Imbolc

Spring is stirring and bring hope of better times with longer brighter daylight time, new growth pushing it's way up from the soil and catkins on the Hazel getting longer.  It's time to start sewing early seeds and planning what the year might bring.

One of the goddess mostly associated with this time of year, the comping of spring/tale end of winter with more fertile times coming is Brigid Brid Bride Brigantia Bridgit.or however you choose to spell her name, usually pronounced Breed Brigg-id or Bree-id. 

Artwork - Jo Jayson

A great mother goddess, she was one of the most widely worshipped across Britain and Ireland.  It’s quite possible that the Northern British Tribe, the Brigantes derived their name from her.

Brigid is a Fire, Sun Goddess, Goddess of the Dawn.
She is also the Goddess of the Well and the Waters. There are healing wells still dedicated to her in Ireland.

The spark of inspiration, the muse of all creativity, Brigid is the Goddess of ...

• poets,
• musicians and singers,
• storytellers,
• scholars and teachers,
• artists, trades persons, and artisans, especially metalsmiths
• healers and herbalists,
• magick-workers,
• seers and prophets
• Midwives.

Brigid’s Cross is an ancient symbol for Brigid and is also known as a Celtic Sun Wheel or Solar Cross Solar Crosses are one of the most ancient of symbols and are found all over the world.

Brigid’s Crosses are traditionally made with rushes or straw and hung for protection, especially from fire but also from ill intent, mainly hung over the doorway but also by the fire for fertility
The intention could be whatever you want your Solar Cross to be for -- honouring the Sun Goddess, protection for your home, blessings and protection for your loved ones, etc.
It may also be given as a blessing and protection to someone you care about.
Another option is to offer it to the Goddess. You can hang it on a tree (particularly hawthorn) or leave it in nature somewhere, or burn it in a ritual fire (a bonfire or cauldron).  You could also hang it above your altar, to keep Brigid's presence near you all year long.

These are some I made at our moot last year from straw, reed and Willow.

The Demotion to Saint Brigid
In Ireland and other Celtic countries, Brigid was a primary Pagan Goddess. This didn't sit well when Christianity took over. But the people were unwavering in their devotion to this Goddess, and the Christian fathers couldn't eradicate Her worship.
So they did what has worked so well throughout the ages and around the globe: they incorporated Her into their own mythology.
In the 5th Century, She was remade as a Christian saint. She was given a fictitious history, and canonised. (Then in 1960, I guess the Church thought they'd made a mistake, and de-sainted Her! Or maybe they thought they could at last do away with this so-tenacious and beloved female deity.)

Love all the Brighid representations in this art work by Danielle Barlow, most of the Brighd symbols I knew but not how the serpent was linked to her. 

I did a bit of research and found that according to Celtic mythology an awakening hibernating serpent will emerged from it's lair at Imbolc, and by it's movements it was calculated how many more days of winter there would be, if it returned to it's lair then spring wold be a month or more in coming.  Although Brigid is a triple goddess she is mainly thought of as a spring goddess, so as she is to usher in spring this would be imported to know.  Serpents also represent new life and fertility, much like spring, as well as transformation, creativity and inspiration,
Paths of Earth energy, ley lines, were also called serpent paths and at Imbolc they are stirred from their slumber as the earth warms.