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As we approach Imbolc (here in the Northern Hemisphere), I’m reminded of all that the Wheel of the Year represents: the cycles of light and dark, and of the constant flow and unending cycle of all things from birth, growth, and death to rebirth.
One way that I like to connect with the seasons and cycles of the earth is by tuning into The Wheel of the Year.
The Wheel of the Year can help you tune into natural cycles (similar to the Lunar Phases - but on an annual scale rather than just monthly) and helps you internalize these outward changes in nature as reflections of the growth and evolution you experience in your own life. Living in harmony with the seasons and the ebb and flow of nature helps you to lead a more soulful life and to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself on a soul level. The Wheel of the Year helps you recognize who you are and your role in the world around you.
So what is the Wheel of the Year?
Separated into 8 main holidays, the Wheel of the Year is a representation of seasonal cycles that focuses on the 4 Solar Holidays of the year (also known as the quarter days). This stems from the Anglo-Saxon cultural observations of the solstices and equinoxes, with the addition of the 4 Gaelic, agrarian, seasonal celebrations (the mid-points between the solar holidays known as the lunar cross-quarter days or fire festivals).
An Introduction to Imbolc:
February 1st is Imbolc (here in the Northern Hemisphere), the first of the cross-quarter days, which marks the beginning of spring (the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox). It’s origins are connected to the lambing season, or calving period when animals would begin giving milk, and the beginning of spring sowing of the ancient Celts.
Though Imbolc is most widely celebrated on February 1st, it may also be celebrated on the true midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox (or on the evening of the Full Moon nearest this date - or on the evening of the Full Moon in Aquarius...though some dispute this and say it’s on the New Moon in Aquarius). You may also choose to adjust the date of your Imbolc celebration to coincide with your exact location, by celebrating when the first spring flowers (like Snowdrops, Crocuses, Daffodils, Dandelions, or Primroses) emerge and bloom.
Imbolc Crystals:
Red Garnet
Carnelian
Black Onyx
Bloodstone
Pyrite
Orange Calcite
Golden Calcite
Citrine
Amethyst
Azurite
Ruby
Golden Tiger’s Eye
Red Jasper
Malachite
Peridot
Turquoise
White Moonstone
Imbolc Signifies the Time for:
Renewal
Fertility & Midwifery
Coziness
Love
Purification & Cleansing
Birth & Rebirth
Transformation & Change
Emergence
Hope
Growth
Grief
Initiation
Gardening & Planting Seeds (Sprouting)
Late Winter
Anticipation
Release of What No Longer Serves You
Imagination & New Ideas
Inklings of Spring
Prosperity
Spring Cleaning
Protection
Communication
Planning & Preparation
New Beginnings
Awakening
Creativity
Warmth
Return of the Light
Why celebrate Imbolc?
Imbolc celebrates the first inkling of Spring and welcomes in new growth and the return of warmth to the land after we’ve made our way through the darkest and coldest of the winter months. This is a celebration of hearth and home as we prepare ourselves and our spaces for the return of spring, making it the perfect time for very early garden chores and for spring cleaning your home and altar. Imbolc is a time to hold space for renewal, fertility, purification, rebirth, hope, growth, planning, and new beginnings.
Imbolc’s name comes from the Gaelic phrase “in the belly” referring to the abundance of pregnant ewes at this time of year, but is also said to mean “to wash”, hinting at Imbolc’s association with purification rituals and spring cleaning.
Imbolc is also a time to release what no longer serves you, shedding the darker days that are now behind you, making room for the growth that’s in store for you - spurred on by the returning of the sun.
Ways to Celebrate Imbolc:
Feasting
Visiting Holy Wells or Springs in Honor of Goddess Brigid (Leaving Offerings and Praying for Health)
Making Brigid’s Crosses from Straw or Reeds
Divination (Especially Weather Divination or Animal Divination - looking for Serpents of Badgers to Emerge form Winter Dens)
Planting Seeds
Connecting with the Energy and Light of the Sun
Leaving Strips of Cloth Outside Overnight to be Blessed by Brigit (for Healing)
Purification & Spring Cleaning of the Home & Altar
Churning Butter or Making Cheese
Tie Together a Bundle of Cinnamon Sticks and Hang it in Your Sacred Space
Creating an Imbolc Altar (Use the Correspondences in this Post for Inspiration!)
Candle Magic (Dressing Candles or Making Dip Candles)
Lighting Candles to Signify the Lengthening of Days and the Return of the Sun’s Light)
Prepare Your Garden for Spring, Make Garden Plans, or Add a New Houseplant to Your Space
Create Your Own Imbolc Tea Blend (Elderberries, Rosehips, Blackberry Leaf, & Raspberry Leaf are GREAT for this!)
Ritually Sweep Your Home with a Broom (or Besom) for Physical & Energetic Cleansing
Honoring Goddess Brigid (Especially Through Art, Poetry, or Smithcraft & Metalworking)
Take a Purifying, Herbal Ritual Bath for Cleansing Your Body, Mind, & Spirit
Donating Money to a Charitable Organization
Resting to Honor Yourself and Reserve Energy for the Spring Days Ahead
Blessing the Home & Family with Water from Holy Wells or Springs
Offering Milk or Grains as an Offering to the Earth or Sea
Meditation to Clear Mental Clutter (a Spring Cleaning for the Mind)
Take a Stroll and Look for Signs of the Return of Spring
Donate Items that are Cluttering Your Space
One final Imbolc tradition is to honor Goddess Brigid by leaving a loaf of bread, a pitcher of milk, and a candle out for her on this day. In Avebury, Brigid devotees climb the Silbury Hill (a neolithic earthen mound) to eat fig cakes and water in honor of Brigid.
Set up your Imbolc Altar with me!
Imbolc and the Goddess Brigid:
The Goddess Brigid (later recognized by the Catholic church as St. Brigid) is associated with the High Holy Day of Imbolc (when we celebrate her as a bringer of light). Historically, there’s a record of a woman named Darlughdacha who was said to have become the abbess of Kildare monastery upon Brigid’s death. The name Darlughdacha means “Daughter of Lugh'' and the Catholic list of Saints lists her Feast Day as February 1st (Imbolc - the primary Feast Day of Goddess Brigit). It’s speculated that Darlughdacha was the historical figure associated with the Goddess Brigid and that “Brigid” was actually a title (meaning Exalted One), rather than the actual name of the Goddess.
Brigid’s presence is often represented by displaying “Saint Brigid’s Cross,” a cross woven of reeds (or often three or four sheaves of wheat) joined at a square center, that’s hung in the home as a symbol of protection, fertility, abundance, and blessings. When the pre-Christian goddess was converted to a Saint by the Catholic church, devotees to Goddess Brigid hung this woven cross in their homes as a secret way of worshipping her after Ireland became predominantly Catholic. It’s common to make a new cross each Imbolc.
Brigid’s connection with Imbolc is no coincidence...as a goddess of the fire and the sun (as well as her connection with fertility), her presence is felt at this time of year when the cold days of winter are mostly behind us and we begin to welcome in the warmth and light of spring. An Imbolc custom to honor the Goddess Brigid is carried out by women at La Fheill Brighid. Here, on this day, an image of Brigid in her Maiden form is created, dressed in white, and placed in a woven basket (representative of a cradle). A crystal is placed over her heart (representing her purity), and the goddess is invited into the home by the female head of the household by singing sacred songs and chants to welcome her
There’s a reference, in the Carmina Gadelica, to Brigid’s connection to La Fheill Brighid, describing how a serpent came out of the mound here (the serpent, being a symbol of healing, has long been linked to Goddess Brigid). It’s said that this serpent emerges from the mound early in the morning each Imbolc in honor of the goddess.
Other Imbolc Goddesses, Gods, or Deities:
Brigid (Especially in Her Maiden Aspect or as the Keeper of the Flame)
Saint Brigid
Saint Mary
The Triple Goddess (changing from the Crone Cailleach Back to the Maiden Brigid)
Arianrhod
Danu
Juno (in connection with Februalia)
Dian Cecht
Cailleach
Gobnat
Morgen Thitis of Avalon
Black Goddess Kolyo
Imbolc Symbols:
Snowdrop Flowers
Lanterns
Candles
Fig Cakes
Flames & Fire (Especially the Sacred Triple Flame of Goddess Brigid)
Corn Dollies
Sun
Light
Cauldron
Pumpkin Seeds
Shamrocks & Clover Leaves
Blackthorn Tree
Bear
Waxing Crescent Moon
Brigid's Cross
Sheep & Lambs
Fertility Symbols
Rooster
Sunflower Seeds
Triple Moon & Triple Goddess Symbol
Woven Basket
Brigid’s Wheel
Doves
Dragon
Water (Especially from Holy Wells or Springs)
Crocus Flowers
Robin
Daffodil Flowers
Lark
Snow
Rowan Tree
Rabbits & Hares
Sycamore Tree
Hearth
Bread
Root Vegetables (Potatoes, Turnips, Carrots, etc.)
Grain & Barley
Reeds & Rushes
Serpents & Snakes
Badger or Groundhog
Besoms & Brooms
Cow
Milk, Cheese, & Dairy Products
Swan
Poppyseed Breads or Pastries
Imbolc Herbs:
Angelica
Basil
Bay Leaves
Blackberry Fruits
Blackberry Leaves
Cardamon
Cedar
Chamomile
Chickweed
Cinnamon
Clary Sage
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