Imbolc & The Beauty of Fostering

Now it’s Imbolc in the northern hemisphere, and at this special time we honour the Goddess Brighid, or Saint Brighid, who is known as “the patroness of farm work and cattle, and protector of the household from fire and calamity. To this day, one of her most common names in Gaelic is Muime Chriosd, “Foster-Mother of Christ.” St. Brighid was said to be the daughter of Dubthach, a Druid who brought her from Ireland to be raised on the Isle of Iona, sometimes called The Druid’s Isle… Brighid is known in the Hebrides as the foster mother of Christ, and this clearly shows the mixing of Christian and pagan influence that is so common here. As foster mother she is of course exceptionally honoured, since in Celtic society the foster parents had special place, they ranked higher than the natural parents, the relationship being considered extremely sacred.” (read more in this article here).

In this tea session we explore the connection between this time of year in the northern hemisphere, the quality of hope, and the deeply spiritual nature of fostering, finishing with a meditation to help us nurture this dynamic within ourselves.