The pagan cross-quarter day Imbolc is celebrated from sundown on February 1st through February 2nd. It gets its origins from the Celtic tradition that marks the halfway point between Winter Solstice (Yule on December 21st) to the Spring Equinox (Ostara on March 21st).
Imbolc brings about the promise of a new world, a new blossoming year and new opportunities that lie just beyond the threshold of winter. Imbolc is the time when witches observe what we’ve carried over from the last year into this current one. Imbolc is the time of year when we take stock and check in with ourselves. This time of year calls for radical honesty about what you have and what you don’t.
In Neolithic Ireland and Scotland, Imbolc was associated with purification rights, rebirth and traditionally aligned with the first day of spring. Translations vary, but the consensus is that it stems from the archaic Old Irish term for “in milk” or “in the belly.” This translation relates to the time when grass began to grow, and sheep began to lactate – their udders filling with milk. In paganism, Imbolc is known as The Festival of Lights. It’s seen as the mid-point of winter, when winter is half over, therefore, it’s celebrated in February: the month that is in the heart of winter.
This is a time of awakenings as well as assessing yourself before continuing on your yearly trip around the sun. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the American tradition of Groundhog’s Day stems from pagan traditions of observing wildlife to determine future outcomes. We’re approaching the end of winter, meaning the end of hibernation period and our reserves are becoming scarcer and scarcer, meaning some planning for the future is necessary. The tarot card that corresponds to Imbolc is the Fool, who warns us that before diving into the deep end we must balance our critical thinking skills with our curiosity lest we risk walking off the side of a cliff.
Both secular and non-secular witches can tap into the holiday’s energy by enjoying traditions such as lighting candles in encouragement for the sun’s return. While this holiday stems from the Celts, it has long been incorporated into many pagan practices as a part of the Wheel of the Year.
For many goddess-worshiping witches, Brigid: Celtic Fire Goddess, is the patron goddess of Imbolc. She represents the supernal mother, fertility, and creative inspiration. She’s also worshipped as a warrior and protector, a healer, guardian, slayer of serpents, a sovereign and – of course – a goddess of fire and sun. She is a goddess to channel in anything involving agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine, crafting and music. For many Irish, Scottish and British pagans, as well as non-pagans, the weaving of Brigid’s Cross is still a yearly tradition this time of year.
Just because she’s often associated with motherhood and fertility, does not mean that pagans of a childfree and/or non-binary orientation cannot benefit from working with her. You don’t have to define as feminine or subscribe to vaginalized notions of the Divine Feminine in order to explore your relationship with it. Tapping in to your own ideas of regeneration, fertility and healing will give you a more personalized approach to this holiday. When it comes to magick, working with Brigid can assist with inspiration, aide in creative blocks, regenerative rites and healing.
Brigid corresponds with fire, blackberries, the Empress tarot card, wells, milk, shields, lambs and the heart – which is an ancient symbol of Feminine Power. The colors of Imbolc are usually white, silver and pale yellow. Symbols of Imbolc are candles, grain dollies, burrowing animals, wreaths, and nuts.
The Greeks likened her to their goddess Minerva, the goddess of justice, arts and warfare – who also was equated with Greek goddess, Athena. Brigid is considered a triple goddess, or a goddess that represents the maiden, mother, crone life cycle.
The triple goddess concept is rather limited to more of a reproductive-based view of the goddess, which many modern witches (myself included) balk at. While the triple goddess concept is an important conversation, it isn’t the focus of this writing. To get a more nuanced vision of a more progressive, modern take on this concept I suggest the magnificent Jailbreaking the Goddess: A Radical Revisioning of Feminist Spirituality by LaSara Firefox Allen.
When Christianity swept through the last vestiges of the Celtic world that was left in the British Isles, Brigid was combined with a possibly real woman of the same name – eventually sanctified as St. Brigid. Worship of Brigid was a cornerstone of Celtic society, and this saint who represented the same correspondences, allowed followers to worship her under the guise of Catholicism. Brigid’s holiday, Imbolc, was Chrisitanized as Candlemas, and eventually her temple in Kildare, Ireland became an abbey.
Brigid is a dynamic goddess who has evolved over the course of millennia. Her themes are universal: she protects the home, she adapts to changing situations and faces them in a singular, specific way that is easily malleable for a variety of needs.
As Irish people immigrated to the United States, Brigid found resonance with those displaced by the African diaspora. Practitioners of New Orleans Voodoo and Haitian Vodou adopted Maman Brigitte as a loa, incorporating her into their religions and practices. In the excellent Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions, Lilith Dorsey says: “There is a dark mistress of the cemetery, a bride dressed in white lace. She knows of love and loss, and her name is Maman Brigitte…also called Gran Brigitte or Maman Brijit, is the loa of the dead. She is honored as the first woman buried in each cemetery.”
If deity worship isn’t your jam, you can also find a treasure trove of powerful ancestors to cull inspiration from. For Imbolc, search out the ancestors who demonstrate powers of curiosity, confidence, and who had to fight to be themselves. These need not be blood relatives (though if you have an ancestor who embodies those things, by all means look into seeking their guidance) to be ancestors. Our lived experiences and realities coincide with many who have come before us.
We need look no further for our ancestral heritage than to the Queer Elders who have come before us to continually inspire and hold up. Marsha P. Johnson was a confident transwoman who – along with fellow ancestor – Sylvia Rivera had to fight to be themselves. The ever-curious, insatiable Zora Neale Hurston investigated into not only the dark parts of her shadow self, but the legacy she was denied due to white supremacy.
This is the time of year when we candidly review what we need. We’ll never get what we really need unless we give voice to that. We’re often so caught up in the daily obligations we must adhere to that we often forget to ask ourselves who we are and what we want.
We must be radically honest with ourselves, and not sugar-coat our own truths by marginalizing our needs, wants, and desires. Imbolc is a time to engage in shadow work. By acknowledging our “dark” sides, we are able to discover parts of ourselves that we normally don’t acknowledge. Take this time to investigate the part of yourself that is complicated and messy. Don’t worry about the toxic societal point-of-view that POSTIVITY = GOOD, NEGATIVITY = BAD.
This is the time to face reality, and remind ourselves to refocus on our personal goals. Our shadow selves work as reminders of the constant work we are always undertaking in this life. Unlike the Fool, make realistic plans based on an honest assessment of who you are. But also, don’t be afraid to be brave. Sometimes bravery takes a bit of foolishness!
Now is the time for deciding what you don’t need to carry with you into spring. If you don’t like something: leave it in the past. It’s up to you: repeat the mistakes of last year or confront them for what they are, and let them go. Take the time to question yourself and make bold (albeit realistic) steps. Pump yourself up, and get real about your accomplishments as well as your mistakes. Chances are, you’ll have a lot more to be proud of than you might think you do.
At Imbolc we’re given the opportunity to paint a more truthful, tender self-portrait than the one that is far too often clouded by fear or anxiety. This picture is a far more nuanced one than the ones our mind invents due to fear-based thinking.
Focus on your goals, ground yourself, and allow yourself to tap into your bravery. Remember: it’s important to check-in with ourselves in order to discover what we really want and need – not what anyone else needs from us. Name your goals. Find your vision. Acknowledge your limits. No positive changes can be made without first discovering what’s wrong. Our very existence is a source of untapped potential. In order to access our personal potential, it takes acknowledging our successes as well as our failures. Use this the time to make the choices needed to stride into this bold, new year.