What is Imbolc Anyway?
There are eight sabbats in the wheel of the year, starting with Yule (the Winter Solstice), then Imbolc, Ostara (Spring Equinox), Beltain, Litha (Summer Solstice), Lammas or Lughnasadh, Mabon (Autumn Equinox), and ending with Samhain. Whether or not you celebrate all or any of them is entirely down to your own personal practice and is definitely an individual choice!
Being brought up with Celtic heritage on my mothers’ side, I lean towards celebrating all of them, especially those with Celtic backgrounds. Imbolc falls typically around the beginning of February for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the beginning of Spring. In Celtic traditions, it also celebrates St Bridget’s Day.
Brigid is a Goddess of fire, sun, and hearth. She represents the fertility of the land, and in some cases connected to midwives and newborn babies. There is some discussion of her being a triple goddess and seen as the Maiden aspect of the Maiden, Mother, Crone Triple Goddess. In some other stories, she is one of three sisters, who are all named Brigid and represent different things. Brigid was so well-loved as a Pagan Goddess that she was converted to a Christian Saint, now known as St Bridget. There’s quite an extensive list as to what she is the patron saint of!
Imbolc is all about preparing for new beginnings and a new harvest, bringing life back to the land. Hope. If you wanted to celebrate Imbolc, there are many ways to do this! If you wanted to take a holistic approach to celebrate the sabbats, you may feel that the beginning of Feb (Usually the 1st) is not the right time for you. Go with nature, look for signs that the season is turning, particularly snowdrops growing. You don’t need to stick strictly to a neopagan date. This is your craft and your experience and our ancestors didn’t keep to certain dates, they went by the moon and the surroundings. You can start by having a sort out in your home, clearing out the old, ready for the new. You can decorate your altar if you have one! I like to decorate mine with broomsticks, white, yellow, and green candles, and sometimes I will pop a small glass with salt in it and bay leaves sticking out to represent the new plant growth through the snow of Winter. Some people place Brigid’s crosses on their altar too, these can be made from straw or willow!
Imbolc is a great time for divination for the coming months, and to set your intentions going ahead. Plant your seeds, both literally and metaphorically. Most of all, go with your intuition, meditate and let your ancestors guide you. I’ve decided to celebrate by adding some mystery boxes onto my shop with some Imbolc correspondences to help you celebrate if you so wish. Feel free to check it out at astridsattic.co.uk.