Fire of the Heart – Compassion
The Fire of the Heart branch is focused on cultivating Compassion and transformation in the forms of personal and community practices, such as inner contemplation, nature awareness, ritual arts, and social justice-making. We posit that it is compassion for oneself that allows compassion for others, and so we begin with introspection, the willingness to look honestly inwards at oneself, one’s strengths and weaknesses, and the deeper essence in the center of all. We see nature and ritual as wise companions in this process, helping us to quiet the mind and go deep within. Quietly centered here, we feel our connection to all beings, motivating us to be justice-makers in the world. Thus, the Fire of the Heart ignites the flame of Compassion, the experience of kinship with oneself and others, and the desire to share that love as a force in the world.
In Irish lore, it is the human aspect of Brighid, born with many of the attributes of the Goddess, who demonstrated most clearly the Fire of the Heart. She was known for her acts of unbridled generosity, feeding the poor and invoking abundance for all, and for freeing those who had been unjustly imprisoned. The Goddess Brighid demonstrates her burning love when her son Ruadan dies in battle, and she lets out a wail that is the beginning of both the tradition of caoineadh (keening) and the legend of the Ban Sídhe (Banshee).
The Saint Brighid was also said to be skilled in a special art of divination called the frith. We use many tools for divination at Brighid’s Mantle. We specifically use the tool of Astrology as a window into an individual’s inner nature and a divine means towards personal transformation. Thus, through inner attunement, nature, ritual, and a commitment to peace do we manifest the flame of the Fire of the Heart.
Daniel Pac is the director of the Fire of the Heart branch. Offerings in this branch will include: classes on tracking and magickal activism; ritual and astrology services; and events such as meditation circles and Trance Dance rituals.
Photo by Usry Allenyne
