Imbolc

Imbolc is an old festival connected with the coming of spring and the growing warmth of the sun. In some areas of Europe, this day marked the emergence of a few brave plants from beneath the snow. As such, Imbolc was an occasion for feasting.

Because the sun was usually seen as the source of the earth’s fertility, Imbolc (known in Catholicism as Candlemas) was a solar festival. Practitioners of preChristian religions lit fires and carried torches in ceremonial processions to urge the sun’s “return.”

Appropriate foods for Imbolc are spicy and hot, in honour of the Sun. Those utilizing garlic and chilli peppers are suitable, as are curried dishes.

As before, if you wish to carry out a similar ritual, choose candles, crystals, incenses, etc. of the correct associations to strengthen your ceremony.

**Candle colours**: White, cream and pink or any pale colour – these are associated with innocence and gentleness

**Crystals**: Garnet and bloodstones, also amethysts, rose quartz and gentle moonstones for awakening, fertility and feelings

**Symbols**: Ice, milk, seeds, first snowdrops or very early-budding leaves or flowers

**Flowers, herbs, oils and incenses**: Angelica, basil, benzoin, celandine, heather and myrrh

## About

Imbolc is one of the four Greater Sabbats of the witch’s calendar, a cross-quarter fire festival that falls between “Yule” – the Winter Solstice, and “Ostara” – the Spring Equinox. This year in 2010, Imbolc is celebrated on the 2 nd February in the Northern Hemisphere, with Lammas being the equivalent Sabbat in the Southern Hemisphere.

Imbolc is a celebration of light after the dark. As the returning Sun grows stronger lengthening day time and reducing night times, the main feature of this festival is the lighting of fires and candles in sympathy of the Sun’s growing strength.

Imbolc of old was traditionally a time of purification, both physically and mentally. After the dark winter months when the home was shut down to guard against the cold, it was a welcome relief for many people to re-open the shutters and welcome in the sunlight. While still in the grip of the last ravages of winter, plant life begins to revive as the first new buds of Spring appear. As the Sun grows in strength animals begin to mate and a new cycle of life returns to the earth.

In the mythology of the Sabbats, Imbolc marks the recovery of the Goddess as she sleeps on after the birth of the Sun God. Although he is still young his light purifies the earth and his growing power can be felt in the lengthening of the days. As his power grows and warms the earth, so too do the early beginnings of spring appear as nature rebirths itself again.

Fire is one of the most important aspects of this celebration, for it was also a day dedicated to the pagan Goddess Brighid (also known as, Bríde, Bridget, Brigit or Brìd). Brighid is a triple aspect Goddess (revered as Maiden, Mother and Crone). As Maiden she ruled over Poetry, Writing, Inspiration and Music, as Mother over Healing, Midwifery and Herbalism, and as Crone over Fire and the working Arts of the Smithy. When Christianity arrived, instead of doing away with Brighid as a pagan Goddess, they canonized her as “St. Bridget” the patron Saint of Ireland, in which guise she founded a church and monastery at Kildare. It was here according to legend that the Priestesses of the Goddess constantly tended a Sacred Flame in her honour.

In Western Europe, Imbolc was time to start preparing the fields for the first plantings, and to bless the crop seeds saved and stored from the last harvest. It was also a time to consecrate and bless all their agricultural tools. The success of the new farming season was of great importance to our ancestors, and as most their winter stores of food were beginning to run out, rituals were performed to ensure a steady supply of food until the first new harvest at Lammas (the Autumn Equinox). One old tradition was to drag decorated ploughs around the fields followed by villagers dropping pieces of cheese and bread mixed with seeds into the newly turned furrows as offerings to the spirits of nature. Corn dollies made and saved from the last harvest would also be planted to encourage new growth.

Imbolc is all about new beginnings. On the eve of Imbolc all the home fires would have been put out, cleaned out and re-lit symbolic of the returning light of the Sun. In keeping with this symbolism, a broom made from three sacred woods (the handle from Ash, the brush from Birch twigs and the binding cord from Willow) acting as symbolic of the three-fold aspects of the Goddess, would be placed by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming in the new. During the evening, an especially large candle would be lit as the family gathered around it for a feast, and as the feast progressed, plans and promises would be made to sustain them through the new season. It was also customary at Sunset to ritually light a candle in each room of the home in honour of the Sun’s return.

After the rise of Christianity in Britain, the custom of lighting candles at Imbolc was taken up by the Roman Catholic Church and renamed Candlemas. On the eve of Candlemas, candles would be lit all around the church in a Festival of Light. After a service to honour the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all candles to be used in the church during the following year would then be blessed and consecrated by the priest. This practice of celebrating Candlemas continued in England until the 16th century, at which time during the Reformation it was discontinued, being too closely allied to pagan practices and the veneration of magical accessories.

The use of candles in a Festival of Light never died out however and has returned to pagan practice. Today in contemporary witchcraft, one of the main features of many traditional covens is the initiation ritual. At Imbolc, members of traditional covens will form a procession of candlelight leading initiates into a circle, and from this circle, their new beginnings as Witches will take place.

Imbolc then is the time to spring clean both your mental and physical abilities, to take stock of your life and make a fresh start. By planning ahead and planting new seeds (ideas) for the future, who knows what new opportunities will grow from them. As the Sun grows stronger in the sky and the new buds of Spring appear, so too should you look forward with optimism, and as your seeds (ideas) mature, may you realise your hopes and dreams.

## Celebration of Imbolc

By February, most of us are tired of the cold, snowy season. Imbolc reminds us that spring is coming soon, and that we only have a few more weeks of winter to go. The sun gets a little brighter, the earth gets a little warmer, and we know that life is quickening within the soil. There are a number of different ways to celebrate this Sabbat.

### Rituals and Ceremonies

Depending on your particular tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Imbolc. Some people focus on the Celtic goddess Brighid, in her many aspects as a deity of fire and fertility. Others aim their rituals more towards the cycles of the season, and agricultural markers. Here are a few rituals you may want to think about trying —and remember, any of them can be adapted for either a solitary practitioner or a small group, with just a little planning ahead.

Hundreds of years ago, when our ancestors relied upon the sun as their only source of light, the end of winter was met with much celebration. Although it is still cold in February, often the sun shines brightly above us, and the skies are often crisp and clear. As a festival of light, Imbolc came to be called Candlemas. On this evening, when the sun has set once more, call it back by lighting the seven candles of this ritual.

The seven candles in this ritual represent various aspects of both the seasons and the human existence. Several symbolize the light that emerges as winter finally comes to an end, and another represents the purifying warmth of the hearth fires. One candle is symbolic of the barrier between the positive and negative in your life; a boundary of sorts between our world and the next. Another stands in for the magic of wisdom and inspiration, and for the light that comes into our lives when we experience love.

If you’re a solitary practitioner, don’t worry! This is a ritual you can perform all by yourself. Although this ceremony is written for one, it can easily be adapted for a small group by assigning each participant their own candle, or candles, to light and take charge of.

First, set up your altar in a way that makes you happy, and brings to mind the themes of Imbolc – rebirth and renewal, purification and cleansing. Prior to beginning your ritual, take a warm, cleansing bath. While soaking, meditate on the concept of purification. Once you’re done, dress in your ritual attire, if you normally wear it, and begin the rite. You’ll need:

• Seven candles, in red and white (tealights are perfect for this)

• Something to light your candles with

• A large bowl or cauldron big enough to hold the candles

• Sand or salt to fill the bottom of the bowl/cauldron

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now. Pour the sand or salt into the bowl or cauldron. Place the seven candles into the sand so they won’t slide around. Light the first candle. As you do so, say:

Although it is now dark, I come seeking light.

In the chill of winter, I come seeking life.

Light the second candle, saying:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.

I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.

I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Light the third candle. Say:

This light is a boundary, between positive and negative.

That which is outside, shall stay without.

That which is inside, shall stay within.

Light the fourth candle. Say:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.

I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.

I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Light the fifth candle, saying:

Like fire, light and love will always grow.

Like fire, wisdom and inspiration will always grow.

Light the sixth candle, and say:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.

I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.

I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Finally, light the last candle. As you do so, visualize the seven flames coming together as one. As the light builds, see the energy growing in a purifying glow.

Fire of the hearth, blaze of the sun, cover me in your shining light. I am awash in your glow,and tonight I am made pure.

Take a few moments and meditate on the light of your candles. Think about this Sabbat, a time of healing and inspiration and purification. Do you have something damaged that needs to be healed? Are you feeling stagnant, for lack of inspiration? Is there some part of your life that feels toxic or tainted? Visualize the light as a warm, enveloping energy that wraps itself around you, healing your ailments, igniting the spark of creativity, and purifying that which is damaged.

When you are ready, end the ritual. You may choose to follow up with healing magic, or with a Cakes and Ale ceremony. If you’re looking for prayers or blessings to celebrate the sabbat of Imbolc, here’s where you’ll find a selection of original devotionals that bid farewell to the winter months and honour the goddess Brighid, as well as seasonal blessings for your meals, hearth, and home. Feel free to adjust or modify these prayers as you need to, in order to fit the themes of your own magical tradition and beliefs.

### Prayers for Imbolc

Brighid’s Fire Meal Blessing

The goddess Brighid is well known as a keeper of the hearth fires in the home. As such, she is often associated with matters of domesticity, including cooking and kitchen magic. If you’re prepped a meal and you’re getting ready to dig in, take a moment to bless your food in Brighid’s name.

Brighid is the lady of flame, the fire that cooks our food! Hail to her and to the hearth, and may our meal be good!

Thanks to Brighid Meal Blessing In some modern Pagan traditions, it is customary to offer a blessing before a meal, particularly if it’s being held in a ritual context. At Imbolc, it’s a season to honour Brighid, the goddess of hearth, home and domesticity. Celebrate her role as a goddess of the home fires, and offer this simple blessing of gratitude before your Imbolc feast.

This is the season of Brighid, She who protects our hearth and home. We honour her and thank her, for keeping us warm as we eat this meal. Great Lady, bless us and this food, and protect us in your name.

### Prayer to Brighid, Bride of Earth

In many modern Pagan traditions, the Imbolc sabbat is a time to celebrate Brighid, the Celtic hearth goddess. Among her many other aspects, she is known as the Bride of Earth, and is the patroness of domesticity and home. This simple prayer honours her in that role.

Bride of the earth, sister of the faeries, daughter of the Tuatha de Danaan, keeper of the eternal flame. In autumn, the nights began to lengthen, and the days grew shorter, as the earth went to sleep. Now, Brighid stokes her fire, burning flames in the hearth, bringing light back to us once more. Winter is brief, but life is forever. Brighid makes it so.

### Smooring the Fire – A Prayer to Brighid

Alexander Carmichael was a folklorist and author who spent nearly five decades travelling around the highlands of Scotland collecting stories, prayers and songs. His most noteworthy work, the Carmina Gadelica, is an interesting blend of early Pagan tradition. Smooring the Fire is from Carmichael’s Carmina Gadelica, published 1900, and is a Gaelic hymn to Brighid, honouring the tradition of smooring, or dampening, the hearth fire at night, and particularly on the night before Imbolc.

An Tri numh (The sacred Three)

A chumhnadh, (To save,)

A chomhnadh, (To shield,)

A chomraig (To surround)

An tula, (the hearth)

An taighe, (The house,)

An teaghlaich, (The household,)

An oidhche, (This eve,)

An nochd, (This night,)

O! an oidhche, (Oh! this eve,)

An nochd, (This night,)

Agus gach oidhche, (And every night,)

Gach aon oidhche. (Each single night.)

End of Winter Meal Blessing

Although Imbolc isn’t truly the end of winter–and depending on where you live, you might be right smack in the middle of the worst weather of the season–in many traditions, it is a time to look forward towards the spring. It’s a good time to honour the idea that the days are starting to grow a little bit longer and that soon, the harsh cold winter will be coming to an end. Feel free to hold off on this prayer until it’s a little more seasonally appropriate for your area.

The winter is coming to an end

The stores of food are dwindling,

And yet we eat, and stay warm

In the chilled winter months.

We are grateful for our good fortune,

And for the food before us.

### Prayer to Brigantia, Keeper of the Forge

The goddess Brighid was known by many names. In parts of northern Britain, she was called Brigantia, and was seen as a keeper of the forge. In this aspect, she is associated with smithcraft and cauldrons. She was connected to the Roman goddess Victoria, a deity who was the personification of victory in battle, as well as loyalty. In some legends she is invoked as Minerva, the warrior goddess. Although as Brigantia she is not nearly as famous as her Brighid aspect, she is seen as the goddess who bestowed the title of Brigantes upon a pan-Celtic tribe in England’s border region.

Hail, Brigantia! Keeper of the forge, she who shapes the world itself with fire, she who ignites the spark of passion in the poets, she who leads the clans with a warrior’s cry, she who is the bride of the islands, and who leads the fight of freedom. Hail, Brigantia! Defender of kin and hearth, she who inspires the bards to sing, she who drives the smith to raise his hammer, she who is a fire sweeping across the land.

Prayer to Brighid, Keeper of the Flame

Among her many other aspects, Brighid is the keeper of the flame, and this simple prayer honours her in that role.

Mighty Brighid, keeper of the flame, blazing in the darkness of winter.

O goddess, we honour you, bringer of light, healer, exalted one.

Bless us now, hearth mother, that we may be as fruitful as the soil itself, and our lives abundant and fertile.

## History of Imbolc

Imbolc is a holiday with a variety of names, depending on which culture and location you’re looking at. In the Irish Gaelic, it’s called Oimelc, which translates to “ewe’s milk.” It’s a precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs. Spring and the planting season are right around the corner.

### The Romans Celebrate

To the Romans, this time of year halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox was the season of the Lupercalia. For them, it was a purification ritual held on February 15, in which a goat was sacrificed and a scourge made of its hide. Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with bits of goat hide. Those who were struck considered themselves fortunate indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf in a cave known as the “Lupercale.”

### The Feast of Egyptians

The ancient Egyptians celebrated this time of year as the Feast of Nut, whose birthday falls on February 2 on the Gregorian calendar. According to the Book of the Dead, Nut was seen as a mother-figure to the sun god Ra, who at sunrise was known as Khepera and took the form of a scarab beetle. She is typically portrayed as a nude woman covered in stars, and is positioned above her husband Geb, the earth god. When she comes down to meet him each night, darkness falls.

### Christian Conversion of a Pagan Celebration

When Ireland converted to Christianity, it was hard to convince people to get rid of their old gods, so the church allowed them to worship the goddess Brighid as a saint–thus the creation of St. Brigid’s Day. Today, there are many churches around the world which bear her name. St. Brighid of Kildare is one of Ireland’s patron saints, and she is associated with an early Christian nun and abbess, although historians are divided on whether or not she was a real person.

For many Christians, February 2nd continues to be celebrated as Candelmas, the feast of purification of the Virgin. By Jewish law, it took forty days after a birth for a woman to be cleansed following the birth of a son. Forty days after Christmas–the birth of Jesus–is February 2nd. Candles were blessed, there was much feasting to be had, and the drab days of February suddenly seemed a little brighter. In Catholic churches, the focus of this celebration is St. Brigid.

### Love & Courtship

February is known as a month when love begins anew, in part to the widespread celebration of Valentine’s Day. In some parts of Europe, there was a belief that February 14th was the day that birds and animals began their annual hunt for a mate. Valentine’s Day is named for the Christian priest who defied Emperor Claudius II’s edict banning young soldiers from marrying. In secret, Valentine “tied the knot” for many young couples. Eventually, he was captured and executed on Feb. 14, 269 C.E. Before his death, he smuggled a message to a girl he had befriended while imprisoned–the first Valentine’s Day card.

### Serpents in the Spring

Although Imbolc isn’t even mentioned in non-Gaelic Celtic traditions, it’s still a time rich in folklore and history. The Celts celebrated an early version of Groundhog Day on Imbolc too–only with a serpent, singing this poem:

Thig an nathair as an toll

(The serpent will come from the hole)

la donn Bride

(on the brown day of Bride (Brighid)

Ged robh tri traighean dh’an

(though there may be three feet of snow)

Air leachd an lair

(On the surface of the ground.)

Among agricultural societies, this time of year was marked by the preparation for the spring lambing, after which the ewes would lactate–hence the term “ewe’s milk” as “Oimelc.” At Neolithic sites in Ireland, underground chambers align perfectly with the rising sun on Imbolc.

### The Goddess Brighid

Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection as well, although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The Irish goddess Brighid is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth. To honour her, purification and cleaning are a wonderful way to get ready for the coming of Spring. In addition to fire, she is a goddess connected to inspiration and creativity.

Brighid is known as one of the Celtic “triune” goddesses–meaning that she is one and three simultaneously. The early Celts celebrated a purification festival by honouring Brighid, or Brid, whose name meant “bright one.” In some parts of the Scottish Highlands, Brighid was viewed in her aspect as crone as Cailleach Bheur, a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself. Brighid was also a warlike figure, Brigantia, in the Brigantes tribe near Yorkshire, England. The Christian St. Brigid was the daughter of a Pictish slave who was baptized by St. Patrick, and founded a community of nuns at Kildare, Ireland. In modern Paganism, Brighid is viewed as part of the maiden/mother/crone cycle. She walks the earth on the eve of her day, and before going to bed each member of the household should leave a piece of clothing outside for Brighid to bless. Smoor your fire as the last thing you do that night, and rake the ashes smooth. When you get up in the morning, look for a mark on the ashes, a sign that Brighid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes are brought inside, and now have powers of healing and protection thanks to Brighid.

## The Festival of Imbolc

**Time**: Sunset 31 January-sunset 2 February (31 July-2 August in the southern hemisphere)

**Focus**: New growth, melting the ice, bringing light into the darkness, the return of the Maiden Goddess

This was the festival of early spring when ewe’s milk was first available after the long, cold winter and the first shoots might be seen in the still-frozen fields. One of the Celtic names for the pagan festival was Brigantia, named after Brighid, the Celtic Triple Goddess, here in her maiden aspect ending the rule of the old hag of winter. She was Christianised as St Bridget of Kildare, whose day is 1 February.

Brigantia was also the name of a Gallic Earth goddess. Blazing torches were carried deosil around the still-frozen fields and sacred fires were lit on hilltops to attract the new Sun. It is said that Brighid went around the fields with her white wand of fire, melting the snows and stirring new life, so it is primarily a festival of light. In both pagan and Christian traditions it has involved the lighting of candles and torches, to restore warmth and light into the world.

The maiden goddess Brighid in myth mated with Lugh the young god of light and so, traditionally, a virgin was chosen to mate with the chief of the tribe to ensure the coming of new life to the land. It is said that, like Lugh, he embraced Cailleach, the old hag of winter who was thus transformed in his arms into the Maiden Goddess.

In medieval times, a girl representing Brighid would be brought to the door of the main house or farmstead of a village with cows and a cauldron, symbols of plenty. Her straw bridal bed would be created close to the fire, adorned with ribbons and blessed with honey. Milk, the first available after the winter, was central to the festival as a symbol of renewed fertility. It was poured on the bed of straw. Workers from the farms and villages would approach the bride bed, and in return for a coin, a posy of flowers or tiny gift would receive her kiss, bestowing blessing on their trade and homes.

In churches, the candles that were to be used for the coming year in ceremony were purified on the feast of Candlemas on 1 February. Each person was given a blessed candle that acted as protector of the home against storms, fire and flood and defended cattle and crops against evil.

The energies of this seasonal festival are good for the regeneration of any areas devastated by neglector pollution, for melting rigid attitudes that may have led to conflicts between counties or ethnic groups, and the isolation and alienation of disadvantaged groups through prejudice. They are especially helpful for the welfare of infants, small children and animals. On a personal level, these gentle rituals can bring mental, emotional and spiritual regeneration, especially if you have been hurt or lack confidence. If you carry them out, by Easter you will be filled with new optimism and a sense of direction and hopefully any new relationships, whether for love or friendship, initiated at Imbolc will be slowly but gradually developing.

Traditionally, those celebrating this festival would light candles and place them at each window of their houses on 31 January or Candlemas Night, 1 February, and leave them to burn down completely. For safety reasons, nowadays, however, many people use the type of electric candle sets that are popular in windows in Swedish homes before Christmas. A single, large, white candle was also lit in or near the family hearth as a centrepiece for the family feast on the same evening to welcome back the Maiden energies and to bring blessings on home and family. The traditional Brighid straw and beribboned crosses were woven and passed though the candle flame, thereafter serving as amulets to keep homes, animals and barns from harm.

These crosses, whose four arms extend at different points around a square centre, are still dedicated to St Brighid and are still kept in homes for protection.

## A Ritual To Release The Frozen Life Force

Work after dusk on the eve of 31 January or on the following evening, 1 February, and perhaps incorporate the ritual into your Candlemas party. With close supervision, even children can join in the ritual. Place the candles in a deep holder and make the miniature straw bed perhaps in a deep metal bowl or even the family hearth, if it is no longer used for fires.

On a table, your altar or the hearth, create a small bride bed of straw or dried grasses, decorated with coloured ribbons and any early flowers. Near it place a tiny fabric doll or any small doll to represent the Maiden Goddess. Encircle the bed with seeds and newly budding flowers or greenery and behind it, at a safe distance to avoid the danger of fire, place a single, tall, white ‘bride’ candle. On a tray in front of the bride bed, place an earthenware jug of milk, a small dish of honey and a dish containing an ice cube or small amount of ice. Round these, again being careful to avoid fire risk, set a circle of small pink and pastel candles. Light first your ‘bride’ candle, saying:

Bride, bride, enter your bower, your reign begins at this hour.

The old hag her sway is done, winter’s gone, new spring has won.

Place the doll in the bed and then light the candles surrounding the jug deosil, saying:

The maiden’s wand of fire does melt the snow, Ice depart and spring flowers grow.

Drop the ice or ice cubes into the jug of milk, stirring it deosil with a wooden spoon or birch twig, repeating the chant. Add a teaspoon of honey to the milk and again stir your jug deosil, saying:

Flow, life anew, through bud and flower, the thrall of winter has no power; Flow, love and joy and growth and light, ice and snow begone from sight.

Leave the ice to melt while you and any others present can place coins, flowers and ribbons on the bride bed, making wishes for the coming spring, for the land, the creatures, for others and for yourselves. When the ice is melted, stir the jug and very carefully pour a single drop on the bride bed, saying;

See, bride, I bring the first milk, symbol of nourishment and fertility, honey from the warm South, heralding fertility and abundance and above all the life force now released that can transform wish into reality and sustain us through the days of cold and wet still to come.

For we have seen the spring and so I send you light, that light may be shed throughout the world.

Blow your tiny candles out widdershins, naming for each a blessing that you ask for the world. Leave the ‘bride’ candle to burn through and the bride bed in place for the rest of the festival. If you are working in a coven, you can create a real, full-sized bride bed and choose the youngest member to be the bride.

## Brigid's Cross

The making a Brighid’s crosses was a tradition started in Ireland to honour one of pagan Ireland’s most important Goddesses Brighid. Brighid who is associated with fire, healing and holy wells, is celebrated during the pagan sabbat festival of Imbolc marking the earliest stirrings of Spring. Traditionally the crosses were made from rushes, but today wheat stalks, straw or other synthetic materials are used. Typically they are woven into a square centre with four extending radial arms tied at the ends. Once made they are hung by doors or in the rafters of the home and other outbuildings to protect a families property from fire and evil.