Correspondences for Imbolc
Activities and Rituals:
blessing of seeds for this year's garden, fertility and purification, spring cleaning, "Bride's Bed" rituals, Home hearth fires are put out and re-lit, and a besom is place by the front door to symbolize sweeping out the old and welcoming the new, consecration of agricultural tools, All Virgin and Maiden Goddesses are honored at this time, Candle Lighting, Stone Gatherings, Snow Hiking and Searching for Signs of Spring, Making of Brideo'gas and Bride's Beds, Making Priapic Wands, Decorating Ploughs, Feasting, Bon Fires, rituals of initiation, transformation, new beginnings
Colors:
White, Orange, Red, Yellow
Tools:
Plough, garden implements
Herbs/Flowers:
Angelica, Basil, Bay Laurel, Blackberry, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Iris, Myrrh, Snowdrop, Tansy, Violets, First Flower of the Year
Stones/Gems:
Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Ruby, Onyx, Turquoise
Symbols & Decorations:
Candles, Lamps, Brooms, Yellow flowers, Brighid's Crosses, Priapic Wands (acorn-tipped), dish of snow, evergreens
Foods:
All dairy products, curries, onions, chives, seeds, herbal tea, mutton or lamb, Poppyseed Cakes, muffins, scones, and breads, onions, garlic, raisins, spiced wines
Deities:
Dagda (Celt), Pan (Greek), Cernunnor (Celt),Osiris (Egyptian), Herne (Saxon), Jupiter (Roman), Demeter (Greek), Ceres (Roman), Cerridwen (Celt), Aengus Og, Eros, and Februus,Frigg (Norse), Cybele Brighid (Celt), Bride, Brigette, all virgin Goddesses and Gods of love and fertility
Animals:
Sheep, Wolves, Bears, Stags, Eagle, Raven, Groundhog, Owl, Snake
Other names for this holiday:
Candlemas, Imbolg, Brigit's Day, St. Lucy's Day, Feast of Brighid, Oimealg, Imbolgc Brigantia, Imbolic, Disting (Teutonic, Feb 14th), Lupercus, Candlelaria, The Festival of Lights, or the Feast of the Virgin..
Ideas and Activities for Imbolc
* Make or decorate candles
* Brighid, the Celtic goddess of fire, healing, and poetry is considered the patron Goddess of Imbolc. Read up on her as a Celtic goddess and as her later incarnation, St. Brigit.
* Burn the evergreen boughs that decorated your home during the winter holidays in the Imbolc Fires and celebrate the return of the Sun's strength and the Godess as the Maiden.
* Brighid is the goddess of poetry. Write a poem in her honor, and read it aloud during any Imbolc ritual you may have planned.
* Cleanse and re-consecrate your ritual tools and clean your altar.
* Go through all your herbs and discard those that are more than a year old
* Weave "Brigit's crosses" from straw or wheat to hang around the house for protection
* Perform rites of spiritual cleansing and purification
* Make "Brigit's beds" to ensure fertility of mind and spirit (and body, if desired)
* Ritually cleanse your home and start your "spring" cleaning
* Make a Crown of Light (i.e. of candles for the High Priestess to wear for the Imbolc Circle, similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in Scandinavian countries **see the kids craft section for a cute kids' version of this**
* Place a lighted candle in each and every window of the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and gaurded from nearby curtains, etc. If you are not able to use real candles use those candle lamps sold at crafts and department stores for the Christian Christmas season.
* Buy a "salt lick" block and leave it out for the wild animals.
* Make a window garden with seeds, soil, old glass jars or rinse some tuna or cat food cans, and get ready for spring! Easy items are beans, mints, marigolds. Even carrot or pineapple tops and avocado pits are fun to do.
* Make a Bride doll
* Make a tiny "Candle Garden" by filling a small aluminum pan with fine salt or sand and "planting" birthday candles, Hanukkah candles or even tea lights in the "garden"
* Tie tiny strips of fabric in trees near a stream and ask Bride for her influence in your life. Use cotton strips and the birds will use them for nesting or they will bio-degrade over time
* Play a candle game where the men stand in forming a circle whole passing a candle quickly and the women stand on the outside of the circle trying to blow out the flame. The one who succeeds gets to claim a kiss.
* Meditate as a family. Have everyone explore what it would feel like to
be a seed deep in the Earth, feeling the first stirrings of life. Lie on
the floor and put out tendrils. Stretch and bloom.
* Have a bardic circle where everyone brings poetry, songs or a short story that they have written to honor Brigid (Brigit/Brigid/Bride was the daughter of Dagda. She was the protector of the poets, the forge and the healing persons.)
* Help your kids go through all their clothes, toys, and books to find the
unwanted and outgrown items. Donate everything to a charity that will
give the items to children who need them.
* Go for a walk. Search for signs of spring. Take off your shoes and socks
and squish your toes in the mud!
* Lead the family on a parade around the outside of your home, banging on
pots and pans or playing musical instruments to awaken the spirits of
the land.
* Have your children hold some herb seeds in their hands. Talk to the
seeds. Bless them with growth and happiness. Fill them with love. Plant
an in-door herb garden.
* Make corn dollies and a cradle for them to sleep in.
Imbolc Incense & Oil Recipes
Incense #1 by Dawn Thebarge Hill
1 part each of Basil and Bay, Frankincense, Myrrh
2 parts Rosemary
3 parts Cinnamon
Grind herbs until fine if using whole herbs. Break resins into small pieces and grind. Visualize fertility and cleansing your home, environment and life of all negativity. Burn on charcoal tablets.
Incense #2 by Scott Cunningham
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Dragon's Blood
1/2 part red Sandalwood
1 part Cinnamon
a few drops of red wine
a pinch of the first flower of the season-dried
Imbolc Oil
To 2 Tablespoons of sweet almond, grape seed or other light weight carrier oil add:
5 drops Sandalwood e.o.
5 drops Vanilla extract
6 drops Jasmine e.o.
2 drops Balsam e.o.
Crafts and Project Ideas
For the Children
For Adults
Items Marked with *** are great for young and old alike :)
Fun For the Kids (or the kid in all of us!)
See Kids crafts above and:
Poetry, Prayers, Chants & Songs
Prayers
Imbolc Prayer
--Akasha www.wicca.com
We've made it to the mid-point
of the Winter dark and bleak.
From this day on the Sun
will climb and thaw the
ground and creeks.
Bless us now, oh Maiden fair,
and keep us in your loving care.
Showing signs of new life everywhere
as you awaken from your sleep.
Kindling The Fire
This morning, as I kindle the flame upon my hearth, I pray that the flame of Brighid may burn in my soul, and the souls of all I meet today.
I pray that no envy and malice, no hatred or fear, may smother the flame.
I pray that indifference and apathy, contempt and pride, may not pour like cold water on the flame.
Instead, may the spark of Brighid light the love in my soul, that it may burn brightly through the day.
And may I warm those that are lonely, whose hearts are cold and lifeless, so that all may know the comfort of Brighid's love.
Covering The Fire
Brighid, preserve the fire, as You preserve us all.
Brighid, may its warmth remain in our midst, as You are always among us.
Brighid, may it rise to life in the morning, as You raise us to life.
Prayer to Bride
By ElfDragon2@aol.com
Great Goddess Brigit
I ask for your inspiration
In all my endeavors
Help me to learn new things
Please give me the gifts
Of poetry and creativity
Help me to clean out the old and musty
In my mind and heart
Show me how to make mundane tasks
A joy and Honour to you
Make my hands, my lips, my mind
My heart and my soul, a blessing to you
Forge me into your instrument
That I may be a blessing
To you and the Old Ones
As well as a blessing to all I meet
May they see your love and power in me
Teach me to Honour you in being
A wife, a mother, and keeping a home
I dedicate my life to you
My body, soul, heart, and mind
To your service
SO MOTE IT BE!!
Poetry
Spring
By Dawn Thebarge Hill
The crone wears her shroud of ice proudly
Like and honour she has earned, it cloaks her.
The young and viral Sun
Envelopes her in his loving embrace.
She turns to him and smiles, knowing that the time has come
For him to remove the icy coverlet with his warmth
As it slips away, so do the years upon her face
And in their place the lovely Maiden Spring is found.
A rhyme by E. Holden
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas Day be clouds and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again
Come to the Well...
- K.J. Reynolds, May 1999
Ease your mind,
Ease your soul
Give up your burdens and laugh at the water
Wash your hands pure with the holy water
Wash your face clean with the Love of God
Let Brigid walk beside you and fill your heart with passion
Come to the Well and drink of Her Love.
Leave all your sorrows
to be washed away
There is always forgiveness
There is always a new start.
Give up your burdens and laugh at the water
The Water will laugh with you.
Imbolg
© 2001 Raven Spirit
Look through the darkness and you will see
The spark growing for all to see
To warm the Earth
To warm our souls
The seeds we plant begin to grow
The goals you set and magick worked
Was it all for knowledge, wisdom and mirth?
To help the Gods and your fellow man
To grow strong and to aid your clan
The light of hope begins to stir
Even though snow and ice still occurs
The work that is wrought
Brings the growth that is sought
Just as a seed breaks open underground
Deep in your Spirit these roots are found
But how they will grow is up to you
They grow by way of the things that you choose
We are given a light to bring us warmth
And nourished from Water from the time of our birth
The Earth with big rocks to anchor our lives
And Air to teach us so the Old Ones may guide
The second turn of the Wheel has begun
The God is rising
The Cycle begun
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Bride with her white wand is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead Winter and to bring him to open his eyes to the tears and the smiles, the sighs and the laughter of Spring. The venom of the cold is said to tremble for its safety on Bride's Day, and to flee for its life on Patrick's Day.
~~Alexander Carmichael
Imbolc
