11/22/2022
"Who is Airmid? And why does her cloak matter?"
According to Irish folklore, Airmid was one of the members of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the most ancient race of deities in Ireland. She had great magical powers and was said to be one of the wisest goddesses. Alongside her brother Miach, a god of surgery, Airmid healed wounded mortals on the battlefield and in the homes of her people. Together they soon surpassed their father, Dian Cecht the Great Magician, in their ability to mend the sick and dying mortals back to perfect health.
Sadly, tragedy struck when Dian Cecht grew jealous of his children’s magical and surgical abilities. In a fit of rage, he slayed Miach and hastily buried his body so that mortal humans could not share in the immortality of the gods. After confusing the known herbs and their purposes, he left Airmid to grieve alone, unable to enact the same cruelty to his daughter.
As Airmid wept over the mound, her tears caused the healing herbs to spring up from Miach’s resting place. She quickly scooped them up from the earth and laid them out of her cloak, sorting them according to their uses so that mortals could continue to teach and learn about their properties. Dian Cecht saw this and tossed Airmid’s cloak to the wind, once again scattering the herbs. Yet Airmid still remembered the powers of the plants and their secrets, vowing to aid the mortals in rediscovering them.
The legend of Airmid calls upon the healers of the world to continue her mission to seek out and heal the wounded from emotional, physical, or spiritual trauma in her stead. It is a reminder that we should use all the tools at our disposal to repair the wounds left upon us, no matter where the wound came from. Airmid’s steadfast resolve reminds us to confront those who wronged us, grieve the loss of what could have been, and begin to discover our truest selves. With her example, we can all begin to create a new future for ourselves and what we hold dear.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
