What to do when a deity rides your ass!

Sorry for the crass blog title, but for the last week Bridget herself has been on my case - usually around 4:30 a.m., and sending me Her message for my life. I am in my semester homework cycle - ahead, but barely, and starting my coaching business in earnest, and driving my teen all over Ohio to music schools so she can audition for college. In other words, Bridget I am busy! I need my sleep! Can you not just hold off?

I've had other deities visit me; Lugh showed up a year ago or so. I had offered my usual Lughnassad bread and beer for his holiness, watched the fireflies come out as you do on an August 1st night, and never thought much about it. Suddenly on my porch I had Lugh himself sitting down, taking his beer, and quietly hanging out with me. I wrote about my experience with Lugh over on Celtic Nation, and was met with some skepticism. True, I am not a huge Lugh follower. I think much of the skepticism came from the boys, all saying - covertly - what would Lugh wanna do drinking beer with silly little Bridget worshipper you? No one at Celtic Nation had ever doubted my relationship with Bridget or Aengus.

Anyway, Lugh has hung about and been a quiet and calm presence this past tumultuous year and a half - 4 school programs (two down, and two to go) plus starting the business, returning to part time work and the usual of rearing two kids with autism spectrum disorders. I think Lugh has been lovely in lending me energy. He is still about, and shows up for beer or a quiet break from his life. If you don't believe me, oh well.

Bridget showing up is no surprise. She too has been in my life since my visit to the Orkney Isles when she was the world all around. Bridget leads me in my mothering, in my poetry, my blacksmithing, and now my work as a healer. I mean, I do what Bridget does. Of course she is my deity!

Her appearance last week, however, was neither warm nor nurturing. At 4:30 a.m. she would flood my dreams and then my waking pre-dawn self with blogpost ideas for my business website, with story ideas, with magazine articles that need writing, with ebooks to write. Writing writing writing. Bridget has a message and she is using me to get it out there and she doesn't care about my sleep.

After three days of her early morning wake-up calls, I finally got up and re-vamped my business website completely, added new categories and pages, and most importantly, talked about the spirituality of rearing special needs children. The minute I wrote that post, offered coaching for parents of special needs kids, and planned some upcoming parenting workshops for spirituality and prayer, she eased off and let me get some sleep.

So whadda ya do when a deity rides you like this? Well, the simple answer is do what you are called to do! Lugh says hang out and have a beer, and who am I to argue? (Lugh may hang about 'cause I am so happy to give him mine!) Bridget wakes you at 4 a.m. and says write a blogpost, just do it. It woulda been better if I had gotten up that first a.m. and written every idea down right then. Sure more ideas came, but after three days of re-writing - and early wake-ups - I finally got the words down that Bridget wanted, and her insisting presence moved on.

Deities come and speak to us. Angels send us messages. Spirits lead us to classes and teachers and friendships we need. Saints send us poetry. When a deity rides your metaphorical butt, the best thing to do is ride your muse, follow your inspiration, heed the call from within.

And be ready to follow again, 'cause once you start puja to one Saint or Deity, be aware, more will always follow.

Here's to your sleep! Follow your spiritual path! Some days, sleep is not as important as the work we are called to do!