Imbolc blog post

See our latest class and someways to honor Imbolc throughout February!

St. Brigid crosses and dollies in the air remove the ice and winter's despair.

During this hallowed tide that we stand in between,

Betwixt two worlds both familiar and unseen.

Here we stand in Imbolc, a time of transition and fire,

To make spring return, and to make winter retire.

So come and join us in this sacred rite,

As we prepare for this Imbolc night.

Imbolc: The first fire festival of the year

Imbolc (or sometimes spelled imbolg) marks the time between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It along with three other sabbats mark the “cross-quarter points” or “fire festivals” of the year. These periods aren’t as defined as the solstices and equinoxes, which use the sun and astronomical events to mark the seasons; but instead highlight the transition of these points and the seasonal shifts during the year. It is in February that we see longer days after the solstice and when the local flora and fauna begin to return to the land, hence why it’s usually observed around the 1st or 2nd of February. But if you were to follow a more natural craft or be in an agricultural community then the start of Imbolc could even begin during the first lambs being born into your flock or whenever your ewes begin to produce the first milk of the year. Some cultures even use this seasonal transition as a marker to purify and cleanse themselves, one notable example would be the Romans. To them February would mark the Februarius mensis or the time of cleansing one’s self and home from the past year, something akin to the modern practice of spring cleaning. 

Now the origins of the name itself is somewhat unclear but many scholars generally agree that the word Imbolc comes from the old irish word “i mbolc,” which means “in the belly.” This likely alluded to the fact that ewes would be pregnant with lambs around this time; but another meaning could be the seeds in the belly of the earth, waiting to germinate until spring’s arrival.

Saint Brigid and the Goddess:

Fashion yourself a St. Brigid's cross to bring in her promises of abundance and protection.

One of the most emblematic beings for this holiday has to be Saint Brigid of Ireland, the patron saint of healers, metal workers, poets, livestock, and (no surprise) Ireland. Not only is her feast also observed on the same day as Imbolc, but she is heavily associated with numerous pre-christian elements such as many holy and clootie wells being named after her (more one those later). However unlike her contemporary, Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid left no historical record of her existence, with most of the information written about her being documented centuries later by monks (however her alleged skull could be seen as a relic in Portugal). This blank historical record and associations of pagan activities led many people to believe that Saint Brigid was once the Irish Goddess of the same name.

The Goddess Brigid was one of the many deities of pre-christian Ireland, with many of her attributes being similar to Saint Brigid’s. The Cormac glossary (which serves as one of our earliest written sources of the goddess) explicitly states that she was adored by poets, with christian scribes in the 9th century describing her as a “goddess of poets” and the ”woman of wisdom.” In mythology it’s also believed that Brigid had two sisters, Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith, hence why she is sometimes considered to be a triad of beings rather than just a singular one. 

Now it can’t be fully confirmed if Brigid was religiously syncretized into Christianity, since some scholars are debating if the name Brigid was used as a title or epithet since the name Brigid just means “the high or exalted one.” For all we know Saint Brigid might have been called Brigid as an honorary title for her miracles. What we do know is that imbolc was an important time for these pre-christian people and that a lot of its associations were linked with the Goddess Brigid. Much like with the saint, we also know that she would be invited to come into their homes so she can bring in fertility, blessings, warmth, and good health.

• A traditional way to attract Brigid would be to fashion a simple corn dolly in her image.

• This practice can be further built on by dressing the corn dolly as a bride and adoring it with ribbons and charms of the goddess. You’ll then place this bride in a basket (or her “bed”) to create a wonderful charm to attract prosperity and the Goddess herself!

I totally understand where the scholars are coming from since extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, but I agree with the notion of Saint Brigid originating from the pre-christian Goddess. Regardless of where you stand in this debate, I only wish to give you both sides of the argument so you may be able to come to a reasonable conclusion with it. 

Symbols and associations of Imbolc

Some common symbols of this holiday include (but are not limited to):

• Sheep and goats: During the long winter these animals would become pregnant and give birth to babies around this time. For a shepard this would be a joyous period since your flock would multiply and you’ll be able to harvest milk from them, effectively opening the door for more food items such as cheese and butter.

• Bread and grains: Around this time many agricultural communities would use the rest of their grain for bread and baked goods. If they had the right variety of grain they would even plant it around spring so it could be harvested around Lughnasadh. 

• Fire: Large bonfires would be used to ward off any lingering spirits from Samhain and to signal the arrival of longer days, warmer nights, and unity among the tribe. If you have a fireplace inside your home you should look out for Brigid’s footprints as they are a good sign that she was there overnight, and that the household was especially favored by her. 

• Corn dollies: As I have explained before these dollies were fashioned in the likeness of Brigid to bring about her blessings. Although in the Americas we associate corn with the plant that its name is after, in many parts of the English speaking world the term corn (I swear that says corn and not com!) would refer to any cereal grain including corn but also wheat and barley. So traditional corn dollies from these areas (as well as other crafts such as Saint Brigid’s cross) would be fashioned out of wheat stalks instead. 

• Plants and herbs: A timeless herb associated with Imbolc is the snowdrop, one of the first flowers to bloom during this time. Other good plants would be heather flowers, rosemary, bay leaves, and I would even argue that palo santo would be a great addition too!

• Holy and clootie wells: In the British isles there are numerous holy wells associated with this lady and other saints. These natural springs were used since pre-christian times due to their reputed abilities of healing, blessing, protection, cleansings, and use during initiations. 

In conclusion:

By the power of three I conjure thee, O' ancient goddess hear me.

So just because Imbolc has passed doesn't mean we can't still celebrate and honor this changing tide! Imbolc isn't a direct day but rather a period during our year, so find some other ways to see Imbolc in your local environment and look forward to the coming spring equinox. To see our February monthly spell (and a glimpse into the ritual we performed at the shop for Imbolc) click the link below! https://www.thepridespiritualshop.com/post/february-free-monthly-spell-brigid-dolly-consecration-and-conjuration

Sources:

The Witches' Bible by Janet and Stewart

Wisht Waters by Gemma Gary

Ancient ways by Pauline Campanelli

Celtic culture by John Koch

Wicca: History, belief, and community by Ethan Doyle White