Imbolc
Snowdrops amongst decaying leaves
Imbolc is marked on the 1st February, an old Irish word meaning ‘in the belly”. As the light grows stronger, seeds in the earth start waking and we see early spring flowers appearing such as crocus and snowdrops.
In the Celtic Wheel of the Year, Imbolc falls midway between Winter Solstice, the longest night (21st December 2024) and Spring Equinox (20th March 2025), when we experience equal hours of day and night. Today we have 3 hours 20 minutes more hours of daylight since Winter Solstice! January can be a tough month and the festival of Imbolc reminds us that better weather is to come and new life is on it’s way. The Celts were pastoral people and February was when they saw the first lambs being born.
Dancing monk icon of St. Brigid © Marcy Hall of Rabbit Room Arts.
Brigid: Goddess and Saint
1st of February also marks Brigid Days, both Celtic Goddess and Celtic Saint. Legend has it that Brigid of Kildare (451 - 525), the leader of her Druid community, was named after the Goddess Brigid. The Celtic Goddess, known as the Maidan Goddess, who brings us out of from winter’s grip or the Cailleach, the crone of Winter. This Goddess is associated with many things including healing, poetry, smithing and fire. Brigid of Kildare in Ireland was the daughter of a Druid Father and a Christian mother. She developed a love for Jesus alongside her Druid ancestry, following Jesus did not mean abandoning her pagan roots but instead weaving them together. She founded and led the Abbey of Kildare, Kildare meas ‘church of the oak” and oaks were sacred symbols to the Celtic, gateways between this world and the spiritual realm. This Abbess became the patron saint of midwifes, who stands with us in threshold moments. In the Celtic imagination and mythology, she was taken back in time to be the midwife at the birth of Christ! She was known for her compassion and generosity towards the poor and marginalised in her time. This women leader was so significance around the British Isles that places were names after her, including the Scottish Outer Hebrides and Brides Bay in Wales and Brigit, Braint and Brent rivers in Ireland, Wales and England.
Bare Oak tree during an overcast twilight (after sunset and before night).
Imbolc marks our emergence from Winter in the Northern Hemisphere and offers the promise of Spring. It is neither fully winter nor fully spring but in-between, the beginning of a transition that will lead us into warmer weather and the renewal of life.
An Imbolc Ritual:
Take a slow wander at twilight - the 40 mins before sunrise and 40 minutes after sunset. At this time of year in the UK, sunrise is around 8.00 am and sunset around 5.15 pm, depending on where you live. Twice a day we experience this “threshold” time, between day and night or night and day, a liminal space that offers an opportunity to pause:
Takes some deep breaths.
Practice greeting yourself as a good friend.
Notice your body and try and soften around any areas of any tension.
Without judgement and with compassion, notice how you are doing/feeling.
Use your senses to notice things in the natural world around you. Get curious.
Contemplate any new beginnings emerging in your life. Are you experiencing any transitions in your life?
Imagine a support loving presence alongside you in these new beginnings or thresholds moments. It could be be Brigid or an loving ancestor, friend or relative or God (or whatever words you put it to). Imagine what they might do or say to you at this time and be open to receive their love and wisdom.
Misty field overlooking woodland with the moon above just before sunrise at twilight
The next Online Retreats are at Spring Equinox: Thursday 20th March 7 - 9pm GMT and Saturday 4-6pm GMT. It would be lovely to mark the moment in the calendar year with you.