Prayer to Brighid of the Mantle

Holy Water, Sacred Flame, 
Lady Brighid, we seek your presence here. 
Brighid of the Mantle, Lady of the Lambs, 

You who shields us within your cloak

You who protects us from harm.

Lady of the Spear, bearing the orb of victory,

War-crowned maiden, we honor you.

Defend us against those who wish to harm us

That we be not slain nor wounded.

Shelter us from weather and war

That we be not rent asunder.

Protect us from the flames of anger

That we be not burnt or broken.

Lady Brighid, we honor you.

Brighid of the Mantle, embrace us in your arms.

Keep us safe through the dark of night and raging storms, and 

Guide us to find safe harbor in the tumultuous seas 

That we may find our foundation and strength once more.

Brighid of the Mantle, we honor you.

Prayer to Brighid of the Cowless (Brig Ambue)

Holy Water, Sacred Flame,
Lady Brighid, we seek your presence here.
Brig Ambue, Brighid of the Cowless,
With humility and grace, we call to you.
You, who dwell on the outskirts,
Holding those with nothing of their own to hold,
Bringing light into the darkness beyond our fires,
Purifying those who wish to return to the warmth of community.
Brig Ambue, we honor you.
Guide those of us with to give to those without
To fight against food and housing insecurity.
Bring us the enlightnenment of understanding
To accept those who are differently abled.
Strengthen our courage and resolve
To prepare us to stand against injustice.
Brig Ambue, we honor you.
Brig Ambue, purify our hearts and minds,
Soften our rigid ideals, and
Guide us to forgive others and ourselves,
As we walk the Elder Ways together,
Creating inclusive spaces where true healing may arise.
Brig Ambue, we honor you.

Prayer to Brighid, Foster Mother

Holy Water, Sacred Flame,
Lady Brighid, we seek your presence here.
Foster Mother, caring parent to all,
You who comforts us in our sorrows,
You who shares in our laughter and joy
And feels pride in our successes.
Lady Brighid, we honor you.
Send your love to cover us
That we may blanket others with our love.
Bring us peace when we are alone
That we may bring companionship to others.
Fill us with the knowledge of our inherent worth
That we may recognize the worth in others.
Lady Brighid, we honor you.
Brighid, Foster Mother, love us as your own.
Teach us the peace of self-compassion,
Through your gentle, guiding hands and quiet strength,
That our sense of hope may be restored.
Brighid, Foster Mother, we honor you.

Prayer to Brighid, Sacred Midwife

Holy Water, Sacred Flame,
Lady Brighid, we seek your presence here.
Goddess of midwifery, toil, and strife.
You who champions the labor of our renewal.
You who moistens our brows
And guides us toward the light of new beginnings.
Lady Brighid, we honor you.
Turn our faces to the sun
That we may open as new blossoms in the spring.
Toil with us in our sacred work,
That we may bring our good deeds to fruition.
Aid us in letting go that we may begin again.
Lady Brighid, we honor you.
Brighid, Midwife, keep us strong and determined.
Help us to persevere and
Aid us in our unbearing
As we walk the Elder Ways together,
Bringing new life to the world around us.
Brighid, Midwife, we honor you.

Hero's Journey Stage 12: Return with the Elixir

Stage 12: Return with the Elixir

The true end of the journey does not come until the Hero returns to the Ordinary World. There are three typical aspects to a full return: definitive change of the hero, success in the hero’s endeavors, and evidence of both. The hero has faced many trials and foes, even experienced a death of sorts, and one simply does not remain the same after these significant ordeals. The hero returns to where they started, but things will never be as they were before the journey began.

In most tales, new questions arise at the end of the hero’s journey, signifying the continued flow of life through time. Ultimately, the final outcome is the physical manifestation of the reward in the Ordinary World. One of my favorite returning with the elixir moments lies in Samwise Gamgee’s return to the Shire. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo and Sam return to Hobbiton to find life there has continued on without them. The other hobbits were completely unaware of their journey in the Special World, which, for a hobbit, is anywhere outside the Shire. However, Sam’s newfound confidence and courage allows him to take the first real steps toward Rosie, the woman he has long loved, and they eventually marry.

As we light the twelfth and final flame, we prepare to bring our reward to the folk in the Ordinary World.

Guided Meditation: Becoming the Gardener

In the light of the twelfth and final flame of our journey, take a deep breath,
And exhale your worries.
Sink into your seat and feel yourself slipping into the darkness of the tunnel.
We have escaped the Threshold Guardian, and at the end of this tunnel,
We are sure to find the entrance back into the Ordinary World.
The reward in your hand is still glowing, enough for you to see where you are going.
The path before you leads down and to the left.
Follow this path.
The walls of this space feel warm and inviting.
They almost seem to be expanding and contracting, as though they were breathing.
You become aware of a pulsing, deep and rhythmic. A heartbeat.
As you continue to walk, slowly and reverently,
You feel a gentle breeze wafting over you in time with the rhythm of the walls.
You stop for a moment, crouch down, and place your hand upon the floor of the tunnel.
You know this earth.
You have felt it between your fingers, tasted it on your lips in the food you eat,
Relished in the richness of it.
This is your Earth.
You rise and continue to walk,
Approaching what appears to be a door as the tunnel slopes upward.
As you open the door, the bright sunlight from beyond temporarily blinds you.
You step up and out of the tunnel, and when you close the door,
It vanishes into the grassy earth.
You look down at your hand, noticing your reward has gone cold,
And are surprised to find a stone in its place.
It still feels heavy, as though burdened with purpose.
As you study it, you feel the connection between you and this stone deep within your spirit.
You feel the power within your heart.
Your reward now lives inside of you.
You place the stone in your pocket and walk toward the Ordinary World’s garden,
To your cultivated patch of soil,
And consider the plants there.
Each one is special, unique, fragile, resilient, and strong.
Each has been chosen for a different reason,
Yet changing any one of them changes the entire face of the garden as a whole.
The same is true of your community of characters.
You think back on your journey,
Remembering each unique moment along your path,
Those distinctive traits that have made your journey such that it is,
And you smile. You wouldn’t change a thing.
Without hesitating, you reach down and pick up the watering can next to your garden plot,
Walk over to the spigot, and fill it with cool, clean water.
As you begin to water your garden, you recall the water that rained ever-so-gently upon you
When you were beneath the Earth, preparing to grow.
And you wonder, what seeds of potential lie beneath this soil?
Whose shell will soften and become pliable at the touch of your life-giving water?
Your lesson has led you to this place, and after learning so much,
It is time for you to water the garden
Until others are prepared to break free from their shells and begin their own Hero’s Journey.

As you open your eyes, feel the prize of this journey deep within your heart, rooted and ready to come forth when those around you are proven to be fertile soil. Consider a journal entry for your thoughts.

Hero's Journey Stage 11: Resurrection

Stage 11: Resurrection 

As we stand at the edge of the Threshold back to the Ordinary World, we must remember the folx on the other side have no knowledge of our experiences here in the Special World. They do not know that we have identified the characters who walk with us, the folx who guide us and those who lead us astray. They do not know we faced our Inner Shadows. They have no idea that we faced our dragons and let our old selves die. Our ordeals, death, and rebirth have all been internal, and in order for these to take root, we must cross the Threshold once more and return to the Ordinary World as our new selves.

The Hero has been reborn and transformed with the attributes of who we once were plus the lessons and insights of the journey. The resurrection is the final showdown, and the hero must emerge in such a way that their Heroic Status is proven to the Ordinary World. Often, this involves one final act of valor. In Star Wars, this moment is the final destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin (or Death Star 2 at the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi). In The Hobbit, there are many such moments, depending on which character’s Hero’s Journey we are following. Allies may rise to assist in this final “battle” of sorts, but in the end, a sacrifice must be made by the Hero for the benefit of the Ordinary World.

In our journeys, this sacrifice is the key to the change taking root and becoming visible to others. It may be an external change in behavior, such as giving up alcohol or another controlled substance. It may be an internal change in behavior, such as a move toward open, honest accountability and more forthcoming communication with a loved one. Whatever the change is, it will feel far more significant to the Hero on a personal level than the Ordinary World at large, but those closest to the Hero will see these changes with a clarity that makes the journey relevant and accessible to them, as well.

As we think back on our journey this season, we recall our reward. The object one receives as they seize the prize is the key to the final test before the Restoration of the Ordinary can begin. As we light the eleventh flame, we begin the rebirthing process and return to the Ordinary World.

Guided Meditation: Breakthrough

In the light of the eleventh flame, breathe deeply and allow your body to relax.
Set aside your stresses and arrive, once more, in the garden,
The place where it all began.
The rising sun has crested into the fullness of late morning.
A light breeze plays through the leaves of all the plants in this beautiful, peaceful place.
You hear footsteps and turn to see your mentor approaching.
They sit next to you on the bench.
You are eager to show them your prize, the fruit of your internal labor,
But you find yourself hesitating.
As you peer into their eyes, you do not see yourself reflected there.
Instead, you see the swirling images you saw in the mirror in the cave
And the faint glimmer of firelight.
The face of your mentor begins to shift and change,
Revealing the face of someone you have thus far avoided: The Threshold Guardian.
He knows what lies in your pocket.
He is here to prevent you from leaving with it,
For his sole purpose is to guard the secrets of the Special World.
Both of you rise to standing. He is significantly taller than you.
Your mind begins to race, grasping at any idea to get you out of this.
Then, the spark of inspiration alights with you.
When he sat next to you, you saw the reflections of your Shadow within his eyes.
You saw the fire, the breath of the dragon, within those dark orbs, as well.
You stand taller at the sudden rush of the skills you have acquired to defeat this opponent
--Just as you have defeated the others.
You name your Shadows aloud, for naming them takes away their power.
At this, the Threshold Guardian seems to diminish.
You name your allies, those whose continued aid has contributed to your success,
And feel their power within you now.
He is definitely growing smaller.
You name your mentor and spirit allies.
He is shorter than you now, but his face is changing, growing angry and fuming.
Suddenly, his entire body begins to spin,
Raising a cloud of spiraling dirt and garden debris about him.
From within this maelstrom arises a new foe.
It looks like the lovechild of a dinosaur and a dragon,
Ancient, looming, and smoking at the nostrils.
Its breath comes in low growls as it grows taller still, casting the entire garden into shadow.
It takes a deep in-breath, and without hesitation, you pull your reward from your pocket and hold it up in front of you, facing the beast.
As the stream of fire reaches you, a dome of silvery protection surrounds you,
Like a shield wall of impenetrable energy emerging from your reward.
Twice, three times, the beast breathes their fiery breath at you,
But inside your protective shell, you remain safe and secure,
Even cool in spite of the apparent heat of the flames outside your dome.
You cup your prize in your hands and begin to focus your own energy through it,
Causing the dome around you to expand until it begins forcing the beast to retreat.
You concentrate harder. Nothing exists but you and your sacred prize.
The dome around you begins to glow and shimmer, as though generating light from within.
You feel the ground beneath you begin to shift,
and you realize a tunnel is opening beneath you, leading down and away from this place—
The Way Back.
Without looking up, you slip into the darkness of the tunnel,
feeling the warmth of the fire pass over the opening behind you
Before it closes and plunges you into darkness.
You have passed out of the Special World.
Your reward still in your hand. And you are safe.

As you open your eyes, meditate on the outward manifestation of your reward, and consider a journal entry for your thoughts.

Hero's Journey Stage 10: The Road Back, Restoration of the Ordinary

Stage 10: The Road Back, Restoration of the Ordinary

It is time to return to the Ordinary World, for one cannot dwell in the Special World forever. In our myth cycles, some heroes are reluctant to return and must be chased out of the Special World, for the Special World has a way of restoring its balance. Some heroes find themselves facing the destruction or death of the Special World with the reward now removed from it, or worse—face the destruction of the Ordinary World if they do not return. And there are even tales where the Hero is faced with a choice: remain in the Special World and follow the desires of the now or return to the Ordinary World to serve a greater cause than themselves.

After seizing out prize, we have come to this place, where we are the master of two worlds, settled between the past and the future, but not a part of either. We see where we were with full clarity and the path where we are going with equal understanding. Much like the state of balance, this is a moment that we will pass through, and life will move on.

Recall the question resounding in your journey since Crossing the Threshold, and remember why you asked it in the first place. What ties lie in the Ordinary World that need this reward? Hold those anchors of the Ordinary in your mind as we light the tenth flame. Just as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz longs for her family back in Kansas, we must remember what draws us back to the Ordinary World.

Guided Meditation: The Call to the Ordinary

In the light of the tenth flame,
Feel yourself full of the knowledge and skill you have obtained on this journey.
Feel you mind expanding with each breath,
Feel your heart overflowing with love and success.
Feel your spirit filled with joy—and longing to share it.
Sink into the inner landscape, and feel the specialness begin to fade,
As though the light is being drained from this place.
The colors seem to be draining out of the world around you,
Odd in the dawning sun, usually so full of illuminating beauty in pink, orange, and red.
The world around you is definitely becoming more grey.
You notice streaks of smoke beginning to rise off everything around you—
The colors ARE draining, and the plants and rocks are disintegrating as their colors are depleted, as though the shades were keeping them together.
You notice the path beneath you beginning to smoke in the same way,
And you decide it is time.
You begin taking purposeful steps away from the disappearing clearing,
Picking up speed as you go, following the solid of the remaining path,
Hoping it leads to where you need to go.
The streams of the Special World are growing, pulling everything that once was
Into smoke and nothingness.
You break into a run, moving past the cave, now merely an outline of a hill,
On past the boulder where you sat and considered your allies and shapeshifters,
And finally, you arrive back at the garden where you first entered this world.
The fading of the Special World seems to have stopped at the gate of the garden.
Everything here is still bright and warm, and the early birds are singing in the trees.
Here, it feels like home, the same yet—different.
You rest next to the garden, catching your breath, and feeling the Call to return
Deep within your bones.
Your seat faces the blooming garden.
In your pocket, you have your talisman.
In your hand, you have your reward.
Next to your seat, you see a watering can and a small packet of seeds.

As you open your eyes, feel the detachment of the Special World fade away, and consider a journal entry for your thoughts.