To my granddaughters who visited the Holocaust Museum... Poem by Wendell Berry

To my granddaughters who visited the Holocaust

Museum on the day of the burial of Yitzhak Rabin

Now you know the worst

we humans have to know

about ourselves, and I am sorry,

for I know that you will be afraid.

To those of our bodies given

without pity to be burned, I know

there is no answer

but loving one another,

even our enemies, and this is hard. 

But remember:

when a man of war becomes a man of peace,

he gives a light, divine 

though it is also human.

When a man of peace is killed

by a man of war, he gives a light.

You do not have to walk in darkness.

If you will have the courage for love,

you may walk in light.  It will be 

the light of those who have suffered

for peace.  It will be

your light.

~ Wendell Berry ~

 As the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust says: "HMD is a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past and to recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own, it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented. We’re fortunate here in the UK; we are not at risk of genocide. However, discrimination has not ended, nor has the use of the language of hatred or exclusion. There is still much to do to create a safer future and HMD is an opportunity to start this process." - See more at: http://hmd.org.uk/page/why-mark-27-january-holocaust-memorial-day#sthash.70HyElCZ.dpuf

The Mystery of Brigit: A Video Poem

St Bridget's Church, St Brides, Pembrokeshire, Wales

In the summer I went down to St Brides in Pembrokeshire to visit Brigit's church. Here, very belatedly, are some of the photos I took. If you're ever in Wales, it's well worth a visit. Unlike the last of her churches I went to at Carrog in North Wales, in this one I felt she was much in evidence. The sign at the front was certainly welcoming and the way the building was positioned, by the sea (in St Bride's Bay) reminded me of my (fairly) local church dedicated to her at Llansantffraid Llanon. This church is bigger though and there are many more reminders of her here.

The entrance is at the back of the building and there is a grill that depicts a Celtic cross, a chalice and flames or emanations.

Inside the church I was amused to see a broom and a dustpan and brush under the west-facing windows, reminding me of the homely aspect of Brigit; the Brigit who mentioned her kitchen in her prayer:

My kitchen! A kitchen of fair God.

A kitchen which my King has blessed.

A kitchen with somewhat within.

The right hand window shows Brigit with a crozier and a cup or chalice. For some reason I was unable to photograph her face, even though I went back when the sun went in and it became overcast and started to rain. This hasn't happened to me before in her other churches and this is the best I could do. The other window is of Mary (if I remember correctly).

I came across the biggest Brigit's cross I have ever seen, high on the wall on the right before the chancel.

Further in, on the left, was a collage of a flame.

On the right of it, was a small and delicate statue of Brigit, barefoot, in a simple cream robe, holding a thumbstick staff rather than a crozier. Unfortunately the statue is a little chipped and needs a touch more paint in places but it is still lovely to see a more modern representation of her.

In the left transept is a stand for votive candles with a poster on one side which says that lighting a candle is a prayer, a parable and a symbol

of love and hope, 

of light and warmth, 

our world needs them all

Another poster asks the pilgrim passing by 'to light a candle of hope for peace in our land and throughout the world. Pray for St Bridget's Ireland, peace in a world of conflicts, peace in your own heart'.

Prayer, the Abbess of Kildare and Turning Back the Streams of War

Cill na Craoibhe Olóige/The Olive Branch is a group within Ord Brighideach which has a particular focus as part of its flame-keeping vigil to pray for peace, justice, and healing for those affected by war and conflict. The 8th century Bretha Crólige (a collection of legal material relating to medical provision) gives a list of 12 women excluded from the rule of nursing in Irish law (instead they are compensated by a fee being paid to their kin). One category is 'a woman who turns back the streams of war' and a gloss on this states 'such as the abbess of Kildare or the female aí bell teoir [lit. 'flame of the theoretical life' thus: contemplative, recluse, hermit], one who turns back the manifold sins of war through her prayers.' Whether or not this practice started in Brigit's time it was presumably one of the functions of the Abbess of Kildare during the years when the sacred flame was tended there.

Today as I close my flame-keeping vigil for Ord Brighideach International, I recite the prayer I wrote in 2011. Now, more than ever, we need to keep peace in our hearts, our minds and our intent.

Prayer for Peace  

Brigit,
We ask for the light of your flame
To enable us to see clearly,
To illuminate the darkness,
To show us the shadows
Cast by our own light.

May the flame of your inspiration
Help us to express and comfort,
To understand and explain -
Encourage us and guide our actions. 

We ask for the gift of your healing
To soften our pain,
And mend the wounds
We have inflicted on one another -
Bless us and make us whole.

May the fire of your forge
Enable us to shape our future
With courage and determination,
Using the flame of justice,
Tempered by compassion.

Brigit,
We ask for your protection
Against all that would harm us.
May the beacon of your flame
Show us a path to peace
That all may follow.

Rob fír/May it be true.

Flame-Keeping for Brigit: Sophia and Brigit

My flame-keeping shift for Ord Brighideach fell during my stay at Gladstone’s Library this time. I wasn’t able to keep a candle alight for 24 hours while I was there, but there is an inner flame as well as an outer flame that needs tending and that I paid attention to.

I wore my Brigit’s cross pin throughout the period and visited the chapel/meditatation space evening, morning, afternoon and evening to sit quietly in contemplation and recite poems and prayer. There is something special about having a place set apart for spiritual work. Although I feel I can talk to Brigit anywhere, such a place seems free of any outside interference, more concentrated and focussed.

I also spent time outside, since it was a day without rain, though not as warm as one would hope for in August. At the back of the building is a garden with a statue of Sophia, Greek for Wisdom, viewed as a goddess by the Gnostics and others.

Carved by sculptor Tom Waugh, Sophia has graced the gardens since 2010. Around her are four stone benches  carved in Welsh and English with the words Cariad/Love, Heddwch/Peace, Gwirionedd/Truth, and Cyfiawnder/Justice. Words which are eminently fitting for contemplatation during flame-keeping. In fact, Sophia has much in common with Brigit: remember that in Cormac’s Glossary she is described as ‘Brigit the female sage or woman of wisdom’.  The Book of Wisdom (judged apocryphal but of spiritual value by the Protestant church) says this about Sophia:

Wisdom is more mobile than any motion;
because of Her pureness She pervades and penetrates all things.
She is a breath of the power of God,
a pure emanation of the Glory of the All-Mighty…

She is a reflection of Eternal Light
and image of His Goodness.
Though She is but one, She can do all things,
and while remaining in Herself, She renews all things;
She is more beautiful than the sun
and excels every constellation of the stars…

She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,
She orders all things well.

Chapter 7, vv 24 - 8:1

In Proverbs she is described as ‘standing in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths’ and says:

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward* or perverse in them.
They are all plain to him who that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
Receive my instruction and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared with it.
I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty* inventions…

Council is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me…

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was…

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoso findeth me findeth life...

Chapter 8, vv 2; 6-12; 14-17; 23; 34-35

There are parallels here with Brigit the goddess of sovereignty and Brig the jurist.

 Behind the statue of Sophia, the path leads to a woodland area, one of my favourite places to stroll and another good place to sit and contemplate Wisdom as the dappled light falls around you... 

"For whoso findeth me, findeth life"... Musing on this I thought of the words of Jesus "I am the way, the truth and the life" - these words could apply equally to Wisdom (for her mouth speaks truth). Perhaps he saw himself as wisdom. Or perhaps, as in Gaelic Christianity, if Brigit, the Woman of Wisdom, was his foster-mother, Wisdom is what she passed on to him and what he came to embody.

"She is a reflection of Eternal Light
and image of His Goodness.
Though She is but one, She can do all things,
and while remaining in Herself, She renews all things;
She is more beautiful than the sun
and excels every constellation of the stars…

She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,
She orders all things well."

* witty - clever, wise  *froward - wilfully contrary

Cernunnos at Lughnasad

Cernnunos at Lughnasad

Although I haven’t seen any precedent for it, I celebrate Cernunnos at Lughnasad. This arose as a purely intuitive act but I realise that it makes sense in many ways. First of all, for me personally, since Lughnasad completes the growth cycle of the interaction of the Land with the People begun at Imbolc when Brigit presides over the initiation of the growing season, it places Brigit and Cernunnos at opposite sides of the circle of the year, a symmetry I find pleasing as these are the two divinities I engage with. Secondly it makes sense in terms of what I have come to believe about Cernunnos. As I’ve written before (see the sidebar where they usually appear as some of the most popular posts), I consider that Cernnunos is a very ancient god dating back to the time when our ancestors were hunter gatherers. Lugh, who shares some attributes with him, I believe comes from the time of the rise of agriculture. The festival of Lughnasad celebrates Lugh, the hero of the harvest, who, in the different stories told about him, wrests it from the hostile forces of nature (the Fomorians or the Cailleach) through various means - battle, skill, strength or trickery.

The work of the hunter gatherers, however, would have been on-going throughout the year, rather than tied to the growing season and the final harvest. Cernunnos being not only a Lord of Nature but also a mediator god, allows humans to access the abundance of nature and keeps the destructive forces at bay. In exchange he would expect offerings and worship. The model here then is not that of a battle between human beings and nature but one of exchange, reciprocity and mutual respect.

The Hunting Blessing and Carmichael’s commentary in the Carmina Gadelica give some idea of the ritual aspect of hunting, the anointing of the hunter and the calling on divine beings, along with the restraint necessary to ensure the stock of animals and birds was not depleted thus achieving a balance with nature:

A YOUNG man was consecrated before he went out to hunt. Oil was put on his head, a bow was placed in his hand, and he was required to stand with bare feet on the bare grassless ground. The dedication of the young hunter was akin to those of the 'maor,' the judge, the chief, and the king, on installation. Many conditions were imposed on the young man, which he was required to observe throughout life. He was not to take life wantonly. He was not to kill a bird sitting, nor a beast lying down, and he was not to kill the mother of a brood, nor the mother of a suckling. Nor was he to kill an unfledged bird nor a suckling beast, unless it might be the young of a bird, or of a beast, of prey. It was at all times permissible and laudable to destroy certain clearly defined birds and beasts of prey and evil reptiles, with their young.


                            Hunting Blessing

FROM my loins begotten wert thou, my son, May I guide thee the way that is right, In the holy name of the apostles eleven In name of the Son of God torn of thee. In name of James, and Peter, and Paul, John the baptist, and John the apostle above, Luke the physician, and Stephen the martyr, Muriel the fair, and Mary mother of the Lamb. In name of Patrick holy of the deeds, And Carmac of the rights and tombs, Columba beloved, and Adamnan of laws, Fite calm, and Bride of the milk and kine. In name of Michael chief of hosts, In name of Ariel youth of lovely hues, In name of Uriel of the golden locks, And Gabriel seer of the Virgin of grace. The time thou shalt have closed thine eye, Thou shalt not bend thy knee nor move, Thou shalt not wound the duck that is swimming, Never shalt thou harry her of her young.

                                           The white swan of the sweet gurgle,
                                           The speckled dun of the brown tuft,
                                           Thou shalt not cut a feather from their backs,
                                           Till the doom-day, on the crest of the wave.

                                           On the wing be they always
                                           Ere thou place missile to thine ear,
                                           And the fair Mary will give thee of her love,
                                           And the lovely Bride will give thee of her trine.

                                           Thou shalt not eat fallen fish nor fallen flesh,
                                           Nor one bird that thy hand shall not bring down,
                                           Be thou thankful for the one,
                                           Though nine should be swimming.

                                           The fairy swan of Bride of flocks,
                                           The fairy duck of Mary of peace.

How far we have come from this kind of honouring and restraint in our own dealings with nature! As I’ve said before, I believe that we modern humans have Lugh’s strength, skills and ingenuity in abundance and are aggressively continuing to subdue nature and ensure plenty (for some) in a way that doesn’t have anything to do with honour, respect or reciprocity and which is leading to a great extinction of species, depletion of the earth’s resources and will likely to lead to our own downfall.    

    

There is a danger of course of romanticising the past (Carmichael himself may have embellished some of the material he collected) and taking for granted the many benefits of the present but I see no harm in being inspired by elements of the past to create a vision that pays tribute to both Cernunnos and Lugh; which acknowledges our strength, skills and ingenuity but combines them with honour and respect for the true source of all our abundance and the maintenance of a balance between us and nature - since there is nothing we have that does not come directly or indirectly from Earth and Sky. The way we are moving at present is a far cry from this vision but I consider it necessary to maintain it and try to bring it into reality even in small ways. Divergent thinking - as diversity in general - becomes useful, if not vital, when circumstances and situations change; a strategy for survival. 

So imperfectly, but doing the best I can, I am trying to take care of the land I have in a way that is respectful, that does not destroy or resort to overkill, that gives something back to the earth and allows a share of the harvest to some of the creatures that inhabit this little patch too. An honouring of Cernunnos keeps me mindful of this.

At this festival when I am celebrating the beginning of the harvest, I make an offering to him of a few wild strawberries as a portion of the Wild, a few of the first runner beans as a portion of the food I have cultivated and, as a portion of the wider harvest, blueberry scones made with blueberries from the garden and wholemeal organic flour, with blackcurrant jam made by my daughter-in-law with blackcurrants from her garden. Flowers too of course, mainly roses, with marjoram, mint and vervain, the enchanter’s herb.

I wear a mask during the rites. It’s something instinctive - I’d never wear a mask for Brigit - but somehow in doing so I become self and not-self and feel as though I can relate to Cernunnos better in an in-between state. The mask is green with a suggestion of foliage so I take on an aspect of the Wild that we come from. An aspect of the Other which is also Ourselves

Yoga for Disabled People

                                    

                               

                                                             

   

It was International Yoga Day about 2 weeks ago - so as usual I am writing a related post belatedly! But better late than never. I wanted to talk here about yoga for disabled people since I have been discovering the benefits of it. If you are not disabled yourself, please pass this on to anyone you think might benefit (including people bound to a office chair for most of the day!). Of course, this comes with the proviso that not all exercises are suitable for all people so please consult your yoga practitioner or health-care expert. For instance, I suspect that the twists and half-twists aren't good for my spine which is curved and now has arthritis so I am not doing these until I have consulted my osteopath later this month. I tend to go ahead with what feels right to me and ask her if I'm not sure but diving in isn't the right course for all kinds of disability or indeed everyone.

Some time ago I found a book in a charity shop called Yoga for the Disabled by Howard Kent. The book is out of print but there are a few second-hand copies available on-line. Reading the first few chapters I was inspired by what the author was saying. Basically, as it says in the Upanishads, "Breath is life and life is breath". So, as Howard Kent states: "If we are to seek to combat our difficulties, whether they be mental or physical - and, in fact, all difficulties are ultimately a combination of these factors - we must begin with the breath". Natural respiration provides the whole basis of the body's energy. "It balances oxygen and carbon dioxide, it ensures the effective combustion of oxygen with the food we eat to make the energy forms of proteins and other essential substances. It also controls the varied electrical impulses which are basic to the whole of our life and these monitor the functioning of all aspects of the body." If we are alive we breathe, even if we are disabled, and so by focusing on 'right' breathing, we can enhance our health.

This made sense to me - and I also had the intuition that the fire I was lacking, which I talked about HERE, might be encouraged and fed by focusing on my breathing.

Nevertheless, although inspired and 'getting' the message I found myself putting off the practice. The exercises he advocates are mainly done on the floor (some are suitable for people in wheelchairs however) and I have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. Then again there is the question of where there is a suitable bit of floor, big enough and not too draughty or dusty. I let these things put me off starting... until just after Imbolc or Brigit's Day this year when I began to feel a renewal after a year of being unwell and having to reorientate myself not so much from my direction in life as the way I was moving along it. I suddenly began to feel the urge to spend more time in practice rather than in my mind, and physical practice through yoga felt like an important part of this. For my birthday a few days later, a good friend sent me a book called Chair Yoga: Seated Exercises for Health and Wellbeing by Edeltraud Rohnfeld  (there is also a DVD I've just discovered). She'd ordered it unseen and wasn't sure how useful it would be but it is excellent and I was able to take to it easily.

So for 5 months I have been doing the exercises in it each morning, along with elements of my spiritual practice. I have occasionally missed a morning or two when very tired or rushing out without having left enough time but it has become a habit now. At first I was eager to do it each morning, then after a few weeks I found it was becoming a bit of a chore. Examining why I realised it was because I was finding some of the exercises rather hard work. I have a belief in hard work - which isn't very good for me -  but decided that if they were stopping me from doing any yoga perhaps I should cut down on the number of times I did those particular ones rather than not do any. So that is what I did and it has worked well. Some mornings I even do more of those particular ones.

There are exercises for all parts of the body including the finger and toes and eyes... if you can move any part of your body there will be an exercise for it - and if you can't, you can breathe. Focus on what you can rather than what you can't.

I had a sense that it would be good not to leave out my paralysed leg. There are one or two muscles in it that I can twitch slightly - though often not enough to be visible to the naked eye. So I have twitched those and made any tiny movements I can. I'm not sure if the twitches and movements are becoming any stronger, I think they are, though marginally so, but I am more in touch with my leg and find myself  'twitching' sometimes when sitting at my desk - like now. Any improvement in muscle tone will be beneficial in terms of blood circulation which will then benefit my general circulation. At any rate, from my state after Christmas when I could hardly stand because of pain in my un-paralysed foot, I'm now pain-free except when I really overdo it and get a reminder from my foot: "Think of me! I've been doing most of the work for 63 years, give me a rest and a massage." So I do. "Think with your body" the Buddha says.

Perhaps the most delightful change is that doing the yoga along with the time set aside for prayers and liturgy, affirmations and orientation for the day is bringing my awareness of self into that of body/mind/spirit instead of being mainly in my head and ignoring my body as too problematic. One of the things that contributes to this is that in everyday life my movements on crutches are difficult and ungainly whereas my yoga movements are full of grace, calm and a quiet intention. They feel more like an expression of my inner self.

This YouTube video gives you a taste of it:




Finally, to quote the Buddha again: Set your heart in one place and nothing is impossible to you.


Recommended Books

Yoga For The Disabled: A Practical Self-Help Guide to a Happier Life by Howard Kent, Sunrise Publications, 1996

Chair Yoga: Seated Exercises for Health and Wellbeing by Edeltraud Rohnfeld, Singing Dragon, 2012

YouTube

There are quite a few videos on YouTube - search for Yoga for Disabled People. In particular I'd recommend Matthew Sanford who appears in the video at the head of this post. Search under his name or for his website:  mindbodysolutions.org