Wheel of the Year - Imbolc
Please note, the photos used in this blog are not my own (except the Wheel of the Year drawing) if you click the photos, they will take you to their original source for more information.
It's my first blog post of the year! Who's excited?! Oh...well I'm excited. So during Blogmas, for those of you that followed it, you may remember that I did a post about Yule and Wicca. I also said that I was considering doing more Wicca posts, which I have decided I will and today is the first of those posts, because today is Imbloc!
As usual, this post is about my own beliefs, I do not intend disrespect to any other religions or belief systems. Any comments that disrespect mine or any other religion or beliefs will be deleted.
Imbloc (2nd February), or Imblog, also known as Brigid's Day (Là Fhèill Brìghde in Scottish Gaelic) is the second sabbat in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year and marks the beginning of spring in the Celtic tradition. It represents the new God coming into his power, with longer days and warmer, if only ever so slightly, weather. The lengthening light slowly awakens the resting Goddess and as she, and the Earth warm, the earliest signs of Spring begin to show.
The Sun represents the God, as the Earth is the Goddess. As his powers slowly begin to grow, the days get longer and the Sun is more visible and because of this many Wiccans light candles or bonfires to represent the sun's light and warmth in their rituals. Especially in Europe where it used to be a festival of Light and Fertility (See? The buds of Spring etc). Some, very brave, Wiccan's also wear a traditional crown with lit candles in it. If you are going to try this, for the love of all things blessed, please be careful!
Imbloc is also a time for purification and renewing your own energy. Several covens do initiations at this time to welcome in fresh power and many solo practitioners, like myself, renew their self-dedications rituals.
There's lots of practices you can do today, such as lighting a candle in every room of your house (BE VERY CAREFUL) or turn all your lights on before sunrise, for just a few minutes. Eating spicy food to represent the heat of the sun and dairy foods to celebrate the festival of calving are all very good ways to celebrate. If you would prefer to focus on Brigid's day rather than Imbolc, you can make a Brigid's cross or straw doll. In days gone by, people would make a bed with food and water left outside for Saint Brigid to rest, in the hopes she would protect their homes and livestock.
Now obviously, this is being posted a tad late (blame being an adult and a fibromyalgia flare) but there's nothing to stop you doing this the next day if you want to take part. So wherever you are and however you want to celebrate, I hope you have and/or have had a blessed Imbloc.
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