giovedì 11 dicembre 2014

Interview with Marion Brigantia, Priestess of Brigid


Versione italiana: cliccate qui!

Marion Brigantia, aka Marion Van Eupen, is a Priestess of Avalon and Priestess of Brigid. She teaches at the Priestess of Brighde Training and is a co-organizer of the Netherlands Goddess Conference. She can be found at the Glastonbury Goddess Conference as Cerimonialist, or as Melissa at the Goddess Temple; she is a Spiritual Trainer, Ceremonialist, Writer, Artist, and Oracle priestess, Sacred Walks Guide, Mediator and Drummer. She will be here in Italy the next 24 of January for her first italian workshop and I immediatly taught about an interview for you all! :)


1) Can you tell us how you discovered the Goddess?
My first experience of Goddess were through Mary - I was brought up Catholic with a strong emphasis on Mary - I always talked to Her and do see Her as Goddess now I know more - but anyway She is known as 'Mother of God'...
I discovered Goddess in the way I work with Her at the moment at the Glastonbury Goddess Conference in 2003,or really 2 years before when I had to lay down for 6 weeks because of a hernia and I read a lot of books about Paganism and the Goddess traditions...
But the GC in 2003 inspired me to become Her priestess!

2) When you say you are a Priestess, what does that mean for you?
Being Her priestess for me is being in service of Her, radiating Her and all Her qualities out into the world through who I am, how I relate to other people and Her nature and through my work as Priestess.
In my case, the Priestess path I walk at the moment is that of Teacher, Ceremonialist and Guide whilst walking the land and whilst giving oracle readings. It's the best thing ever!



3) What are some challenges of being a Priestess of the Goddess that would surprise people?
The biggest challenge is to surrender to Her, although of course you can always make your own choices, to surrender to Her guidance is both the hardest challenge as well as the most rewarding thing to do... Only when I am brave enough to trust, I know that there is really nothing to fear!

4) Brigid, Brighde, Brigantia, Bride: how this special journey started?
Many people have asked me this question and to be honest I don't really know how to answer that. I could give you many reasons, like that I am very at ease with my inner child, that I love the land that is Brigantia, that I am comfortable working with Her as saint, because of my Catholic upbringing, that I love Imbolc as the end of winter and the new promise of spring, that I love the energy of renewal, how I love all Her animals and love working with them,that I love how She is everywhere, in every part of the Wheel and in every element.... 
Lots of reasons, but I think the journey started when I first encountered Her... in a way you could say it was love at first sight :)

5) About your Priestess of Brighde Training: how is born? Tell us something about it...
Because I loved Bridie from the first moment, I did the Brighde Retreat with Kathy Jones in 2006 Glastonbury the year after my Priestess initiation to become a Priestess of Brighde. I then started to run Brigid(a) retreats in the Netherlands. I still lived there when Kathy asked for Priestesses to take over the Brighde Retreat. I offered myself and I did this for a few years together with Isabella Weber. But the more I worked with Her, the more I thought that 4 days didn't serve Brighde... so I took up the idea to make it into a year training and talked about it with Kathy, who completelysupported me... The training then started now already 3 years ago.


6) Brigid (as Goddess and Saint) is one of the most loved and venerated figures of the celtic culture. In your opinion, which is the reason of this popularity?
To understand the reason for this popularity you have to understand that long, long time ago in Celtic times Brighde wasn't 'a' Goddess, She was Goddess. She was The Great Mother! As said before, She was (and is) in everything and so people related to Her in many ways in their daily lives. Because people could relate to Her so easily, She is ingrained into the psyche and traditions of the Celtic people (who are not just in the British Isles and Ireland). You can still really experience that if you talk to Irish people, as they have been brought up with very old Brighde traditions which are still very alive over there (although they are now linked to Saint Brighid). This only became stronger when She incarnated in Saint Brighid of Kildare, She now had a 'human form', so even easier to 'access'...
Also She can be found everywhere in The Land, many wells en springs are named after Her, and lots of towns have Her name (like Bristol - which comes from Brig's Town).
I think She is so loved for all the above reasons, but also just because She is such a strong and loving healing Goddess and people come to Her for many reasons...

7) The Kildare situation: I was in that village last year. I stayed there only for a day, but find something related to Brigid as goddess was nearly impossible: just some quotes in the information panels. Nothing at the local New Age Store (in which I was expecting a whole scaffold of Brigid's related stuff!) and the one and only representation of Brigid I saw was at Solas Bhride, a religious center organized by catholic nuns. How can we create more consciousness about the ancient Goddesses in their sacred places?
I personally don't see the difference between Her as Goddess and Her as Saint. The legends and myths around St. Brighid exceed the human possibilities, She was Goddess incarnated. The sisters of Solas Bhride hold Her energy both as Saint as Goddess, they are really beautiful in this energy and I totally love and support what they are doing there!
I personally have now trained 2 Irish women and one of the Priests/Shaman of Brighde recently moved to Ireland to bring Her out there. Also I organise trips to Ireland to raise the consciousness and talk to the people who live and work there to tell about Brighid the Great Goddess whose energy is returning. This reclaiming is beautiful work which needs compassion, creativity and patience, but it is happening!



8) In January, you will come to Italy for your first workshop here. Can you give us a brief presentation?
I am really looking forward to coming to Italy at Imbolc time to work with Brighde's energy. Two lovely Italian women have trained/are training with me through the correspondence course and I love the way they are devoted to Her! I will be working with you all to experience Brighde's energy as it is represented in the eight parts of the Wheel working inwards to find Her in Yourself. Of course we can't do as much as would be possible in a training, but I can assure you that Her loving and healing energy will be felt...


9) ...and now, tell us freely something about you!
Haha, what more to tell... I am a Priestess, a mother of two beautiful grown up children (22 and 24 years old) and I am living with my wonderful partner and green man Alastair in Avalon, Glastonbury. To be able to be Her priestess is a dream come true, as is living in Avalon and working here in Her service, supported by my sisters and the ones I love! I am a very happy and grateful woman ;)


Bright Winter Blessings,
with love, light and laughter!

Marion
xxx 
 

Priestessing for you!   
Contact me for bespoke ceremonies, workshops, oracle readings and lots more!
http://marionvaneupen.wix.com/priestessing-for-you


Priestess/Priest of Brighde training 2015/2016

Two year training to become a Priestess/Priest of Brighde (also online)
http://brighdetraining.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Mystical Earth Tours and Walks
Organised and bespoke walks and tour, connecting with the Land and Her myths and legends.
http://mysticalearthtours.wix.com/info

Mediation (conflict resolution) works!
Building bridges between people through communication in a safe and respectful way!
http://unitymediations.blogspot.com/


Manager of The Avalon Centre, Glastonbury
please contact me through: avaloncentre@hotmail.com or 07948 079671http://the-avalon-centre.wix.com/home

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