Imbolc, also referred to as Candlemas or Oimelc, occurs on February 2, 2022. This is an exciting holiday of the returning light. Spring is coming!
The Celtic holiday honors Brigid, the fire goddess of healing, inspiration, and smithcraft. The mantra is refresh, renew, rededicate!
Imbolc is a cross-quarter holiday, midway between winter and spring. It’s one of the eight Wiccan Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year and one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals.
History
Imbolc is a Celtic holiday that was widely celebrated in Scotland and Ireland. The word “imbolc” means ewe’s milk. The traditional shepherds celebrated this time of new life as their sheep gave birth, grass began growing again after cold winters, and the days grew longer.
This ancient festival has been traced to the Neolithic period in Ireland. Archaeological sites have found tombs that align with the sunrise in early February. The Mound of the Hostages dates back to 3350 BCE.
Imbolc occurs during the Druid Month of Rowan. Rowan symbolizes protection and power. It is governed by the Rowan Tree (Mountain Ash).
As the earth begins to slowly wake up and we see the beginnings of spring, that spark of life is symbolized by a flame. Imbolc is the first of the fire festivals where we celebrate the spark.
Brigid
Brigid is an old Irish name that translates to ‘exalted one’. She is a triple deity. Her sisters are Brigid the Healer and Brigid the Smith (as in blacksmith).
Brigid is also the guardian of domestic animals and she is said to have two oxen named Fe and Men.
During this holiday it is felt that Brigid visits households and blesses the inhabitants. Leave a door or window open to let Brigid come in!
Saint Brigid on stained glass window
Is Candlemas Different Than Imbolc?
Candlemas is the Christian celebration that came from Imbolc. Candlemas starts on the eve of February 1 and ends on the eve of February 2. At this time candles are blessed, and the light honored.
Brigid the goddess was incorporated into the Christian religion. This is referred to as syncretism – the combining and blending of different beliefs.
In Ireland, they celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Brigid. She is referred to as “Muire nan Gael” which means Mary of the Irish. The modern-day Saint Brigid was born 451 in the county of Louth, Ireland. She died in 525 at age 72.
She was known for her acts of charity and feeding the poor. Brigid herself was born a slave and was granted her freedom by the King of Leinster. She went on to become a nun and started several monasteries for women.
Many wells are dedicated to Brigid and the water is considered blessed. Followers visit the wells and offer prayers and coins. They walk in a sunwise direction around the well, say prayers, and ask Brigid for blessings.
Celebrate Imbolc
Rededication of Tools
Imbolc is a good time to clean and rededicate your ritual tools. Brigid is said to have used a white wand, made of birch, to start plants growing each spring.
Imbolc Altar
There are many things you may wish to include on your Imbolc altar. Choose objects that have spiritual meaning to you and members of your family.
Statue of the goddess Brigid or a corn husk doll to symbolize her. Her colors are considered white for winter and purity and red for the coming sun. Use a white altar cover and red ribbons.
Choose a plant or white flowers, to have at your alter or plant seeds to represent growth. See the candle magic ritual below.
You can add something of Celtic tradition such as Brigid’s crown or cross. Crosses are often woven with straw. Young children can use pipe cleaners.
A chalice filled with water to symbolize her wells or a hammer to represent the smith.
Symbols to add to your altar include white candles, flowers, and seashells.
You can make a Brigid’s cross for your altar
Light a Red Candle
Imbolc is a fire festival. As we welcome back the light, we want to also welcome warmth into our lives and homes. Light a red candle on the eve of Imbolc.
Read What Do Candle Colors Represent in Rituals and Spells
Feasting
A special feast was prepared to celebrate with a place and food for Brigid. Traditional foods would have included colcannon, sowans, dumplings, barmbrack, or bannocks.
Colcannon is a dish of mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage.
Sowans is a Scottish porridge made from fermented oats.
Barmback is a quick bread made with wheat flour and raisins.
Bannocks is a flatbread that was popular in Scotland and Ireland. It was also found throughout North America in indigenous diets.
Here is an omnivore recipe for colcannon
Preparing to Plant a Garden
Now is the time to order seeds and plan your garden. Gardening can bring us great joy and children love to watch the growth of their plants. Discussing the natural cycles of life can be a springboard for so many important life lessons.
In addition, as we learned in 2020 food supplies are easily broken. Having a vegetable garden can give you a source of healthy organic fruits and vegetables and food security.
Candle Magic for a Bountiful Garden
What you will need:
Small planting pot filled with soil
White candle and holder
Method:
Light your candle
Face the direction of the earth while holding the candle
Concentrate on what you wish to grow this year – it can be anything. Vegetables for dinner, flowers for beauty, herbs for medicine…
Recite: Brigid my mother bless my dreams, bless my soil, bless the seeds I am about to plant. May my garden grow under your blessed light”.
Place the candle in its holder.
Plant your seed in the pot.
Hold up your planted seed.
Recite: “Thanks be to Brigid”
Spring Cleaning
Maybe you don’t think of spring cleaning as a ritual much less a celebration. However, as we focus on cleansing and purifying ourselves, we need to consider our homes. An organized space helps us to concentrate and allow for the energies to move freely in our homes.
This is a good time for house cleaning. Clean your windows to let the sun in. Remove clutter and things you don’t use. Donate clothes and household goods to charity.
Make and Decorate Candles
A fun family activity is to make your own worship candles. There are many fun kits you can buy to make candles.
The candle’s flame represents fire which we associate with life, passion, and creative energy. They represent the return of the light and the increasing power of the sun.
Women and girls have a long history of tending the fires. St Brigid is associated with the eternal flame. The sacred flame in Kildare was attended by 19 nuns during the middle ages.
Brigid has corresponding goddesses – Vesta from Ancient Rome and Hestia of Ancient Greece were also fire and hearth.
Welcome Brigid
Welcome, Brigid into your home. Set a place for her at the table and prepare a place for her to sleep. In the country of Mann, they would stand outside the home and invite her in “Brede, Brede, come to my house tonight. Open the door for Brede”.
Poetry
Among her other talents, Brigid is the patron of poetry. Read poetry together as a family and discuss how it makes you feel. Remember there are no wrong answers.
Children love poetry. It’s only as we age, we become intimidated by it.
Weather Divination
Many wells and springs are named after Brigid. In Scotland, people watched for snakes and badgers to come out of their dens. Much like the USA Groundhog Day.
Weather is an important event and affects our lives probably in more ways than we acknowledge.
Learn about some signs that tell us about the weather. Did you know that there are many different types of clouds but not all of them produce rain?
Nature Hike
Take a nature walk. If you have snow, ask for a blessing for the warming earth.
Notice what birds are in your area. Are they birds that winter over or birds returning for spring? Look up to see if you see bird nests.
It’s always fun to look for animal tracks in the snow.
The rowan berries are an important winter food source for birds. Plant one in your yard to support wildlife.
Create Jewelry or Metal Art
Smith gods were highly respected by the Celts. Smiths were the master of fire and molded metals into new shapes. Much the way we bring air, fire, water, and earth together to form a new being.
You can celebrate Brigid the Smith by making things out of metal or learning to use tools.
Teach your children how metal hinges work. Join two pieces of wood using a hinge.
Another smith to read about is the Norse God Wayland.
Author, Erik studied Anthropology in college and is currently completing an internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Erik desires to be a Viking when he grows up and has worked in Outdoor Adventure leading hikes and rafting trips. A solitary Wiccan, Erik writes about Wicca, Norse religion, and making alters.
Ritual Tools are physical objects used to focus and direct spiritual energy. They are both symbolic and practical.
Ritual tools are used in a variety of ways. They invoke deities, banish negative energy, help you perform rituals and magical spells, and direct energy through our touch and intention.