The Cloak of Brigid ~ A Fairytale for Imbolc

Once upon a time, when was it, when was it not…

Brigid, a cloaked embodiment of Mother Nature, traveled by foot from village to village with her companions. Where she walked the earth, tiny sparks awakened in her footsteps. She held an oak staff in hand and a golden cloak wrapped around her shoulders.

She brought blessings to the homes and hearths she passed, healing to people and animals, and returned to the land to its wilderness; its fertility .

One frosty morning, Brigid had a vision, a refuge for healing. A place for the plants and the animals to remain wild and unharmed.

Brigid and her four companions climbed a tall hill to visit the ruler of the land. As she approached the grand hall, she was a tiny woman, humble by comparison. With a steady voice, she asked: “May we have a small piece of land on which to build a place for healing.”

The ruler scoffed. “Why should I give my land to a wandering woman with only an old cloak?”

Brigid smiled. “Then give me only as much land as my cloak can cover.”

Laughing, the ruler agreed.

Brigid loosened her cloak and handed a corner to each of her companions with a smile. She invited them to walk in the four directions. The cloak spread, first small, then wide, then rolling across fields like sunrise. When the ruler cried out for them to stop, the land was already protected.

“This land, is for wildness and healing for all,” Brigid said,

And so the sacred ground of Kildare was born, where an eternal flame has burned. The fire of protection and healing.

It is said her mantle still expands today, sheltering all who call upon her at Imbolc.