Exploring
Celtic
Spirituality - Archive, Brigid
& Imbolc, 2010
A Series of
Classes and Ceremonies Celebrating the Celtic Wheel of the Year
with Edie
Stone, MA
2027 Broadway, Suite H, Boulder,
Colorado 80302
303-415-3755
Because Imbolc 2010 was such a successful ceremony, I have
retained its page in full here as an archive.
Return
to main Exploring Celtic Spirituality page and current events.
Edie's main page,
www.ediestone.com
January 31, 2010 - Imbolc: The
Festival Of
Brigid, Celtic Goddess and Saint
- Sunday, January 31, 2010,
3 to 4:30 pm
- Labyrinth Room in the First United Methodist Church
- 1421 Spruce Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302
Come join us in celebration of the beauty,
inspiration, and healing energy of Brigid -- Brigid who is an ancient
and timeless triune goddess of the Celtic spirit, and Brigid, who is
the beloved saint of Ireland and Scotland.
In our ceremony, we will have an opportunity to walk the lovely
11-circuit labyrinth in quiet contemplation. We will also share
stories, music, and poetry inspired by Brigid. All participants will
have an opportunity to receive a small candle infused with the Flame of
Brigid, and a blessing from her healing well.
The qualities and symbolism of goddess and saint overlap and merge in a
lovely way, making it difficult to tell where the myth of one ends and
the legends of the other begins.
Check out the article that appeared in the Boulder
Daily Camera, Saturday, January 23, 2010, about our Imbolc celebration!
http://www.dailycamera.com/archivesearch/ci_14248469
Text of the article is copied below.
Well of St. Brigid in Kildare, Ireland
NOTE: Be sure to bring warm socks, or enjoy going barefoot on the
Labyrinth. They will have some booties to cover shoes, if you need
shoes. (The floor can be slippery in socks.) We must do everything we
can to preserve the labyrinth, which is in delicate condition.
The church has an elevator to the basement, and is handicapped
accessible.
The parking lot behind the church is available for Sunday (not for
weekdays, however).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Links:
Celtic celebration honors spiritual
woman of mystery, history
Megan Quinn, For the Camera
Posted: 01/23/2010 12:04:44 AM MST
Celtic goddess and Catholic saint
Brigid carries a sense of mysticism in two seemingly different but
intimately connected traditions.
Edie Stone, who has been organizing
Celtic festivals in Boulder since the early 90's, hopes to shed light
on Brigid and Imbolc, her upcoming Celtic celebration. The holiday
honors Brigid, a woman with dual identities as a Catholic saint and a
pagan goddess of healing and poetry. The Imbolc celebration takes place
3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 at the First United Methodist Church, 1421
Spruce Street.
Brigid is a dynamic symbol because of
her multiple identities, Stone said.
"The qualities and symbolism of
goddess and saint overlap and merge in a lovely way, making it
difficult to tell where the myth of one ends and the legends of the
other begins," she said.
The celebration, which is open to the
public, will feature stories, music, and poetry inspired by Brigid, and
participants will pass around candles that symbolize the fire that
continuously burns in Kildare, Ireland, where Saint Brigid established
an abbey around the year 470. In the Pagan tradition, Brigid's flame
symbolizes Spring's growing warmth.
"There's a lot of crossover when it
comes to Brigid in the historical sense and the mythical sense," she
said.
Stone became interested in Celtic
rituals as a graduate student at Naropa in the early 90's. At first,
she studied Native American traditions and their connections to the
earth. After meeting another student who described his spiritual
experiences with Celtic traditions, Stone threw herself into learning
everything about Celtic ceremonies and their similar ties to nature. A
group of students got together and organized celebrations for each of
the four major Celtic celebrations.
"We started really getting into it
and taught each other. It was a joyful process, and we were always
discussing how we could do it so it was interesting and exciting for
people," she said.
There are four "cross-quarter" holy
days that fall in between solstice days and equinox days. They also
include Samhain or Halloween, Beltane or May Day and Lughnasa or
Lammas. Stone often holds workshops that delve into the other three
celebrations.
Stone said the First United Methodist
Church was a good place to hold the event because of the church's large
indoor labyrinth. Another part of the ceremony will include a
contemplative walk through the labyrinth.
Labyrinths have also appeared in both
early pagan and Christian traditions, Stone said. The winding, circular
path is meant to help generate a meditative state where people can
reflect on their life and spirituality.
Julie Heins of First United Methodist
Church said the church has rented out the labyrinth room to many
organizations since it is one of the few indoor labyrinths in Boulder.
"It's a pretty popular spiritual
practice around here," she said.
The church's large basement labyrinth
was the brainchild of former pastor Trevor Potter, and a committee
helped maintain it and integrate it into spiritual events. In the past
few years, however, the most active users have moved away, gone back to
school or joined other churches, Heins said.
The labyrinth, open to the public 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, it is
available to people of all faith traditions, she said.
Those interested can also walk a few
other labyrinths around Boulder. St. John's Episcopal Church, 1419 Pine
Street, has a stone labyrinth just outside the building. Those who are
looking for a nature-centered maze can walk the gravel labyrinth behind
the Boulder Public Library. The labyrinth sits right next to Boulder
Creek.
Megan Quinn writes a weekly faith
column for the Camera and can be reached at
bubblegumandbibles@gmail.com.
Return
to main Exploring Celtic Spirituality page and current events.
Edie's main page,
www.ediestone.com
EVENT DETAILS - Archive of Imbolc 2010
EVENT: Imbolc:
The Festival Of
Brigid, Celtic Goddess and Saint
TIME: January 31, 2010,
LOCATION:
Labyrinth
Room
in the First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO
80302
DIRECTIONS:
NE corner
of
14th and Spruce. Spruce is one-way going west in the downtown loop.
Park on the street or in the city garage on 15th Street between Pearl
and Spruce. Free parking on Sunday.
COST: By donation. $10 to $25 appreciated, if
you have the ability to give. No one turned away for lack of funds.
RESERVATIONS:
Please RSVP if possible.
Edie Stone, 303-415-3755, EStone@ShamanicJourneys.net
Return
to main Exploring Celtic Spirituality page and current events.
Edie's main page,
www.ediestone.com