Imbolc

by Rain Trueax

For those of us who celebrate a Celtic year, Imbolc (in the Northern Hemisphere from February 1-to the evening of Feb. 2) is the true beginning of spring (It didn't occur to me until last year that it would be celebrated August 1st or 2nd in the Southern Hemisphere as it is a seasonal holiday). It is midway between the Winter Solstice and spring equinox. 

Where I live, it marks the beginning of lambing season although our son, who looks after the livestock while we are in Arizona, had the first lambs weeks ago. Imbolc (you do not pronounce the b) means ewe's milk. Whether on a farm or not, this is the time of stirrings of new life, what might be called the quickening when life comes back from where it's been dormant.

"It is the promise of renewal, of hidden potential, of earth awakening and life-force stirring. Here is hope. We welcome the growth of the returning light and witness Life's insatiable appetite for rebirth. It is a time to let go of the past and look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings." from the Goddess and the Greenman

This is one of four festivals to mark the seasonal changes to the year. Imbolc being first, followed by Beltane, Lamas/Lughnasadh, and finally Samhain- each oriented to a part of the

harvest as is fitting for the agrarian culture from which these celebrations came.

Imbolc may also be the time to celebrate the pagan goddess Brigid (she has been woven into the Church as St. Bridget). She is the goddess of healing, poetry, of fire, of the sun, and of the hearth. Hence it's appropriate to celebrate this time with fires. Brigid brings fertility to the land. As a Triple goddess, at Imbolc, she appears in her maiden form. 

Appropriate symbols for this day are snowdrops, swan feathers, white and green candles, and if you have a hearth, of course, a fire in it. The colors are traditionally white, red, and black. Smells associated with the day are cleansing and healing-- frankincense, mugwort, and sandalwood make good incenses. I've also seen dragon's blood suggested-- where would you get that? lol

As for foods, bake bread or rolls with sesame or poppy seeds. Dried foods like raisins, apples, and sun-dried tomatoes symbolize the sun. Serving your meal on sun-covered dishes would make a good accent. 

As happens with a lot of pagan celebrations, the Catholic Church turned February 2nd into a holy day-- Candlemas. It has aspects in common with Imbolc and can be traced back to the 4th century in Greece when it was a purification holiday, celebrating the return of the light. Candles are used in its observance. 

We can't leave out Groundhog Day, but it is not thought it is tied to Imbolc. From what I could determine, it was first celebrated in 1887 in the United States. February 2nd, if the groundhog comes out of his den and sees his shadow, winter lasts 6 more weeks. Some say it's based on a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition but became popularized by a newspaper in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray is not only funny but has a deeper message that is not about winter's end, badgers, woodchucks or groundhogs :).

Because of the importance of Imbolc in my most recent mystical realism book, I waited to bring it out just ahead of it. There are two celebrations of Imbolc with the Hemstreet Witches-- four sisters, their mother and grandmothers. Check it out.  It's a senior romance with a twist. [Ever as Before].