#lady brigid

[dionysianivy]

Hello everyone! May this last day of January be a blessing for you. ♡🏔🌼 Today, I started preparing for Imbolc <3 I cleaned the garden with my mom, went out to get fresh bread especially for Lady Brigid, and also made a cheese pie yummy. I’ve also begun collecting elements for my Imbolc altar. Even though it’s one of my favorite sabbats, the last time I properly celebrated it was in 2021. Since then, February 1–2 has never been free for me, so I’m really looking forward to do more things this year. Also I always take some time to honor Goddess Brigid each year. Even though I’m not an active worshipper of hers, she was the first goddess I ever worked with, and she helped me through difficult times. She’s always in my prayers and gratitude letters <3🕯🌿🍇 I really can’t wait to celebrate it and hope everyone will have a peaceful and wonderful Imbolc/Candlemas☀️

[crows-book-of-shadows]

Imbolc draws to an end...

I hope you had a blessed celebration this year. Here's a watercolor painting I did of Lady Brigid to close the celebration.

[honeybadger-has-a-grimoire]

Just a Note—

I’ll make a post about my herbal cold infusions soon, probably after the Lemon Ginger Honey Infusion post and the Arthurian Paganism Post, but I needed to talk about this real quick…

Sometimes the gods surprise me with how they show that they hear me—and it’s slightly comical.

A week ago, I made a ginger-lemon-white peach cold infused water because my stomach was very cross with me. I ate a lot of foods that I am sensitive to… on top of the very diary heavy birthday cake for my boyfriend being eaten by a very lactose intolerant witch ( me, Clover, I’m the witch ).

So, at the end of last weekend, I made a ginger-lemon-white peach cold infused water to help repair the damage that I did to my stomach. As I did it, I dedicated the infusion to the Ladies Brigid and Morgana because it felt right to. And, in doing so, these lovely goddesses extended the use of the ingredients to about a week’s worth of cold infusions. I only threw out the ingredients today, almost a week later, out of fear of the possibility of mold growing on them or in the pitcher I was using.

My first thought was: “HOLY SHIT HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!” [insert Clover internal panic here]

My second was: “Oh, right, the gods. I need to write this down in my cookbook and do it again. Thanks Ladies!”

And then I immediately told people because I was low key in awe that it happened.

So yeah, thank you Lady Brigid and Lady Morgana for showing me that you heard me. It’s nice to see proof sometimes.

[paper-mache-stars]

[theinquisitxor]

January 2025 Reading Wrap Up

I read 10 books in January, which is a very high number for me right now, but January always tends to be the month were I read the most books. I was super happy with what I read this month, and I enjoyed a lot of 5 star reads, but there were a few disappointments.

1.A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft, 3/5 stars. This was my first book of the year, and a bit of a let-down. I've read Saft's other books and liked them all, but this one was an outlier. I liked the folklore and magic, but didn't care much for the characters and themes.

2.Spindle's End by Robin McKinley, 4/5 stars. I want to read everything McKinley's written, and this was the next one I picked up. I loved the magic and worldbuilding, as well as the changes she made from the classic or disney story. I loved the focus on friendship and family love as well.

3.The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This is a new essay published by Kimmerer which I listened to on audio. Another thought provoking and necessary essay about how we live and interact with the world.

4.Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, 5/5 stars. This was my Random TBR pick for the month, and this book had been on my tbr since 2020. I had such a good time reading this sci-fi horror, and I did not want to put this down. I enjoyed the deep sea horror, our ensemble cast, and the plausibly mad biology.

5. A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett, 4/5 stars. This was my other Random TBR pick for the month, and has been on my tbr since 2018. This was a classic I never read growing up, but I was glad to read it as an adult. I didn't love this as much as The Secret Garden, but I can see why it's so beloved.

6.Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik, 5/5 stars. I don't typically gravitate towards short story collections, but I'm so glad I picked this up. This was a mix of short stories from her publishes series, plus original works. The sneak peak at her newest project was a treat, I recommend picking this up if you are interested!

7.Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid, 2/5 stars. This was another disappointment, but one I can't say I didn't see coming. I've liked all of Reid's other works, but this was not good. I do think Reid is a talented writer, and the writing is very strong, but the rest of this is just not good. Bad portrayal of the middle ages, xenophobic of scotland, butchered the characters from the original. :(

8.The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by HG Parry, 5/5 stars. A new favorite, and HG Parry keeps getting better and better. This is a dark academia magic school book about faeries, portals, 1920s England, classism, friendship, and trying to fix things. I loved this book from start to finish, and it's my favorite I read this month.

9. Melmoth by Sarah Perry, 3/5 stars. An interesting little gothic (horror-ish) novel set primarily in Prague. This was much more gothic and dark than I was anticipating, with a bit of a speculative twist. I can't say I enjoyed this book a whole lot, but rather appreciated the writing, the story, and craft of it.

10. Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer, 5/5 stars. A reread that I enjoyed just as much as the first time in 2022. This is one of the few YA series I'm still reading and loving, and I can't wait to pick up the second book which just released at the end of the month. I've been waiting years for it, and can finally see what happens next!

Overall, very strong month and a good way to start the new year! I hope the rest of my year stays as strong, and I'm hoping to pick up a new series to start in February!

[readingoals]

I cannot convey to you how much I loved this book.

I don't even know where to start. Frankenstein but with dinosaurs!!!

McGill did a spectacular job with this interpretation of a classic. It was really in keeping with the tone and themes of Shelley's original but then built on them to explore themes of prejudice, gender, and queer identity. The characters were nuanced and realistic (but oh my god i could throttle a couple of them), the story was compelling, and the historical detail made my heart sing.

This is definitely in the running for my favourite read of the year. It had a slightly slow start but once I was in I was all the way in and couldn't put it down. The author's note made me cry! Absolutely amazing, I cannot wait to read more from McGill because they're a phenomenal writer.

[ladyhawthornsfolkloricguild]

Most Blessed Imbolc

[cohen-hates-my-art]

Beloved mothers

[bonjourxrenae]

OC SUNDAYS: Captain Brigid

picrew link (x)

Captain Brigid is a worldly sailor, wise in her years, still as feisty as she was in her youth. She speaks with a rough and playful Irish brogue and adorns herself in the thickest traveling cloaks and extravagant accessories. Beneath her gleaming eyes and the glittering gold hide several hard scars that tell the story of a hard-earned life.

I created Brigid early last year after listening to a lot of S. J. Tucker with Quill (specifically Shipful of Monsters) and seeing a lot of sapphic "pirate x fairy" OCs in Faebruary... if you know my partner and I, this is absolutely our wheel house, and I asked them "how come we don't have a sapphic pirate and fairy couple yet?" And somehow, we ended up making both a fairy and a fairy pirate (oops!)

We made a short little story about them which we call The Sailor and the Storycrafter, and I'll do my best to summarize under the cut!

(quick tw for domestic abuse and suicide mention)

A long time ago, Brigid was just another selkie lass - coming and going with the tides, shifting between seal and human. And, like so many unfortunate others before her, she found her sealskin had been stolen away by a man, leaving her human for many years. Brigid reluctantly became the man's wife, the mother of his children, and her sealskin was hidden and locked away.

The man was cruel to her and her children, especially when the work was scarce. When he was able to finally find work at sea, she asked her children to help her find her sealskin so that they could all escape together. When her eldest child found it, it was far too late: her husband had returned at that moment. Realizing their plan, he cruelly ripped the sealskin from his daughter’s hands and tossed it into a fire in an effort to destroy Brigid's resolve. It only served, instead, to fuel an endless rage and sorrow. She first hid her children away, then waited until the man was asleep before taking her revenge.

With the man who forced himself upon her killed, Brigid was forced into the new reality of being indefinitely human. Unable to bring her children into a lifetime on the run, she left them with their Nan. From there, she descended into madness and violence: she took to the sea - a home close, but unattainable - and turned to piracy as an outlet for her misery. She amassed a crew full of bloodthirsty, vengeful women like herself, and they terrorized every man and ship across every coast for decades.

Eventually, her anger and sorrow began to dull into ennui. After countless years of pillaging and destruction, Brigid began to seek a quieter life as a simple sailor. The most faithful of her pirate crew would remain with her aboard the ship in this new, seemingly peaceful chapter of their lives. Brigid would also unknowingly recruit her own children, who had enlisted to being part of her crew in the hope of properly reuniting with her.

Eventually, Brigid had to face the painful reality that she could no longer hear the song of the sea, no matter how often she sailed it. With a Last Will written out, she and her crew set sail to a quiet port town. There, she would get herself completely drunk, pawn off the last of her treasures, then finally throw herself into the ocean to let it claim her life.

She couldn't explain how she found the place... but that night, she made one last stop at a shop that sold stories.

The shopkeeper was named Dulcamara: a leannán sídhe who specialized in crafting stories. The stories she created and sold took the form of objects and trinkets - there was a story for everyone, waiting for them to find, if they were willing to pay.

Brazenly plastered, Brigid had the audacity to try and sell her own stories, with little luck. After thoroughly annoying the storycrafter, she offered to buy a story for her trouble. The story, in question, turned out to be a music box that played a familiar lullaby, one that she used to sing to her children long ago... stunned into sobriety, Brigid paid way too handsomely for the story, and inadvertently agreed to return for a story commission.

Brigid returned to the Story Shop numerous times to speak with the storycrafter Dulcamara, curious about her craft and how she knew which stories to sell. As Dulcamara worked on Brigid's story, Brigid cooked and brought her food as a way to thank her and ensure she wasn't working herself too hard. She would make excuses to her crew about repairs and storms - anything to get them to stay until the commission was complete.

When it was finally done, Dulcamara presented Brigid with her story...

It is said that no matter how long a selkie is separated from their coat, it will always return to them...

[fe-smashorpass]

[dionysianivy]

𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐝

𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺,

𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺

[tomoleary]

Brandon Peterson and Tim Townsend - Lady Pendragon / More Than Mortal #1 and More Than Mortal/Lady Pendragon #1 Brigid the Protector (1999) Source

[xanderscollection]

Inchinnnnnnn, lig dom codladh :/ tá...bleh tá smaoineamh, mór smaoineamh, bheith lán le smaointe.....oof might be wrong ahhhh níl fhios agam ach b'fhéidir go bhfuil tá sé ceart :p tá brón orm. Ba mhaith liom a scríobh ach tá mé tuirseach

[angelamontoo]

The Maltese Falcon(1941) Directed by John Huston

If you've been on this blog for any amount of time, you know how obsessed I am with Peter Lorres portrayal of Joel Cairo, but I really should sing the praises of Mary Astor as Brigid o Shaughnessy more often. Compared to some other 'femme fatales' in films of the time, who's supposed moral failings rather unambiguously disappear thanks to the love of some man they usually just met, I appreciate that there's no reason to assume Brigid truly fell in love with Spade anymore than theres a reason to assume she genuinely was inlove with Thursby or really even Archer.

Honestly, Mary Astor gives my second favourite performance in the film and that's stiff competition. It's a shame that she and Peter Lorre weren't in any other films together(that I know of)

[zorawitch]

one of these days i am going to go completely out of my gourd and it's going to be this website's fault

[readingoals]

The Tea Ladies was my second read for Booklr Reads Australian and unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as my first.

For a book with a murder/arson/kidnapping storyline, it should have been more exciting than it was. Maybe it's a sign that me and cosy mysteries aren't totally compatible, but I just felt like there was no urgency to solve the mystery and rescue the kidnapped woman.

I think the underlying problem for me is that there were three competing storylines - the murder and kidnapping mystery, one revolving around the main characters husband, and one about the changing fashion in 1960s Australia. All of them on their own would be interesting but together they didn't quite work. The husband storyline just felt like such a waste of pages in the context of the other two. I don't know, maybe Amanda Hampson is intending to make it a series and the husband storyline is part of that, but to me it felt like a huge distraction from the mystery. The fashion one at least seemed relevant since the murder happened in one of the clothing manufacturers offices.

Plus, this book is set around Sydney's Kings Cross during the 60s which is such a fascinating time what with all the underbelly gang stuff that went on. And while the author tried to incorporate that into the plot, I think any excitement from it was undercut by how quickly it would shift between each storyline. Every chapter switched which story was the focus, and each chapter was only about three pages long.

I did enjoy it in the end, I think it really picked up for me when the action ramped up and characters were forced to do something about the solving the mystery, but it was a bit too little too late.