"Sometimes a pilgrimage doesn't begin in a sacred well or an ancient church. Sometimes it begins with a single handmade statue, lovingly created by someone's hands, waiting quietly for the right person to find it."
My First Meeting with Brigid
Our first visit to Glastonbury was at Easter.
At the time, I knew very little about Brigid.
Like so many people, I had travelled there hoping to experience the town's unique atmosphere and ancient history. I couldn't have imagined how profoundly it would change my life.
It was during that first pilgrimage that I received a blessing in the White Spring.
Looking back now, I realise that was the moment Brigid first began quietly calling me.
A few weeks later, at Beltane, we returned to Glastonbury.
This time, while wandering along the High Street, we stepped into the beautiful gallery of ceramic sculptor Phillipa Bowers.
Every shelf was filled with lovingly handcrafted sculptures inspired by mythology, nature and the sacred feminine. Each piece felt unique, carrying the unmistakable warmth of something created slowly and by hand.
Then I saw her.
Brigid.
She sat peacefully, her long red hair flowing over her shoulders, gently cradling a beautiful white swan in her lap.
At the time I knew very little about the symbolism of the swan.
I simply knew that she belonged with me.
I brought her home to Guernsey, where she became the very first piece of what is now my Brigid altar.
Every candle I have lit...
Every prayer I have offered...
Every quiet moment of reflection...
She has been there.
Looking back now, I don't think I chose her.
I think she had quietly been waiting for me.
If you're ever visiting Glastonbury, I wholeheartedly recommend visiting Phillipa Bowers' Gallery, where you'll find her beautiful collection of handmade sculptures inspired by the sacred feminine and Celtic mythology.
Phillipa Bowers Gallery: https://www.phillipabowers.co.uk/
The Sculpture That Began House of Bridie
At the time I brought Brigid home, I had no idea that I would soon create House of Bridie.
There were no candles.
No ritual chests.
No altar essences.
No Swan Wands.
No website.
There was simply this beautiful handmade figure sitting quietly on my windowsill.
Yet she became the heart of my growing altar.
As I continued to deepen my relationship with Brigid, ideas began to flow.
Pilgrimages became creations.
Sacred places became products.
Moments of inspiration slowly became House of Bridie.
Looking back now, I can honestly say that this little sculpture was one of the very first inspirations behind everything that followed.
Sometimes the smallest beginnings become the greatest journeys.
Returning to Say Thank You
Only a few weeks later, after House of Bridie had taken its first tentative steps into the world, we returned to Glastonbury once again.
I hoped that somehow I might have the chance to thank the artist whose work had become such an important part of my own journey.
As fate would have it, Phillipa herself was in the gallery that day.
Normally she spends most of her time working in her studio, so I knew how fortunate the timing was.
I introduced myself and explained how much her Brigid sculpture had come to mean to me.
I told her that she now sat at the centre of my home altar and had become one of the inspirations behind House of Bridie itself.
To thank her, I presented her with a House of Bridie gift bag filled with some of the handmade pieces that had been inspired by my own pilgrimage with Brigid.
It felt wonderfully symbolic.
One maker thanking another.
During our conversation I shared an idea that had been quietly growing in my mind.
Many of Phillipa's sculptures are designed to hold tealight candles.
Wouldn't it be beautiful, I suggested, if one day Brigid herself could cradle a living flame?
After all...
She is the keeper of the Eternal Flame.
Phillipa smiled warmly and told me she would think about creating one.
Whether that sculpture is ever made or not, I'll always treasure that conversation.
Creativity has a wonderful way of passing from one pair of hands to another.
Phillipa's sculpture inspired my pilgrimage.
That pilgrimage inspired House of Bridie.
Perhaps one day another pilgrim will discover one of her Brigid sculptures and begin a journey of their own.
A Journey to Wells
During the Summer Solstice pilgrimage, we decided to spend a morning in the nearby city of Wells.
Originally, it wasn't even part of the plan.
We were simply looking for somewhere nice to have breakfast.
The day before, we had explored the magical caves of Wookey Hole, famous in local folklore for the legend of the Witch of Wookey Hole and, more recently, recognised by many as the filming location for Skeletor's lair in the new Masters of the Universe film.
The following morning we parked behind Peacocks.
It sounds completely ordinary.
Yet a few nights later I had the strangest dream.
The little ticket machine in that car park had become a portal.
As unusual as that sounds, that's exactly how Wells felt.
Almost as though we'd stepped into another world.
Walking through Peacocks, grateful for the cool air-conditioning during one of the hottest weeks Britain had experienced in years, we emerged into one of the most beautiful places we'd ever visited.
Crystal-clear water flowed through channels beside the streets.
Ancient buildings surrounded us.
The magnificent cathedral towered above the city.
No wonder filmmakers return here time and again.
Many visitors recognise Wells as the setting for Hot Fuzz, while the magnificent cathedral has also featured as Eternia in the new He Man, Masters of the Universe film.
Yet despite its fame, the city retains a remarkable sense of peace.
When the Swan Came
Before the Bishop's Palace opened, we sat quietly beside the moat.
That's when she appeared.
A beautiful white swan glided silently towards us.
She wasn't asking for food.
She wasn't frightened.
She simply drifted closer.
For almost an hour she stayed with us.
Sometimes swimming away.
Then gently returning again.
She climbed gracefully onto the grass.
Preened herself.
Stretched her magnificent wings.
Then calmly came back towards us once more.
It felt less like watching wildlife...
...and more like sharing a quiet conversation.
At that moment I still didn't fully understand why I felt so moved.
Now I believe I do.
Brigid and the Swan
Throughout Celtic tradition, swans have long represented transformation, grace, healing and the mysterious journey between worlds.
Although Brigid is most often associated with fire, healing, poetry and sacred wells, the swan has become one of the creatures that many people instinctively associate with her gentle presence.
When I looked again at the sculpture sitting on my windowsill at home, I suddenly realised something.
Brigid hadn't simply been holding a swan.
The swan had quietly been introducing itself all along.
Meeting Gabriel, Grace and Their Family
Later that morning we discovered that we hadn't met just one swan.
We'd met an entire family.
The resident swans of the Bishop's Palace are famous throughout Wells for their centuries-old tradition of ringing a bell to ask for food.
Outside the Palace grounds we met the beautiful adult pair then together, Gabriel and Grace, together with their five cygnets.
Visitors can purchase small bags of specially prepared swan food from the Palace, and feeding the family became one of the highlights of our visit.
Soon the pigeons joined us too!
The cygnets paddled around blisfully.
The parents watched calmly over them all.
It became one of those wonderfully simple moments that stays with you forever.
Gifts from the Palace
As we wandered through the beautiful gardens, I noticed feathers resting beneath the trees.
Tiny fallen twigs.
Little pine cones scattered naturally across the ground.
Nothing was picked.
Nothing was taken from living trees.
Only those gifts that nature had already offered.
When I returned home to Guernsey, those simple treasures became something entirely unexpected.
They inspired the creation of the House of Bridie Swan Wands and later our Swan Ritual Chests.
Every wand & Swan Bracelet now carries a little memory of that pilgrimage.
The naturally fallen wood.
The feathers.
The peaceful waters of Wells.
The quiet company of Gabriel, Grace and their family.
Perhaps...
...a little blessing from Brigid herself.
Following the Swan
We're returning to Wells again very soon, this time with our son, Louie.
He absolutely loves Hot Fuzz, so sharing the filming locations together will be something rather special.
We're also hoping to explore Vicars' Close, believed to be Europe's oldest continuously inhabited residential street, which we sadly missed during our first visit because the extraordinary heat eventually caught up with us.
Some places call you back.
Wells is one of them.
Listening to the Quiet Invitations
People often ask where the inspiration for House of Bridie comes from.
The answer is simple.
It comes from pilgrimage.
From sacred places.
From artists.
From unexpected encounters.
From listening.
Sometimes Brigid speaks through a sacred well.
Sometimes through an ancient flame.
Sometimes through another artist whose work quietly changes your life.
And sometimes...
she simply sends a swan.
May we all learn to recognise those gentle invitations when they appear.
Because they often become the journeys that change us forever.
Blessings,
Riel
Founder, House of Bridie ✨
p.s If these beautiful swans have inspired you as much as they inspired me, I've created a collection of handmade keepsakes celebrating this pilgrimage. You can explore my Swan Wand Collection, Swan Ritual Chest, and Sacred Swan Bracelet, each lovingly inspired by our visit to Wells and the gentle presence of Gabriel, Grace and their family.
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