Charge of the Star Goddess

Invocation to Brigid: Goddess of Fire and Water

I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars, the mysteries of the waters… I call upon your soul and body to arise and come to me, for I am the Soul and Spirit of Nature that gives life to the Universe. From me all things proceed and unto me all things must return. Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices or sorrows, for all acts of love, pleasure, longing, and loss are my rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not unless you know the Mystery – for if that which you seek you find not within yourself you will never find it without – for behold I have been with you since the beginning and I am that which is attained at the end of desire…

Commentary: I have been using this amended version of the Charge of the Star Goddess as an invocation for my Summer Solstice ritual for many years, long before it occurred to me that Brigid was also a solar goddess. I have never found an invocation (or written one) for this turning of the wheel that seems to fit better than this one…

The summer solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere on the day when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is most inclined towards the star that she orbits, which happens to be our sun star. This year “Midsummer” occurs on June 20th in the northern hemisphere while the winter solstice comes on the same day to those living in the southern hemisphere. We cannot separate one turning from the other.

At this time of year I celebrate the Greening of the Earth, the trees conversing with the wind,  boughs festooned with papery thin leaves of lime and emerald or chartreuse  needles, the blossoming of her pink blue and violet flowers, the intoxicating scent of star shaped lemon lilies, the first seeded pods of bloodroot and celandine. The first deep scarlet poppies burst out of a sea of green leaves. A waxing moon will grow round and full like a pearl… Various fruit trees on my property have the tiniest apples appearing while ferns have unfurled their spirals under a canopy of deep shade. I watch my tadpoles grow plump feeding on fresh algae anxious for the moment when legs begin to bud, and if it rains, I breathe in the sweetest almost summer air… Groundhogs are munching on fresh horseradish leaves and the first trills of the gray tree frog can be heard here in the hollow. Birds are bringing their scruffy young to my bird feeders and Nature speaks in so many languages of scent and color that I am truly overwhelmed. S/he Lives! Once again I set intentions and release what is no longer useful to Brigid and the Fires of the Universe. I give thanks for Life. Blessed Be.