How I experienced the healing power of Brigid

From the age of 18 to 20 years old I lived with the family of a friend of mine. All of the children in the family had severe allergies, the youngest who was 15 when I moved in had them the worst. I recently had embraced Christianity and they were a devout christian family that took me in to help me stay on that path. They introduced me to a christian healing ministry, and we attended healing events together. The youngest with the severe allergies would be proclaimed healed at the events, then go home and eat a peanut butter cookie, and have anaphylaxis and end up hospitalized and could have died. This happened at least three times in those two years. This young man had faith, but it did not lead to his healing.

That was over 25 years ago and my own path has taken me from there to atheism, to now Irish indigenous pagan beliefs. Before I embraced my current path I had gone through some trauma and had been diagnosed with CPTSD. I struggled with anxiety and depression, made much worse by chronic insomnia. I struggled with a constant flow of rapid intrusive thoughts that lead me deeper into anxiety and depression. I've been in therapy, tried different varieties, but nothing really seemed to help much.

On my current path, I first encountered Brigid. Brigid the healer, smith and poet. She came into my life at the perfect time! I was not in a good place, I was spiraling into a deep depression at the time and my life was about to fall apart. I was excited by my new path so it seemed to help me either as a distraction from my problems, or a new set of things to fill my thoughts that were much more positive. I found atheism to be very depressing and hopeless, and I was in that state for 18 years. When she came into my life, she came with a loud voice with much to say. Now, I suppose this translates into a new set of thoughts as I “heard” a feminine voice in my mind when she would speak to me. Especially at the beginning of our relationship she was ever present, and quite chatty. She would warn me when I was driving too fast, she would warn me when following certain thoughts were going to lead to more problems or worse feelings, she would show me how to counteract negative and intrusive thoughts and more.

My first Imbolc with her, I made a brat Brigid. In the folklore, the Irish made these cloths dedicated to her, that they put outside on Imbolc eve for her to bless with her healing powers. It is used to heal, in the lore it’s definitely spoken of as miraculous healing. I used it soon after, when I had the flu, and used it for my plantar fasciitis, and other arthritic problems. I did not find it very helpful. What I did find very helpful was her presence and advice. I saw that when I listened to her, did as she instructed, I found healing. I found that as I aligned with her, spent time in devotion, especially listening and taking action, I experienced more healing.

As a christian I was conditioned to be dependent. Dependent on god for everything. Need healing? Better have the faith to move mountains, and purity, and maybe just maybe you will be miraculously healed. Now I cannot claim to speak for those christians that say they have experienced miraculous healing, but I never did, and I never saw others healed, and I went to a lot of healing meetings.

In Irish pagan spirituality, we relate with deity and spirit, we align with them and them with us. We work together for what we want to see manifest in this world. Want healing? Do the work! Build relationships, build a daily devotional practice, make offerings, spend time and energy doing the work. My healing came when I did the work.

I started a meditation practice at Brigid's behest. Manannan Mac Lir and the Irish Pagan School taught me how to build a meditative practice including journey work. I started spending much more time in green spaces, in nature meditating and connecting with tree and plant spirits. I studied the ogham and gained practical life wisdom. I started an exercise routine. All of this and more has lead to what I consider to be miraculous healing. My mental health is at least 200% better for it!

What I am learning from Brigid and others is that healing and wholeness come when we do the work and align with them. We are not to be dependent on them. We are to stand in our own confidence, competence, power, truth and skill, and they can help us to do this. That is what the Irish deities teach, personal growth and sovereignty. Not dependence and sycophantic attitudes, but true relationship and reciprocation, alignment and action. It seems less dramatic than miraculous healing but it is actually real. Real work is being done inside and out. My life is truly enriched for it. If that’s not a true miracle I don’t know what is!

However my second Imbolc lead to a calf injury that looked like possible weeks of rest to heal. I put out the brat Brigid that evening and used it on my injury. Google said the injury should present more pain and swelling the next day after initial injury, but the next day the pain was all but gone and by day three it was back to normal. That might have been miraculous healing as well, but who knows. I'm not ruling out miracles with her in my life!