"...Against spells of women and smiths and wizards" So runs part of one of the many well known invocations of St. Patrick. "As always you were the reason for my existence; To adore you for me was religion." -Carlos Almaran "Historia de un amor.

Blacksmiths, Poets and fireside hearth, the combination is an intriguing one despite the upcoming time of year when all three are celebrated in one form or another. The significance of each however plays very important roles in for those who follow the ancient ways, as well as their Christian counter-parts. As always, the most strange combinations began to make sense as we explore how they fit into our world and ways of life. In the most remote corners where our flame illuminates, we find threads of our human experience which bring us back to the center of our existence.

Why would St. Patrick pray against blacksmiths? The profession itself is not sinister in any way. They were sought out by both soldier and civilian alike, nobility and commoner both conducted business with them. Secular and Sacred communities sought out their services. Indeed they provided a very necessary service. Perhaps the answer is to be found in the skills of the blacksmiths themselves.

The manipulation of the elements; Earth, Air, Water and Fire which occurred so frequently with such trades certainly drew people to them. The concept of blending all those elements together to create an item, even a simple as a horseshoe, seems magickal indeed. In essence the blacksmith could accomplish a feat assigned to the most powerful wizards, or even the gods/goddesses themselves. Stories and myths are thick with talk of magickal weapons, spears, swords or bows and arrows. From a pile of earth applied to fire and physical force from the blacksmith, cooled and tempered in both air and water. This indeed could be considered an act of creation at it's most fundamental and a direct interaction with the powers of the cosmos, harnessing the power of life and death both. For the emerging tradition of Christianity, this was a direct threat to the roots of that tradition which assigned such powers to only the priest-hood themselves.

The next profession, that of the poets, holds some interesting links. Perhaps this profession alone is the last surviving profession, or calling, from our distant past. Blacksmith's may be forced out of employment through the use of technology and industrialization, but the poet has survived. Today the poet is the eccentric, viewed more as flights of fancy, a calling of lesser stature. One simply has to look at how society treats the poet to understand the once high value on such a gift has now been reduced to the starving artist category, good only for literature lessons. A far cry from the Celtic Bards whose any request had to be granted and to whom the Druidic advisors and Priests dared not hinder. The poet, the revolutionary, the one who exalted romantic personal love over the arranged marriages of church and state alike. The one who returned control of emotions and expressions of love back into the hands of the people. The one who changed forever, with the tale of Tristan and Iseult, the western world's thinking about love. Poets, like the blacksmith deal with the elements.
The fire of the heart which burns and consumes the very soul of one in love, the soothing words which envelope the soul like refreshing water in the midst of a desert. The words which cause the mind to soar beyond the confines of this mortal realm. Words of physicality, shaped so they endure forever as the foundations of the community. Words which are as deadly, in the right combination, as the most destructive weapon. To have a bard sing about a person, could be a great honor or great curse. Words whose very presence can kill or wound better than any weapon.

How does the fireside hearth fit into all of this?
To understand, we have to step back in time and remember our myths are grounded in the natural world. The hearth itself was a magical place. The cauldron myths have their roots in the humble cottages and huts of the Celtic world of old. The center of the family, a reflection of the center of the goddess. The hearth, where animal and human alike gathered for warmth. The life giving heat which protected them from the cold. The place where family gathered together at the end of the day. Dedicated as the sacred place of Brigid, the goddess. The Catholic St. Bride has goddess qualities and associations with the Virgin Mary. St. Bride ministered to not only humans but animals as well(as seen in the tale of the bacon pieces which were fed to an animal and remained the same in number), as did St. Francis her male counter-part who bargained with a wolf for the safety of a town. The hearth, the presence of the celestial womb where all elements worked together and were present to sustain life. The hearth, where women(viewed a goddess connections themselves) stirred the pots and brought forth the fruits, vegetables and meats which they tended to keep their family alive.

Blacksmiths, Poets and fireside hearths. The common elements for all three are first and foremost, all three are considered as holy. Not the holiness of clergy, but a higher status which relegated King and Druid alike powerless against them. Person and place which others gathered around and sought out for comfort, guidance and protection. Person and place associated with the very source of life, the center of all things. Each shaped the destiny of men, and church. Each belonged to the natural world. One of making in the instance of blacksmiths, one of communion(both with God/Goddess and men) with the Poet, and one of life itself in the Goddess. It is also interesting to note two of the three which are rooted in the natural world are being forgotten.

The blacksmith, Poet and fireside hearth all can be strong metaphors for our lives. Just as the metaphors of Freemasonry are that of building our life a solidly as possible, so the Blacksmith, Poet and fireside hearth speak to us of the natural world, and remind us these aspects are still alive and strong within us, even though the outer manifestations have faded. Yet, the holy day of Brigid continues to get closer, and still in Pagan and Christian tradition alike, the celebration continues.