Oimelc: Ewe’s Milk and the Fixèd Fire
Yesterday,
on an impulse in a cheese shop in Temecula, I made a purchase of a ridiculously
expensive slice of cheese from Holland.
I had tasted it—it was called “Euphoria”—and I seconded its name after tasting
it, and so I bought a small slice which went for $10.00.
It was only
when I got it home and took it out of the bag to put it in the refrigerator
that I noticed that the label said it was a sheep’s milk cheese.
This is one of several posts I hope
to make about Imbolc. As Celtic history suggests, Imbolc is an alternative name
for Oimelc, which, quite obviously,
is a word that means “ewe’s milk.” This time of year, I often speak of the
Basques and their wonderful ewe’s milk cheeses, but these types of cheeses are common
throughout Europe and luckily for us, appear in our cheese shops from time to
time, sometimes at reasonable prices, such as the ones you will find at Trader
Joe’s. And sometimes, you do something on impulse that seems to be the work of
the Goddess.
But which goddess? is it Brigid, favored fire goddess of the Celts who
was known throughout the Celtic world, a world that overlaps the Netherlands where my Euphoric cheese was made,
and a world that spread to create Galicia
in Spain,
which overlaps the Basque country? Is it St. Brigit of Kildare, who was bathed
in milk at birth in Ireland,
the last stop of the Celts on their Indo-European journey west?
The frigid weather of most of Europe at this time of year is obvious inspiration for a
fire festival that celebrates fresh food after the darkest days of winter. The
days are getting longer now, and no matter how you spell her name, goddess or
saint, an eternal flame is a symbol for Brigit. Not only that, but Oimelc
arrives during the time of year, astrologically, that corresponds to the sign
of Aquarius, a fixed air sign.
People are always surprised to hear
that Aquarius is a “fixed” sign, meaning that it tends to like to keep things
the way they are—“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Aquarius is too busy trying
to right the wrongs of the world to want to make insignificant changes, or to
make change for change’s sake. Perhaps this explains just a wee bit of the
seemingly seamless transition of Brigid the goddess to St. Brigit in the
Christian era. My mind boggles when I read accounts of Oimelc like the
Australian article, “Oimelc, the Promise of Springtime,” which is all about the
saint, really, in its description of Oimelc/Imbolc.
Brigid has many variations in name;
in Gaul she was “Brigindoni” and in Britain she was “Brigantia.” Her
name is also spelled Brigit, Bride, Breed, and many other ways, and her name may be a Western
variation (those Indo-Europeans, again, beginning their ride west from Indian/Iranian
lands) of the Sanskrit “Brihati” meaning “the light.” Brigid does indeed bring
the light of longer days, the flame of life and of creativity, the fire of the
forge, and the internal fires that push us forth to fight the battles that
others have engaged us in.
For make no mistake, friends: we
are in a war, and few of us want to be there. It is a war that involves the
rights of women and children against the oppression of men (not forgetting, of
course, that these men are oppressing other men as well). Brigid, whether
goddess or saint, has always been attended to and celebrated by women, but who
has always been the patroness of the blacksmith and the swordsmith. Yes, she is
the patroness of poets and other writers, jewelry makers, healers, and now, as
the Brigidine Sisters teach, patroness of environmentalists and those who fight
for social justice, equality, peace, compassion, creativity, and contemplation.
We are at war against the forces
who would deny us equality, social justice, care for the earth, compassion for
the oppressed, freedom of expression, and those who deny that contemplative and
intellectual pursuits are sacred and worthy.
The pen is mightier than the sword,
and so the oppressors silence those who speak and write first of all. We will
not be silent; we will not stand by while science is silenced, ignorance is
championed, and fear takes the place of compassion. For we are the warriors of
Brigid, and her name has not survived this long only to be stomped into the
ground by the armies of ignorance and greed. That’s just not going to happen. Not
on her watch. For her flame is eternal, and we intend to brandish it, to let
the light drive the darkness away.
Oimelc, Imbolc, Candlemas are
celebrated from Jan. 31st to Feb. 2nd. Expect another
blog tomorrow.
Sources:
Brigidine Sisters. “Our Patroness,” http://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-patroness.
“Imbolc Prayer, Magickal Ideas for Imbolc,” https://witchesofthecraft.com/category/the-sabbats/
“Oimelc, the Promise of Springtime,” http://caeraustralis.com.au/oimelc.htm.
On the Life of St.
Brigit, http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T201010/