Lichenwood Rambles

Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference

Here's where I'll be in September!  Will I see you there?  

Music and Chants for Imbolc

Music, singing, chanting~ these are all important parts of ritual here at Lichenwood.  On Imbolc there are several chants I traditionally use during my celebration.  I first heard Lisa Thiel about 12 years ago and I've been working with her music and chants to change and raise my consciousness ever since.  The Invocation of the Graces CD features a song I always sing during ritual: "Song to Brighid"

Here are the lyrics of the song:

Blessed Woman come to me
  Woman of the Fires,
Woman of Poetry
Blessed Woman come to me
woman of Healing,
Woman of Skillful Means

Blessed woman of the land
Guide my heart and guide my hand
Blessed Woman of the streams
Guide my soul and guide my dreams
Blessed Woman come to me
Woman of the fires
Woman of Poetry,

Blessed Woman come to me
Woman of Healing
Woman of Skillful Means.
Blessed Woman of the hills
  Heal all wounds and heal all ills
Blessed Woman of the flame
Awaken me to renew again.

As I sing the song I pick up my corn dolly which represents Brigit in her bed by the hearth.  Making a Brigit's bed is a Celtic custom that I've adapted to suit my New England location.  A corn dolly is typically made from wheat or barley and represents the last harvested sheaf of grain from the previous year.  I use so-called "Indian corn" which is harvested just up the road from Lichenwood.  Each year between Lughnassadh and Autumn Equinox I purchase three ears of this corn, choosing a predominately white/yellow ear, a predominately red ear, and one ear which has mostly black kernels.  These ears represent to me the three aspects of the Goddess that modern Wiccans recognize: the Maiden, Mother, and Crone.  Now, Brigit as a triple goddess was not traditionally meant to represent these three stages of a woman's life.  Brigit (or Brighid) portrayed three faces of the Goddess~all of similar age.  One face is the poet, one the smith, one the healer.  When I dress my pale ear of corn in white, as a "Bride", complete with a rose quartz heart, I see her as the Maiden aspect of the Goddess.  The seeds are the unrealized hope of harvest.  The energy of inspiration, reflected by the Brigit as poet, is present in this Maiden aspect.  As I sing the words of the song I am essentially asking that the promise inherent in the seeds of the corn dolly will sprout and grow, manifesting the other talents and attributes of the Goddess and thereby allowing me to bring to fruition my own projects and goals.  After singing, I take the wand, representing God energy, from my altar and place it in the basket.  Since we turned the Wheel at Yule, the light grows longer, but if life is to continue after this long dark Winter, these seeds must be fertile and sprout.  For fertility to return to the land, we seek balance, male to female, God to Goddess. 

As for chants for Imbolc, I favor "Holy Well and Sacred Flame" which is from Reclaiming's CD "Through the Darkness".  I also like “Holy Earth Mother : Flesh Of The World : Quicken And Kindle : With The Seeds Of Birth”  (Ivo Dominguez).  This chant is from a wonderful website: http://www.seeliecourt.net/panpipe/chant.html .  You will find wonderful chants there and the ability to listen to them with realplayer.