I have a few questions for y’all. After years and years, and even more years of not worshiping a patron deity I’m feeling the call to worship Brigid.
I like the thought that she can be both a healer and a protector. The fire that sterilizes and creates also destroys. But I usually work with both a male and female deity, and I’m not used to it just being one.
Do I need to pair someone up with Brigid? Or is it just a hang up in my mind?
Also, if I were to pair up a god with Brigid, I usually deal with the Horned God, and I don’t know if Cernunnos would work well with her. I’d see her working more and having more in common with Lugh. So has anything worked with a male deity with her, and if so, which one worked for you?
And any tips or ideas of things she likes you’re able to share, I’d love to hear it!
I don’t have any experience working with her, though I do know there are several others who have. I don’t think you have to pair goddesses/gods and am not sure if Brigid has a counterpart, but I’m looking forward to seeing what those with knowledge share!
You don’t have to pair her up with anyone, but I can understand wanting to have both the masculine and feminine represented. If it helps, I think Brighid has both masculine and feminine energy within her, especially when you look at her traditional aspects.
She is associated with both fire and water.
She is associated with healing and war.
She can be quite sarcastic and cynical when it comes to people being rude or unhelpful. I’m specifically thinking about the story of St. Brigid’s Cloak as well as the story of St. Brigid healing the lepers. I talked about one of these in this video, and the other story is here.
I’ve never paired her with a male counterpart, but I don’t see why she and Lugh wouldn’t get along well. She would also likely do well paired with The Dagda or Aengus Og. The Dagda is said to be her father. In one myth, Aengus Og is also said to be a child of The Dagda, so that would make them half-siblings (we don’t actually know who Brighid’s mother is).
In one myth, she is said to have married Bres and had a son named Ruadán. Ruadán was killed by Goibniu, so I’d probably steer clear of him unless the Gods tell you otherwise. Bres is not a member of the Tuatha de Danann, so I don’t believe he has been deified. He was a Fomorian, so their marriage was potentially political in joining the two tribes together.
If you’re working with the Gods in more of a soft polytheistic way, I think it would be perfectly fine to work with her alongside any other male counterpart that makes sense to you.
Oh! And if you haven’t read them already, here are two books that are great resources when it comes to Brighid
I hope that there are a lot of people who are interested in this subject! I think it’s going to be fun!
Yeah, I’m just used to having a Lord and Lady. I don’t know if it’s because I like balance, or if I’m still hanging to my last hang ups of Christianity and I didn’t realize it. Guess I’ll find out.
That does help, thank you!
I loved your video! Thank you for sharing it! I’ve got your Personal Deity Experiences on my To Watch list. I’ll get there yet!
Yeah, no to Bres. I think if I was to pair her with anyone, it would be Lugh. Once I learn more about him.
I’ve got both of those books on my wish list. Along with about a hundred others. I’m gonna try to get that first one next month!
So far I’ve got her general history from the internet and YouTube, and one of the books I have. I’m hoping to get that Weber book on payday and see if it goes in depths. I’m looking forward to it!
And… there’s probably more that I have around here somewhere, but I can’t think of them off the top of my head Of course, those I linked above aren’t just about Brighid, but they do have information about her there.
Thank you so much! I’m trying to learn about the other deities of course, I’m just focusing on Brigid for myself. But I need to know about her friends too! This is awesome! Thanks!
@Amethyst I’m just popping in to say I hope you enjoy learning and working with Brighid
I have worked with her and Lugh in the past as well as with The Dagda. They worked well together, I’ve also worked with her and The Morrigan for a few things and they are a great similar but also contrasting each other.
Brighid does also have the liminality and will throw you over the anvil to become something new. She’s more gentle for the most part than say… The Morrigan
I completely love, love, love Courtney’s book. I use it in my practice regularly. Orlagh is really great too and I have learned a lot from her about Brighid and all of her everything’s…
@MeganB has you pretty covered, there isn’t much that I can add. She is wonderful to work with and has definitely helped to keep me grounded at times when things get zipped, flipped, and thrown upside down. Sort of the story of my last 3 or 4 years
@Amethyst I don’t think there would be too much of an issue with them together. Cerunnos is a Celtic/Gaulish God and known as a Horned God, but is known as a god of fertility, nature, and death… Brighid is Irish but does have aspects and representations in other surrounding areas such as Wales, Scotland, UK, etc. She is a goddess with healing, fertility, change and war… (these are very basic attributes of each btw) So I think together they would be able to compliment each other for the best outcome. There won’t be any significant clash, and Cerunnos even though technically he isn’t the Wiccan Horned God, he’s about as close of a representation as you are going to get from the Celtic/Gaul traditions.
Yeah, I figure they would work well together. I mean, Brigid is sort of over agriculture, cows and milk production. If I’m understanding it right. And he’s over the wild animals. So together they’ve got it cover. Sort of two sides of the same coin.
Maybe it I used the name Herne that would work better? I mean, Cernunnos is more Gaul and that area. Herne is a Horned God from Sherwood in England. That’s at least closer. LOL! Less of a long distance bill.
@Amethyst Brighid even though is Irish & her background is the Tuatha de Danaan, but she does have versions or similar names and associations in Wales, British Isles, Scotland, Celtic/Gaul areas (they include parts of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain) So, Cerunnos & Brighid would be appropriate. I don’t think you’d have to switch at all.
The Brighid most everyone works is basically the same, they have some differences, not just the spelling & pronunciation of her name, but relate to the same beliefs.
Before I send you reeling in rabbit holes… I be quiet now
I have the Weber book and hope to learn a bit. Brigid is very interesting from my high level overview.
Of course, those I linked above aren’t just about Brighid, but they do have information about her there.
You’re very welcome!
Courtney’s book. I use it in my practice regularly. Orlagh is really great too and I have learned a lot from her about Brighid and all of her everything’s… 
Sort of the story of my last 3 or 4 years