What is Imbolc?
Imbolc (IM-bolhk) is a Celtic holiday that celebrates the Goddess Brigid and the turn towards spring.
It's celebrated halfway between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara) on February 1st, though the celebration technically begins at sunset on January 31st. Alternatively, people will celebrate it when the Sun hits 15 degrees of Aquarius. This is the time when the days are noticeably longer and you can feel that spring is on its way. This is also when lambs are born and the ewes begin to produce milk. It is thought that the word Imbolc came from the old Gaelic i-mbolc meaning “in the belly”, which can be a reference to the birth of lambs or have a correlation to the Goddess in her hibernation beginning to stir in the belly of the Earth. It could also be from the old Gaelic phrase imb-fholc which means “to wash” as in a purifying ritual.
Source: Ester Remmington
Imbolc celebrates the Celtic Fire Goddess Brigid and her aspects as the Triple Goddess of Hearth, Forge and Inspired Heart. As the Goddess of the Hearth, honor her by by clearing out your home both physically and spiritually and asking for her blessings of protection and health. She’s the Goddess of the Inspired Heart and blesses all creative pursuits, keeping that flame of inspiration strong. As the Goddess of the Forge she blesses the projects we make manifest into this world – both artistic and functional. She also has a bit of “an edge”, helping you cut away things that no longer serve and temper yourself in her flame. She is honored at sacred wells in Ireland, so working with both fire and water is supported.
As with many pagan holidays, it got swept up into the Catholic church as it sought to ease the transition for it's new converts and so Imbolc became Candlemas and the Goddess Brigid became St. Brigid with her feast day celebrated on February 2nd. To find out more about her transition from Exalted Celtic Goddess to Beloved Catholic Saint check out this article. As Maman Brigitte, she is also the only white Deity in Voodoo, the result of the cultural blending between Irish indentured servants and African slaves. She is truly a transformational Goddess! You do not have to incorporate Brigid into your practice to celebrate Imbolc, but she’s a great inspiration at this time of year.
Want to learn how to connect with this holiday on a deeper personal level? Read to the end to find out about my Imbolc Celebration Bundle and how to join me in circle.
Playlist for Imbolc
Clearing, Blessing and Protection of Home and Self
This is the time for some (almost) spring cleaning on both the physical and energetic level. Physically, this is a good time for a deep clean. We've been stuck at home, tracking in sand, salt and the latest stain of the cold. Take the time leading up to Imbolc to really sort out your space, donating things you no longer use. This is also a great time to rearrange your furniture to change things up and bring new life into your space.
Cleaning your house energetically is also a great way to prepare for Imbolc. You can use smoke (like the incense blend below), blessed water, or a special broom called a besom. The idea is to move stagnant energy and bring fresh protection in. If you have an alter with offerings on it or old magical tools (dead flowers, old herbs, last year's Brigid cross, etc), Imbolc is a great time to burn them or return them to the earth.
If you have protections around your home, this is a great time to redo them or set some new ones up! Creating a crystal grid, recharging protective stones, salt at the thresholds, witch bottles, or new Brigid crosses are all ways you can tap into the protective energy of the season. You can also bless your ritual tools for the coming year on this night. These are things such as candles, incense, salt, herbs, water, or tools for meditation, healing or ritual (cauldron, crystals, wand, singing bowls, massage or reiki table). You can do it yourself, or place them on a windowsill with an offering and ask Brigid to do it for you.
Imbolc Incense Blend for Purification and Protection
Dried Pine Needles/Evergreen Essential Oil
Dried Ginger or Oil
Cloves
Dried Chamomile
Dried Rosemary
Bay Leaf
Mix together in a bowl and burn on a charcoal puck in a cauldron full of sand. Use a fan or feather to waft the smoke into all corners of a physically cleaned home. As you energetically clear the space with the smoke, repeat “This space is cleared, this space is blessed.”
Send Winter Away and Wake Up the Earth
These ideas are fun for pagans both grown and small. A pretty seasonal decoration to make before Imbolc is paper snowflakes to honor the winter. On the day of Imbolc, you can throw them in a fire to encourage the end of winter and the melting of the snow.
Another idea is to make a Priapic (Acorn) Wand and take it into the woods to awaken trees and plants from their winter slumber. While you do this, collect acorns, pine cones and a couple early signs of spring (if you ask the plant nicely first). Only collect a flower or two if they are available and leave the rest for the hungry bees.
Set Intentions for the Coming Spring
Take some time during this season to really dream about what you wish to accomplish in the coming spring. Now is the time to get prepared to launch into action as we come out of hibernation. Get ready to welcome in a fresh start and let go of heavy beliefs that have been holding you back with a fire ceremony. Write down the limiting beliefs that you no longer wish to carry and throw it into the fire. Then set your new intentions, speaking them aloud, and asking any guides or deities you work with to help you make them manifest this coming year (since this is Brigid's holiday and she's the fire Goddess of Inspiration, she's a good one to work with for this ceremony).
Find what makes you feel inspired, empowered, and refreshed. Reconnect with old practices that you love, but have fallen out of habit with. This is also a good time to rededicate yourself to your path or dedicate yourself to a Deity for the first time.
Play with Fire
This is an ideal time to set intentions using candle magic, since Brigid is a Fire Goddess. Light a white candle for each goal you have for the unfolding year during your Imbolc ritual. Simply lighting candles to honor Brigid and the lengthening days is a great way to celebrate and if you have the ability (and the weather allows), a bonfire is even better! Scrying in the flames is another traditional Imbolc activity. Relax your mind and gaze at the flames, letting any shapes or impressions guide your intuition.
Prep Your Herbal Medicine Cabinet
While you're sorting and clearing your space, don't forget your herbal remedies! Check your stock, see if herbs are a bit past their prime, make sure oils haven't gone rancid, and tidy it up. Put a couple charged crystals such as clear quartz in the space to keep your medicine potent. If you make tincture, salves, or herbal blends, this is a great time to craft some, since Brigid is the Goddess of Hearth and the healing arts. Doing reiki on yourself and others is another way to tap into this potent healing energy as well.
Celebrate Inspiration
As the Goddess of the Inspired Heart, Brigid especially loves poets and storytellers. Try your hand at some creative writing through short stories or poetry to tap into her blessings. It's lovely to read stories about Brigid at this time as well. Whatever creative outlet you have, this is a good holiday to bless yourself and dedicate yourself to developing your craft and attracting your ideal audience in the coming year.
Divination
Fire scrying isn't the only Divination done at Imbolc. Weather prediction and animal messengers are also forms of divination used at this time. Interestingly Groundhog's Day is February 2nd, combining both of these methods. Coincidence? I think not. Notice any animal friends that show up for you on Imbolc and meditate on what they mean to you or look up their meaning online. You can also start a dream journal, use tools such as rune or Tarot cards, or tap into your innate intuition. Druidic Bards were thought to also be adept at divination, so Brigid's blessings of creativity extend to this skill as well.
Look for the hidden depth in your creative inspirations. What is it telling you?
Prepare for Spring
In some climates, Imbolc is the start of Spring, so if you're going to be preparing your garden before Ostara (March 21), then Imbolc is a good time to ask for blessings in your garden and on your garden tools and seeds. Since I’m from New England, Ostara is what I associate with new growth, while I think Imbolc is more about cleaning and readying, but in other climates spring will already be well on it’s way!
Source: Temiel
Welcome Brigid
One traditional way to honor Brigid at Imbolc is making a Brigid Cross and putting it outside on Imbolc Eve with offerings of milk and bread for the Goddess. To learn how to make a Brigid Cross, check out this video here. As you place it outside you ask the Goddess for her blessings of healing, protection, and safety for your hearth and home. The next morning, gather the cross and display it in your home or on your alter all year for protection. If the offering wasn't enjoyed by a hungry animal friend, find a place to pour the milk on the ground and hide the bread for a lucky passing critter. The offering also helps to begin forming a relationship with the reawakening earth spirits in your area. Other traditions for Brigid are making a Corn Dollie to represent the Goddess and putting her into a Bride Bed, wearing white, and little girls going door-to-door asking for blessings from the woman of the house.
Source: A Trip to Ireland
Tying Ribbons
Another traditional way to honor Brigid is to tie ribbons to trees near her sacred wells. The ribbons tied near wells are called clooties and they are left to honor to the Saint/Goddess or to ask her for healing. Leaving cloth or ribbon outside on the night before Imbolc to be blessed by Brigid is another tradition.
You can make this your own and tie ribbons (made of natural fibers) to trees in your area with blessings for the land or those that discover them written on them. You can also leave some outside with an offering to Brigid and then use them throughout the year for healing purposes, leaving them on your alter, tying them to your clothing or wrist, or decorating your space with them.
Imbolc Food and Drink
Traditional food for Imbolc is pretty simple (milk, oats, bread, and seeds), but you can add some flair and make it special. Why not make lavender blackberry milk and seeded oat bread? Here are some recipes I'm going to try this year.
Source: Gimme Some Oven
Blackberry Lavender Milk
Ingredients
1 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen*
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tsp of lavender
¼ tsp of vanilla
2 cups milk (oat, soy, coconut optional)
Instructions
In a small saucepan, heat blueberries, sugar, lavender, and water over medium high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes to reduce until it is thickens slightly. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer if desired. Add vanilla. Refrigerate.
Whisk together 1/4 cup blueberry syrup with 1 cup cold milk to serve.
*Why Blackberries? They are sacred to Brigid, and delicious!
Inspiration:
https://www.homegrownprovisions.com/lavender-moon-milk/
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/blueberry-milk/
Quick Seed & Oat Loaf
A delicious and hearty "lazy loaf", freshly baked bread, no kneading required! Feel free to change out the seeds for what you have available. I used walnuts instead of poppy seeds, for example.
Ingredients
Source: Emma’s Little Kitchen
2¾ cups wholewheat flour
1 cup oats
¼ cup flax seeds
¼ cup poppy seeds
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2½ tsp rapid rise yeast (1 sachet)
1.5 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup (250ml) 2% or semi skimmed milk (can be plant-based)
1 cup (250ml) water
Instructions
Mix flour, oats, seeds , yeast and salt in a large bowl
Pour in milk and water, and mix thoroughly to make a sticky porridge-like dough
Smooth the dough into a greased, lined dough tin and place in the cold oven
Turn the temperature to 225F (110C), and bake for 45 minutes, after 45 minutes turn up the temperature to 350F (175C) and bake for another hour, until the loaf is baked through and makes a hollowish sound when you tap the bottom of the tin!
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Inspiration with some tweaks: http://www.emmaslittlekitchen.com/quick-seed-oat-loaf/
Join me for Imbolc
Deeply nourish yourself in sunny St. Petersburg, FL and enjoy an Imbolc weekend retreat with me.
Rekindle Your Fire: Dancing with Brigid’s Flame is a weekend brimming with activities that will reconnect you to the Divinity within as well as help you deepen your relationship with Brigid and her transformational element of fire.
Activities include:
Dancing/Moving with Fire Lessons
Fire Photography
Sound Healing and Voice Activation
Nourishing Healthy Meals
Breath Work
Ecstatic Dance
Guided Meditation
Vision Board Creation
Fire Divination or Scrying
Tarot Reading with Rebecca
Cord Cutting Ritual
Fire Clearing (using fire as a smudge tool)
Optional Microdose for Journeying
Want to save $45 and get even more?
Join Growing Light: A Winter Self Love Story - the exclusive two month one-on-one addition to my virtual coven Spiral Within - and save $300 off the Imbolc Weekend Retreat. You also receive a Year Ahead Tarot and Astrology Reading ($200 value) all for only $250/month.
It would be my honor to lovingly guide you though the coldest months and bring some light and love into your winter.