It’s been said that on St. Patrick’s Day, the whole world is Irish. From the countless celebrations in pubs, restaurants and bars, to the parades and the “wearin’ of the green”, it truly seems that the whole world embraces the ancient Irish phrase Erin go Bragh (which in Gaelic is actually Eirinn Go Braich) and has come to mean “Ireland Forever”. Ex-pats from both Europe and the United States have carried this celebration to the land of Pura Vida and have made it a part of the celebration of the spring season.
So who was Patrick? To begin with, “Patrick” was not his given name; most historians agree that Maewyn Succat-later to be St. Patrick-was born in Britain around 370 A.D. to Roman parents. Kidnapped as a teenager and sold into slavery in Ireland, he managed to escape back to Britain. It would take years, a name change, and a spiritual quest before he felt ready to return to the “Auld Sod” as a bishop in 432 A.D. later to become the patron saint of Ireland.
In spite of the strong connection with Christianity, many of the legends surrounding St. Patrick retain a decidedly magical and romantic flavor. In a heroic poem, The Deer’s Cry, St. Patrick uses an ancient Celtic spell known as féth fiada to transform himself and a friend in deer to avoid being ambushed as they traveled to see the High King on Tara Hill. Another legend tells how St. Patrick lit the first fire of Beltane-a role generally filled by the High King-from which all other Beltane fires would be lit.
Druids warned the High King, Laoghaire, that if he did not put out Patrick’s fire, it would burn for eternity. Needless to say, all efforts to extinguish the flames failed and, truly, it can be said that the “fire” of St. Patrick burns throughout Ireland from that day through the present.
Romance, too, is part of Patrick’s legend and heritage. The tradition of “lady’s privilege” is said to have begun when Patrick was approached by St. Brigid of Kildare who complained how unfair it was to womankind to always have to wait for the man to propose marriage. (Brigid, too, embodies her Celtic roots as St. Brigid’s Day in Ireland is February 1st-Imbolc-one of the four quarter festivals of the Olde Religion marking the beginning of the spring season ahead of the Equinox.)
The legend holds that St. Patrick originally offered on year out of seven as being the time that a woman could propose to a man; Brigid, however, negotiated matters to a point where one year out of every four was a satisfactory frequency for both genders-coinciding with leap year. Brigid, being single, and it being a Leap Year, immediately proposed to Patrick who refused, but gave her a kiss and a beautiful gown to wear as an apology.
With the potent mixture of magic and romance, St. Patrick’s Day can be a great time to take your love relationship to a new level. One of the most traditional and probably most effective ways to help bring your soul mate closer is to use the ancient Celtic Knot. To the Irish, the double knot, known as triskeles, or three cornered knot. :
By writing the name of your love and yourself on the two intertwined knots and placing them within a circle, you are creating the serch bythol. Each corner of the knot symbolizes body, mind and spirit. When the two knots are joined together within a circle, they become a symbol of eternal love.
To bring your soul mate closer, the old practice of the sailor’s knot is a powerful token. The night before St. Patrick’s Day, take two pieces of cord or rope (whatever calls to you. Lighting a candle, envision your love interest as belonging to the piece in your left hand; the one in your right hand is your symbol. Tie them together envisioning the love relationship between the two of you.
When you meet your love interest on St. Patrick’s Day, give the knotted rope to them. Celtic sailors would give this ‘love knot” to their special person when they returned from the sea as a promise of being eternally bound together and always returning home no matter how great the distance. You don’t have to be a sailor, however, to use this charm; whether you fish, surf, or just enjoy the beach, sharing the love knot on St. Patrick’s Day will embody the true magic found in that connection between the two of you.
On the day when the magic of the old world flows like so much green beer across the green landscape of Costa Rica, know that the true magic of St. Patrick’s Day is the ability to bring both love and the luck of the Irish to one and all. In this beautiful green land of Pura Vida, the magic of “wearin’ the green” is as compelling as it is on that other verdant land of its origin: the Emerald Isle-Ireland.
Lou Cheek is the resident astrologer here at the Costa Rica News and often contributes articles about various aspects of Costa Rican life, culture and people. If you would like to have Lou prepare a personalized astrological chart or reading for you, please contact him here at the Costa Rica News.
