The Illuminating Spark: Thoughts on Monastic Vows

Personal commentary on my oath to Brighid and related ideas.

(Image description: A photo of a tall, black lantern in front of a wooden door. It rests on a rough-appearing floor and shines in the dark.) Credit: Photo by Andre Taissin on Unsplash

Besides the religious rule followed by various orders, there’s the vows of obedience, chastity, poverty, and even a fourth one that can include public service. I feel like these types of vows can function as starting models and examples, but there are also other types of vows related to aspects of a deity or the elements.

Since the dedication ritual has multiple parts, I will go over them individually and focus on the dedication portion. The initial lighting of the flame sets the tone, and the anointing with fire-infused water indicates the blessings the devotee receives before making the commitment.

The first part dedicates the flesh to Brighid and is connected with the Earth and prosperity. Firstly, I feel She would want me to live my life as kindly as possible, as the skin interacts so much with the physical world and all the interactions it holds. Treating others with kindness and fairness when we speak to them or offer aid is one way of interpreting this tenet.

Another example could be deciding how I dress. As long as it’s done with moderation, dressing in a way that brings me joy ties in with prosperity aspect. Textile waste is an issue, and using the clothing I have as much as possible is better for the Earth in a small way.

Lastly, Brighid has sovereignty goddess connections to Leinster, and that could reflect in treating the Earth and Her in a just and respectful manner ties into providing prosperity for myself and others.

The next part is related to the blood, the waters, and health. Brighid has strong connections to water and healing, so this links to caring for my health. Staying hydrated and taking necessary medications benefit me and allow me to continue to honor Her and help where I can in the world. In a broader sense, what enters the waterways affects the health of all the living things who live on Earth. What is done to protect and respect water has a multi-fold effect on everything that depends on it.

With the way the heart pumps blood, it, in turn, allows me to feel and express my emotions toward myself and others in as kind as a manner as I can manage from moment to moment throughout the day.

The sun, beauty, and vision are in the next section of the dedication. When I look at the world, I see the different ways I might help others. In a direct way, I can see the kindness and injustices that take place in the world and around me. In a less literal interpretation, having the sight to understand these things is more important than physical sight (especially for those with limited sight or who are blind).

Beauty is brought into the world the more I care and perceive it with love and kindness; “seeing” is understanding the personhood of other humans and living things when I look upon them. Obviously, I’m still grateful for the physical sight I have, taking care of them is a minor way of honoring this aspect of the dedication; adorning the eyes might be another means of devotion.

Clouds, thoughts, and wisdom are next in the dedication. Thoughts can be like clouds and drift through the mind. They come and go as they please, and they can be interpreted as clouds can. Treating my thoughts with compassion and awareness as they move in my mind is showing kindness to myself and in how I direct those thoughts toward others. By doing so, I can live out Brighid’s wisdom and become wiser through contemplation.

Less directly, I feel this could relate to augury and having the understanding to clearly perceive what I interpret through whatever divination system I’m using. Being able to do this can be important in my work with poetry and other forms of art, since they originate from thoughts, too.

The winds, breath, and vitality can relate to how I live my life. As I breathe, I smell different scents, which inform me about the world. Scents can reveal what brings me joy through food, in nature, and through human interaction. Also, as I draw breath, I know that I’m alive. Each moment I breathe is precious, and it’s up to me as to how I live it through Brighid’s ideals. Doing so can be seen as living mindfully through Brighid. When I speak, breath passes into the world like a small breeze. How I speak to others has ramifications. Words have power, after all, and speaking can heal or harm, depending on how it’s directed.

The stones are linked with the bones and strength. The bones support me, much like the frame of a house does. Maintaining my physical strength can be a way of healing and honoring Brighid. As I am able to move about the world, my interactions with it and the people in it can strengthen me, as long they don’t mean me harm. In a roundabout way, taking in what brings me strength can reinforce my bond with Brighid. That can be in the manner of my bones interacting with everything they touch as I write, create art, make food, light candles, exercise, and do many other activities.

Lastly, spirit is intertwined with illumination. All of these elements, parts of the body, and traits inform my spirit and allow me experience the world in brightness and goodness. In turn, I can bring illumination into the world by living through Brigidine elements in my character, my joy, my art, my beauty, my prosperity, my peace, my courage, and my strength. Everything interconnects and works together.

All of the elements can relate to the three realms of Land, Sea, and Sky and the three realms of the World Tree. By living my life in the right manner and relationship, I do my small part to emanate these traits into the world. It doesn’t mean to strive for unattainable perfection but to do the best that I can. I will make mistakes, but what I can do is to learn from them and do better.

While the previously mentioned vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience can be used in relation to whatever deities or spirits you honor, incorporating elements, parts of the body, and spiritual aspects can also be sources for monastic vows. The most notable framework are the elements of air, fire, water, earth, and spirit, and they can tie with the air we breathe, the electricity that fires in our synapses, the blood that flows in us, and the metals and minerals in our bodies, and our soul (however you wish to interpret that). There are other element systems that can be used, but I can’t list them all. The one used in the dedication refers to the Irish text The Seven Part Adam, which is explained in more depth here. If you’re inclined toward syncretism, the Celtic and Christian aspects can work well together.

Each devotee’s path is different, and the vows they might take are going to vary. Until there’s the physical infrastructures to support Polytheistic nuns, monks, and other monastic roles, the traditional vows have their limits, and that’s why looking to other sources for vow inspiration can be useful and beneficial for those creating their own Polytheistic Monastic practices. There may be even other ways to craft monastic vows I haven’t thought of, but this is a start for exploring these different methods. It roots us in the world and can be expressed in the spiritual.