It is here
between the darkness And the light, That we wait… Ruth Patterson 
“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of, and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.” Margaret Atwood
More information nearer date.
The cuckoo comes in April,
She sings her song in May,
In leafy June, she changes her tune,
And in July she flies away.
Most of us are familiar with this nursery rhyme. This year, with the silence that surrounds us, we may hear the cuckoo again.
Each year here at Solas Bhride Centre we gather to mark the feast of Bealtaine, the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, because of the Coronavirus Covid-19 we are unable to gather together. But we can be united in celebrating Bealtaine, each in our own home.
There are many customs associated with the celebration of Bealtaine. We share with you a few of them. Bealtaine is also the Irish word for the month of May, a month dedicated to Mary the Mother of Jesus.
You may like to set up a May altar in your home. You will need a candle, water, flowers and a blue cloth (or a cloth of your choice).
When you are ready begin by taking some time to listen to a recording of the Dawn Chorus.
Dawn Chorus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbFNQo07Jqs
Play for 5-10 minutes
If you wish continue to play as you read the opening prayer and introduction to Beltaine.
Opening Prayer
For the time of blossoming
For the display of colour in our fields and gardens
For wild flowers and garden flowers
For the blossom that hangs from our trees. We give thanks.
For strawberries and gooseberries
For fresh lettuce and onions
For the smell of new mown lawn
For the magic of bird song. We give thanks.
For the time of delight and refreshment
For the long hazy days
For the time with family and friends
For the stirrings in our hearts. We give thanks
For our joys and delights .
For the stirrings in our hearts
For the blossom that awakens in our hearts
For all the possibilities of summer. We give thanks.
Bealtaine
Bealtaine marks the mid-way point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It is now exactly six months to the beginning of the new Celtic year at Samhain. Bealtaine is associated with the Celtic god, Belanos or Bel meaning ‘bright one’ or ‘shinning one’.
For our Celtic ancestors Bealtaine marked the beginning of the pastoral season when the livestock were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, the crops and the people, and to encourage growth. Special bonefires were kindled, usually from oak and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The whole community would gather around the special bonfire which was known as a need-fire, that is, a fire that is kindled by rubbing two sticks together. But before the bonfire was lit all other fires and candles in the community were extinguished. Then the ceremonial lighting of the fire, which was a symbol of the sun, took place. The people and their cattle would walk around the fire or sometimes between two fires and sometimes leap over the fires. They usually circled the fire walking sun-wise three times. Glowing embers were then taken from the fire to every household to rekindle the fire in the hearths.
Ashes from the fire were spread on the crops which not only nourished the plants but also offered protection of themselves, their homes, their animals and their crops. In ancient times the main Bealtaine fire was lit on the Hill of Uisneach in Co. Westmeath, which was regarded as mythological centre of Ireland.
Candle
We invite you to light a candle and recite the ancient Irish fire kindling prayer which some of our ancestors would have prayed:
I w
ill kindle my fire this evening
In presence of the holy angels of heaven,
God, kindle Thou in my heart within
A flame of love to my neighbour,
To my foe, to my friend, to my kindred all,
To the brave, to the knave, to the thrall,
O Son of the loveliest Mary,
From the lowliest thing that liveth,
To the Name that is highest of all.
O Son of the loveliest Mary,
From the lowliest thing that liveth,
To the Name that is highest of all.
Bealtaine was also a time of great fun, singing and dancing. An oat drink was made over the fire and some was poured out onto the earth as a gift to the earth before it was distributed among the people. Oatcakes were made and were shared out among all present. Oat-bread was given to their cattle and left out on the land for all the creatures that would potentially damage their animals and crops – e.g. the fox and the eagle.
There are many other customs associated with the festival. One custom was to collect flowers, primroses, hawthorn, gorse, hazel and marsh- marigold, to decorate doorways, windows and cattle sheds. The people themselves wore flowers and put flowers on animals and even farm equipment.
Our ancestors decorated and some people still today decorate the May bush with flowers and ribbons. The May Bush was a branch of some tree or shrub with the whitethorn being the most popular, which was cut down, brought home and placed outside in front of the house.
Reflection
May is:
A time of blossoming
A time of colour
A time when the earth comes to life in all its glory
A time when we too are called to blossom, to bring colour, fun and new energy where ever we go
A time when we too are called to give glory.
Quiet Time
Take a few moments to reflect on how you can bring joy, new energy and colour into your life, and into the lives of all you meet.
Blessing with water
At Bealtaine people visited holy wells to pray for health while walking sun-wise around the well. Bringing home some well water, they sprinkled it as they walked the circuit of their property. That practice became absorbed into the practice of walking and blessing the land and the animals with Easter water during the rogation days.
We invite you to bless the land and the creatures of the earth with water. We remember that the call to each of us today is to:
To
uch the earth with gentleness,
Touch the earth with love
Touch her with a future by the way we live today.
God has given us the power to create the world anew
If we touch the earth together, me and you.
Mary, Queen of the May
May is Mary’s month. Mary is called Queen of the May. The custom of consecrating the month of May to Mary began in the 17th century in Italy. In Ireland some of you will clearly remember decorating the May altar in your homes. People still engage in this devotion to Our Lady.
Wild flowers such as primroses and bluebells were gathered and brought to Mary’s altar.
Brigid, legend tells us, was mid-wife to Mary on the birth of Jesus. In fact to the Irish Brigid is known as Muire na nGael – Mary of the Irish
We invite you to sing or listen to the beautiful and well known hymn Queen of the May
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFCg2zEToVU
End of Ritual
A treat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4LtHaAoimI
You might like to listen to this ancient Irish song which was sung to welcome the summer. This song first appeared in written form in 1745 but records hold that it was sung to welcome the Duke of Ormonde in 1662. The 19th century music collector, Edward Bunting said that “this song is probably ancient.” The song is called “Thugamar fein and Samhradh linn.” – “We brought the summer to us.”
Summer, summer milk of the heifers
We have brought the summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies
We have brought the summer in.
We brought it in from the branches of the forest
We have brought the summer in.
Yellow summer from the bed of the sun
We have brought the summer in
Mayday doll, maiden of summer
Up every hill and down every glen
Beautiful girls, radiant and shining
We brought the summer in.
Holly, and hazel, elder and rowan
We brought the summer in
And bright shining ash from the ford
We have brought the summer in.
Summer, summer who will take it from us?
Who will take it from us?
We have brought the summer in.
Musicians at Eucharistic celebration at well on Sunday, February 2nd
Over 200 people gathered for the candlelight pilgrimage on St. Brigid’s Eve
Learning to weave St. Brigid crosses at Solas Bhride on St. Brigid’s Day
Group of international students learn to weave a St. Brigid’s cross.
Juanita Browne from the National Biodiversity Data Centre speaks on practical steps we can take to make our gardens pollinator friendly.
Brenda and Margaret from the Solas Bhride team present a workshop on the Customs & Traditions associated with St. Brigid
Join us as we celebrate the Summer Solstice. Suggested donation: €10.00
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Extract from”The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver
10.20 am Registraton
Speakers at this year’s conferene include Sunny and Peter Pringle. Together they have established The Sunny Centre – a sanctuary for others, (like themselves), who suffer injustice, especially people who are wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit and have spent time under sentence of death. They will share their extraordinary stories at Feile Bride this year.
Other speakers include the distinguished academic and activist Peador Kirby, who plays a leading role in the Cloughjordon Eco-Village; UCC Professor Emeritus and life-long peace activist John Magure; Honny Van Geel of La Via Compesino, which promotes the rights of peasant communities around the world, and who describes herself as ‘rooted in farming’; and Rose Hogan who has a life-long commitment to agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture.
And as the Spring birdsong heralds the end of another winter, we will also have music because, as Hans Christian Anderson said, “where words fail, music speaks.”
Revisiting some of the traditions and customs associated with St. Brigid and their relevance today
The Solas Bhride Team, in their presentation, will be revisiting some of the traditions and customs associated with St. Brigid and their relevance today. They will speak on some of the customs associated with:
– the gathering of the rushes
– the making of the crosses
– Brigid’s eve rituals
– the Brat Bhride
One of the oldest customs and traditions associated with St. Brigid is the weaving of the crosses. Each year people weave a St. Brigid’s cross leading up to the feastday on February 1st. The crosses are then placed over the door seeking Brigid’s protection against fire and disease. There will be an opportunity for those who visit Solas Bhride between 10.30 a.m. – 12.00 noon to weave a cross.
Solas Bhride (Brigid’s light/flame) is a Christian Spirituality Centre with a focus on the legacy of St. Brigid. The Centre welcomes people of all faiths and of no faith in their search for meaning on life’s journey.
Our Vision
The vision of the Centre is to unfold the legacy of St. Brigid and its relevance for our world.
The construction on the exterior of the building is now almost complete. The last of the windows were installed in mid-February. A lot of the major interior work is nearing completion.
The entrance to the Centre. Landscaping now in progress!
The Spring sunshine casts its light on the interior of the building.
Painting has begun and it is hoped that most of the interior work will be completed within the next three weeks.
The timber floors will not be installed for a further six weeks to allow the building to dry out completely.
The exterior of one of the Hermitages nears completion. The puddles resulting from the January and February rainfall can be clearly seen.
The wet and windy weather have not been favorable to landscaping. However, some progress has been made. The oak trees that have been nurtured at Solas Bhride since 2007 were inspected and deemed to be in good condition for planting at the site.
Fundraising
We are in the process of negotiation a loan/loans to cover cost of completing the building. We still need to raise a further €790,000. Any donation is deeply appreciated. We need your help!
Donations can be made through the Donation Page at this website or directly to Solas Bhride Centre and Hermitages, 14 Dara Park, Kildare Town, Co.Kildare, Ireland.
Solas Bhride Centre and Hermitages will open in Summer 2014