Day 18: St. Brigid
When we completed our walk of the Wicklow Way, two of our
fellow travelers departed and three others joined us to begin a different sort
of pilgrimage. Our days in Glendalough were spent participating in a spiritual
retreat called Sacred Cauldron. I knew several of the participants very well
but some were new friends. There is something seemingly magical when a group of people
come together and thoughtfully engage with one another at a deeper level. This
group in particular was quickly able to be vulnerable, tell stories, laugh and
cry with each other. The group facilitators made us feel safe and it was
apparent that we all felt held in a sacred space.
Our group went a field trip of sorts and visited the city of
Kildare. This is where St. Brigid, one of Ireland’s patron saints, began her
monastic community. We were able to
enjoy the first part of the day exploring the St. Brigid’s church, tower and
fire pit. After lunch, we went to Solas Bhride Centre, an amazing new building
with programs focused on linking the legacy of St. Brigid to our modern
culture. The building itself was incredible with open, clean spaces for
education, talks, meditation and prayer. It was awarded for its ecologically
friendly design and construction. The space reminded me of what I might think
of heaven being, if heaven had buildings. It even had a cafe!
Our final stop was St. Brigid’s well. Our group milled
around the grounds quietly offering prayers, blessing spiritual tokens and soaking up the holy space. I knelt at the well and immersed four
items: a rosary from Jerusalem recently given to me by a dear friend, a brass
Ganesh from one of my soul friends, a sheep’s tooth I found on my last
pilgrimage and a string of wooden prayer beads from a Goddess church that used
to belong to one of my mentors. As I blessed them in the small pool of water I
realized they perfectly represent my spirituality at this point in my life. My
Christian roots anchor me, I am enriched by engaging in interfaith practices, I
am inextricably linked to the earth and all creation, and finally as a woman I
appreciate my own feminine gifts and power as I try my best to be a meaningful
mentor to other women. I hope St. Brigid
would approve.
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