Sacred Springs & Holy Wells

Source :: Sisters of the Rose

Holy Wells & Sacred Springs dot the landscape across Ireland and other Celtic lands. Most are dedicated to a Saint, some are Christianized springs leftover from pagan eras. They have long been important places, once for providing drinkable, life giving waters, then for places of healing and prayer, solace and pilgrimage. Today, people still visit these holy wells. At these revered sites, you may find candles burning as votive offerings, coins tossed into water with silent wishes, or ribbons & cloth hanging from a nearby sacred tree, tied in prayer. Maybe a letter has been tucked under a stone, a necklace hung on a branch, a bouquet of flowers laid delicately by. 

Saint Brigid's Holy Well, Tully, Kildare

Source :: Ireland's Holy Wells

Source :: Ireland's Holy Wells

Rag Tree in Connemara, Ireland,  Source: Emerald Post

Lady Well, Sticklepath, Devon, England

Source :: Myth & Moor

The tradition of visiting holy wells was the inspiration behind my Wishing Well Candles. The candle, tied with ribbon & containing a lucky Irish coin at the bottom, signifies the ancient tradition of pilgrimage to holy places of prayer & healing, to sacred waters in sacred woods, welling up from the Otherworld. 

A little collection of tokens from Ireland lit by a Wishing Well Candle

I imagine folks placing the candle somewhere they know to be special. Because we know that many places can be holy, sacred, and magical to you without the designation of anyone else. Perhaps your candle sits in you library nook, where you light it as you travel through the pages of books. Maybe in your little shrine to Ireland, where it reminds of your journeys across the lands of your ancestors. Perhaps it's in your flower garden where the flower faeries come out to play. Maybe it sits by a photo of a loved one who has passed, where love & memories flow like clear spring water. Wherever you light it, may its flame kindle peace.  

Here are some places on the web to visit if you want to explore more about Holy Wells:

Megalithic Ireland - a comprehensive list & photos of Holy Wells

Myth & Moor - Water, Wild & Sacred

Myth & Moor - The Blessings of the Trees (Clootie Trees)

Ireland's Holy Wells

Flash Sales

From now until Saint Patrick's Day, I'll be running flash sales in the Emerald Post Shop. The only way to get a heads up is to sign up for The Emerald Post Herald E-Newsletter HERE. Flash Sales will pop up and disappear quickly each with different discounts on different items, all to celebrate the spirit of Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day. So sign up now for Emerald Post Herald!

Some Wise Words

We interrupt your Saint Patrick's Day party planning to bring you an important public service announcement:

www.paddynotpatty.com

Now's a good time (before you print those invitations, make those signs or banners) to clarify this confusion that folks outside of Ireland often make. Patrick comes from the Irish Pádraig, when shortened it becomes Paddy. Patty is short for Patricia or used in reference to a hamburger, not something you'd call the Patron Saint of Ireland, or any guy for that matter. When spoken, of course, Paddy and Patty sound the same but when written, it's important to use the right one. So if you must shorten the day, its St. Paddy's Day. Not Patty.

Countdown to Saint Patrick's Day

Statue of Saint Patrick outside Carriganass Castle, Kealkil, Cork

Well folks, St. Patrick's Day is creeping up along with the spring bulbs and thunderstorms - less than a month away! I am quite ready to bid farewell to Old Man Winter and welcome the return of Green. Saint Patrick's Day, March 17th, falls on a Saturday this year, which makes it even easier to host a celebration. Leading up to the great Irish celebration, I'll share the ways in which I celebrate & decorate for St. Patrick's Days. I'll share some of my Irish journeys and the culture and traditions surrounding the holiday. I'll also be hosting some flash sales in the Emerald Post Shop. Join the Newsletter HERE to get a heads up for flash sales and more. Follow along here, I'll even be hosting a giveaway before the big day!

Watering Your Ancestral Roots

Tollymore Forest Park, Newcastle, Northern Ireland 

Over the years I've become quite fascinated with tracing my ancestral roots. I get a renewed passion for this around St. Patrick's Day each year. I've had quite a bit of luck tracing a few of my roots to Ireland using old family records, ancestry.com, and a little Irish luck. You can read a little bit about that HERE in a past blog post chronicling my journey to an ancestral castle. My favorite way to learn about my ancestry is, of course, to travel to lands from which my ancestors hail. There are other ways, however, for those of us who can't hop the pond. 

A few years ago I purchased an Ancestry.com Genealogy DNA Test. My DNA breaks down to : 63% Great Britain, 25% from Western Europe, 7% Ireland and several others places that were given less the 2%. Right now, Ancestry.com DNA* tests happen to be on sale for $69 (usually $100). It's a great chance to snatch one up for yourself or for a gift (especially great St. Patrick's Day gift). (The test uses a saliva sample, in case you're wondering).

Another way to indulge your interest in ancestry and genealogy is watching one of the many shows that help trace family history, stories, and family trees. I love Who Do You Think You Are? on TLC, as well as Genealogy Roadshow & Finding Your Roots on PBS. "Brooklyn" is a great film about Irish Immigrants in NYC.

How do you water your family tree? Let me know below.

*This review of Ancestry DNA is purely as a consumer, it is unbiased, and unsponsored by Ancestry.com

The Story of Ireland

If you are interested in learning more about Irish History, its far reaching ancient roots, its tangled political roots, or a little bit of your own roots, there is not shortage of materials out there. Documentaries are a great resource though not all are created equal. Some aren't historically accurate, some are boring, but some are beautiful, some are deep and thorough and engaging. While The Story of Ireland is long, it's split into 5 parts and I enjoyed this one done by the BBC and learned a tremendous amount. Cozy up with a cuppa tea on these cold winter days and learn The Story of Ireland, if you are so inclined. 

The Story of Ireland : Part One

The Story of Ireland : Part Two

The Story of Ireland : Part Three

The Story of Ireland : Part Four

The Story of Ireland : Part Five

Ireland on my Mind

Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland

Just a little over a month until St. Patrick's Day, a holiday celebrated in myriad ways. For me it is a time when my affection for Ireland is effervescent, bubbling over so that I may share it with others. The dawn of spring and the arrival of St. Patrick's Day always have me longing to hop a plane, or at least look back at photos, thumb through old travel journals, reminisce about all the amazing journeys I've had on the Emerald Isle. I feel my tiny Irish roots pulsing with pride. Plus, a proper celebration needs some planning so the Chieftains are on my radio, and Ireland is on my mind. In the coming days I'll share some of the ways I celebrate Ireland and ways I indulge my slight obsession. 

Oliver St. John Gogarty's Pub in Temple Bar, Dublin in the early morning. Note the lack of people and the stack of kegs, this is when the empty ones are exchanged for full ones. 

St. Brigid's Day Sale !

Happy St. Brigid's Day, or Imbolc, an ancient festival day of the Celtic Year, marking a return to the light half of the year, a tipping toward spring and the return of green. It is now that my spirit really longs for spring and the comfort of green and sunshine, when I dream of Ireland and the those rolling green hills and begin to anticipate the festivities of St. Patrick's Day. Read more about Imbolc and the origins of Groundhog day HERE in my post from last year. And if you are also planning your St. Patrick's Day celebrations - EVERYTHING in the Emerald Post Shop is on sale 30-40% off and all orders come with a free postcard! Great items for St. Paddy's Day gifts & décor - On sale now till Monday. Hop on over HERE.