The busy witch's guide to making the most of Imbolc in a world that can be short on spoons...
Sometimes I find myself voice-noting when I’m writing articles. There’s something about walking in nature that helps me to think clearly and maintain a flow - as the rhythm of the steps increase, so to the words well up. The only problem with that method is that sometimes AutoCorrect puts in some interesting substitutions.
Thankfully the editing process gets rid of most of those. For example, calls to scout to get the ball, or the occasional interjection about how amazing the view is, or the ‘Oh, f*ck, my foot is stuck in the mud’. One of the main problems with dictation software is that it doesn’t understand Celtic names, least of all the names of the sabbats on the wheel of the year. I’ve given up trying to teach my iPhone how to say ‘Imbolc’, this morning‘s creative versions include inbox, Emo, soy milk, and my favourite ‘milk in bulk’.
Both of these last two substitutions are strangely apt for this festival, since we are celebrating - amongst other things - the promise of spring. In rural areas at this time of year, our farmers are starting to be kept up at night with lambing, and so this is a time in the rural calender of old, that milk would be celebrated.
We often talk about the hopefulness of Imbolc. It isn’t the coming of spring, but it is the promise of spring. Everywhere in the hedgerows there are green shoots starting to show, and on the ends of the tree branches, buds are beginning to form. They’re still tightly closed and will be for some weeks yet, but we know it’s coming, in spite of the recent winter storms which have knocked out phone lines, power supplies, and left us feeling strangely vulnerable in our 21st century veneer of modern living. Nature still has her hold on us, and in spite of what modern mankind might think, she’s still in control. We are just as vulnerable now as we ever were.
So there’s also an edge of naked vulnerability to Imbolc.
In witches’ circles around the globe, those of us celebrating Imbolc in the northern hemisphere (in the southern hemisphere, our brothers and sisters of the craft are approaching Lammas) our focus turns to the goddess Brigid. In the pagan faiths she is Bride, Brigid, Bridey, while for Christians celebrating Candlemas (and Saint Brigid‘s Day), she is Saint Brigid of Kildare, the keeper of the holy flame. Obviously, Brigid and Saint Brigid became syncretised with the coming of Christianity, and they have many qualities in common. Brigid is known as ‘the goddess whom the poets adore’, the goddess of smithcraft, of sacred Springs, and of the eternal flame. She is also the goddess of sheep, and cows and other livestock.
Ways to celebrate Imbolc with me
If you have a copy of The Wheel of the Year, there is a ritual at the end of the Imbolc chapter if you want to celebrate this festival by holding a ritual - either alone or in company works just as well.
For those of you who prefer to listen or watch rather than read, I recorded a short video here for making an Imbolc Incense. Its also worth keeping an eye on my YouTube channel as I am updating it all of the time…
Thirdly, if you want to come and have an in depth session on how to re-ignite your creativity at Imbolc, I will be teaching a session at Treadwell’s Online on the 17th February. I know this is a couple of weeks after the sabbat itself, but for those of you who are just starting out on your Wheel journey, its worth knowing that Sabbats are not just ‘for one night only’. The tides of energy linger, and we will be making the most of those Imbolc vibes for a few weeks yet.
If you want to read more about Imbolc but haven’t yet managed to get your hands on a copy of The Wheel of the Year, here is an older blog post I wrote back in 2018 about the qualities of this time…
