IMBOLC – CANDLEMAS – FEAST OF BRIGID
Original Publication: Pagan Chronicle – Issue: 06 – IMBOLC 2024
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Imbolc or Imbolg, meaning ‘in the belly’, is the second sabbat of the year which falls between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara) and usually happens on or around February 1st. It is also known as the Feast of Brigid, or the more Christianized form, Candlemass. It is a festival celebrating Brigid; Goddess of fire, quickening and fertility. She is a triple faced goddess, the sacred Smith, Healer, and Poet, associated also with the perpetual flame, midwifery, animal husbandry, sacred healing wells and thresholds just to name a few. As Christianity took hold in the parts of the world where she is venerated, she became St. Brigid – and St. Brigid’s Day is still observed on the same date as Imbolc.
This sabbat is about the gathering and growing light – not necessarily heat, at this point – but the incremental increase of light each day which calls nature to stir from its cold winter slumber. Imbolc, like all Sabbats, is an observation of a turning point of light at this time in the wheel. It is the point where our intentions for the year are quickened or fertilized, and there are a variety of ways to celebrate and connect to this ancient tradition of sympathetic magic.
One way to celebrate Brigid is the construction of a Brigid’s Cross; an equal armed woven cross traditionally made from rushes or reeds which is placed in a home – often over a door – as a symbol of protection for the coming wheel. Spell intentions can be woven into the cross as it is made. Crosses from the previous year should be burned as part of an energetic spring cleaning; sweeping away last year’s energies and intentions, and replacing them with something new. There are many tutorials available in books and online for the making of crosses from various materials.
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Brigid is also known for her magical cloak which can expand its size to envelope large portions of land. It is believed that placing a cloak, blanket, or other beloved item of clothing outside on the eve of Imbolc will be blessed. The first rays of light on Imbolc day imbue the items with the protective healing powers of Brigid. A well-loved blanket blessed by Brigid is a wonderful thing to have on hand any time you may get sick in the coming wheel.
In the tradition I observe, each year we make a doll to represent Brigid, a bed for her to lay in, and a wand to symbolize the god, to beckon the quickening of our seeds (intentions) for the year. The doll is made from sheaves of grain such as wheat, oats or corn husks and is dressed in clothing. The wand is made from a piece of wood, traditionally with an acorn affixed to the end to make a phallic or priapic wand symbolizing the divine masculine energy. The bed is often a basket, woven sticks and twigs or something similar. In a pinch, even a cardboard box can be decorated to make a nice bed – it’s about the thought and effort you put into it, not the money you spend on it. This can all be as simple or ornate as desired but should be made of natural materials that can be burned.
The bed, doll and wand are left outside on the stoop of the house on the eve of Imbolc along with a candle which is left burning all night as a symbol of protection and the growing light of the sun; beckoning the sun god to quicken the goddess – beckoning the energy of light to once again fertilize the growth of the seed within the cold dark belly of the Earth. On the day of Imbolc, the bed, doll and wand are brought inside, symbolizing bringing the light of the new year into our lives. Intentions are added to the bed; these can be notes, symbols or other items such as crosses from the previous year which will be burned along with the bed. This is another case in which the transformational magic of fire is used to set a spell in motion. In this case the fire takes on the energetic properties of the womb; serving as a gateway for intentions to be quickened and made manifest in this realm.
Through the previous year, I have written about the eight major sabbats widely celebrated in pagan traditions. For this next wheel, I would like to share an exploration of tree magic; the Oghams (Ow-uhm). Working with them is an excellent way to further tap into inner wisdom, as it is a very personal journey learning about and working with each tree. I hope you will join me as we Walk the Grove together and learn more about the mysteries of the sacred trees. I’d like to start with a brief introduction to the Ogham associated with the time around Imbolc (21 Jan – 17 Feb) – Luis, also known as Rowan. I will leave it to you to find physical descriptions of trees for identification – this information is widely available. Here I would like to focus on the magical properties of the trees themselves.
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Luis, pronounced ‘Loo-eesh’ is the Celtic name for Rowan; mountain ash, rune tree, quicken or ‘quickbeam’ are a few folk names for it. Those who know Lord of the Rings may remember Quickbeam as an Ent, and indeed he is a mountain ash. Rowan trees can be found in Utah; they enjoy high elevation and grow well in rocky soil, often near water along the edges of the woods. They can even sometimes be found growing not from soil, but from fissures of rocks. These are called ‘flying’ or ‘journeying’ trees; growing in liminal spaces between earth, air and water.
Rowan holds the liminal mystery of coming and going – thresholds and gateways. Rowan reminds us that any time we pass through a portal, we are going somewhere and leaving where we were behind. Whether traveling from a house out the door to the yard, or between this world and the other world when you are born or die, Rowan holds the threshold of crossing portals. This process of crossing is also known as quickening, as there is a forward motion to moving through a portal. Birth is a quickening, and a central theme at Imbolc. It is the quickening of the land at the beginning of the new wheel as we pass through a portal, a turning point of the Sun as we invariably move once again toward Summer.
If you wish to bring the trees into your own practice, one of the easiest ways to do this is to simply sit in meditation with a tree. If you want to go find one in nature, that is a great option, but that may not always be possible to do. You can work with the trees just fine at home, too. Find some images of the tree online, in a book, or find an ogham tree oracle deck – get acquainted with what the tree looks like. If you have a piece of rowan wood, berries, or leaves, place them on your altar. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes, get quiet with it and let the tree tell you about itself. Keep something nearby to make notes on as things come to you. Don’t force it. Walk away from it and come back later. Let things percolate. This process will teach you a lot about yourself and the trees, if you let it.
This Imbolc, however you choose to celebrate it, may your intentions be quickened as the sun’s light gathers and imbues the earth with powerful growth energy once again. Bright Blessings.
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