Imbolc - Candlemas - The Feast of Brigid
Imbolc or Imbolg, meaning ‘in the belly’ is the second sabbat of the year which falls between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara) which usually falls on or around February 1st. It is also known as the Feast of Brigid, or the more Christianized form, Candlemass. It is a festival celebrating Brigid; Goddess of fire, quickening and fertility. She is a triple faced goddess, the sacred Smith, Healer, and Poet, associated also with the perpetual flame, midwifery, animal husbandry, sacred healing wells and thresholds just to name a few. As Christianity took hold in the parts of the world where she is venerated, she became St Brigid - and St Brigid’s Day is still observed on the same date as Imbolc. There are many deities that embody these values of hearth and home; Freya, Aradia, Cerridwen, Hestia, Vesta, Vesna, Mokosh, Kore…find one that speaks to you and your own ancestral line to work with at this time in the wheel. I will refer to Brigid in this writing, but use whatever deity calls to you.
This sabbat is about the gathering and growing light – not necessarily heat, at this point – but the incremental increase of light each day which calls nature to stir from its cold winter slumber. Imbolc, like all of the eight Sabbats, is an observation of a turning point of the sun at this time in the wheel. This is the point where our intentions for the year are quickened or fertilized, and there are a variety of ways to celebrate and connect to this ancient tradition of sympathetic magic.
One way to celebrate Brigid is the construction of a Brigid’s Cross; an equal armed woven cross traditionally made from rushes or reeds which is placed in a home, often over a door, as a symbol of protection for the coming wheel. Spell intentions can be woven into the cross as it is made. Crosses from the previous year should be burned as part of an energetic spring cleaning; sweeping away last year's energies and intentions and replacing it with something new. There are many tutorials available in books and online for the making of crosses from various materials. Brigid is also known for her magical cloak which can expand its size to envelope large portions of land. It is believed that placing a cloak, blanket, or other beloved item of clothing outside on the eve of Imbolc will be blessed. The first rays of light on Imbolc day imbue the items with the protective healing powers of Brigid. A well-loved blanket blessed by Brigid is a wonderful thing to have on hand any time you may get sick in the coming wheel. One of the faces of this triple goddess is that of the poet; as such, writing poems or songs in dedication to spring, hearth, home and the return of the light are another great way to celebrate this time of year. Furthermore, all acts of animal husbandry, midwifery, healing and smithing can be dedicated to the deities of Imbolc.
In the tradition I enjoy observing, each year I make a doll to represent Brigid or the divine feminine, a bed for her to lay in, and a wand to symbolize the divine masculine, to beckon the quickening of our seeds (intentions) for the year. The doll is made from sheaves of grain such as wheat, oats or corn husks and is dressed in clothing. The wand is made from a piece of wood, traditionally with an acorn affixed to the end to make a phallic or priapic wand symbolizing the divine masculine energy. The bed is often a basket, woven sticks and twigs or something similar. In a pinch, even a cardboard box can be decorated to make a nice bed – it’s about the thought and effort you put into it, not the money you spend on it. This can all be as simple or ornate as desired but should be made of natural materials that can be burned. The bed, doll and wand are traditionally left outside on the stoop of the house on the eve of Imbolc along with a candle which is left burning all night as a symbol of protection and the growing light of the sun; beckoning the sun god to quicken the goddess – beckoning the energy of light to once again fertilize the growth of the seed within the cold dark belly of the Earth. On the day of Imbolc, the bed, doll and wand are brought inside, symbolizing bringing the light of the new year into our lives. Intentions are added to the bed; these can be notes, symbols or other items such as crosses from the previous year which will be burned along with the bed. This is another case in which the transformational magic of fire is used to set a spell in motion. In this case the fire takes on the energetic properties of the womb; serving as a gateway for intentions to be quickened and made manifest in this realm.
Another way I have celebrated Imbolc in years past is rooted in Greek mythology. Persephone, also known as Kore, is a goddess of grain and agriculture associated with spring time. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter who spends half the year as Queen of the Spring, and half as Queen of the Underworld. Pomegranates are sacred to this face of the goddess, so I like to eat a pomegranate at this time of year as I meditate or think on Persephone’s ascension from the dark realm of the Underworld to bring her love and light to the meadows of spring as the fair Kore - another quickening. My favorite, if unusual, take on the specifics of this story can be found in the book “Existential Kink” by Carolyn Elliott.
This Imbolc, however you choose to celebrate it, may your intentions be quickened as the sun’s light gathers and imbues the earth with powerful growth energy once again.
“Thus we banish Winter
Thus we welcome Spring
Say Farewell to what is dead,
And greet each living thing.
Thus we banish Winter
Thus we welcome Spring! ”
