughts which is my new foray into journaling. A new change for me.

I got the above journal for free at a recent conference I was at and I sat down one Saturday night and talked it through with my husband, how I would use it, when I would use it, where I would use it…

Current goals are a Mon-Fri journaling habit, first thing in the morning. Well, not quite first thing, but close enough. It’s hit and miss at the minute, but we’re getting there.

But I used getting this journal as the catalyst for change. I decided when, where, how I was journaling. What is taken care of by the lovely journal, and why is because it’s good for my mental health!

And I don’t have “journaling” written into my diary or anything, but it is part of my morning routine, which is in my diary.

Planning works.

Bringing it back to spiritual change

I’ve deliberately not mentioned spiritual change the whole way through this post. Well, except for that one bit about prayer daily. But now let’s come full circle and return to Brigid.

So many people tell me “I want to deepen my relationship with Brigid”. The problem is that no two people have meant the same thing when they say that. So we probe. And I have a series of questions to help here:

1. Who is Brigid to You?

  • When you say “Brigid,” what does that mean to you? A goddess, a saint, a symbol, a presence?
  • How do you currently experience Brigid in your life?
  • Is your image of Brigid shaped by childhood teachings, personal experiences, or something else?

2. What Does “Relationship” Mean?

  • What does a healthy relationship with Brigid look like for you?
  • If you imagine this relationship as a friendship, partnership, or something else, what qualities would it have?
  • What do you feel Brigid offers you, and what do you offer Brigid?

3. What Does “Deepen” Mean?

  • When you say “deepen,” what would that look like in your daily life?
  • Does deepening mean more trust, more intimacy, more devotion, more freedom, more creativity?
  • What would be different in your life if your relationship with Brigid were deeper?

4. Current Practices

  • How do you currently connect with Brigid—prayer, ritual, nature, creativity, study?
  • Which of these feel nourishing, and which feel like obligations?

5. Desired Feelings and Outcomes

  • What feelings do you want to experience more often—peace, joy, inspiration, closeness?
  • What do you hope will change in your life as a result of deepening this relationship?

6. Barriers and Challenges

  • What gets in the way of feeling close to Brigid? Doubt, guilt, busyness, old beliefs?
  • If those barriers were gone, what would your relationship look like?

Try it out!

Now, ok, deepening your relationship with Brigid might not be what’s on your mind right now. But I bet those questions will help you get clear on some other things as well. Give it a try!!

Are Catholics Christian?

I’ve previously done an entire series on Catholicism. But more and more, I’m seeing on line people questioning Are Catholics Christian or not. Or indeed, in one message I received, the gyst was, “If Catholics are practicing paganism, can they really be considered to be ‘of God’?”

So, I thought I’d see what’s at the root of this.

Are Catholics Christian?

The fundamental answer here is “yes”. Obviously. They believe in Jesus Christ, follow his teachings, so Catholics are de facto Christian. (Ahem, in fact, according to the Roman Catholic Church, they are the OG Christians and all you other Christians are the result of schisms from the original… but that’s an argument for another day.)

Some of the question appears to come from two elements:

  • the idea that Catholics and their relationship to saints, ritual and other elements of the faith are more akin to paganism than “good, solid Protestantism”
  • my own relationship with Catholicism, Jesus, Mary and the saints.
An image of what looks like Jesus and the Devil arm wrestling with Jesus on the right in bright white background and the Devil on the left in a darker, more reddy background. Are Catholics Christian? On the side of Jesus or the Devil?
Catholicism, Christian or pagan?

Catholics and how the religion developed

Look, let’s be serious here. The Roman Catholic Church isn’t, and wasn’t, daft. They made sure their major celebrations and festivals coincided with those that people were already used to celebrating. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. So there’s

Christmas? Winter solstice. Although they weren’t as fussy about the Summer Solstice, although there are a fair number of Blesseds and Saints remembered on the 20th and 21st June.

The term “holiday”? Comes from Holy Day. And Catholics were the Christians on the ground when that was developed. Christianity has shaped the English language in ways beyond this, of course, but if you asked anyone in the 14th century in England if they obeyed the Pope or some other Christian leader, it would be the Pope they’d go for.

So, we have a religion here that is working with the systems in place and working, more importantly, with the expectations of the local people to convert them. I’m speaking of Ireland here of course – Ireland was not converted to Catholicism or Christianity at the point of a sword. At the point of hunger, sure, but not the sword. It was a reasonably peaceful conversion. Kinda.

Look at the days of the week in Irish:

Dé Luain = Moon Day (From the Latin “luna”: Moon). (Monday)

Dé Máirt = Mars’ Day (From the Roman god Mars). (Tuesday)

Dé Sathairn = Saturn’s Day (From the Roman god Saturn). (Saturday)

Other names come from early Christian practice, and were almost certainly brought to Ireland by the monks:

Dé Céadaoin = Day of the first fast (Wednesday)

Déardaoin = Day between the fasts (Thursday)

Dé hAoine = Day of the [primary] fast (Friday)

These three came from the monastic practice of fasting on Wednesday and Friday.

Dé Domhnaigh = Day of the Lord (from the Latin “dominus”: lord) (Sunday)

Are there elements of paganism in Catholicism?

I mean maybe?

It depends on how you define paganism. For some fundamentalist Protestants, even the mention of saints is enough to have them claiming paganism. For others, the plethora of saints in Catholicism, in place of a personal relationship with Jesus, is enough to warrant claims of paganism. Others view with concern the sometimes elaborate rituals of the Catholic Church is enough to make the claim.

But fundamentally? Catholics are Christian in that they follow Jesus Christ. The path to Heaven is through Jesus. To go to Heaven, you come to God. Okay, there’s a bit about being baptised, repenting, etc but fundamentally, believing in God, following Jesus and repenting of sins is key.

Where people tend to get confused is there a lot of rich (in more ways than one) history and details around what sin is, what repentance is, etc, etc, etc.

Add in the complications and nuance of 2000 years of people exploring details of specific situations, and working out problems through letters, and Papal bulls and all the rest of it… things get a lot more wordy.

And initially, the Church was less cohesive, to say the least, in the beginning. Pretty much from the day Jesus was crucified, his followers started disagreeing on stuff. And these people disagreed on things related to the general practices they and their people followed. And in spiritual matters, these would be pagan. Or Jewish. But either way not Christian.

So, some of the practices in paganism made it into Christianity.

The key bits people disagree with when calling Catholics Christian

People consider representations of saints, Jesus, Mary, and God as possible idolatry, something God is famously against.

Praying to saints rather than to God and Jesus.

Consideration of Mother Mary as a key figure in Jesus’ life. (The early Church wasn’t quite as patriarchal as some of the later Protestant ones).

The buying of indulgences – basically short cuts to repentance which meant that rich people never had to worry about dying in a state of grace.

The generally faffery around Catholic rituals. Austerity is and was the name of the game in many Protestant congregations. (The High Church in Anglician tradition excepted).

Wikipedia has a decent article on the whole thing.

Returning to the key point

Yes, Catholics are Christian.

No, Catholics don’t consider themselves pagan, and neither did the generations of Irish people who were practicing Catholics, even while believing in the Other Crowd. There were and are perfectly reasonable explanations for these things in the culture.

No, Catholics are not pagan.

Yes, me calling myself a Pagan Catholic doesn’t help matters, but you know what? I’m not really here to help the Catholic Church!!

Preparing for Imbolc: A Gentle Invitation to Begin Now

As the days shorten and the year winds down, many of us feel the pull to turn inward – to rest, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most. Preparing for Imbolc doesn’t appear in our minds right now. But wait…

In the Irish seasonal calendar, this time of year is a quiet descent toward Imbolc, the festival that marks the first stirrings of spring. It’s a time of deep listening, of preparing the ground, both within and without, for what’s to come.

But if you’ve ever felt unsure about how to actually prepare for Imbolc, you’re not alone.

Maybe you’ve read about people leaving cloths out for Brigid, lighting candles, or holding rituals – but you’re not quite sure what it all means, or how to make it your own.

That’s exactly why I created this course.

An image showing the poster for Awakening the Flame, a three month journey to prepare for Imbolc. It shows a picture of Brigid with red ahri flowing around her, info around the course - that's outline in the text as well,: 5 online modules Extra meditations and documents Gradually providing ideas Building towards Imbolc
Poster for the Awakening the Flame course

Preparing for Imbolc: A Three-Month Journey of Spiritual Grounding

Starting in November, I’ll be guiding a small group through the same practices and reflections I use to prepare for Imbolc each year. This isn’t about doing more – it’s about doing what’s meaningful.

Together, we’ll explore a three-fold framework that supports your:

🌿 Physical preparation – tending to your space, your body, your home
💧 Emotional preparation – making space for reflection, release, and renewal
🔥 Spiritual preparation – connecting with Brigid as Smith, Poet, and Healer

You’ll learn how these archetypes can guide your own ritual design – whether you’re new to this path or have been walking it for years.

This Course Is for You If…

  • You feel drawn to Brigid and the Irish seasonal cycle, but want more structure and support
  • You’re craving a spiritual practice that’s both rooted in tradition and adaptable to modern life
  • You want to prepare for Imbolc in a way that honours your energy, your time, and your truth
  • You’re ready to create a ritual or observance that feels yours – not just a copy of someone else’s

Why Start Now?

Because true preparation takes time.


Your spiritual life deserves spaciousness.

The descent into winter is sacred too.

This course gives you three months to gently explore, reflect, and prepare. So that when Imbolc arrives, you’re not scrambling to “get it right.” You’re arriving with presence, clarity, and connection.

Join Me

✨ If you’re ready to deepen your relationship with Brigid, with the Irish seasonal cycle, and with your own inner wisdom — I’d love to walk this path with you.

✨Or you can pay all in one go here.

Let’s prepare for Imbolc — not in a rush, but in rhythm.

Brigid, light and people

An image from my instagram account, saying on top
Check out more info here!

I’ve written about light and Brigid before on this blog. On several occasions in fact. And you’re probably wondering what in hell that has to do with my Instagram post this morning.

Bringing a bit of joy and laughter to people’s lives is part of how I lighten up the dark part of the year, shining with the metaphorical Brigid light. (Also why I used so many candles

Does Brigid approve of laughter?

Laughter brings lightness into our lives. We’ve been discussing this in the Collective this week, the experience of joy in spirituality. It’s amazing how many people don’t experience joy in spirituality at all. Or if they do, it’s a very specific kind of joy – like singing in a group.

But we have loads of early Church examples of how spirituality has to come with joy. This includes warmth, akin to the essence of Brigid light, which fills the spirit with happiness.

But first – whenever I talk about joy, I quote Terry Pratchett:

“That’s my daughter,” said the king. “I ought to feel
sad. Why don’t I?”

EMOTIONS GET LEFT BEHIND. IT’S ALL A MATTER OF
GLANDS.

“Ah. That would be it, I suppose.”

― Terry Pratchett, Mort

The words in all caps are from Death, it’s a convention Pratchett uses through the books. And if you’re looking for books to raise the spirits through the winter months, you won’t go too far wrong with the Discworld ones!

But back to the primary question, does Brigid approve of laughter.

Key UPG moment here: this is my opinion, rather than based in lore, but in my experience and in my opinion, yes, Brigid is very approving of laughter. She has the Irish approach to the topic – there’s as much laughing as crying at what might be considered a “normal” funeral in Ireland.

And while she gave us keening, she never stopped us laughing.

Brigid is associated with light in many stories. And some of her stories are genuinely funny – well if you have a twisted sense of humour like I do.

Brigid, light and spiritual joy

Here’s four other Catholic saints calling out for joy in spirituality:

  • “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Saint Teresa of Avila
  • “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” – Saint Paul the Apostle (Philippians 4:4)
  • “The soul of one who serves God always swims in joy, always keeps holiday, and is always in the mood for singing.” – Saint John Vianney
  • St. Augustine of Hippo wrote, “Joy is the net of love by which you can catch souls.”

I particularly enjoy Saint John Vianney there. Always being in the mood for singing tells me he definitely felt joy in his life!

We have in recent centuries become accustomed to religion in particular being dark and dour, rather than light and happy. (All to do with oppression and control to be honest)

Restricting our laughter, our joy, our light, really limits how we can move forward in spirituality. I mean, why would you want to move forward onto a path that is just causing you pain and torment with nothing to lighten things?

Brigid appreciates we’re human and we need the light as much as the darkness. She also understands that there will forever people that will seek to put down and oppress others. We see this all over the world.

But this is where laughter can fight back against that oppression as well.

I read a lot of dystopian fiction

Surprising no one, I’d say. And a lot of the time, I can see a stage in resistance or building to resistance, where things appear so dark, so lonely, so miserable… it’s a wonder anyone can ever consider rebelling.

But then the gleams of lightness and laughter appear. There’s a secret or not-so-secret underground pub or bar. There are songs. There is dancing.

There’s always something.

And so we can use this in our daily lives.

Subvert the expectations. Just because people can impose darkness and oppression, doesn’t mean you can to comply 100% of the time. Brigid brings some light herself, of course. But you can also use her to bring light and bring some on your own as well.

Light the candles. Invite her to join you in watching a favourite film. Or share in a glass of wine, listen to some music, dance…

And the t-shirt, Orlagh? What does that have to do with Brigid and light?

Well that’s simple. People are an entirely different entity than persons. Once you become a person to me – as I said in the Instagram post – things get a lot easier. But people? People? I don’t like people.

Just in general.

The herd mentality is strong in a lot of people, so until people become persons, I distrust them immensely…

I said this in a class, years ago and nearly gave poor Lora a heart attack. Most of the time once I see you face-to-face or talk to you in a class, you move from people to person.

You might say, once I see you in Brigid’s Light, I start looking at you differently!

Preparing for Imbolc

I know, it’s not even Samhain yet, and I’m already speaking about preparing for Imbolc.

But there’s a reason for it. Namely, I start preparing for Imbolc around the time of Samhain. In the same way I start preparing for Samhain around the time of Lúnasa. But for Imbolc, I take some of ye along with me on the journey.

Lighting candles is an essential part of my preparation for Imbolc, especially electric ones! Picture of an electric candle, shining in the dark
Let’s be serious, ye already knew lighting candles was ging to be a part of this!

And it’s no joke to say that I start writing about this nearly every year at this time…

What takes so long, FFS?

Well yeah, ok here’s the thing. I prepare for Imbolc over three months, because I considering the time between Samhain and Imbolc to be my dreaming period. My planning period. I’ve taken stock of where I am and what I’ve achieved between Lúnasa and Samhain. So, Samhain to Imbolc is the heavy work.

I prepare for Imbolc in the physical, emotional and spiritual realms.

And I allocate about a month for each in my preparation cycle. Imbolc isn’t just an event to me, it’s a season. And as such, I use it as part of my seasonal work. I mean, I go through a cycle of physical, emotional and spiritual work in all seasons, but for Imbolc it’s extra special preparation.

And yeah, that’s cos of the links with Brigid. Definitely.

But it’s also because I consider the work done between Samhain and Imbolc as the most important in the year. It’s how I set up my year, plan my year, engage with my audience to find out what’s needed and what isn’t for the coming year.

It’s my time for reflection, review, engagement… all of that good stuff.

And it takes time.

Preparing for Imbolc is a whole-person approach for me. And it’s different every year. There are some basics that stay the same, and I’ll talk about them down below, but the specifics change, over and over again.

Physically preparing for Imbolc

OK, a lot of this is cleaning. Seriously.

Thankfully Christmas happens between Samhain and Imbolc, otherwise, I’d never get things as clean as I want for the season. But there is a feeling or a need to clear our the house come spring. Which as we know, starts to show it’s face around Imbolc. It’s not the height of spring – I’d label that as the equinox. But still…

And particularly with Imbolc, after the winter season of closing doors and windows, there’s a great need to let the fresh air. To clear out the corners. Get the energy moving again.

(This is northern hemisphere based and four-seasons based of course. If you’re in a different season rotation – you may need to adjust!)

But preparing for Imbolc by getting things going again really feels apt for the season in Ireland and the stage of the year. And a good scrubbing of the house really helps get the energy moving again. As does a clean breeze coming through.

Now, of course, you may get complaints from certain inhabitants about the cold, etc. But I dare anyone not to enjoy the feeling of a truly clean, fresh house.

And it gives us a clean slate to start the rest of the year with. Which feeds into…

Emotionally preparing for Imbolc

Now, I’m the last to tell anyone how they might feel or how their emotions might affect them. But I know for me and mine, the dark winter months are touch, emotionally speaking. I tend to leave the house in the dark and get back to work in the dark.

In fact this started last week – admittedly, I was in work for 7am, but still. There is a definitely shortening of both morning and evening light. And this has an effect on our mood. Even the HSE, our health and safety people, recommend everyone in the country should take a vitamin D supplement.

Image reads: How much vitamin D you need Everyone in Ireland needs to take a vitamin D supplement. The amount you need depends on your age, skin tone, your situation and the time of year. If you have dark skin – for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background – you may also not make enough vitamin D from sunlight. The amount of vitamin D you need is often described in micrograms.
Image taken from the HSE website

I mean, half the country is on anti-depressants, even with the gorgeous scenery. And that standing joke about God not letting it rain for 40 days and 40 nights anymore, but 40 days and 39 and a half nights is definitely within scope is accurate here.

How much does it rain?

As is our assessment of other climate’s rainy season. I remember being in Gambia years ago and being warned I was going during the rainy season. They got a mere 2 hours of rain every day and you could set your clock by it…

That was a gorgeous summer as far as I was concerned!

(Before anyone starts- I know monsoons and other dramatic rain are far worse than what we get. But for days of rain per year, we’re kinda up there. There’s a reason all the fields are green, ok?)

So, all in all, looking after our emotional health is important this time of year. It’s also why I consider the lighting of candles and fires to be an essential component of preparing for Imbolc. Not just about the connections of Brigid and fire. It’s about that deep seated emotional need we have for light at this dark time of the year.

Spiritually preparing for Imbolc

I mean, ye know this was coming, right? It’s not like I hide it.

And while the physical and emotional preparation are vitally important, the spiritual preparation for Imbolc is at the core of what the celebration means to me.

And the spiritual preparation can be deeply personal. For anyone! Of course there will be the public stuff. I am mostly likely to run a virtual retreat this year, again. There’s a good chance I’ll be sharing the public or public-friendly bits of my celebration on Instagram or in the Facebook group.

But there are always personal parts. I might share the fact that a spiritual shower or sacred cleanse is an important part of my celebration, but I don’t usually share the explicit details of it. I might share a pic of my brat Bhríde hanging from the door. It’s not so likely I’ll share the details of the prayers and blessings I add into my own private ritual.

There is always that dividing line for me between the publicly available stuff and the personal stuff. Whether that stuff is personal gnosis or just none of anyone else’s business doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that when I’m teaching, I give you the tools to develop your own practices. Because that’s where the value is. Not in copying what I do by rote.

Heads up

So this is a heads up. A heads up for both you and me.

We’ll be starting the course on 1st November. It ends up usually being about 5 classes over three months… I’m great at planning these things to be even and regular… not. So, there’s usually a gap over Christmas, but don’t worry. Sessions are recorded and usually available within a day or two.

But you don’t have to join the class if you don’t want to. (Although payment plan is available!)

If you are interested, check out the links and if you have any questions, email!

But don’t forget. This dark, quiet time of year is not for the faint of heart. And spring comes again quickly!

Brigid and balance

It’s equinox season, so that means it’s a great time to consider Brigid and balance. Which is a nice lead on from my first post last week. Plus, I have been posting about it over on Instagram. (Why, yes, I do have an Instagram and yes, I do occasionally remember to post there!)

And I know that Brigid isn’t necessarily the first person you think of when you think of “balance”, but I hope to persuade you differently today!

Brigid and balance for me right now

I used to get all caught up in the hype of September being a great time of year to turn over a new leaf, with it being the start of a new school year and all. The joys of not only spending 18years in full time education in Ireland but also, have two teachers as parents. The school year is part of me.

But when I switched to a more cyclical style of living, and started moving through the year as a dreaming, planting, growing and harvesting cycle, things began to change for me. September is no longer a “new year” type vibe, but more of a “check in and take stock” kind of vibe. It tied in with my exploration of Brigid and balance.

And it doesn’t hurt that the evenings are definitely getting longer, the sunset is happening earlier and in general, the weather is getting colder.

So, it makes sense that in noting the equinox, my thoughts turn to balance.

My equinox Brigid and Balance activities started with a revamp of my altar, shown here in the picture. Its a smaller table, with my two candle lit Brigid statues, my tine statue of an Dagda, the Dagda has a new incence burner cauldron and I have another incense holder for Brigid as well. Check out all the details on Instagram as well!
My simplified altar for this season. Although, the Dagda now has a cauldron that’s bigger than he is!

What do I mean by balance?

Well I’ve been moaning over the last few weeks on Instagram – well last week in particular – that work was taking over too much of my time. I’d worked til midnight on one night, necessitating a stay over in a hotel near work cos I was in no fit state to drive home at that point. That had a knock on effect with sleep, eating, husband tending that really lasted til yesterday. So, I took some time. I may have been muttering about Brigid, balance and how my life included neither at that point…

I woke at 4:30am yesterday and couldn’t get back to sleep. Instead of diving into work or working on Brigid’s Forge, I took the time to meditate. In front of this altar. Wrapped in a blankie like one of my ancestors from generations ago. (Although to be fair, given at least 50% of my ancestors came from migrant labourer backgrounds, the blankie might have been a luxury for them!)

All in all, it felt like an “all work and no play” kinda deal. Plus, I started rewatching Buffy from Season 2, which is never really a positive sign in my life…

What am I looking to achieve?

Brigid is a firm believer – to me anyway – that we are made of body, mind and soul. And all three parts need nurturing. We could link these to the Smith, the Healer and the Poet, or Brig Bricciu, Brig Brethach and Brig Ambue. But for me, this balance means I’m taking care of my body, my mind and my soul. My mind usually gets exercised enough through work and study. Seriously, Brigid really doesn’t need to worry about balance there!

But my body and soul need tending as well.

And I may have been getting ever so not subtle hints from Brigid about balance.

Just slight ones.

So, that meditation session the other morning was like coming home. It felt so warm, inviting, relaxing and comforting. Exactly what I needed in fact. Who knew? Well, we know the answer to that… 🤔

I’m reclaiming my body and soul. That’s what I’m doing. I’m looking to work through the latest threats to my balanced life with Brigid, and get back to a place with my body and soul where I feel happy.

Even the gym has fallen by the wayside in recent months. I just didn’t have the energy or time to do it.

What does this look like for me?

Well, it means I’ve been taking estradiol (HRT for those who know) and it has helped my energy, sleep and mood immensely. Sunday night notwithstanding. So I’m back to rebuilding the structure that really works for me: the morning meditation and movement. The prepared meals rather than canteen meals. Making time for the gym. Making time for myself that doesn’t involve either fiddling on the phone or randomly flicking through crap on the telly.

And don’t forget, “balance” doesn’t equal “equal”. There is a difference. So, for the last few months, work had to take centre stage, there’s been a lot going on. But now, it’s time to rebalance and spend a bit of extra time on the things I mention above, rather than work and, well, rebalance.

What could this look like for you?

Well… much the same. Do an assessment of your life. Are you happy with the time your spending on mind, body and soul? Are you happy with finances, housing solutions, relationships? Mind, body and soul might not be the perfect mix for you, but there is something out there that will work to support you in achieving the balance you need.

And if you want to have some focused sessions with me on this, feel free to reach out and book a Brigid Session. But spend some time considering where you’re lacking balance and where you’re asking Brigid to help.

The usual cautions about asking for non-specific help apply though!!