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Despite being busier the heck in my life, I have had time to read some pretty good books lately, the first of which is Brigid's Light: Tending the Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess edited by Cairelle Crow and Laura Louella. This book is comprised of a series of short articles, spells, poems, and stories written by some wonderful, well-known witches who work with Brigid. The book is an ode to Brigid, not a definitive guide to working with her so if that is the sort of book you are looking for, this is not for you.
The book is divided into six parts, each part discussing different aspects of the goddess, including Her many faces, Her representation in nature, rituals and prayers, and her role in life and death. Each author contributed multiple entries for the book, which is clearly outlined in the Table of Contents. I enjoyed reading through the articles discussing people's different experiences with Brigid, how they honor her, the spells and rituals that use that include her, and the seasonal recipes for Imbolc.
Due to the nature of the book, there isn't too much for me to discuss without discussing each individual entry which is simply too much and not within the scope of this review. With that being said, I enjoyed it overall. There are bits of history and correspondences tucked away within the stories and practical lessons to learn throughout. Because people are speaking from personal experience, it was easy to connect with the authors and see a side of Brigid you might not see on your own. However, this means the book is not a guide to Brigid and how to work with her. I was hoping, based on the title and summary, that there would have been more practical application articles for working with Brigid and less poetry. It felt like there was a poem every other entry with no context. I would have enjoyed these entries more had I understood the reason behind writing or including them. In some cases, the poems are adapted from entries by Alexander Carmichael, who collects prayers written about Saint Brigid. These prayers give us valuable insight into the history of Brigid and her many faces.
As I mentioned, I overall enjoyed the book. I felt it did justice honoring Brigid and preserved some of her history, love, and devotion within its pages. I wish I could provide you with a longer, more in-depth review, but that simply isn't possible with such a book. If you are unsure whether or not this book is right for you, I encourage you to view the sample pages released on Google Books. This is a great way to figure out whether or not the book is for you prior to purchasing. Brigid's Light: Tending the Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess edited by Cairelle Crow and Laura Louella is available now.
Until next time!
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Deeply lovely concept for a book. It would be awesome to see it expanded into a multi-part series in which other deities are explored in the same sort of manner.
ReplyDeleteAutumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life