You can order this book for around 10-11 dollars from Booksamillion.com
As usual, I'm only including my favorite parts. So, to read the whole thing and fully understand all the traditions (not just the ones I favor) you'll have to purchase or borrow the book from somewhere :)
Old Ways
When the dark days of winter seem to have gone on forever, the first sign of spring refreshes out souls. It is a promise that winter will not last forever and that warm and fertile days will come again soon.
Also known as "Imbolg," "Oimelc," and "Feast of St. Brigid," Imbolc is the sabbat midway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It is celebrated on Feb 1 and precedes the more recent Christian reinterpretation of Imbolc called "Candlemas" Which is celebrated on February 2.
Imbolc is a time when new plans are made and new ideas are "planted." It is also traditionally a time to examine the people, objects, and philosophies in our lives. It is an opportunity to discard the things we don't need or that are holding us back.
Imbolc as a sabbat grew from the celebration of the first milk from the pregnant ewes in the hinterlands of Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of Europe. To truly understand the roots of Imbolc and why it has been incorporated as a sabbat for modern Wiccans and Neopagans, you have to imagine what life was like in Europe in antiquity.
Although, spring planting represents an important step in survival, those seeds won't yield food immediately. On the other hand, if you take care of your animals through the winter, they can start producing food for you long before the first plants. Imbolc marked that point in the year for ancient Celtic peoples.
On the Celtic Wheel of the Year, Imbolc represents the beginning of spring.Animals could be put out to pasture and were no longer dependent on stored hay. Barns and homes that had been shuttered throughout the long winter could be cleaned or at the very least aired out. There were newly born animals in the pens which also meant a fresh flow of milk. In many ways, this point on the calendar represented a time of cleansing, renewal, and rebirth.
It is simply impossible to talk about Imbolc without talking about the very powerful Celtic Goddess, Brigid. She is also called "Brighid," "Brigit," "Bride," and "Brigantia," among other names but is mostly widely known among Wiccans and Neopagans as Brigid. She is the goddess of many forms and has presented herself as all three aspects (maiden, mother, and crone) of the Earth Goddess. Over many generations, she has proven to be not only powerful, but also a very durable goddess. Although most closely associated with Ireland (She is often called goddess of Ireland.) Brigid was also an important goddess in Scotland, Wales, and many parts of Western Europe.
Brigid is the goddess of fire and flame, change, poetry and inspiration, transformation, wisdom, metalworking and the fire of the forge, healing, creativity, water, prophecy, education, and learning. She is credited with giving the written word to humanity. Brigid is also a goddess of childbirth, and she can be called upon for help during delivery to keep mother and child safe. In many places it was a tradition on Imbolc to open all the doors and windows in the home and for the women of the house to stand at the threshold in order to receive Brigid's blessings.
Called the Goddess of the Eternal Flame, Brigid is charged with its protection; her shrine in Kildare, Ireland, held the Eternal Flame, where it was guarded night and day. It is said that for its safety, the sacred flame was surrounded by a hedge that no mane could penetrate; only Brigid and her priestesses could pass through it. As a goddess of fire, Brigid is often called upon to protect homes from its destructive power. Brigid's crosses and corn dollies are often hung in kitchens to entice her protection over hearth and home. She is also called the "Great Teacher," and might have been one of the earliest advocates for women's education.
Brigid is also called the Goddess of the Sacred Well; in this capacity, she protects its healing waters. While some say the well was also hers to protect within the shrine at Kildare, others point to her sacred well at Liscannor in County Clare, Ireland instead. In fact, the utter domination of Brigid and her shrines and legions of followers resulted in the area around Kildare often being called the "City of Brigid."
If you have any doubt about Brigid's ability to transform herself, you need only look at her fate after the Christian suppression of the Celts' native religions. Even after Christianity's arrival in Ireland, the cult of Brigid was simply too strong for proselytizing Christians to dismiss. If Christianity was to take hold in Ireland, the goddess Brigid had to be included. In so many instances when Christianity displaced local deities, the latter were often relegated to being characters in fairy tales and completely forgotten, or even transformed into demons or monsters. No such fate would befall the Goddess of the Eternal Flame, however. Instead, we find the sudden (and virtually inexplicable) appearance of Saint Brigid. Although no longer described as a "goddess" her credentials as a saint were undeniable.
St. Brigid was put forth as a midwife to Mary when Jesus was born. That reconstructed history provided a clever way for the church to let her keep her deep connections with childbirth. In other stories, she healed lepers using the water from her well, and she blessed the baby Jesus with three (there's that trinity again) drops of water on his head. She was also said to bring "bright weather" with her, thus maintaining her connection to spring and the end of winter.
Finally, it was said that St. Brigid was born on February 1 (sometimes called Candlemas Eve). Some stories day that she was born at dawn in a pillar of fire. Others say that her mother gave birth to her at dawn as her mother crossed the threshold into her home. All of these stories put a strong emphasis on symbols of change.
New Ways
Imbolc is the light at the end of the tunnel, the birth of the new spring. It is a small light, like a candle seen in the distance, because spring is still some distance away. It makes it only right to celebrate Imbolc with candles rather than torches or the blazing balefires that will mark our summer celebrations.
For Wiccans
(** Side note from Holly** I loathe this word, but the book constantly uses it. I've seriously considered changing it to witch. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with the word Wiccan or people who refer to themselves as Wiccan. I just don't personally relate to the term. Witch- don't you ever, ever refer to me as Wiccan. I'm simply not.)
For modern Wiccans in particular, Imbolc is often a celebration of the goddess Brigid. Many identify this sabbat so strongly with her that they actually call the sabbat "Brigid" rather than Imbolc.
An annual tradition many of us might consider "purely American" is in reality (like so many other things) a practice deeply rooted in history. IN some such traditions, weather forecasting is based on an animal seeing its shadow. Shadows are often powerful magical objects and are sometimes considered entities unto themselves. In the US, it has been an annual tradition for more than a hundred years that every February 2, a hapless groundhog becomes the center of grand celebrations in Punxsatawney, PA. Should the groundhog see its shadow as it would on a clear, sunny day, then according to the tradition, there are still six more weeks of winter weather. (In these parts, we only trust French Creek Freddy Yo!)
Things You Can Do Today
In addition to the many ancient and modern traditions honoring Imbolc, there are plenty of things you can do without any need for complex rituals or specialized magic tools. Remember that the key element of Imbolc is emergence from the darkness in preparation for the coming spring. Imbolc is the perfect time to create new plans and make new connections, and prepare for the dramatic change in weather that's on the way. It is also the perfect time to remove obstacles and clear out the energies standing in the way of your life's blossoming spring.
There is no reason to wait for the vernal equinox to start on a good cleaning of spaces that have become cluttered with the trappings of a long winter. While in some regions you may not be able to put away your snow boots, you can still clean out the clutter both physical and magical. Even the happiest homes can become cluttered with the day-to-day, accidental accumulation of objects like magazines, unopened mail, books that were never replaced on the shelf, etc., in addition to the perhaps more subtle accumulation of negative energy from such sources as unexpected bills, arguments about curfews, and other sources of stress in our daily lives. We have more opportunity to air out our homes in warm weather so they are less cluttered in many ways. Months of closed doors can leave layers of unwanted energy, and cluttered spaces can actually cause physical stress in some people.
The act of cleaning a single space in your home can bring in a breath of positive energy that will bring peace of mind and soul. You can use a besom or an ordinary broom. It's really wonderful to start by dusting near the ceiling and working your way to the floor. As you work visualize all those accumulated energies clinging to the dust. And when you sweep away the dust, the negative energy goes with it too.
Although Imbolc falls before outdoor planing is safe in many parts of the world, in the British Isles this sabbat marked the start of spring, and planting was often possible around this time for the ancient Celts. Imbolc is often a great time to start seedlings indoors to later transplant into your garden when warmer weather arrives. In some climates the soil is warm enough that you can actually plant seeds directly into the ground at Imbolc.
Imbolc is not only about emerging from hibernation; it is also about making plans for the future. While sometimes the wises decision to continue with out plans from the previous year, Imbolc is a time to review those plans and make changes as needed. While "staying the course" like this can be a good decision, it is also very easy to fall into habits this way. As you examine your plans for the coming year make sure you remain open to new ideas and different approaches. One great way to do that is to use Imbolc as your time to do something you have never done before.
Doing one new thing can easily inspire you to see things in a new light. You might think of it as a cleaning for your brain.
Imbolc is a trans-formative sabbat, which is why there is focus on considering new ideas and freeing yourself from old ideas that hold you back. While some might describe this as stepping outside of your "comfort zone," the concept is that speaking to someone that you may only know by sight or a person whose discussion with you have always been "just business" is doing something new. You may be anxious about speaking to this person, but even if the encounter lasts only a moment you will feel the energy of taking a step down a new path. There's also the possibility that a positive, new friendship will emerge.
--Candle Burning Etiquette--
Keep a few things in mind when using candles. Candles are often used to light other candles. When doing this you should take care to minimize wax from one candle mixing with the wax of others. The mixing of different candle waxes can be a fun and useful magic technique, but only when done intentionally. Candles are obviously impacted by breezes and should be protected from them as much as possible.
Many Wiccans and Neopagans consider it the height of disrespect to blow a candle out, as the act is seen as using the element of air to defeat the element of fire. To avoid showing such disrespect it is generally considered proper to extinguish candles by pinching the wick or using a candle snuffer.
Spells and Divinations
Brigid Candle Divination
Here is a very simple exercise in divination using the emblem of Imbolc: the candle. If you have no experience with divination, this simple technique is a great introduction to this art. You can think of it as being the divination equivalent of a multiple choice question, or almost as simplified Ouija board.You will need:
- A small white taper candle (not a "drip-less" candle- a small birthday cake candle will work well for this exercise.)
- A piece of white card stock or thick paper (a white index card is a good choice)
- A permanent marker or ink pen
- A heat and fireproof surface (like concrete, brick, or ceramic tile--you could even use an old ceramic plate)
- A question to ask and possible answers
- A lighter or matches
As is often the case with divination, the most difficult part is creating the perfect question. make certain your question is specific and clearly defined. A question like "What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" is not as clearly defined as "Will it rain tomorrow?" Creating the answers to the first question would be difficult because there are so many possibilities.
Write the possible answers to your question on your card or stock paper and mark off a section of the paper for each answer. Observing how the wax melts onto the card will determine which answer is indicated. It is easiest if you plan to as a "yes" or "no" question, although you could provide many more possible answers. Try to have no more than four possible answers to make interpretation easier.
Using the marker, create one section on your paper for each possible answer. You want each section to be equal size and all connected to the center. If you are asking a yes or no question, this could be as simple as a single line down the center of the paper and writing "yes" on one side of the line and "no" on the other. If you have four possible answers, divide the paper by marking a cross in the center and writing one answer in each of the quarters created by your marks. The question does not need to be written on the paper, so you can reuse those papers if the same answers will apply to other questions as well.
When selecting possible answers, keep in mind that the answer to your question might not be one of the choices you have listed. If that's a possibility then make one of the possible answers "something else" or "other" to allow for those answers you didn't consider. When you have all of the answers marked in equally sized areas you should attach the candle to the paper or card. The simplest way to do that is to put one or two drops of melted wax (from the bottom of your divination candle or from a different candle) onto the exact center and quickly push the base of the candle into the melted wax. Wait a few moments for the wax to cool, and it will have "glued" your candle to the card.
Your divination candle is ready to use. Place it on a fireproof surface and sit or stand facing it. Make certain that the space you are using has no drafts that might blow the flame around and change the results of the divination. Relax and clear your mind, then very clearly offer your carefully worded question. Begin by calling to Brigid:
Goddess Brigid, Goddess of Flame, Healer, and Keeper of the Sacred Well, I ask that you honor me with your presence today and show me the answer to my question.
Read or state your question aloud, then light the candle. Use matches or a lighter rather than a second candle (which might drip wax and skew the results)
As the candle burns, focus your attention on the candle's flame, watching as it dances and jumps. As you watch the flame, think about your question. Try to visualize it in your mind's eye. Slowly drop your gaze to the candle. Sometimes the wax runs down one side of the candle and continues on that line the entire time it burns but at other times it can take unexpected turns. Because of this, you should allow the candle to completely burn out. Until the candle has burned out, the results from the wax may not be accurate. If you absolutely must extinguish the candle before it burns out. leave it in place and relight it as soon as possible. Never leave a candle burning unattended.
Take care not to let it burn the card stock or paper. If the paper starts to scorch you should extinguish the candle immediately. Otherwise allow it to go out on its own. Once the candle is out, allow it to rest for a bit to cool. If there is a "nub" of candle left on the card, gently rotate and remove it if you can do so with out disturbing any of the rest of the wax.
With the wax cooled and "nub" removed (if possible), you can read and interpret the results. most of the time you will be able to clearly see which one of the answers on your card is covered with the most wax, indicating that answer is the correct one. At other times the wax may flow and pool onto many different parts of the card. The answer with the most wax is the one you should go with. If it is too difficult to determine which has the most wax, you can use a sharp knife to divide the melted wax along the lines between the possible answers. then peel the wax from the card and compare it (or even weigh it). When it is difficult to decide between two answers with similar amounts of wax, it could be an indicator that there is truth in both of those answers
(OK so all of the spells/divinations are that long..... ugh I'm trying to right a nice blog here not a book! LMAO for more spells and and divinations for Imbolc - http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Imbolc/Carl-F-Neal/9780738745411?id=6858089879892 There is even an eBook of it you can find that http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Imbolc/Carl-F-Neal/Q302462320?id=6858089879892 😃)
Recipes and Crafts
Soda Bread
This simple and traditional Irish bread requires no yeast and is tasty way to enjoy the cheese and butter recipes also included in the book (but not in my blog bahaha)
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (recently opened container, stale won't work as well)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 2 teaspoons salt (optional)
- 1 cup buttermilk
Thoroughly mix the powdered ingredients and stir in the buttermilk. Mix with a spoon for one to two minutes and then knead with your hands for another thirty seconds. If the mixture is to dry, moisten it with a little more buttermilk but don't handle the dough any more than is absolutely needed. This dough should be a bit lumpy and wispy, so don't try to make it smooth.
Form the dough in a round shape about eight inches wide. Place it on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper, or more traditionally dusted with flour. Press the top flat and then cut the top with a sharp knife. Traditionally you would make two intersecting cuts of equal length across the dough and going about an inch into the sides of the dough in a cross shape. It looks more festive if you make three cuts that create more of a star or asterisk patter.
Bake the dough at 400 F for 40-50 minutes. The top should be brown and the loaf should make a hallow sound when thumped. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for fifteen minutes covered with a towel. It can then be served hot or allowed to completely cool before cutting. This traditional bread is filled with tiny pockets and crevices that butter and cheese can fill, making it the perfect centerpiece for your Imbolc feast
In place of the books lengthy explanation on how to make Brigid's Cross I found this lovely easy to use photo from the Catholics that follows the books concept 😄
Prayers and Invocations
A prayer for Healing the Mind, Heart, or Soul
Those close quarters of the cold days can also cause rifts between us and those closest to us. Sometimes new beginnings are created, because something else has come to an end. Getting a new job is a type of a new beginning, but sometimes the new job came about after losing a previous job, or it means leaving behind coworkers with whom you had grown close. Starting a romantic relationship with someone is a new beginning, but often new relationships come about after ending of previous ones. Just as old physical injuries can leave us with scars and chronic pain, old emotional pain can linger for a lifetime if left unaddressed. Light your candle and ask Brigid to use her immense power to help heal minds as well as bodies.
Goddess Brigid, Keeper of the Flame, Tender of the Well, I come to you to ask for the healing of an injured soul.
Please look into deepest places within my/ (person's name) and find the injuries that lie beneath the surface.
I ask that you ease the pain within my/that soul.
Just as this candle shines, I ask that you shine a light on a path towards healing.
Shine a light so bright and clear that the path to healing is unmistakable.
Please send whatever assistance will be needed to make this soul whole once again.
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