Category: The Sabbats

In Celebration of Lammas – Using Crystals for Abundance

Disclaimer: No crystal, or gem or stone should be used for medicinal purposes in place of what your health care professional has prescribed for you for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com, any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using a crystal or gem or stone for any reason.

In Celebration of Lammas – Using Crystals for Abundance

by Spiralotus

Abundance is the connection to the source of all that is; manifesting a constant flow to support, nourish and expand life as well as creativity. In Chinese Feng Shui the wealth corner is the corner farthest away and to the far left of the front door or the southeast corner, depending on what system you use. If you like to use this system you can set up crystals to attract various forms of abundance there.

Some crystals that are associated with abundance are usually green, yellow, gold or orange. However there are other stones that do not have those colors and work just as well. Yellow Sapphire is associated with Ganesh, Hindu god of prosperity. This stone attracts wealth to the home. An Abundance Crystal is a Quartz crystal with one long part and many tiny crystals at the base to encourage dreams, well-being, and love. Tiger’s Eye helps people with material things and assists by showing the best way to do something. It stimulates wealth and helps create stability to maintain wealth. Citrine should be placed in your wealth corner to attract abundance. Carnelian improves motivation and getting out of a rut. Peridot brings wealth quickly and is best for someone who already has things under control. Topaz helps you appreciate life and makes room for abundance. It taps into your own natural resources and because its facets carry both negative as well as positive charges, it helps manifest desires.

When you decide on a crystal to use cleanse it first by running it under water, charging it in the sun or moon, putting it in a pyramid, or if you are a Reiki practitioner, simply Reiki your crystal. Some people put their crystals in sea salt. This is a great way to cleanse them, just make sure the crystal that you are working with will not be damaged by the salt. Always throw away your salt when you are done.

You can program your crystal to attract a specific form of abundance by holding it in your hands and picturing what you want to manifest in your life. Make sure you keep your area for your crystal clean and charged. Periodically smudging the area will help you with this. In your abundance area you may wish to include something that represents Deity to you and perhaps the type of abundance you want to bring into your life. Being as specific as possible helps to create the energy you wish to attract. As your wealth increases in material, spiritual, and emotional areas be sure to give thanks for what has manifested in your life.

Spiralotus is High Priestess with the Order of the White Moon. As a Reiki Master and Herbalist, she trains women in the healing arts.

Deities of Imbolc c. 2019

The Witches Guide to Lammas c. 2018

 

The Witches Guide to Lammas

A guide to the Sabbat’s symbolism

 

by Arwynn MacFeylynnd

Date: August 1 or 2.

Alternative names: Lughnassadh, Lammastide, August Eve, Harvest Home, Ceresalia (Roman, in honor of the grain goddess Ceres), First Fruits, Festival of Green Corn (Native American), Feast of Cardenas, Cornucopia (Strega), Thingtide and Elembiuos. Lammas, an Anglo-Saxon word, means “loaf mass.” Lughnassadh is named for the Irish sun god Lugh (pronounced Loo), and variant spellings are Lughnasadh, Lughnasad, Lughnassad, Lughnasa and Lunasa.

Primary meanings: This festival has two aspects. First, it is one of the Celtic fire festivals, honoring the Celtic culture-bringer Lugh (Lleu to the Welsh, Lugus to the Gauls). In Ireland, races and games were held in his name and that of his mother, Tailtiu (these may have been funeral games). Second, the holiday is the Saxon Feast of Bread, at which the first of the grain harvest is consumed in ritual loaves. These aspects are not too dissimilar, as the shamanic death and transformation of Lleu can be compared to that of the Barley God, known from the folksong “John Barleycorn.”

Lammas celebrates the first of three harvest celebrations in the Craft. It marks the beginning of autumn, the start of the harvest cycle, and relies on the early crops of ripening grain and any fruits and vegetables ready to be harvested. It is associated with bread because grain is one of the first crops harvested. Those in the Craft often give thanks and honor now to gods and goddesses of the harvest, as well as those who represent death and resurrection.

Symbols: All grains, especially corn and wheat, corn dollies, sun wheels, bread, harvesting and threshing tools and the harvest full moon. Altar decorations might include corn dollies or kirn babies (corncob dolls) to symbolize the Mother Goddess of the Harvest. Other appropriate decorations include summer flowers and grains. You might also wish to have a loaf of whole cracked wheat or multigrain bread upon the altar, baked in the shape of the sun.

Colors: Red, orange, gold, yellow, citrine, green, grey and light brown.

Gemstones: Yellow diamonds, aventurine, sardonyx, peridot and citrine.

Herbs: Acacia flowers, aloes, chamomile, cornstalks, cyclamen, fenugreek, frankincense, heather, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, passionflower, rose, rose hips, rosemary, sandalwood, sunflowers and wheat.

Gods and goddesses: Lugh, Thor, John Barleycorn (the personification of malt liquor), Demeter, Danu, Ceres, sun gods, corn mothers, all grain and agriculture deities, mother goddesses and father gods.

Customs and myths: Spellwork for prosperity, abundance and good fortune are especially appropriate now, as well as spells for connectedness, career, health and financial gain. Sacrifice is often associated with this holiday. Visits to fields, orchards, lakes and wells are also traditional. It is considered taboo not to share your food with others now.

Activities appropriate for this time of the year are baking bread, wheat weaving and making corn dollies or other god and goddess symbols. You may want to string Indian corn on black thread to make a necklace, or bake cornbread sticks shaped like little ears of corn for your Sabbat cakes. The corn dolly may be used both as a fertility amulet and as an altar centerpiece.

Some pagans bake Lammas bread in the form of a god-figure or sun wheel — if you do this, be sure to use this bread in your Lammas ritual’s cakes and ale ceremony, if you have one. During the Lammas ritual, some consume bread or something from the first harvest. Some gather first fruits; others symbolically throw pieces of bread into a fire.

Stones of Imbolc c. 2019

Blessing Ritual for Lammas for Solitaries c. 2018

Blessing Ritual for Lammas for Solitaries

 

Material needed:

Incense
Chalice of water
Salt
Pentacle
Dagger
4 Elemental candles
Chalice of wine
Wand
Plate of bread
Cauldron with a orange candle in it
Fall flowers, ivy, and leaves for decorations

Cast the Circle

Light the cauldron candle and say:

” O Ancient Gods of the Celts, I do ask your presence here.
For this is a time that is not a time,
in a place that is not a place,
on a day that is not a day,
and I await you. ”

Set the plate of bread on the pentacle. Stand still and breathe deeply for a few moments.
Concentrate on the cleansing power of the breath of air, when you feel ready, say:

” I have purified myself by breathing in the life force
of the universe and expelling all evil from me. ”

Lift the plate of bread high and set it back on the altar and say:

” I know that every seed, every grain is a record of ancient time,
and a promise to all of what shall be.
This bread represents eternal life
through the cauldron of the Triple Goddess. ”

Eat a piece of bread, put the wine chalice on the pentacle , lift it high, and then set it on the altar, and say:

” As the grape undergoes change to become wine,
so by the sacred cauldron of life shall I undergo change.
And as this wine can give man enchantment of the divine
or sink him to the lower realms,
so do I realize that all humans rise or fall
according to their own strength and will. ”

Drink some wine and say:

” As in the bread and wine, so it is with me.
Within all forms is locked a record of the past
and a promise of the future.
I ask that you lay your blessings upon me, Ancient Ones,
that this season of waning light
and increasing darkness may not be heavy.
So Mote It Be! ”

The simple feast

Leave a libation for the nature spirits

Close the Circle

Imbolc marks the Irish pagan start of spring – something is stirring

As the great wheel turns, we find ourselves slowly re-emerging from the deep dreamtime of winter into the portal of Imbolc.

Kathy Scott Trailblazery  

The Wheel of the Year is a medicine wheel marked and celebrated by most, indigenous cultures around the earth in their own ways.

In Ireland, the ancient ones measured their cosmos in wheels, spirals, in the movement of the stars, and the rising and setting of the sun and moon.

The ancient Irish were deeply connected to the land, the seasons, and the cycles of the natural world and honored these portals with ritual and ceremony. Our ancestors have gifted us with a rich cultural inheritance aligned with the rhythms and patterns of the natural world. This cyclical way of living offers great wisdom that can support and resource our wellbeing today as ‘ancestors-in-training’.

The Wheel of the Year is a medicine wheel marked and celebrated by most, indigenous cultures around the earth in their own ways.

In Ireland, the ancient ones measured their cosmos in wheels, spirals, in the movement of the stars, and the rising and setting of the sun and moon.

The ancient Irish were deeply connected to the land, the seasons, and the cycles of the natural world and honored these portals with ritual and ceremony. Our ancestors have gifted us with a rich cultural inheritance aligned with the rhythms and patterns of the natural world. This cyclical way of living offers great wisdom that can support and resource our wellbeing today as ‘ancestors-in-training’.

Imbolc marks the quickening

The word Imbolc derives from the Irish, ‘i mbolg’, meaning ‘in the belly’, or “first milk” in the old Irish Neolithic language. It heralds the birthing season, as the soon-to-be-born lambs are growing in their mother’s bellies. Another powerful metaphor to describe this time is ‘winter pregnant with summer’. The seeds of summer are still hidden deep in the earth, in the womb of the goddess and while the worst of the winter darkness is over, Spring has not fully arrived yet.

In the ancient Celtic tradition, there is a celebration of the relationship between the dualistic forces of light and darkness, between what is seen and Click here to read the rest of this article about Imbolc from www.irishcentral.com

Flashback 2002 Lammas

Lammas is the first of the harvest festivals and this year despite the fiery Sun, it has a strong, sensual feel of cardinal earth. Mars lends a masculine energy to the Sun this week to help with the organizing for this bread festival. Round cornbread as a solar disk is an apt and easy choice for the altar, but if you plan several days ahead, you can sprout a small amount (1/4 cup) of wheat or barely for kitchen witchery. Add this to your other grains to your own bread from scratch; or buy frozen bread dough, thaw, pat into a rectangle, and sprinkle the sprouted grains. Roll up your dough like a jelly roll and place in a greased bread pan into which you have sprinkled Irish oats. You can use a sharp knife to crave goddess symbols into the loaf before baking.

©️ By K. D. Spitzer Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2002 Page 93

Flashback 2002 Imbolc

Imbolc is an important day of purification and initiation; on the Sun’s day, February 2, the energies are very airy. This Sabbat is a good day for coven work, with an emotionally detached masculine Moon and Sun on the Sun’s day.

Dress yourself and your altar in white, while serving white beverages or any dairy food to honor the calving season. Spread the top of a one-pound round Camembert or Bire cheese with raspberry preserves. Cut a circle of puff pastry large enough to cover the cheese, wrap it, tucking the ends of the pastry under. Use scraps to decorate the top with goddess symbols. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Bake at 425 degrees until golden, and serve hot and melting on crackers. During this ritual, bless and dedicate all candles you will need for other ritual work throughout the year. A good way to start the ceremony is to light candles in the darkened room with chanting to encourage the lengthening days.

©️ By K. D. Spitzer Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2002 Page 41

Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Imbolc c. 2016

 

Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Imbolc

Brigit is the central Irish Goddess. She is known as Brigantia in England and Bride in Scotland. She rules metal work and smithy, fire, poetry, midwifery and martial arts–but is primarily known as a major Mother Goddess. Brigit is a face of the Triple Goddess, and able to see all–often represented by an ever watchful eye. The three heart-shaped leaves of the shamrock recall the magical Celtic number of three, as well as the number of Brigit’s faces. From nine to Nineteen priestesses once tended an undying fire in her name at Kildare. Brigid is so central to Ireland that the newly converted people would not give her up, so her name metamorphosed into St. Bridgid, who in Irish Christian myth acts as tender and supportive friend of Mary and as the midwife at Christ’s birth. Barbara G. Walker writes that to the Irish people, however, she continued to be a Queen of Heaven and the mother of all the deities of the new religion. As the Saint, she also matched wits with St. Patrick, who is as mythical as she. At times they seem to be consorts, at others, adversaries. It cannot have helped their relationship that Patrick is known for ridding Ireland of snakes, and since Bridgid the saint descended from a pagan goddess and priestess persona, whose sacred healing totem is the snake. So when St. Patrick says he is ridding the isle of snakes, what he means is he is ridding it of pagans. Nevertheless, Patricius and Bridgid were often considered the primal Mother and Father, and were supposedly buried together at Derry Down.

(One Person’s View) How to Choose the Right Crystals for Imbolc

Disclaimer: No crystal, or gem or stone should be used for medicinal purposes in place of what your health care professional has prescribed for you for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com, any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using a crystal or gem or stone for any reason.

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY CORRESPONDENCES POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

Imbolc is a time of renewal, hope, and fiery transformation, making it the perfect season to incorporate crystals into your practice. Choosing the right crystals for Imbolc can enhance your connection to the energy of this sabbat and supercharge your rituals. Whether you’re setting up an altar, performing fire magic, or manifesting new beginnings, selecting the perfect crystals ensures you align with the season’s energy.

Here’s a detailed guide to help you choose the best crystals for Imbolc and use them effectively in your practice.

Table Of Contents

The Energy of Imbolc and Its Connection to Crystals

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Crystals

Best Crystals for Imbolc

How to Choose Crystals in Practice

Creative Ways to Use Your Imbolc Crystals

Final Tips for Choosing and Using Imbolc Crystals

Click on the hyperlinks to read the rest of this article Source: eclecticwitchcraft.com

Lammas History: Welcoming the Harvest c2018

Lammas History: Welcoming the Harvest

 

THE BEGINNING OF THE HARVEST:
At Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, the hot days of August are upon us, much of the earth is dry and parched, but we still know that the bright reds and yellows of the harvest season are just around the corner. Apples are beginning to ripen in the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, corn is tall and green, waiting for us to come gather the bounty of the crop fields.

Now is the time to begin reaping what we have sown, and gathering up the first harvests of grain, wheat, oats, and more.

This holiday can be celebrated either as a way to honor the god Lugh, or as a celebration of the harvest.

CELEBRATING GRAIN IN ANCIENT CULTURES:
Grain has held a place of importance in civilization back nearly to the beginning of time. Grain became associated with the cycle of death and rebirth. The Sumerian god Tammuz was slain and his lover Ishtar grieved so heartily that nature stopped producing. Ishtar mourned Tammuz, and followed him to the Underworld to bring him back, similar to the story of Demeter and Persephone.

In Greek legend, the grain god was Adonis. Two goddesses, Aphrodite and Persephone, battled for his love. To end the fighting, Zeus ordered Adonis to spend six months with Persephone in the Underworld, and the rest with Aphrodite.

A FEAST OF BREAD:
In early Ireland, it was a bad idea to harvest your grain any time before Lammas — it meant that the previous year’s harvest had run out early, and that was a serious failing in agricultural communities.

However, on August 1, the first sheaves of grain were cut by the farmer, and by nightfall his wife had made the first loaves of bread of the season.

The word Lammas derives from the Old English phrase hlaf-maesse, which translates to loaf mass. In early Christian times, the first loaves of the season were blessed by the Church.

HONORING LUGH, THE SKILLFUL GOD:
In some Wiccan and modern Pagan traditions, Lammas is also a day of honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. He is a god of many skills, and was honored in various aspects by societies both in the British Isles and in Europe. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is still celebrated in many parts of the world today. Lugh’s influence appears in the names of several European towns.

HONORING THE PAST:
In our modern world, it’s often easy to forget the trials and tribulations our ancestors had to endure. For us, if we need a loaf of bread, we simply drive over to the local grocery store and buy a few bags of prepackaged bread. If we run out, it’s no big deal, we just go and get more. When our ancestors lived, hundreds and thousands of years ago, the harvesting and processing of grain was crucial. If crops were left in the fields too long, or the bread not baked in time, families could starve. Taking care of one’s crops meant the difference between life and death.

By celebrating Lammas as a harvest holiday, we honor our ancestors and the hard work they must have had to do in order to survive. This is a good time to give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives, and to be grateful for the food on our tables.

Lammas is a time of transformation, of rebirth and new beginnings.

SYMBOLS OF THE SEASON
The Wheel of the Year has turned once more, and you may feel like decorating your house accordingly. While you probably can’t find too many items marked as “Lammas decor” in your local discount store, there are a number of items you can use as decoration for this harvest holiday.

Sickles and scythes, as well as other symbols of harvesting
Grapes and vines
Dried grains — sheafs of wheat, bowls of oats, etc.
Corn dolls — you can make these easily using dried husks
Early fall vegetables, such as squashes and pumpkins
Late summer fruits, like apples, plums and peaches

CRAFTS, SONG AND CELEBRATION
Because of its association with Lugh, the skilled god, Lammas (Lughnasadh) is also a time to celebrate talents and craftsmanship.

It’s a traditional time of year for craft festivals, and for skilled artisans to peddle their wares. In medieval Europe, guilds would arrange for their members to set up booths around a village green, festooned with bright ribbons and fall colors. Perhaps this is why so many modern Renaissance Festivals begin around this time of year!

Lugh is also known in some traditions as the patron of bards and magicians. Now is a great time of year to work on honing your own talents. Learn a new craft, or get better at an old one. Put on a play, write a story or poem, take up a musical instrument, or sing a song. Whatever you choose to do, this is the right season for rebirth and renewal, so set August 1 as the day to share your new skill with your friends and family.

 

Source: Patti Wigington, Author Published on ThoughtCo

Imbolc Plants and Herbs c 2017

Disclaimer: No flower or plant or herb should be used for medicinal purposes until you have checked with your health care professional to ask if it is safe for you to use it for any reason. The content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or any staff member of WitchesofTheCraft.com and/or Lady Carla Beltane are not responsible for any type of negative reaction when using this flower or plant for any reason.

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The Witches Correspondences for Lammas c.2018

 

The Witches Correspondences for Lammas

Time of Day: Mid-Afternoon, Noon to 5 pm

 

Time of Life: 40-60’s, Middle Age, Height of Powers, Fatherhood

 

Decorations: Bread, Corn, Wheat, Fruits, Corn Dolly, Green Man

 

Foods: Plums, Peaches, Grapes, Wheat, Lamb, Berries, Barley Cakes, Breads

 

Herbs: Heather, Acacia, Hollyhock, Aloes, Sunflowers, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rose

 

Tools: Baskets, Lugh’s Spear (Areadbhar), Sickles, Scythes

 

Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Corn Mother, Pomona, Mother Earth

 

Gods: Lugh, Mercury, Hermes, Adonis, John Barleycorn, Green Man
Lughnasadh is more of a Men’s Holiday

 

Themes
Harvest, Transformation, Fruitfulness, Change Abundance, Completion, Prosperity, Robustness, Achievement, Letting Go, Reaping, Sacrifice, Purification, Contentment, Bread of Life, Table of Plenty, Ever Flowing Cup, Chalice of Plenty

 

Farming Activities
Harvesting and preserving wheat, corn, vegetables

 

Animals: Crow, Salmon

 

Tarot, Divination: Wheel of Fortune, Justice

 

Colors: Golden Yellow, Light Brown, Purple, Orange, Red-Brown, Brown-Grey

 

Activities, Celebrations
Dancing, Singing, Playing Music, Poetry Reading, Bardic Competitions, Games, Competitions, Men’s Sports, Drinking beer, whiskey, mead, iced tea

 

Sacred Circle (Valley Spirit): South-West, Violet

 

Celebrations:
Lughnasadh – Druid, Neo-Pagan, Lammas – Wiccan, Mea’n Fo’mhair (Greenman) – Druid, Welsh

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence for Imbolc

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY CORRESPONDENCES POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

For Your Viewing Pleasure – Lammas

Lammas History & Celebration Ideas | Wiccan Sabbats | TheLifeofEm

What Is Lughnasadh and How To Celebrate It

What Is Lughnasadh & How To Celebrate It

Lughnasadh is a Gaelic festival that occurs on August 1st each year, marking the dawn of the harvest season. This holiday marks the midpoint between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. Lughnasadh traditions celebrate the first cutting of grain, the bountiful harvests of corn, and the Irish craftsman and warrior god, Lugh.

Traditionally, Lughnasadh is celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Historically, the occasion was marked with a festive competition testing skills of craft and athleticism in honor of Lugh and his foster mother Tailtiu. Offerings made to Lugh would include a sacred bull and a cutting of the first harvest of corn.

This holiday is considered a cross-quarter day on the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year. In some Wiccan traditions, this is the time of year in which the Horned God’s power begins to wane, and the Goddess prepares for his passing at the coming Samhain.

On the same day, some Christians celebrate the holiday of Lammas in an incredibly similar tradition. With the first harvest of grain a loaf of bread is baked and brought to the church to be blessed. Once its blessing is received, the baker takes the bread back home, breaks it into four pieces, and places them at the four corners of their barn or property to protect the grain in the coming months.

Lughnasadh or Lammas?

Though the two are often conflated in Neo-Pagan groups, Lughnasadh and Lammas are two separate celebrations. Lughnasadh is a holiday that is still celebrated by pagans and non-pagans alike in Ireland, Scotland, and The Isle of Man. Though it doesn’t look like what we think the ancient practices may have been, we do know that the traditions surrounding Lughnasadh have been syncretized and are still alive today.

Lammas is the name typically chosen for the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It is celebrated as the first harvest festival of the year. As stated above, this is the time of year within Wiccan traditions when the Horned God prepares for his passing during Samhain. This holiday is celebrated with bread baking, frivolity, and feasting.

How to Celebrate Lughnasadh

There are many ways that you can celebrate Lughnasadh or Lammas. Here are a few ideas to help you build your own traditions!

Create a corn husk doll

Craft a besom or corn broom

Bake bread

Create a Lughnasadh altar

Craft something in Lugh’s honor

Engage in a competition

Pick apples and berries

Visit a local brewery

Hold a Lughnasadh or Lammas harvest ritual

Ready to celebrate?

Check out some of these spells and rituals to get some inspiration for Lughnasadh! Click on hyperlink above and scrool down for these spells.

14 Imbolc Ritual Ideas for a Pagan February Eve Celebration

14 Imbolc Ritual Ideas for a Pagan February Eve Celebration

Imbolc, also called Imbolg or St. Brigid’s Day, is a traditional Gaelic holiday that is celebrated by pagans worldwide, including Wiccans as one of the eight Sabbats.

Imbolc marks the midpoint between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara). As such, it is considered a cross-quarter day on the pagan wheel of the year, and it is often celebrated around February 1st – 2nd, or August 1st – 2nd if you’re in the Southern hemisphere.

What’s the meaning of Imbolc? Each winter, we shut ourselves up in our homes for warmth, much like the animals and insects that enter hibernation through the colder months. The home has collected dust and stagnant energy as we have shifted our focus to survival mode.

Imbolc is a word that comes from the Old Irish i mbolc (Modern Irish: i mbolg), meaning ‘in the belly’, and refers to the pregnancy of ewes at this time of year. Spiritually, Imbolc is a time of banishing the winter season so that we can sow a bountiful harvest in the springtime. During this time, we celebrate the first signs of the approaching spring: blades of grass and dandelions steadily emerge from the cold ground, the singing of birds returns to soften the cold chill of the air, and many of those hibernating creatures are beginning to awaken.

Imbolc is traditionally the great festival and honoring of Goddess Brigid, known as St. Brigid by Catholics.

How to Celebrate Imbolc

The days are becoming longer again, and we can finally open up our homes to clear out the winter blues that have been lingering within. This time of new beginnings presents a wonderful opportunity to cleanse and purify ourselves and our homes of that stagnant energy we’ve been building up in hibernation.

Let’s take a look at some Imbolc rituals and other ways that pagans around the world practice Imbolc, including the members of our group: The Infinite Roots Coven

Imbolc Rituals

1. Create an Altar for Imbolc

2. Seven Candle Ritual

3. Make a Brigid Corn Doll

4. Hold a Fire Feast

5. Home Cleansing Ceremony

6. Decorate for Spring

7. Bid Farewell to Winter

8. Winter Closing Meditation

9. Make a Brigid Cross

10. Prepare Your Garden

11. Consecrate Your Tools

12. Hold a Self-Purification Ritual

13. Candlemas

14. Groundhog Day

Flashback 2022 – Lughnasadh/Lammas

Lughnasadh Bone Charm

Lughnasadh falls opposite of Imbolc on the Wheel of the Year. While Imbolc is widely considered a sabbat of the divine feminine, many consider Lughnasadh a celebration of the divine masculine. Being the first of three harvest festivals, we can mark the occasion with plentiful gratitude for not only the flora and fauna that feeds us physically on a daily basis, but also gratitude for the fact that the harvest allows us to survive and thrive, thereby increasing our positive spiritual influence in the world.

Simply acquire any bones to which your intuition leads. Yes, humanely and sustainably sourced chicken or cow bones are okay! Ensure that the bones are dry, and use a permanent marker to draw symbols and words related to the harvest, satisfaction, and sustenance onto them. Consider tying stalks of wheat or any grain to the bones once you are finished decorating. Hang these in your home (especially inside or outside the front door) to encourage a plentiful life and to honor the earth now and forever.

Raven Digitals Llewellyn’s Witches’ Datebook 2022 Page 107

For Your Viewing Pleasure – Imbolc

Imbolc – St Brigid’s Festival | Documentary | Pagan & Christian Folklore

Imbolc Lore and Rituals

Celebrating the Seasons by Selena Fox

Imbolc, also known as Candlemas and Groundhog’s Day, occurs at the beginning of February. It marks the middle of Winter and holds the promise of Spring. The Goddess manifests as the Maiden and Brigid. The Groundhog is a manifestation of the God. Colors are White, and sometimes Red. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication.

Thoroughly clean your altar and/or temple room. Do a self purification rite with Elemental tools — cleanse your body with salt (Earth), your thoughts with incense (Air), your will with a candle flame (Fire), your emotions with water (Water), and your spiritual body with a healing crystal (Spirit). Bless candles that you will be using for rituals throughout the year. Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration. Take a Nature walk and look for the first signs of Spring. Reflect upon/reaffirm spiritual vows and commitments you have made.

Resources

Click here to read the rest of this article about Imbolc from www.circlesanctuary.org