Imbolc

The wheel of the year is turning, and on February 1st, the Northern Hemisphere will welcome the festival of Imbolc, also known as Brigid’s Day and Candlemas. It is important to remember that the festivals on the wheel of the year are seasonal markers, rather than single days. Imbolc originates from Ancient Celtic times, as the season following Yule and, in medieval times, Candlemas marked the end of the Christmas season. People kept their Christmas decorations and tree up until Candlemas, a tradition that is regaining popularity in recent years. We at Team TSE, are all for keeping decorations and the Yule and Christmas festivities going throughout the dark month of January!

Imbolc symbolizes the halfway point between the Yule, the winter solstice and Ostara, the spring equinox. It is a celebration that we have reached the midpoint of winter and spring is on the way.  The word “imbolc” means “in the belly of the mother,” This is the time when the seeds of spring are beginning to stir in the ground, in the belly of Mother Earth.  Shoots of early plants, such as snowdrops, begin to emerge as Imbolc brings us glimpses of the light and fertility of the spring to come. The days get longer, the light and warmth gradually return, and we begin to see the tiny shoots of growth again.

Ideas For Celebrating Imbolc

At Imbolc, we celebrate new life, new growth and new light as the days get lighter and the earth warms up ready for new growth to happen again.

We can also celebrate the Celtic Goddess Brigid, the goddess of the hearth and home, of fire, of healing, of the spring, fertility and new life, the earth as well as of poetry and blacksmithing.

Some things that we can do on this day, or around this time include:

• Create something with art or handicrafts.
• Let Brigid, the goddess of poetry, be your muse and create something with words.
• As Brigid is also known as the goddess of blacksmithing you could make something from metal, such as some jewelery or something for your home.
• Make some baked goodies and play with different warm spices in your food and drink.
• Clean the house.
• Light a bonfire, hearth fire or candles.
• Make a flower crown to wear and just welcome back in that light. There may not be new growth and flowers, but you can make a pretty crown from twigs, dead leaves and foliage, adding some glitter or some crafting.
• You can do some Triple Goddess work with Imbolc – journaling or pulling cards to explore where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going.
• Make a wreath of dark and light materials to represent the transition from darkness into light.
• This is the time of year when we are seeing animals start to show preparations to have springtime birth so we can honor and celebrate this by drinking and cooking with cow’s milk, goat’s milk, oat milk and other non-dairy milk.  Oatmeal is great too with some honey to eat or make a face mask with.
• Imbolc is a great time to consider rekindling the light and the fire within us too.
• This is the time of lighting a fire, being excited about the sun and the light that’s coming back, the heat that’s coming back, and doing something small in your life to signify how you are bringing that warmth in, that you’re excited for it, you’re grateful for it, you’re ready for it, all that good stuff.