Imbolc ~ February 1^st

Lá Feabhra: The First Day of Spring

Imbolc honours the triple goddess Brigit and is one of theeight sabbats that mark the turning of the wheel of the year. Ground-hog day isalso observed today. This holiday incorporates the seasonal divination of themore ancient Imbolc, which uses the movement of a snake rather than the shadowof a ground-hog to divine how much longer winter will remain.

It is the beginning of the Storm Moon and also the time ofthe Feast of Oya, the orisha of weather and changes. To the Iroquois people, itis Midwinter Ceremony, a time to bless the fields, tell your dreams, and paytribute to your ancestors.

Imbolc is one ofthe four principal festivals of the pre-Christian Celtic calendar, associatedwith fertility ritual, was subsequently adopted as St Brigid's Day in theChristian period, and in more recent times has been celebrated as a firefestival, one of eight holidays, festivals (4 Solar and 4 Fire/lunar) orsabbats of the Neopagan wheel of the year. Imbolc is arguably one of thepredecessors of the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

Imbolc isconventionally celebrated on 1 February although the Celtic festival commencedon January 31. In more recent times the occasion has been generally celebratedby modern pagans on Feb. 1 or 2. Some neopagans relate this celebration to themidpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox, which actually fallson Feb. 4 or 5.

Celtic Origins

Evidence of howImbolc was celebrated in Irelandderives from folklore collected during the 19th and early 20th century in ruralIreland and Scotland, compared with studies of similarcustoms in Scandinavia. Like other festivalsof the Celtic calendar in Irish mythology, Imbolc was celebrated on the eve of1 February, which marked the beginning of the day according to Celtic custom.

The festival wastraditionally associated with the onset of lactation of ewes, soon to givebirth to the spring lambs. This could vary by as much as two weeks before orafter the start of February.

The name, in theIrish language, means "in the belly" (i mbolg), referring to thepregnancy of ewes, and is also a Celtic term for spring. Another name isOimelc, meaning "ewe's milk"; also Brigid, referring to the Celticgoddess of smithcraft, to whom the day is sacred.

ThatImbolc was an important time to the ancient inhabitants of Ireland can be seen at the Mound of the Hostagesin Tara, Ireland. Here, the inner chamber isperfectly aligned with the rising sun of both Imbolc and Samhain.

The holiday is afestival of light, reflecting the lengthening of the day and the hope ofspring. It is traditional to light all the lamps of the house for a few minuteson Imbolc, and rituals often involve a great deal of candles.

St. Brigid's Day

In the modern IrishCalendar, Imbolc is variously known as the Feast of St. Brigid (SecondaryPatron of Ireland)and Lá Feabhra - the first day of Spring.

One vie isChristianity in an attempt to reconcile the popularity of this festival withits own traditions, took over the feast of Imbolc and effectively redesignatedit as St Brigid's day.

One folk traditionthat continues in both Christian and Pagan homes on St. Brigid's Day (orImbolc) is that of the Brigid's Bed. The young girls of the household orvillage create a corn dolly, adorning it with ribbons and baubles. The olderwomen then make a bed for Brigid to lay in. On St. Brigid's Eve (Jan. 31), theyoung women gather together in one house to stay up all night with the corndolly, and are later visited by all the young men of the community who musttreat them and the corn dolly with respect. Meanwhile, the older women of thecommunity stay at home and perform other ceremonies.

Before going tobed, each household completely douses its hearth and rakes the ashes smooth. Inthe morning, they look for some kind of mark on the ashes, a sign that Brigidhas passed that way in the night or morning.

Onthe following day, the Bride's Bed is brought from house to house, where she iswelcomed with great honour. Since Brigid represents the Life Force that willbring people from the backside of winter into spring, her presence is veryimportant at this time of year. People often will tap her effigy with an ashwand as well, perhaps an old remnant of more potent fertility rites that wereonce practiced.

Modern Neopaganism

Today, most modernneopagans celebrate it on the 1st or 2nd, the 2nd being more popular in America,perhaps because of the holiday's later identification with Candlemas. In thesouthern hemisphere it is celebrated in August.

Some modern Pagansargue that the Christian feast of Candlemas, whose date depends upon Christmas,was a Christianization of the feast of Imbolc. On the other hand, there is noevidence that Imbolc was celebrated in pre-Christian times anywhere other thanin Ireland whereas thecelebration of Candlemas began in the eastern Mediterranean.

Imbolc is oftendefined as a cross-quarter day midway between the winter solstice (Yule) andthe spring equinox (Ostara), and the precise midpoint is half way throughAquarius (in the northern hemisphere) or Leo (in the southern hemisphere). Bythis definition Imbolc in the northern hemisphere coincides with Lughnasadh inthe southern hemisphere.

Fire is importantfor this festival as Brigid (also known as Bride, Brigit, Brid) is the Goddessof fire, healing and fertility. The lighting of fires represents the increasingpower of the Sun over the coming months.

References to thefestival of the growing light can even be traced to modern America in theGroundhog Day custom on February 2. If the groundhog sees his shadow on thismorning and is frightened back into his burrow, it means there will be six moreweeks of winter. The custom comes directly from Europe, and Scotland in particular, where anold couplet goes: If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two wintersin the year.

During the Winter,the Maiden is with the Dark Lord and the land is bare.

Source:Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Imbolc Ritual

Adapted from EdainMcCoy's The Sabbats

Cleanse and castthe circle. Then call the elements in the manner with which you are mostcomfortable. We used the corner callings from Spiral Dance, by Starhawk.

The high priestesstakes the chalice from the alter and holds it up to the sky.

HPS: Blessed LadyGoddess, we humbly ask your presence at our circle tonight as we honour you atthis season.

Coveners: Blessedbe the Lady.

The hig priesttakes the athame from the altar and holds it up to the sky.

HP: Blessed LordGod, we humbly ask your presence at our circle tonight as we honor you at thisseason.

Coveners: Blessedbe the Lord.

The Virgin Goddessleaves the circle. She comes to the edge of the circle with her candle wheel inher hands. She should stand at the West quarter (the doorway to the Land of theDead). The high priestess will cut a doorway in the circle and allow theGoddess to enter. Everyone should greet her in their own way (verbal, motion,etc). The Goddess should walk three times clockwise around the inside of thecircle, and come to a stop before the alter and kneel before it, facing North.

The coveners shouldwalk in single file to the altar starting with the person to the altar's right.This will make the procession head clockwise. When everyone is back in theirplaces holding their lighted candles, the ritual can continue.

HP: Behold thelight. The God has returned for his bride.

Coveners:

Blessedbe the light which warms. Blessed be the God.

Blessed be theWheel which turns. Blessed be the Goddess.

The child God stepsout from among the rest and stands before the bride, who is still kneeling. TheGod bows to the goddess and she to him. Then they do a few flowing dance stepsaround the circle without touching each other, but conveying the idea of awakeningsexuality. When they are finished,they lift the besom from its resting place on the altar. The Goddess shouldhold the straw part and the God the stick. They should make sure they do notphysically come in contact with each other while they do this. The highpriestess stands in front of the besom and takes it from them by grasping itfirmly with both hands. The Goddess and God step back to take their places withthe rest of the coven.

HPS: With Imbolc wesweep away the last vestiges of winter.

The Coveners turnand face outward from the circle. The Priestess moves counterclockwise aroundthe circle behind the covenors, sweeping from the centre outward. As the HighPriestess passes each covenor he or she should voice either aloud or silentlyall the things that he or she wishes to have swept from their lives. When thisis finished, the Virgin Goddess and the child God step forward again and takethe besom fromt he High Priestess in the same manner in which it was given.Then the High Priestess steps back and the Virgin Goddess and child God placethe besom back onto the altar, and again take their positions among thecovenors around the circle.

HPS: The God hasclaimed the Goddess bride and the Wheel of the Year turns on. Who is Goddess?

All women: I amGoddess.

HP: Who is God?

All men: I am God.

HP and HPS: Who isGoddess and God?

Coveners: Allliving beings are Goddess and God.

HP and HPS: And whoare we?

Coveners: We arethe children of deity. And we are deity. We are part of the creative lifeforces which move the universe. we are microcosm and macrocosm. We are part ofall that is.

Partake of Cakes and Ale

HPS: Though we areapart, we are ever together - for we are one in the spirit of our goddess andGod. Merry meet. Merry part.

Coveners: And merrymeet again.

All: Blessed be!

Ground, release thecircle.

Imbolc Spell

Colour of the day: Lavender

Incense of the day: Chrysanthemum

Imbolc is theCeltic holiday that marks the beginning of spring.

It is ruled by thegoddess of spring, known as Brigit or Brigantia in Ireland,and Bride in Scotland.In Irish myth, the god of the earth Dagda, also known as the “good god,” hadthree daughters, who were all named Brigit. The first Brigit was the goddess ofpoetry, the second was the goddess of smithcraft, and the third was the goddessof fire and healing. All three are really aspects of one triple goddess who wasassociated with the Sun and with fire.

On this day Brigitused her flame to rekindle the fire in the earth and assure that plants wouldhave the heat that they need to break through the earth and begin to grow. Inancient times, a woman dressed as Brigit would bless the fires in thehouseholds and forges across Ireland.

On this day,Brigit’s snake would come out of its mound, and the snake’s behavior woulddetermine how long the remaining frost will last. This is the most likelyorigin of Groundhog Day.

In Christian times,Brigit became a saint associated with the Virgin Mary. Imbolc became theChristian Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary,which is celebrated by lighting candles.

ABrigit’s cross is a talisman made of woven reeds that form a cross with a wovensquare in the center and four equal arms extending out from the center. Thisdesign gives the cross a sense of rotation that evokes the wheel of the year.Brigit’s cross should be made or bought on this day and used to protect thehome throughout the year. Also on this night one can leave a silk ribbon on thedoorstep for Brigit to bless. Later it can be used for healing.

By: Robert Place

Dream Tending Spell

Colour of the day: Brown

Incense of the day: Sandalwood

This is a trulyspecial day for Wiccans and some Witches. It is Imbolc, a high holiday thathonours the triple goddess Brigit and one of the eight sabbats that mark theturning of the wheel of the year. Ground-hog day is also observed today. Thisholiday incorporates the seasonal divination of the more ancient Imbolc, whichuses the movement of a snake rather than the shadow of a ground-hog to divinehow much longer winter will remain.

It is the beginningof the Storm Moon and also the time of the Feast of Oya, the orisha of weatherand changes. To the Iroquois people, it is Midwinter Ceremony, a time to blessthe fields, tell your dreams, and pay tribute to your ancestors. Today is alsothe birthday of Marie Laveau II, New Orleans’ Voodoo Queen and diviner extraordinaire.

At bedtime now,light a braid of sweet grass. Extinguish the flame but allow the braid tosmoulder. Wave the braid lovingly and with great care around your bedroom,motioning with your hand to encourage the smoke to drift in a snake-like streamover your bed and pillow. Dip the braid in springwater, making absolutely sureno flame remains. Then put the braid away.

Pour lavender waterin a large bowl. Put your favorite seashell inside the bowl of water. As you sleep,the bowl will act as a conduit for messages from the ancestors, nature spirits,and the great beyond. Place this under your bed or on your bed table. Replenishthe water as needed over a period of two weeks.

Write down yourdreams in a journal. Read over them frequently. Messages revealed in thedarkness of winter have special meaning. Work each day to lift the shroud ofdarkness so you can glimpse new growth and the coming light of spring.Understanding the mysteries of winter is at the heart of Imbolc and itscelebrations.

By: Stephanie RoseBird