Imbolc is on this Wednesday, the first. The holiday means different things to different people. I celebrate Imbolc as a reminder that winter is half way over! We (in the northern hemisphere) have made it half way back to spring. The goddess of Imbolc is Brigid (of various spelling and pronunciation) from the Celtic tradition. She was adopted by the Catholic church as Saint Bridget of Ireland as well.
Brigid by Sharon McLeod
Goddess Brigid is a sister goddess who, as a maiden, holds the spark of creation in her potential: she is not yet mother but holds the potential in her womb, she carries spring. She is a warrior and patron to poets, healers and smithies. She is ignition and provides the spark of inspiration, the spark of life, the first signs of spring.
The lore of Imbolc is similar to the lore of Groundhog Day. On Imbolc the crone of winter gathers firewood for the remaining cold days. If the weather is foul then she stays asleep, can’t gather much more firewood, and therefore ends winter soon. If the weather is nice then she has plenty of time to gather firewood and winter lasts as long as her supply of firewood does. So let’s call for cold and nasty weather on Wednesday!
This year the kids and I are doing one or two of a variety of activities. We might make Brigid crosses which are protective in their shape and design with a promise of spring, just around the corner. We might clean out the fireplace. We will probably join the Crone of Winter in gathering firewood on Imbolc. We may purify the crystal bowl and other ritual tools (mortar and pestle, wooden spoons, candle holders, altar) with salt water. There are many ways to include children in magic and this holiday of new beginnings, full of potential, is a great time to start.
For more information about Brigit, Imbolc and the Catholic equivalent as Saint Brigit and Candlemas visit these websites:
http://www.druidry.org/obod/deities/brigid.html
http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html
This video tutorial shows how to make the Brigid cross…
I was born on Imbloc & I’m hoping for a nice day on my bday this year~! ^-^
Happy Early Birthday! I guess I can put up with six more weeks of winter… just for you.
thank-you so much XD
What makes you think Imbolc is today on the first? The calendar to the right says it’s on the second. Imbolc is a cross-quarter day. There are two ways to calculate that. One is to half the number of days between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. If you count Dec 21 2011 PST and Mar 19, 2012, there are 90 days between the two dates. The center date is Feb 4th. The second method is to observe when the Sun reaches the 15 degree point of Aquarius. This also takes place on Feb 4th.
Thank you for pointing that out. You are correct that Imbolc is officially, astronomically, on the 4th this year (2012). Imbolc is generally celebrated on the second of Feburary, for ease of memory, and because the lay person does not measure the passage of time through the movement of the heavenly spheres as accurately as you do!
It was my decision to list it on Wednesday, as Brigid’s day may be celebrated on either the first or second. Also, I guess I should clarify that the goddess Brigid’s day is celebrated on the first or second of February now (and was celebrated on the twelfth on the Julian calendar) and is not moveable… anymore(ha!). Imbolc and Brigid’s day are not officially the same holiday but are often celebrated together because of their proximity.
huh… I never knew that… what date was Imbloc in 1992? XD *half joking with that question*
As it turns out Imbolc of February, 1992 is very interesting. Imbolc occurred, officially, on two days… from noon on the 4th to noon on the 5th. To pinpoint which day you would have celebrated on, in that year specifically, you’d have to figure the math by time zones.
wicked~! well I’m a little sad to find out I wasn’t born on Imbolc but oh well~! Now I know when Imbolc actually occurs (when the sun is 15 degrees in Aquarius) so I can celebrate it properly from now on ^-^
Happy Imbolc! Happy Birthday Risuna. It was a beautiful day here yesterday and is shaping up to be pretty nice (for mid-winter) today.
I’m so happy it was such a beautiful day – it was the best b-day of my entire life~! (so far XD)
thank you for the information…and for the tutorial on the crosses:)
have a wonderful weekend!