Imbolc

Mid-Winter - February 2nd

Animals: Burrowing Animals, Deer, Lambs, Robins, Sheep, Snakes, Swans, Vultures, and Wolves.
Colors: Brown, Green, Pink, Red, White, and Yellow.
Deities: Apollo, Bona-Dea, Brigid, Demeter, Diana, Freyja, Gaia, The Great Mother and Earth Goddess, The Green Man, The Holly King, The Horned One, Isis, The Oak King, Odin, Ra, The Red Man, The Star (Divine) Child, and The Sun God.
Flowers: Iris, Snowdrop Violets, and All White or Yellow Flowers.
Foods: Breads, All Dairy Products, Garlic, Herbal Teas, Muffins, Onions, Peppers, Poppy Seed Cakes, Pumpkin Seeds, Raisins, Scones, Spiced Wines, and Sunflower Seeds.
Herbs: Angelica, Basil, Bay Laurel, Blackberry, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Myrrh, and Tansy,
Incense: Basil, Bay, Cinnamon, Myrrh, Vanilla, Violet, and Wisteria.
Special Activities: Bonfires, Candle Lighting (light Candles or lamps in each room of the house right after sunset for a few minutes to honor the Sun's rebirth), Decorating Ploughs, Feasting, Making Brideo'gas and Bride's Beds, Making a Brigid Cross, Making Priapic Wands, Snow Hiking and Searching for Signs of Spring, and Stone Gatherings.
Spell-workings: Divination, Healing, Protection, Purification, and Shadow Work.
Stones: Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Ruby, Onyx, and Turquoise.
Symbolism: Dispensing of the Old and Making Way for the New, Fertility, Growth and Renewal, Purity, and The Re-Union of the Goddess and the God.
Symbols: Brideo'gas, Brigid's Crosses, Besoms, Candle Wheels, Fire, Ploughs, Priapic Wands (acorn-tipped), Sheep, and White Flowers.
Trees: Rowan and Willow.

Imbolc a Major Sabbat that is a celebration to mark the return of the sun and the end of winter. During Yule, the Goddess gave birth to the promised "Child of Light" the tiny God of the Sun. At Candlemas, the Goddess nurses her Son who is growing in power and strength. We celebrate the waxing sun and the beginning of Spring. Soon the Goddess will return from the Underworld and the Earth will be reborn. Candlemas is a celebration of hope, the light returns, and Spring is just around the corner.

The Celts called this holiday Brigid’s Day or Brid’s Day (pronounced Breed’s). The Imbolc was the ancient Celtic festival celebrating the birth and freshening of sheep and goats and was also called Oimelc meaning ewe's milk. This is a time of great anticipation and the celebration of possibilities. New life is about to awaken in the earth; the earth is becoming ready to receive the seeds.

February 1 is the feast day of the primary Celtic Goddess Brigid. Her legends were not written down until centuries after the time of the Christian Saint Brigid. Saint Brigid was an Irish abbess who lived in the fifth and sixth century C.E.

Many legends are told about Brigid. She is one of the Tuatha de Danaan, and some legends say that she is the daughter of the Dagda. Other legends imply that she was his consort, not his daughter. She is also said to have loved Bres the Beautiful, the ruler of the Tuatha de Danann. Interestingly Bres is said to be half Fomorian. The Fomorians were giants that lived during the time of the Celts in and around the British Isles and they were the rulers of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan. Scientific evidence supports the idea that the Fomorians were actually the last remnants of the Neanderthal people. The Fomorians and the Tuatha de Danaan were at war over the possession of Ireland. Brigid and Bres became lovers and had a son called Ruadan who was part Danaan and part Fomorian. Brigid became a bridge between the two warring tribes and as her aspect of the mother-goddess, her main concern was the future well-being of Ireland.

Brigid is a triple Goddess of poetry, healing, and crafts. As a healer, she taught leechcraft and herbal craft. She also was a patroness of sacred springs and wells that were said to have healing properties. Offerings to the watery Brigid were cast into the well in the form of coins or, even more ancient, brass, or gold rings. Other sacrifices were offered where three streams came together. Her Cauldron of Inspiration connected her watery healing aspect with her fiery poetic aspect. Brigid the poet was the Celtic equivalent of the nine Greek Muses. She was invoked by bards whose travelling entertainment preserved the spiritual wisdom, clan lines, myths, songs, and stories of the Celtic people. Brigid the Smith ruled the mysteries of metalworking. In ancient times people who could work metal seemed to work magic, they used fire to transform stone (ore) into metal then transformed the metal into weapons. Metalworkers were seen to have mastery over fire and matter and the secrets of their trade were not shared with the uninitiated.