Blessing By Jenna

06/15/2024

With National Museum of Ireland – I just got recognized as one of their rising fans! 🎉

05/09/2024

Freedom is requisite to the bindings one perceives; the bindings of society; to be free is to either shun all binding cords or accept the tolerable ones and wear blinders that our society only removes when it is convenient.

03/16/2024

Annual reminder that St Patrick did not persecute pagans. Snakes are not an idiom for pagans. St Patrick's story's are likely based on a number of Abbots who controlled the monestary at Armagh. The Irish tribes existed alongside the monastic Christians for hundreds of years. There was no forced conversion.

03/16/2024

Here is a brilliant account by Giraldus Cambrensis from 12th century of the lack of snakes in Ireland. Also love how he notes that we didn't have tortoises, scorpions or dragons either!!

"Of all sorts of reptiles, Ireland possesses those only which are harmless, and does not produce any that are venomous. There are neither snakes nor adders, toads nor frogs, tortoises nor scorpions, nor dragons.

It produces, however, spiders, leeches, and lizards; but they are quite harmless. Hence it may be said, or even written, pleasantly, as well as with historical truth: “In France and Italy the frogs fill the air with their croakings; in Britain they are mute: in Ireland there are none.”

Some indeed conjecture, with what seems a flattering fiction, that St. Patrick and the other saints of that country cleared the island of all pestiferous animals; but history asserts, with more probability, that from the earliest ages, and long before it was favoured with the light of revealed truth, this was one of the things which never existed here, from some natural deficiency in the produce of the island."

Text: Michael Fortune
Source: Giraldus Cambrensis: The Topography of Ireland
Translation: Thomas Forester and Thomas Wright

03/16/2024

Always the best resource for a real connection to Ireland!

Reliable Resources for Exploring Your Connection to Ireland, with a Native Irish Draoí (Druid Priest)

02/09/2024

So some deep, over caffinated thoughts this morning while I watch the sun rise..
I am deep diving on Jesuit missionaries in China in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries...and I also happened to catch a video that ranked the size of celestial objects from smallest to largest (earth is definitely at the very small end) and I got to thinking about religion and science. Religion attempts to define our place in the universe and answer questions like why are we here, and where do we go when we die. And for thousands of years, humans have also looked to the sky and wondered what is there. These two concepts are not really very different...humans have always known their time here is short, and impermanent so we base our lives on a feeling that there is more to it than this. "Religion" in it's base form helps define those thoughts and provides a "path" in the very incomprehensible enormity of the universe. In the 1500s most people thought of earth as the center of this vast universe. They still tried to explain the cosmos, but it was a smaller view. We now realize how small and insignificant we are in the vast reaches of time and space. That knowledge can cause a person to give up on spiritual pursuit, I completely understand that path. But, for me, knowing that we know so very little about even the physical universe makes the spiritual concepts that much more real. If all there is in the end is a return to the dust of the universe...sign me up! I am more than happy to have any part of me float off as cosmic dust! And as for the part that isn't physical, well it's fairly evident there is a huge energy in motion around us. I'll be fine if that's where my soul returns. I know there are many layers to the physical and energetic realms. We have so much more to learn, and each generation us only allotted a bit of time to participate. So I can be both science minded and look for explanation in the physical, but also realize there is so much we can't explain that the spiritual or energetic has yet to be discovered.

Happy Friday

02/01/2024

Traditionally, the Brigid's Cross is made from rushes here in Ireland, but you can use ANYTHING that bends in half without breaking! 🔥 Today (31st) is Brigid's Eve (put out the Brat Bhríde), tomorrow is Brigid's Day, and the season of Imbolg or Imbolc is... whenever you're having it.
🔥
These practices are part of Irish culture still, our living traditions grown on this island from the roots of ancient native spiritual beliefs and understanding.
🔥 More info (free download) - https://irishpagan.school/imbolc-cheat-sheet/

02/01/2024

Absolutely wonderful project. Inaugural podcast on Brigid, with two amazing people! If you're interested in Irish folklore stay tuned for more!

https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaIreland?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Wikimedia Community Ireland

01/29/2024

Interesting prompt for this week's essay...I am looking forward to diving into the readings. And yes, I did finish the damn bibliography...
The resources provided this week included an interview with a History of Medicine expert who discussed the use of social, primary sources to understand attitudes about medicine. We also read about these concepts in specific regions. For this week's short essay, choose a medical concept (disease, illness, balance, or treatment) and compare and contrast how that medical concept was expressed in two different historical civilizations. Your choice of medical concept is the primary concept for this short paper. What do we learn about the influences of other historical lenses (government, economics, religion, social structure, resources, technology, and language) by using medicine as a historical source?

01/26/2024

Additional Imbolc resources from authentic Irish practitioners.

https://irishpagan.school/imbolc-challenge/?fbclid=IwAR0pOHiOEqc8k9YiK3FelfBTa59gaB1M0kzZMgudoGpi4vvHUPrlIPFZvdo

Join the IPS 5-Day Imbolc Challenge for personal growth and spiritual renewal with daily prompts, meditation, and community sharing.

01/26/2024

Life Rites and bespoke ceremonies

01/24/2024

A great foundation for anyone looking into the Irish traditions!

Step into 2024 with a genuine connection to Irish spirituality! Join a native Irish Draoí, for a FREE introductory class. Discover your roots! 🌟

https://irishpaganschool.com/p/irish-paganism-free-2022

01/24/2024

I joked with my husband about this...but seriously I am happy to make your usual pets, talking frogs, or other animals an integral and honored part of any ceremony or blessing! We just welcomed a new snake named Maui into our home yesterday!

Life Rites and bespoke ceremonies for all. Weddings, births, funerals, and everything in-between.

01/01/2024

Great page for traditions and folklore!

Folklore and Traditions of the New Year.

Wandering fairies, returning ancestor spirits, and talking animals comprise some of the folklore and old superstitions associated with the new year in Europe.
I suspect, though, that for many who read this page that the new year really began after the solstice, and, of course, our ancestors did not follow the calendar year as we know it today.
That said, the Duchas.ie archives contain lots of Irish folklore and customs relating to the new calendar year as well.

Taken in isolation many of the traditions might seem strange but looking at the much older beliefs connected to spirits, luck, ancestors and the land, we can discover their connections.
For example, in this piece from 1938 we can find evidence of doors being left open to allow the bad luck to leave and the good luck to arrive.
We can also see how people felt that the first initial contact of the new year would establish, hopefully, a pattern of fortune and positive energy and influence.
"Doors are thrown open about ten minutes to twelve on New Years Eve to let the old year out and to let the new year in. There is always an anxious time on the morning of New Year's Day lest any ill-disposed person should be the first to enter the house and sometimes doors are kept religiously closed until some person known to be "good natured" first calls and that person gets a very assuring and cordial invitation to "come in."
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4428026/4369429/4475228

Attached to this is a variation of the Dumb Supper which I wrote about for a previous piece at Samhain.
The same procedure is followed on New Year's Eve with the front and back door of the household being left unlocked and a place set at the table for the relatives who had died during the previous year.
As an aside, in Chile a popular New Year's Eve custom is for the family to actually spend the night in the cemetery and sleep next to a loved ones grave.

https://www.hngn.com/articles/20597/20131227/worlds-most-bizarre-new-years-eve-customs-chile-tops-list-by-celebrating-with-the-dead-full-list.htm

In Iceland, huge bonfires are lit in order to illuminate the way for wandering fairies and elves. We also see variations of this custom in Ireland but it is quite an isolated tradition now.
Banging bread against the household walls, for example, would be an attempt to dispel bad spirits.
Perhaps this concept links to the belief behind many Asian stories of shaman attracting helpful household spirits in this vein. This is done by creating an effigy called an ongon.
More on this in a future post.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ongon

Another lesser known custom throughout Europe is the belief that a person can communicate with animals on this night. I have also seen this tradition applied to Christmas Eve as well so perhaps it was originally a post-Solstice custom?
In some countries, specific animals are more receptive to being spoken to. In Belgium, for example, it is cows one should speak to in order to hear your fortune for the year ahead.
But whoever, and whatever, you end up speaking to, I wish everyone the very best going forward into 2024 and thanks for all the support and shares.

(C.) David Halpin.
Image: The Moon’s Daughter by Seb McKinnon

12/19/2023

Celebrate all the moments! If getting dressed today was your achievement then I am as proud of you as I am of anyone else out there! And if today wasn't your day, know I am cheering for a better tomorrow for you!

❤️

12/19/2023

A friend shared this...In all seriousness, a great way to conquer the generational divide is through ceremony! Celebrating shared milestones and individual achievements or new beginnings. I can help curate those celebrations. Birthdays, anniversaries, new homes, new partners, new opportunities...

12/18/2023

Sunday night shower ritual...why yes thank you!

12/07/2023

Remember to take a few moments for yourself during these months. We all have expectations heaped upon us over the holidays. If something or someone is too much, you can say no. No is a powerful tool when you learn how to use it!

10/02/2023

Honored to provide services for Barry this Sunday. It's important to make Life Celebrations authentic to the individual. You will be missed my friend. I hope you have the answers to all your questions now. 🖤

05/09/2023

Weddings are fun and I love working with couples. That said, there are even more limited options for end of life ministry and funeral services. It is a service I have been researching and want to explore. I want families to have closure and celebrate the life of their loved ones on their terms. Grief is as important an emotion as joy. It deserves compassion and personal care as much, if not more than the celebrations of joy and love.

04/30/2023

While I love weddings and they are a large part of my service. I also offer blessing and ritual services for many of life's moments from baby naming to new homes. New jobs, birthdays, divorce or new starts, and coaching. I can help with writing or perform blessings myself. PMs welcome!

04/25/2023

Working on a wedding script this week. I never use a standard script. Each ceremony is written and designed specifically for the event. Every relationship is unique and a wedding ceremony should be too!

01/01/2023

01/01/2023

Building a personal experience

01/01/2023

A bit about what I am offering

01/01/2023

No time like the New Year to get started! I am officially official!
In all seriousness though. I am a licensed officiant and here to help with all of life's milestones.

I can legally perform weddings, handfastings, vow renewals, funerals, baby blessings, naming ceremonies, coming of age celebrations and many other events.

My goal is to guide you through rituals and ceremonines taylored to YOU. Your stories, Your spirit, Your life.

Everyone is welcome.