The Beginning of our Celtic Meandering!

Good Evening Celts,

Well, this is my first Blog post.  I'm hoping to have a wee bit o 'craic' with it.    It is 9:18p.m. with a full day behind me, now.  We're half way through the week and heading towards the month of LOVE!  Starting the first of February; I will entertain the romantic within us each day, leading to February 14th with saying 'I love you' in all the various Gaelic ways.  

On the rambling list; to inform you that we are working on a different look to our store Website.  We're changing it up to be compatible with the mobile view.  You may or may not have noticed, the smartphone view is not behaving the way I need it to behave.  That in-it-self is quite humorous to me and I am sure has presented you with a view worthy of a chuckle.  Always a great thing to do anytime of the day...chuckle (I like that word, amusing indeed).  We've been happy to oblige!  

On the meandering list for the inquisitive Celt; IMBOLC! 
We are quickly approaching the ancient Pagan path of the Druid tradition, Imbolc (pronounced without the 'b'), as one of eight seasonal Festivities celebrated throughout the year.  This celebration is held on February 1st/2nd in the Northern Hemisphere and 1st/2nd in the Southern Hemisphere.   The celebration marks the purity of snow, the clearing of the debris of winter and the first ploughing and sowing (I can already start to feel the strength and warmth of the sun on my face.  Can you?).   The name IMBOLC refers to the milk of the ewes who had given birth to the first lambs of the Year.  Many cultures find this time of year to be of great importance including the Aztecs, Tibetans and Greeks. 

This festival celebrates the return of the Mother Goddess Brighid, Brig, Brigit (ST. Brigit, the Catholic Church celebrates with Candlemas Day). Brighde, or Bride (Scottish) and Serpent (Scandinavian customs).  She is associated with sacred fire, the fertile earth, poetry, healing and the art of smithing.  It must be noted*** this Goddess held such a strength of influence for the Celts and Druids that she was in later times named as a Christian Saint. 

In essence, it is the time of planting seeds, whether it be physical or within ourselves; a time of new life gradually appearing as the earth awakens from it's frozen state to the humble beginnings of greenery, once more. 

To sum up this first blog, I look forward to many more & leave you with images of Celtic Art, which I find to be absolutely wondrous, & words of wisdom from the ancients... !

Three things resemble each other;

1. a bright sword which rusts from long staying in the scabbard
2. bright water which stinks from long standing
3. wisdom which is dead from long disuse

To say..... the sword of the intellect needs significant use and practice if it is to remain clear and bright; allow your hearts to be filled with love and allow the expression of that love; we cannot be wise if we do not share our wisdom or refuse to act righteously (as the old saying goes - 'if you don't use it, you lose it'!