In Irish Gaelic, seamróg, the shamrock is an Irish symbol we’re all familiar with. But how did it come to be associated with Ireland, and why is it important to St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick, according to legend, used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity: one plant, three leaves. One God, three parts: Father,…
Author: Cindy Thomson
Happy St. Brigid’s Day
This is an updated version of an old post from 2010. As Joseph A. Knowles said (and mentioned in my book, The Roots of Irish Wisdom): In a life of the Saint…many legends and traditions must be introduced to stimulate the devotion of the reader, and to relieve the monotony which would inevitably ensue from a…
Blessing from Scotland
May the blessing of light be on you – light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window…
Downpatrick Cathedral
This post originally appeared on my old blog in 2010. Downpatrick Cathedral in County Down, Northern Ireland, sits elevated above the city streets and is a beautiful place. During the 7-8th century a Christian monastery occupied the hill where the cathedral now sits. This monastery, like so many others, was victim to frequent Viking attacks…
Reading St. Brigid
Note that Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. They will not cost you any extra but help support me. Thanks. Lately there have been more books published on St. Brigid of Ireland or inspired by her. It’s likely that’s because 2023 was the year her day became a national holiday in Ireland. There…
The Season of Imbolc
This post was first published on my old blog in 2010. The Celtic year can be pictured as a wheel. Each season flows into the other and it’s a cycle that continues on an on like a rolling wheel. In fact, some people think a Brigid’s cross is the shape of a wheel and represents…
Burns Night, A Scottish Tradition
In honor of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard (or poet) who was born on this day in 1759. He tragically only lived to be 37. He was a tenet farmer and a tax collector, but more famously a poet. Without doubt, his most famous work: For auld lang syne, my jo,For auld lang syne,We’ll tak…
My One Word for 2026
My One Word for 2026 is wonder. I’m not sure how it came to me. It popped into my head, and I thought that was a cool idea. I’m in wonder at God’s creation. But as I looked at scripture I discovered something else. Over and over the Bible talks about God’s deeds, signs, and…
An Old Irish Poem/Prayer
This comes from The Religious Songs of Connacht by Douglas Hyde (1860-1949, the first president of Ireland and the founder of the Gaelic League.) He complied old songs and poems collected from the people in Ireland. The Graces of the Holy Ghost May the grace of the Holy Ghost be gained by us, And the true Faith…
The Celtic View of Darkness
This post originally appeared on my old blog in 2010. For the Celts this time of the year (winter) was simply the dark half of the year. There is something about darkness that people don’t like–maybe because it’s hard to see. Christians, in particular, refer to darkness as everything bad or evil. But really, isn’t…
