Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Pauline. I am a dedicated priestess of Brigit.

How would you describe your spiritual pathway?

I find all spiritual pathways utterly fascinating. However, my soul connection is to Celtic spirituality, specifically to the Celtic goddess Brigit, and all her wonderful aspects.

How and when did your spiritual journey begin?

I spent a long time searching for my true connection. I participated in many circles, groups and workshops looking for the socket, if you like to plug into. My spiritual home is Glastonbury. I have been visiting there very regularly since 2003. It’s easy enough as I live in Ireland. Several years ago, during a guided meditation, I had a very powerful experience. The following day, following my gut feeling, I signed up for the Brighde-Brigantia training with Marion Van Eupen. This is when my spiritual journey properly took off, with Brigit at the helm.

The goddess Brigid is obviously very important to you, how did your journey with her begin?

The last question answered this. But even though my journey properly took off with her after a significant meditation experience, upon reflection, she has always been present in my life. She was there in the saint form that I was exposed to in primary school in Ireland, and of course she is ever present on the land here in Ireland. But I don’t think I could properly connect to her and her specific goddess energy until I was ready, really ready.

You work with Brigid in many aspects, how does that work?

I feel Brigit to be a liminal goddess. A goddess that cannot easily be defined. A goddess that encourages us to lose our definitions and categorisations within ourselves and within each other. We are always more. For example, a mother is more than a mother. She is a daughter, a professional, a friend etc. all of these aspects merge together in her identity. Brigit really demonstrates this in how she is at this point in time, how she was historically and how she most probably will be. I work with Brigit as an expression of the mother goddess. I recognise her evolvement into Christianised saint, even though, that side doesn’t really resonate with me. It is still a part of her though, and I respect that and respect others who worship this side of her. I see her as a proto-Brigit, in her strong powerful form as warrioress, queen energy in the form of Brigantia, and of course, the mysterious and dark Maman Brigitte, who evolved on new soil for the horrendous experience of the African people and similar experience of the Irish people during the slave trade.

At each point of the year, these faces of Brigit come into prominence when her specific characteristics simply shine. At Samhain, for example, I venerate Maman Brigitte and at Autumn Equinox, I venerate Brigantia.

Do you work with any other gods or goddesses?

At the moment, no, it is just Brigit that has my heart, in all her forms.

Does the landscape affect your spirituality?

Yes, I think the landscape has a massive bearing on how we sense or feel our deities. Connecting to Brigit on my own turf, is a given, she is everywhere, specifically in Kildare and particularly, for me, on the Curragh Plains in Kildare. This is my go-to, my hot spot if you like, to recharge with her energy.

Before and during penning my two books on Maman Brigitte and Brigantia, I simply had to visit the lands where she was venerated in New Orleans and in northern England. I personally, could not write about them without walking her land and connecting to that specific energy.

Do you have any daily spiritual practices?

Yes, every day, no matter, how rushed I am, I connect with her at my altar. This varies from honouring the time of the year we are in and her aspect at this time, to opening the wheel or simply saying a short invocation. Afterwards, I pull some cards. My day feels like something is missing, if I don’t do this.

Who or what inspires your spiritual practice?

Brigit 😉

Are you working on any new/other projects?

I always have ideas swirling around my head. I have just finished a project so I am taking a breather and preparing for an online talk on Maman Brigitte at the London College of Psychic Studies in April.

For more details: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/pauline-breen