creating Printables, Meditations, Journal Prompts
Instructions and inspiration for setting up your own miniature Imbolc altar - includes a preview of The Modern Witch's Guide to Imbolc online course.
I know Imbolc was a couple of weeks ago now, but I wanted to try to create an 'idealised' vision of an imaginary Pagan/Wiccan/Druid celebration in a mossy woodland setting.
This week we reach the midpoint of winter, marked by the cross-quarter day of Imbolc. Traditionally, Imbolc begins at sundown on February 1st & continues through February 2nd. Imbolc is an ancient Celtic holiday celebrating the very first stirrings of new life–the earliest breaths of spring. Even though there may still be snow on the ground […]
In honor of Brigid , fire goddess and saint, and the season of Imbolc. Hands by Siv Ceder...
Easy How to make a Brigid Doll (straw doll) tutorial for Candlemas (Imbolc) Step by Step instructions with pictures to recreate this DIY.
I love the ancient feast days that once celebrated the turn of the “wheel of the year”. Marking celestial alignments such as solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days, they followed the old wisd…
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The wheel turns and ever so slowly the light and warmth begin to return. Snowdrops herald the first hints of the coming springtime as, little by little, life chase away the long dark days of winter
Blessed Imbolc! This is one of my favorite European pagan holidays, since it provides optimism and joy during the midpoint of winter. Keep reading to learn more about the holiday of Imbolc, how and why it’s celebrated, and the Imbolc tarot reading I’m offering right now!
This rich milk bath is filled with relaxing salts and a milk powder of your choice. A sweet and foresty blend of essential oils makes it even more luscious. Celebrate Imbolc with a ritual bath to deeply relax!
The grace of a grey bannock is in the baking of it… Scottish Proverb Oatcakes or Bannocks were traditionally eaten on old-world feast days to mark the changing seasons. And roundabout Feb 1st…
By February, most of us in the North are tired of the cold, snowy season. Imbolc marks the beginning of the lambing season, signaling the beginning of Spring and the stirrings of new life. Most commonly it is celebrated on 2 February (or 12 February, on the Old Calendar) in the Northern Hemisphere and 1 August in the Southern Hemisphere. The moon will be waning, last quarter this year. 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 revive within the soil. Depending on your particular tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Imbolc. Some people focus on the Celtic Goddess Brigid, in many aspects a Deity of fire and fertility. Others aim their rituals more towards the cycles of the season and agricultural markers. Rituals and activities might include the making of candles, planting Spring flowers, reading poetry and telling stories. In Norse, the Charming of the Plow is a festival of fertility and beginnings of the planted seed. Many celebrate the courtship by Freyr of the Maiden Gerd; a symbolic marriage of the God of Fertility with the Mother Earth. In much of Northern Europe, grain cakes were offered for the soil’s fertility and were invoked to that end. In other areas, the plow is decorated and then whiskey or ewe's milk is poured over it. Pieces of cheese and bread are left by the plough and in newly turned furrows as offerings to the nature spirits. It is considered taboo to cut or pick plants during this time. Some more modern traditions may use other garden tools such as the rake, shovel or hoe. The holiday also generally honors all Goddesses and female ancestor spirits who bring blessings of fertility as well as important lessons. This is a good time to recall outstanding women in one’s family line. For those of you who garden, this is the time to plant seeds indoors to later be transplanted into the Spring garden. Another way to make the day is to meditate upon you dependence on the soil. You live on soil, gleba, Earth, land, erz - whatever you call it, it is common dirt that everyone shares. Soil supplies over 90 percent of the world's food - rice, corn and wheat. The early people thought of the Earth as sacred. Earth was home and the provider of life. But now the world's supply of soil is shrinking - lost to cities, floods and paved roads. Most of the food today comes from huge farms doused in pesticides. The Gods give us gift for gift, honor for honor, truth for truth, respect if we are worthy, council if we ask for it and insight if we are ready. Forseti, the Presiding One, is a God of justice, savior of the devout, winner of just lawsuits. He represents justice, truth, good laws, arbitration, peace and fairness. Truth is simply being honest about what you believe or know to be true and right. Var, Goddess of awareness, personifies an idealized concept of truth and honesty. Var and Vor were handmaidens of Frigg, and are invoked to witness oaths and to punish oath breakers. Goddess of love-vows, she listens to (and punishes those who break) agreements between men and women. Newly married couples say her name when they take each other's hands. The truth is not absolute, it changes over time. (The Earth use to be the center of the universe once upon a time). Spend today reviewing what is in your food. What is going into your garden in a few months. What you can do to honor Earth and treat it well. Take a nature walk and look for the first signs of Spring. The Goddess Brigid The Irish Goddess Brigid is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth. To honor 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. 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 Brigid as a saint -- thus the creation of St. Brigit 's Day. Today, there are many churches around the world which bear her name. Brigit's Cross is a traditional fire wheel symbol - found at the hearths of homes throughout Ireland and beyond as a symbol of protection. Sacred Feminine Imbolc or Candlemas is a great day to honor the Sacred Feminine. It can be done in a traditional way, like burning candles and offering flowers at a shrine in Her honor. This date also coincides with the feast of St. Brigit, a Irish Catholic nun whose life work was to tend to women’s health, particularly in childbirth. What better way, then, to honor this special day by volunteering or making a donation to your local women’s shelter. Purification and Light For 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. For the Christian calendar, this holiday was reformed and renamed 'Candlemas' when candles are lit to remember the purification of the Virgin Mary. Candles were blessed, there was much feasting to be had, and the drab days of February suddenly seemed a little brighter. 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. Weather Imbolc was traditionally a time of weather divination, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens may be a forerunner to the North American Groundhog Day. Some people believed that Imbolc predicted the weather for the rest of the winter. If Imbolc Day be fair and bright, winter will have another fight. If Imbolc Day brings cloud and rain, winter won't come again. May you have a blessed Imbolc! End of Winter Meal Blessing The winter has come 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. Blessed be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL3KG2L-evE Brigid's Cross Charming of the Plow February Imbolc Imbolc Spring Love Sabbats Spring is coming The Witch's Sabbat Weather Who Are Your Divine Friends?
Well , today is the Day !Imbolc, the first of the Spring Sabbaths this year. I know a lot of you won't see anything of Spring yet, depending where you live in the world , but here we actually had some milder days already.I know that Ricky is stuck in 5 feet snow drifts, Tina had a an Ice Storm in Indiana, Crystal had blizzard warnings where she lives and couldn't go out. For us here it's a mellow day, I guess we can be grateful for the mild weather here , even though I would really have liked some more snow. - I'm cooking us a nice Imbolc dinner and plus a sweet treat for afters for today. I found this ritual and poem which I just had to scrap for today So hopefully the days will be getting longer soon again and the warmer weather returns and the sun will come out more. I know a lot of people get affected by the grey and cold weather.Those with Arthritis or Rheumatism suffer, and I think all of us have days where we feel depressed due to lack of light and warmth. Personally , I try to get out as much as possible. It has always served me well , I rarely get ill and the light and fresh air always give me a boost, even if it's raining. Another way for me is to let out my " wild side" - which is more than one method to get into a good mood again,depending on the circumstances. The usual thing is to turn my stereo up loud , sing and dance along while doing my work. Music is important for me and has a big influence on my moods. The upbeat stuff , club music and the usual chart songs , get me going with energy, if I want to wind down I put on some classical, Enya or other spiritual/meditation music. And... oh mama, this is just hot ! We had an unusual Breakfast show on Tv over here last week -Gino , the cook promised to cook naked if the show won an award - well they did !And he kept his promise - this is just hilarious ... but yummie .... please ...I want a naked chef as well . I promise to keep the burns cream handy and rub it in all the right places as well ,lol. In design I have almost finished the kit for March , some more elements and it's done.But no rush, I have lots of time! Next thing is to make a slideshow of the February parts -let's see if I have all the previews in the Photobucket folder. We are all so busy that those little things often get forgotten. It's not even 9.00 am , but it's promising to be a nice day .The sun has just come up over the rooftops of the houses opposite ours. I think I will get ready and go for a walk around midday time when it's the warmest time of day. Blessed Imbolc to you all and stay safe if you're having some nasty weather where you are -Hugs Snowy
Candlemaker. Ukraine
Do you need some inspiration for your Imbolc menu? Here is a collection of our 9 favourite Imbolc recipes so that planning your next celebration is a breeze!
Discover the spiritual meaning of Imbolc, an ancient Pagan Sabbat celebrating the early signs of spring, with 3 Imbolc Rituals to Celebrate this Sacred Day.
Imbolc! A time to celebrate new life, hope and energies. Click through to discover magickal correspondances and festive ideas!
Imbolc or Imbolg (Em-bowl/g) was not traditionally a sabbat, but rather a day in which to honor the Goddess or Earth who was slowly turning the world back to spring. Winter was an extremely harsh season for our pagan ancestors with many people dying of disease or malnutrition. It's not surprising that our ancestors therefore set aside a day, midwinter to be exact, to perform sympathetic magic to lure spring. Over the years, Imbolc has changed names many times, but most Anglo-Saxon countries celebrate some form of the holiday. In Ireland, where much of the lore for Imbolc originates, it is known as St. Bridget's Day; in France it's the Feast Day of St. Blaize; and here in the United States we call it Groundhog Day. Traditionally in Ireland, the day was a holy day to honor the Great Mother Brigid in her guise as the bride of the young Sun God. It was customary for young women, and sometimes young men, to dress as Brigid in old, worn clothing and carry her image through the town asking for alms for "poor Biddy." Giving to her was thought to bring a good harvest. Her festival was so ingrained in Irish culture that the Catholic Church was forced to turn her into a saint and renamed the holiday accordingly. It is also viewed as a crossroads day in Ireland, a day in which spirits seek the safety of a crossroads and in which people can bury their negativity at a crossroads to trap it for good. Imbolc falls on February 2nd, and marks the midway point of winter. The name Imbolc means "ewe's milk" as this was the time when pregnant ewe's began lactating. Of course this was something to celebrate during a season short of food and was considered to mean winter was coming to an end. Honey Milk, a concoction of ewe's milk, honey, cider, and mashed apples, was commonly drunk to celebrate the holiday. Imbolc is also known as Candlemas, a name which derives from the traditional lighting of candles to lure back the sun. The most popular candle lighting custom among Anglo-Saxon cultures is to have a young woman dress as the Goddess and enter the ritual with a circle of candles. The circle of candles is known as a Sun Wheel and represents the Wheel of the Year being warmed by the returning sun. It wasn't until the Norse invaded that this tradition changed to wearing the candles around the head, a tradition found in their Yule tradition. Traditional foods for Imbolc come from the Celts, French and Swedes and tend to be round in shape and contain milk and honey. Pancakes and waffles made with rich cream are still a tradition in Sweden, especially on farms and in towns where the economy is based on milk. Honey cakes, a French dessert, are also common in many traditions along with warmed ewe's milk. Although we commonly associate the heart with Valentine's Day, it was originally a symbol of Imbolc. Many traditional Valentine's Day cards include bright red hearts, the symbol of love, and sometimes young women awaiting for their affections to be returned by a lover (Goddess waiting for the God). This tradition also has roots in an ancient Druidic ritual which included removing the heart of a live white bull and reading the final convulsions and appearance for clues to the future. I'm glad we have moved away from this barbaric tradition. Finally, Imbolc is the traditional time to collect stones for magical purposes. If you are in need of new stones, this is the day to do it. I hope this has been informative. How do you celebrate Imbolc in your home? Do you celebrate using any of these traditions? To learn more, please read the Imbolc Correspondences post.
Imbolc lands on February 1 and marks the midpoint of winter. In Celtic Pagan traditions it is honored and celebrated to welcome the returning sun and the promise of spring. It represents a time of purification, growth, renewal, fertility and letting go of the old as we make way for the new. In this
