Today on the one year anniversary of Radical Elphame, we invite back the guest who helped us kick off this peculiar experiment: the delightful Briar of The Greene Chapel. We explore a recent essay she published on her Greene Chapel site: "The Lady with a Mead Cup," which dives into the primordial image of a virginal Cup Bearer, and how this mythopoetics relates to divinely inspired poetic inspiration and prophecy as a sacred ritual. We untangle the labyrinthian mystery of the Celtic "imbas forosnai," and its relationship to the lady of the day: Brighid. We do some UPG mind melding as well, exploring the relationship between Brighid and her theorized Mothers: The Morrigan AND Boann. It was such a blast reconnecting with Briar, and getting to celebrate Imbolc with someone who can capture and crystalize the essence of Brighid better than anyone.

SHOW NOTES:

The Greene Chapel - https://www.greenechapel.com

Briar's Patreon: Briar of the Greene Chapel

Briar's Chapbook: The Beheading Game

Briar's Course: Working With Joan of Arc as Saint of the French Fairy Faith

Briar's IG: greene_chapel

MUSIC:

"Stormy Point / Back of Beyond / The Seamstress" off the album Fable & Fire by Andrew Marlin - https://www.andrewmarlin.com