This is an old Irish/Celtic saying – attributed back to the ancient first poet of Ireland, the Druid Amergin.
His song, as retold throughout time is:
I am the wind on the sea
I am the wave of the sea
I am the bull of seven battles
I am the eagle on the rock
I am a flash from the sun
I am the most beautiful of plants
I am a strong wild boar
I am a salmon in the water
I am a lake in the plain
I am the word of knowledge
I am the head of the spear in battle
I am the God that puts FIRE IN THE HEAD
Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?
Who can tell the ages of the moon?
Who can tell the place where the sun rests?
And his song was further entrenched in the Irish collective soul by the poet W.B. Yeats in his work, The Song of Wondering Aengus in 1899. In this poem, Yeats details the story of a man who wonders out into the wood because “fire was in [his] head” and takes a branch from the revered Hazel tree with which to fish. What he catches looks like a fish, but is in fact “a glimmering girl; With apple blossom in her hair; Who called me by name and ran; And faded through the brightening air.”
What is all this about. Well, the term “Fire in the Head” is a phrase for being called to another word, to be taken by the fairies or to “Faerie” (fairyland) or a sign of one who can travel to and realms unseen by others and return with special knowledge.
Fire in the head. Heed the call. Ever urged on by my Irish, I have been doing some reading on Celtic spirituality and Earth centered faith. I have been suffering from chronic and severely debilitating migraines for years. A phrase like this stopped me in my tracks. There are several books and a lot of information dealing with this phenomenon. In his book “Fire in the Head, Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit,” Tom Cowan refers to this calling, as the “vocational crises” of the one who is being called to their true nature as a seer, healer, traveler, etc. And, this crises is marked by the onset of debilitating illness or unusual behaviors. Hmmm, got my attention. Sliante.
Wow, this really does give one something to ponder. Thank you.
Thank you for this posting. Migraines affect so many people, particularly women, and I believe that it is extremely important to consider the health of the whole person (not just their body), in determining the cause of (and treatment for) this particular pain.
As a Purna Yoga Instructor/Therapist, I help students look at, understand, integrate, and heal their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual lives. Using yogic tools for improved health in these four aspects of our Selves, students often come to understand their physical pain as symptoms of issues in another area of their lives.
Migraine, in particular, is a multi-faceted condition. On the physical level, we believe that it is closely connected to chronic tension. The cause of this tension, however, may have its roots in unresolved emotional issues or in living a very intellectual/analytical life – with little to no regard for the Spirit. When students are ready, the discussion at some point comes around to the deeper issue of Spirituality, and the possibility that the pain in the head is indicative of a disconnection from Spirit. Quite literally, the head (home of the mind, the ego, the sense of “I-ness”) is blocking the Spirit from the body. The body complains by hurting where the blockage lies…in this case with severe, sometimes debilitating pain.
Since the path of our life, or dharma, is shared with us through Spirit, it makes sense that migraine or other severe/chronic pain can be the first step to the kind of introspection and self-study that leads to huge changes in our lives. While making such changes can be very challenging, the consequences of ignoring the signs (in this case, pain) cannot be ignored. Looked at it from a yogic perspective, we can relate to pain as a gift that lets us know we’re out of harmony, lacking connection to Spirit, and/or not living the life that we should.
Of course, a yogic perspective on migraine is quite different from the medical perspective. I offer this insight as food for thought, not as diagnosis. I would be happy, however, to discuss the matter further if you are interested. Just send me an e-mail.
Namaste,
Kelly
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