|
Tuatha de Brighid - Virtues
|
|
|
|
The Nine
Virtues A Triad of Triads By Good Folk
I. I am the Wisdom of the Salmon, knowing the mysteries of going and coming, when it is time to swim for the sea, or return to the headwaters. From the cauldron of Cerridwen I receive the inspiration of discernment and judgement. Thought and reason are my companions. I seek to understand before I speak, and to act out of understanding. I am the Piety of the Priest, whose life is spent in solemnity of prayer, listening in silence to the Gods and Goddesses, helping others to hear. From the Holy Grail of Immortality I receive the Waters of Danu, the Wine of Dyonysius. A quiet and discerning heart is my window into the holiness of the world, and Tir Nan Og is my home. I am the Vision of the Eagle, whose eyes behold the broad spread of land, whose eyes discern the quick gleam of a rabbit’s fur, or the flash of a trout. From the Lady of Avalon I receive the mirrored pool of divination, and know the meanings and possibilities of the world. Scrye, imagine, invent, foresee, all these are the same to me, teaching others the wonder of what might be! II. I am the Courage of the Lion, stalking the savannah in search of prey, guarding my pride from the rival power of other hunters. From the Daghdha himself I receive the lust for life and the power of presence to engage a world of danger and survive. Strong tooth and flowing mane and fearsome claw are my gifts from the Gods. Well prepared am I for the chances of life. I am the Integrity of the Mountain, formed in strength of granite and basalt. Firm stand I in the face of challenge, glacial ice and roaring stream tearing at my resolve. Yet I maintain my identity over the ages, and through the years continue my reach to the skies. If my resolve is eroded in any way, it is only to become softer, more rounded, more ancient. I am dependanble. I may be trusted. I am here. I am the Perseverence of the River. Through a lifetime of lifetimes in my constant flow to the sea I carve the destiny of many, shaping mountains and valleys, civilizations and nations. From ancient Danu I am named, and from her receive a power against which no obstacle can forever stand. Sand or Stone make no difference to me: one moves quickly, the other requires more work. III. I am the Hospitality of the Oak, spreading to the sky my great canopy of leaf and branch, inviting the nesting of a thousand species in my regal crown. Beneath the earth, a thousand more root and tunnel through a netherland of life. I am the World Tree. I stand between the worlds with feet in the Earth and arms in the Skies. The mid-world I create is home to all creatures, and my groves become Home to the Gods. I am the Moderation of the Bear. Powerful and playful, swift and cunning, I spend months in quiet reserve and the renewing sleep of hibernation. My impulse is tempered by deliberation, The fire of Brighid runs in my veins, the spritely joy of Aonghus Og, and the regal rule of the Daghdha. I participate in all, I overdo none. Raw power, gentle mein. Learn from me the skills of temperance and forbearance. Learn from me the patience of the bear. I am the Fertility of the Furrow, into which you drop the seed of life at planting time. I am the co-creator with the Goddesses and Gods, bring forth life from my great and holy bosom. Boann and Bile fill my loins with teeming seed and fertile egg, and the plow carves my image in the sacred form of the Mother. Receive I the seed, bear I the life, creating art, and thought, invention, and folk in the image of the divine. Good Folk 1998 |
|
