Brigit sat on a cliff above the sea. She could smell the salt in the air. The wind blew softly in her red hair. Imbolc will be here in another moon, the renewal of the Mother Earth. Her clan celebrated Imbolc with the Goddess Brigit whom she was named for. She always felt she had to live up to the powerful name her parents choose for her. Sometimes it was very hard. Today she had to get out of the house. It was hot and stuffy. Her father had built the house himself. He had made sure it would stay warm in the cold winters. Her mother had been busy with Kernunnos and didn't have the patience for Brigit's questions.

"I could leave forever" Brigit thought " and no one would notice I've gone." Deep down inside she knew this wasn't true but since Kernunnos arrived nobody seemed to have time for her. "Oh well I think I'll go see Morgaine."

Brigit got up from the grassy hill and headed back down the hill and into town. Morgaine's cottage always seemed to welcome Brigit. It was painted purple and blue for protection. Morgaine was the town's midwife. She had delivered Brigit and Kernunnos. Brigit thought Morgaine was the wisest person in the whole world. Brigit knocked on the door.

"Come into my house, Brigit," said the old woman.

"Merry Meet Morgaine! How did you know it was me?" asked Brigit.

"I saw you coming in my magic mirror" laughed Morgaine. "Come sit by the fire and I'll make you a cup of chamomile tea."

"Thank you," Brigit sighed, as she pulled the horsehair chair close to the hearth.

"Bless that cat, she needs to clean up after herself!" yelled Morgaine.

"What did Norns do this time?" asked Brigit. Morgaine's cat Norns was always causing mischief. One time she had found a ball of yarn and batted it around the entire cottage. When she was done it had become tangled in Morgaine's drying herbs. Morgaine was mad that day. Today Norns had gotten into the catnip and had thrown it on the table and the floor. Of course after her antics she disappeared fearing Morgaine's anger.

Morgaine came over to the fire with the tea and some goddess cakes. Giving a cup of tea to Brigit, she sat down in her chair and chanted:

Brigit took a sip of tea and stared into the hearth fire. "Morgaine, tell me a story please."

"Child, I'm too old to keep telling you stories."

"Please?" begged Brigit.

"Alright, I'll tell you a story about you."

"About me?" questioned Brigit.

"Well, about your name. You know I was the one who choose your name when you sprung from your mother's womb. You had that bright red mane and pure white skin. I cried, 'It's Brigit herself!' and the name stuck. And look at you now-- a maiden coming into her own and what a beauty you are, too," reminisced the old crone.

"Morgaine, the story!" said Brigit anxiously.

"Oh yes, I was remembering. Here is the Story of Brigit. She was a beautiful child, just like you she had flaming red hair, eyes as green as the ocean. She was wise and strong. The Goddess had blessed her with the gift of healing. She cared for the sick and helped deliver the babies and never asked for a thing in return. In exchange for the gift of healing she vowed to the Goddess she would remain a maiden until the 25th turning of her wheel. All the men in the town wanted her, but she kept turning them away in remembrance of her vow.

"Now in those days a new religion had just started overtaking the teachings of the old. The men were taught that God was ruler of all and so men must rule over the women. One man, Steven, was very upset at being refused, he began to plot how he could get Brigit for himself. Steven knew that some of the women were very jealous of Brigit's beauty and skills. He started telling them terrible things about Brigit. He said she was evil and that she was cursing them. Soon the jealous women began complaining to the leaders of the new religion saying things like, 'She eats the newborn children fresh from their mothers' womb.' And 'she's cursed us with an evil eye.'

"The old man that was the leader of the new religion in their town said to the women: 'You are jealous of her looks and skills-- let it be.'

"Then Steven saw a chance to force Brigit into marriage. He started telling the men that Brigit thought she was too good for any of the town's men and that she had made a pact with "evil." She must be killed because she was a witch. The other men had a hard time believing Steven. Brigit had always been kind to them. She was a healer and wasn't ready to marry. Sure Brigit was a witch, but so were half the town's women. None of them were called evil.

"Steven sent a message to the next town about how they had a suspected witch in their midst. This town had a 'witch hunter.' Steven schemed with him to come to their town and rid them of the witch. When the hunter showed up, Steven pointed out Brigit. The hunter questioned the jealous women who claimed 'She eats the newborn children fresh from their mothers womb' and 'she's cursed us with an evil eye.'

"So Brigit was arrested. Brigit was a patient soul. She was kind and loving but not quite sure why she had been arrested. She had faith in the Goddess that all would come out right.

"The witch hunter questioned Brigit about her healing arts. "Whom do you call on to help your patients?"

"Brigit answered "Why the Goddess, of course."

"And with those five words she had sealed her fate. The witch hunter proclaimed her a "witch" and she must be burned at the stake. Steven saw the chance he was looking for. He spoke before the town and said. "Father, let me marry her and I will beat the evil out of her."

"Of course the town's men thought this was a much better idea then burning her and so agreed that if she chose to marry Steven all charges would be dropped. Brigit was brought before the men.

"Brigit, Steven has offered to marry you and save you from the fire as long as you stop practicing witchcraft and deny the Goddess. What say you?"

"I, Brigit, am a Witch. I will live forever in my Goddess. I will not marry Steven."

"Some of the townspeople were outraged. The spiteful women said, 'See? She is filled with evil.' Brigit was thrown into a cell. She sat in the cell looking out the window at the full moon. She picked up some straw and began weaving it into a cross. As she weaved she chanted:

And when she had finished uttering those words, the Goddess changed Brigit into a Redbird and she flew off into the night, never to be seen again. In the morning when the people opened the cell to take Brigit to be burned, all they found was the cross that she had woven. The wise people say that the redbird song is one of sorrow. So Mote It Be."

The old woman looked at the child sitting next to her and smiled.

"Morgaine, that's not the story you told me last time about Brigit."

"I know," said Morgaine " but there are many strands of thread on the Goddess' loom. Now I think it's time for you to go. Your mother needs your help."

Brigit put her cup down on the table and got up to leave. "Goodbye Norns, blessed be, Morgaine."

"Blessed be you, Brigit, and may the Goddess go with you."

Brigit walked down the road to her house. Just as she was walking up to the porch her mother opened the door.

"Brigit, I was just about to call you. Come help me with dinner."

"Okay mother," she said as she shook her head. "How does Morgaine do that?"