The Illuminating Spark: Pilgrimage of My Heart(h)

Lúnasa musings for the coming season.

(Image description: A close-up photo of dark purple grapes hanging from a vine. They are surrounded by green leaves.) Credit: Photo by Jodie Morgan on Unsplash

The holiday was been spent tending the flame and focusing on a small ritual. I offered Brighid water, lavender incense, flame and a poem that I have included below.

One of the traditional practices for Lúnasa is to go on pilgrimages to holy wells or sacred mountaintops. I have no such places to visit, but my hermitage is a place that can serve that purpose. My practice is a sojourn that’s always in progress, with Brighid as my guide.

Pilgrimage of My Heart(h)

I hear the Call

its source at the top

of a sacred mountain

The trek, with

its destination unknown

the Voice calls to me

A pilgrimage fraught

with highs and lows,

obstacles and peace

The path, spiraling

to the summit

the way arduous, yet tranquil

Reaching the peak

I find my hearth

Your home in my heart

The flicker of Your flame

matching to the beat

of my heart

Walking across the threshold

one foot in, one foot out,

the quiet padding a gentle hymn

I take up my tools,

waiting to feel the joy

and Your imbas flow through

More to know,

more to learn,

The journey endless

as You beckon me on

in the pilgrimage

of my heart(h).

Once the offerings were given, I pulled a fid to focus on until Samhain. The letter I selected was Muin. It is associated with communication, love, trickery, and esteem; its associated plant is the vine, most notably grapevines.

In the last post, I discussed an ogam reading I did on the issue of whether I should approach other deities, Brighid was very clear on the matter, and I feel like She wants me to become more serious about Polytheistic Monasticism with Her as the focus. The letter indicated in the most recent reading relates back to that one in a few ways.

I can only guess how these emotions and skills might relate to my life and my practice over the next few months. However, it could include the effort of finding my focus in my writing and putting in the effort to strengthen and improve its effectiveness. It may serve as a reminder to be kind with my words, as you never know when they can be mistaken or too harsh.

Perhaps, Muin may also indicate the effort needed in pursuing a monastic path. Grape vines work their way around and secure themselves in order to support the sometimes hefty weight of their fruit. The vine courses its path in surprising routes, like its own form of pilgrimage.

The connection of the harvest season and of grapes also adds meaning to the fid that I pulled. Effort can bear fruit, but I also have to be careful about not becoming too absorbed in various emotions that are detrimental to monasticism.

Time will tell what Muin’s energies will teach me.

May you have a blessed Lúnasa season!