Imbolc, a Celtic festival of Light & Fertility
Photo by Chaitanya Deshpande
For people in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland, Imbolc was an important cross-quarter festival. The halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, this multi-day festival signified the start of the agricultural year with the beginning of the lambing season, and was celebrated on February 1st and 2nd. It was “the moment Spring starts to peek through,”[1] a time to say goodbye to the harshest days of winter and to begin welcoming in the light of spring.
A major part of the Imbolc festival was the recognition of the goddess Brigid, who was the Celtic goddess of many things, including healing, fire, and poetry. Brigid is a triple goddess, which means she cycles through her Maiden, Mother and Crone phases throughout the year. At Imbolc she is in her Maiden aspect.[2] “Myths about Brigid’s birth say she was born with a flame in her head and drank the milk of a mystical cow from the spirit world.” [3]
This cross-quarter day is also associated with the waxing crescent moon - a great time for intention setting.
Imbolc was traditionally a fire festival, so below I have outlined a very simple Imbolc ritual if you’d like to mark this cross-quarter day and begin welcoming in the spring season. This was traditionally a time to begin sowing seeds for the spring - what literal or metaphorical seeds do you want to sow at this time of the year?
A Simple Ritual for Imbolc
Materials needed: A candle, matches, a small slip of paper, a writing implement, a digging implement
Begin by grounding into your body. Soften your gaze, take deep slow breaths, and allow your body to soften where it needs to.
Then, light your candle. Watch the flame as it flickers and dances, and reflect on the winter season thus far. How has it been for you? (If you need any reflection prompts, jump below to my Imbolc Tarot Spread).
Consider what you are looking forward to for Spring, or if you have any deep intentions or desires for the coming season. Settle on one that feels true, and write this on your small slip of paper.
Thank the fire for its inspiration and warmth, and when you are ready, snuff the candle out.
Fold your paper multiple times until it is the size of a large seed. Using your digging implement, plant your intention into the earth (either in your garden, or if you don’t have access to actual earth soil, a container plant will do). For extra ritualism, water it in.
If you so desire, return to this spot throughout the coming weeks and months and tend to it. Even sitting quietly and reflecting on your intention will help keep it front of mind and increase its manifesting power. If for some reason the spot becomes disturbed, don’t fret! The intention was called into the earth when you planted it, and cannot be dislodged even if the physical paper is no longer present.
Imbolc Tarot Spread
Because I love tarot, I am also including a tarot spread for Imbolc here. If you don’t use tarot, these prompts can also be used as journaling reflections.
imbolc Tarot Spread
What has winter meant for you this year?
How can you deepen into the winter season?
What light is peeking around the corner as spring approaches?
Other Midwinter Celebrations
Even if you don’t have Northern European ancestry, this seasonal marker is celebrated in other ways around the world. The most non-denominational of these celebrations is Groundhog’s Day (which began in the US in 1887) - traditionally on February 2nd, when we all see if the groundhog sees his shadow or not, predicting whether winter will stay or go. Lunar New Year is also celebrated around this time, depending on the new moon. (This year it begins on February 1st!)
Is Imbolc the middle of winter, or the beginning of Spring?
In Neolithic Ireland and Scotland, Imbolc signified the beginning of the spring season (and midwinter was celebrated at the Winter Solstice). But in the 1790’s the Societas Meteorologica Palatina established meteorological seasons, which places the beginning of spring in March.[4]
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, what do you generally associate with the beginning of spring?
Seasonal Gatherings
Did you enjoy this Imbolc ritual, and learning more about this seasonal transition? If you’d like to celebrate the quarter and cross-quarter days in community, join my virtual seasonal gatherings list to get an exclusive invite to our next virtual gathering!