Briga and Búas - Conditions of Power within Draíocht
Searles O'Dubhainn
searles@summerlands.com
Wed Oct 13 20:46:17 1999
Briga and Búas - Conditions of Power within Draíocht*p*by Searles O'Dubhain*p*When we consider the ways that the Druids used and controlled power, we really are talking about two forms of power: inherent power and redirected power. In esoteric matters, as with all other forms, energy has to obey certain laws.  One of these laws is the Law of Conservation of Energy.  This law basically states that energy can exist in two forms, but that it cannot be destroyed, only used.  The types of energy are kinetic (energy in motion) or potential (energy that has power but no outlet). Another law that all forms of energy obeys is the famous Einsteinian equation of e=mc**2.  This law says that energy can be converted into matter and light or vice versa.  It is another way of saying that energy has two forms and defining the relationships that those forms can take. *p*All this talk about energy and the laws it obeys is necessary so that we can discuss the two forms of energy used by the Druids in their Draiocht: Briga and Búa. Briga is another name for the inherent potential energy of anything as well as the naturally occurring ways in which this energy is converted to kinetic energy.  A waterfall is a great example of briga.  It is "high" which gives it lots of briga, yet it works in conjunction with gravity and the mass/connectivity of water to "flow" over a cliff and fall into a pool or a river bed below.  Most of the power of a waterfall is contained in its creative structure and its very existence.  How high is it?  How much water flows over it in a minute?  How does it impact us by its roar and its grandeur?  A mill or a waterwheel is a good example of the other form of energy which the Druids called "Búa."  Búa is a word that describes how energy is used, shaped and channelled.  It is a word closely associated with skill and action.  Búa is how the briga of the waterfall is used by the waterwheel or the mill.  The briga of the waterfall is converted into Búa by the "briga" of the waterwheel. *p*An excellent example of how briga and Búa were used by a Druid is found in the tale, "The Siege of Knocklong."  In this story, the army of Munster are battling against an invading army from Ulster.  The major forces at work are Druidic and Otherworldly.  I shall speak to the Druidic forces in this message. The Munster Druid, Mogh Ruith, was called upon to battle a fire that had been created by the Ulster Druid, Ciathruidh. Mogh Ruith had his helpers gather Rowan wood that had grown in a certain place to create a fire.  Next,he had each warrior provide a shaving from the haft of their spears.  All of this was bundled together into a ball by using butter.  After performing suitable invocations to his personal God and while observing all of the approrpiate forms. Mogh Ruith threw his created ball of spear shavings and butter into the rowanwood fire.  This created a counter fire and a Magical smoke that Mogh Ruith ascended while dressed in his bullhide cloak and wearing his feathered bird headress.  The battle was taken into the Otherworld at this point and Ciathruaidh and Mogh Ruith battled within the clouds.  The fires on the surface of the land followed the battle in the clouds.  As one prevailed, so did the other.  In the end, it was Mogh Ruith who was the victor.  Ciathruaidh and his assistents were turned into stones.*p*In this tale, the Druid takes the briga of the rowan and the briga of the warriors valor and turns it into a new creation by converting it into Búa. This conversion process was facilitated by the Magical fire as well as the chanted incantations. The entire working was used to provide a channel for the bri to flow within.  The actual Búa of the conversion was guided by Mogh Ruith in his Shamanic state of consciousness known as "Magical Flight." No energy was lost but much energy was converted between this world and the Otherworld. The skill of the Draiocht was in shaping the working by recognizing what elemnts of briga were available and necessary and then providing a means for converting that briga into the Búa of the working.  By his success in the battle, Mogh Ruith increased his own briga and his ability to channel Búa.*p*My use and association of the word búas to describe a condition of Draíocht that works with "brig" or "briga" comes from several sources and inspirations. It comes from the name Búa for the wife of Lugh, also known as the Cailleach in later times. This naturally associates the name and word "búa" with Cnogba via the Metrical Dindshechas. If the three great Brughs are anything, they are sites of power and Draíocht. The Brugh of Boann is a site of beginnings and sunrises, perhaps even new life a site of darkness and sunsets, even death. The mound of Búa, on the other hand is about both: sunrise and sunset, life and death, the flow between the two at a time of equal suns.*p*Other references to búas and/or búa usually refer to flows (The River Bush means Búas comes to mind). As such, I am struck by the idea that the powers of the earth are said to flow from wells in many of the tales: Boann and Segais, Sinann and the river Shannon, etc. It is clear that power, Draíocht, and knowledge are known to flow from such wells.*p*If I close one eye and stand upon one leg, with an arm on high, and peer into the "otherplace," I see flows of "briga" coming from the Stars and streaming into the Earth. This Draíocht is changed to "búas" for us by Anu and returned through the bíle and the wells. I see red-eared white cattle being herded into a keep by a Giant Herdsman. I see a Great Queen with many cows and much wealth. I see white quartz storing búas as briga awaiting a time when the horned priests chant the words that release the flows once again. I see basins of spirit and drowning souls swimming into a light that separates one world from the next.*p*Where do I see references to búas being used with brig/a? I see them in my imbas. I see them as being two forms of the same creation. If I see one, then I also see the other. In this, they are much like the horns of blessing where requests are made and sacrifices are given.*p*So:*br*Bríga - inherent or potential energy*br*Búas - applied or directed energy*p**br*Briga - attribute*br*Buas - skill*p**br*A soul has the ability to create. This is something that is lacking in some forms of creation. A soul is able to modify its briga and to channel its búas. A good example of this would be the Shamanic practice of empowering objects (such as crystals) by placing enough briga within it to allow a soulless entity to pass from the Otherworld into this one and inhabit the object. Another good example would be a foundation sacrifice to empower the briga of a place (to give it soul and an ability to act/interact with the tribe). Most everything that has come into being (into this creation), has briga by its very existence. The manner in which creation arranged this briga and consequently characterized its ability to channel búas, determined the level of the entity in the scheme of things. Disembodied spirits have little briga unless they also have a soul (they do possess a lot of buas however). It is for this reason that many Otherworldly beings need the assistance of the Witch or Druí to enable them to manifest in this reality. Of course, the Sidhe probably think most of us "soulless" for our difficulties in reaching their reality. In some cases, special individuals have a dual existence in all three worlds.*p*Searles*p*