Smooring the fire

I don't remember how Brigid came to be the goddess to whom it felt natural to make my vows as priestess. She just was there, suddenly or gradually or always. She doesn't ask for monogamy, this matron goddess of mine, and encourages me to seek out her sister goddesses when I am in need of their special care. But on a daily basis, I serve her as a flamekeeper. Many people around the world do the same, whether in circles or as solitaries, and many tend her flame in a shift with others, each taking a turn to light and watch over a flame, offering prayers and blessings to Brigid, whether as goddess or as saint. In my own flamekeeping practice, I keep a flame burning at all times (unless I'm away overnight). I light tall jar candles that burn for about four days, and light each new one before the old one burns completely out, to keep the flame steady and my devotion flowing.

As I light each new candle, I say the same prayer, which begins: "I will smoor the fire as Brigid herself would smoor it..." Technically, I'm not smooring -- to smoor a fire means to bank ashes around the last glowing coals, so that it will smolder through the night and be easily rekindled in the morning. To start a fire from scratch takes more effort, not to mention the cold that creeps in when a fire has gone completely out. Lighting a jar candle isn't really smooring a fire, but it is smooring my spirit. Tending this tiny flame of faith, making sure it doesn't go completely out, allows me to kindle it into a warming fire when needed. No matter how tired or discouraged I am, I never light the new candle without offering prayers from the heart, with full awareness, not by rote or to get it over with. I honor the candle that is being extinguished, passing its energy and intention to the next candle, blessing it and thanking it. To smoor this fire as Brigid herself would smoor means to do it with tender love. My prayer, a traditional Irish one, asks Brigid to "be on the hearth, and be on the herd, and be on the household all." The "hearth" is the home itself, where the presence of the Goddess protects and comforts and nourishes. The "herd" in my case is my two cats, and I hold them in my mind and heart as this part of the prayer is offered. And the "household all" is me, and everyone else who crosses the threshold and is welcomed.

Keeping the flame smoored and tenderly tended has taken on an extra significance for me recently. As I shared here, I lost my cat Willow around Samhain, and now my most-beloved Kaga has suddenly seemed to age several years. There's nothing medically wrong with him that the vet can find -- he's just much thinner and quieter and weaker, no longer the strong white tiger, blue eyes shining with health and life. My prayer for the "herd" is both for his well-being and for my acceptance of age and time and death when it comes, to trust that She who loves the animals so much is watching over my dear ones and over me too. And then I found out suddenly that the house in Oregon that I was going to rent was not going to be available for me after all, so I am back to house hunting. Breathing on the banked coals of my faith to blow them up into a roaring blaze, I ask Brigid to guide me to our next hearth.

This is the power of doing simple daily devotions. Not only does it bless that day, that moment, but it creates an eternal flame that burns within, faithfully tended. We need this, because when the dark times come we may not have the strength of will to rekindle that flame on the cold stones of discouragement. We must keep the glow going, keep the heart-flame smoored no matter what. Your own devotions may not be an actual flame -- there are many ways to keep the connection to spirit strong and alive. Simple, quiet, sincere, intimate, steady acts of keeping the faith, for the sake of the hearth and the herd and the household all. Blessed be.

Comments

[Janet Miller]

Thank you for these beautiful images. Sending love to you and Kaga. xo

[Jessica Macbeth]

Thank you so much for sharing the beauty of your devotions. Very inspiring... and also comforting to know that others, in their own way, are honoring Goddess.

[Otter]

I will light my own flame on my altar for Brighid and ask for Her blessings for you and Kaga, both. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of daily devotions.

[SilverGilt]

Thank you for this; I'm finding it more and more true as the days past.

[hecate]

So mote it be.

[judy]

So heartening to hear these daily devotions we are sharing, Lunaea.
I followed James' and Joanna's example and shared some of mine this past month on my own blog(www.judyshop.wordpress.com). I've been a bit protective of sharing before and it helps to see you share and feel the good wisdom of your words.
many thanks, Judy