For me, Imbolc is a great time to celebrate the warmer months coming soon and the return of the sun. Anything with solar or fiery correspondences works well for me around Imbolc, as well as anything having to do with keeping a happy home or inspiring creativity and the arts, since Brigid works with poets and artists often.
The cross that granted Brigid’s protection was, in Ireland, referred to as the cros-Bríde, or Brigid’s Cross. It was usually made from weaved rushes, straw, cord, sedge, or vine, and could take on a variety of shapes. It was a symbol of the perpetual cycle of the seasons, of the certainty that light and summer would always return, and its four arms represented the four-sided structure of the Celtic year.
Winter has come and it’s cold grasp lays heavy on the
land. Perhaps the snow is deep, or the day is grey and heavy with rain. We
begin to feel the full weight of winter, it seems the rule of the Cailleach
will never end. Yet if one is observant, you may begin to see subtle signs that
spring will come. Buds on the trees that will burst into flowers in the coming
weeks. Narcissists and Daffodils spring up in little explosions of color, in
Europe the Snowdrop flowers push their way to the surface. Scottish lore tells
us that it was on February 1st that Angus the ever young found and rescued the
young Bridgit, prisoner of the Cailleach.
In her rage the Cailleach sends great storms accross the land, but
Bridgit and Angus are free and we know with the young lovers spring will come
again.
This rite is about cleansing away the things that
“muddy” our spirit. It’s about washing away the old and starting the
year with a sense of renewed freshness and youth. Bridghid will be the deity of the occasion.
Imbolc is approaching, and I wanted to wish everyone who celebrates it a beautiful and fruitful holiday. To my Thelemite brethren, this is known as Feast of the Stars, and I’ve experienced some interesting and potent rituals held in its honor in the past when I was able to visit my then-local Thelemic temple.
To Wiccans and many others, though, it’s known as Imbolc and celebrates the cross-quarter, marking the time between solstice and equinox and reminding us that winter can’t last forever. While I don’t typically celebrate, I’m using this month and the next as a time of reflection on my own path and beliefs about the universe.
I made the above image, inspired by memories from long ago. The text in the background is a poem by Rumi that I once overheard being sung by a choir after wandering into a Unitarian church, and the overall style and mood of the image recalls an experience I had attending, briefly, an Imbolc celebration held in a Quaker church in Pittsburgh by a Wiccan coven. Both were beautiful to behold, though I don’t consider myself an adherent of either path.
I’m not one of those people who believes there’s beauty in every drop of life, but I think the key to being a happy person is to recognize beauty when you do see it. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of beautiful things in my life. Maybe that’s why, despite the smog choking Krakow right now, the freezing temperatures and long hours of darkness, I’m still optimistic and happy to be where I am.
Brigits cross. Imbolc – Visible return of the light First signs of spring Goddess takes on Her face of the Maiden Earth re-awakens after Her winter slumber Cleansing and purifying ALL THE THINGS Spring planting Farewell to winter
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