Imbolc, the Celebration of Light and Life Anew
Imbolc is one of my favorite sabbats. It’s colorful candles, fire, fun and crafty activities and the hope of newness and restoration it brings make it an exciting holiday.
Celebrated between January 31st and February 2nd, Imbolc, is associated with life and fertility of the womb and land. Although some external influences have changed Imbolc over the centuries, it is mostly Celtic pagan with the goddess Brid as it’s matron. Many of the traditional Imbolc activities have ties to the multi-faceted traits of Brid.
There are some who think the tradition of Imbolc goes back to Pictish roots. According to Selena Fox, the Pictish king’s throne was given the name of the goddess and the king assumed her name as he was considered the “male manifestation of the Goddess.”
According to Edain McCoy in her book, Celtic Myth and Magick Imbolc is the celebration of the virgin goddess waiting for the return of the sun god. Before the influence of Norse invaders, who celebrated Vala’s Day, Imbolc also marked the rebirth of the sun.
Brid is the triple goddess and awaiting bride connected to the sabbat in so many ways. As the goddess with flames in her hair and an association with fire, she compliments the returning of the sun aspect. It is for her and the returning of light to the land that we light candles and fires in celebration.
Using white, pink, yellow, and red candles-the pastel colors of spring and red for love-place them on your altar or in every window of your house the night before Imbolc to welcome Brid’s blessings. If you have a fireplace place a green shawl, blanket or piece of fabric on your mantlepiece. If you don’t have a mantle, you can also place it on the back of your stove (a modern hearth) or outside on a hedge or your porch. Ask Brid as she passes your house to bless this mantle with protection and healing. Later, throughout the year you can place the shawl on a sick animal or child to aid in healing or cut it up into pieces and attach to the inside of your clothes for protection.
Brid crosses are also a favorite traditional protection tool created on Imbolc. Create one for Brid to bless overnight, and then replace any old ones you may have around the house with the new ones. The old ones should be placed in a fire and burned. If you can’t burn them, return them to the earth outside.
Imbolc is a celebration of newness, a new bride, a new life, the returning of a new sun, and preparation for a new harvest. For this reason, you should prepare for the celebrations of Imbolc with a unique cleansing. An Imbolc cleansing is more like a spring cleaning where you go through the house and clean it of all clutter, fixing or replacing broken items. It is also the perfect time to sweep away the old salt in your thresholds and windows sills and replace it with new salt.
Get rid of anything that represents the old you. Imbolc is the celebration of renewal so redecorate for the new you. Finally, cleanse the house with sage or cinnamon and give yourself a great spiritual cleansing bath. Fill the tub with the scents of flowers such as lavender and heather.
Imbolc rituals are lovely. With the use of fake or hothouse flowers and pastel candles, Imbolc rituals tend to have a celestial, cathartic feel to them. Centered around hope, renewal, protection, and inspiration they uplift the soul.
Brid, not only a goddess of the hearth, home and protection is very similar to a muse. She is also the goddess of creativity in the sense of art, poetry, and writing. Brid is also the goddess of smithing. She can help you start a new novel with the goal to complete it in a year and a day. Brid can also help you find work in a skilled trade or help you finally start your hobby as a blacksmith creating knives and practical items for the home. If it’s new, it’s in the spirit of Imbolc.
Imbolc is a holiday of newness and hope which brings joy. It is the celebration of the future union of bride and groom, virgin goddess and god. It is the perfect time to refresh your home, cleanse yourself, renew protection tools, and prepare for any garden you may be planning on starting when the earth is no longer frozen and is fertile once more.
It is essential to remember Imbolc is a celebration of renewal. Do not hang on to the past. Move forward and be who you are and who you want to be. The past is gone with the darkness. It is now time to move into and embrace the promising light and fertility of the future.
