The Torch of Brighid: Flametending for Transformation, by Erin Aurelia
Moon Books, 178904281X, 144 pages, June 2023
As someone not too familiar with the tradition of flametending, my ideas around what I thought it was versus what it actually is was both surprising and enlightening. In The Torch of Brighid: Flametending for Transformation, author Erin Aurelia takes us into the realm of the Goddess and shows us precisely what it means to be a flametender.
As an author, poet, spoken word performer, editor, and book coach, Aurelia has tended Brighid’s Perpetual Fire for 20 years and is the founder of the Daughters of Brighid flametending order. Author of numerous books on the subject, Aurelia also runs an editorial services and book coaching business where she offers her services to authors in a variety of self-help and spiritual areas that focus on women writers and voices in the heart-centered and spiritual coaching space.
If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you will know that I love introductions as I feel they set the tone for the entire book and also impart the flavor of the author’s tone. In this book, Aurelia provides both a preface and an introduction and I couldn’t be happier.
The preface sets the tone for the book, clearly setting out the author’s goals and direction. It’s explained here that this book is not “reconstructing a past pagan practice, as there is no known pre-Christian flametending practice to Brighid which can be reconstructed”1.Aurelia is very clear that this book is not making any direct connection between any sort of mystical links that might have been suggested previously by other authors’ works, and instead chooses to focus on “presenting an inspired practice, like spiritual poetry.”1
At first blush, this whole book feels like a poetic love letter from the author to the Goddess Herself. It’s well written in a style that is approachable for those not familiar with this specific realm of spirituality yet doesn’t feel dumbed down for those who are seasoned. The concepts presented resonated deeply with me personally, and I was a bit surprised at the depth of my feelings as I read through it. This practice feels like coming home to oneself in the context of using deity as a conduit, which is of course what the purpose of this book is. It’s empowering and fulfilling and inspirational and I am so glad I picked it up.
The topics discussed in the book range from the history of the practice to an in depth transformational journey through the seasons. While it sounds like a lot of time needs to be invested, the book states that the reader can experience the sensation of flametending through a twenty-night period. Considering how often we subject ourselves to fad diets and other modes of “bettering” ourselves, I would respectfully offer that twenty nights of this practice could be far more beneficial than counting calories or fasting. But I digress: we each walk our own path.
The introduction gives the reader some background on how Aurelia first came to know Brighid. I find these origins fascinating as we have all walked our own paths to the various deities that we work with. Aurelia’s story resonates not because of the deity she observes but of the way she has integrated the lessons into her personal journey. She states:
“Her burning torch lit and guided my way, and where she led, I followed. I followed her from being one who burned myself out for others to one who learned to tend her flame from within. I followed her in my spiritual practices from celebration to devotion to contemplation to transformation.”2
This path described by Aurelia is precisely the one laid out in the book. I would humbly offer that burnout is often something experienced by those in caregiving or mothering roles, whether or not they have additional responsibilities outside the home or facility in which they provide care. Speaking personally, I often find myself in positions where I give too much of myself and then have nothing left for myself. This book is instrumental in discovering why that happens, and, more importantly, how to identify when it’s happening so that the energy can be shifted inward to where it’s needed most.
One of the most powerful concepts in this book is the idea that spiritual exploration and growth need not be done using external methods. While helpful at times, it’s also easy to become lost in a sea of voices and practices that might not be what’s needed. This is a personal practice and while you could share this journey with others at some point along the path, this feels very much like a task for one.
The practices in this book are presented in an easy to understand way with various supporting modalities, including runes. Aurelia says that the book is geared towards devotees of Brighid and those curious about the practice, stating:
“The depths can be dark, but her torch ever shines to illuminate a way for us toward our own illumination, healing, and growth. The practice in these pages is an invitation to follow this lit path through the forest of ogham trees in search of your true self, your unbreakable and remarkable soul hiding behind and beneath your fears.”3
If you are at all interested in any of the concepts presented here, pick The Torch of Brighid up. In fact, even if you aren’t interested, pick it up anyway and thumb through it. I guarantee something in these pages will leap out and whisper to you as it did to me.
Sarrah October Young is a writer and practising witch who wished she could do stand-up comedy. When she isn’t writing or witching, she can be found posting about her cats on IG @therealoctober.