Originally posted on 01-02-2011
At the beginning of February, Neopagans on the northern hemisphere celebrate the coming of Spring in the form of Imbolc. It's a time where our ancestors could finally look towards the end of the harsh winter months. It's the time where nature begins to restore and reinvent itself and where the lambs begin to litter the fields. From a time of hardship, our ancestors could now look at there supplies and see how they had done through the winter months. Perhaps they could even splurge a little today.
Imbolc is traditionally the day of the Goddess Brighid, the Goddess of the home, of children, of smiths work, healing, inspiration and the gathering of knowledge. More on this in the winter magazine of 2010. We promised you a guide for some fun Imbolc activities and because there are so many wonderful pagans out there who have already done this, we will guide you to them.
In Wiccan myth, this is the time where the young God, reborn at Yule, becomes a radiant young child. His Mother Goddess feeds him from her own body. He is strong and thriving and the earth grows once again.
If you focus your celebration of Imbolc on Brighid, keep in mind her colors are white, red and green and she loves fire*. If you're celebrating the return of spring, add yellow to the list of colors and add seeds of any kind to your altar. Clear quartz, amber and citrine go wonderfully with this holy day.
Imbolc is a time buzzing with energy and inspiration. If you've ever wanted to create something but found yourself blocked in the process, this is the time for another attempt. You can add poetry of yours or of someone else to your altar as it is one of Brighid's greatest loves.
At Imbolc it's custom to light all lamps in the house and bring as much light as possible into any room for a couple of minutes. I tend to do this in the evening when it's dark outside or just getting dark. It's the time when Brighid's fiery energy leaves us and I feel she needs it the hardest then.
If you celebrate Imbolc or not, you can't miss the return of nature's wonders around this time of year. Take a moment to appreciate this wonder and and the Cycle of the Year. We are all connected to each other by Nature's gifts. Blessed Imbolc!
*Always be careful when working with fire and never, ever leave a flame unattended!
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