February 1
Imbolc is the first of the cross-quarter moon celebrations, falling six weeks between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. This is a fire festival that celebrates the return of the sun. Lighting candles and hearth fires or bonfires brings light and warmth into the darkness and cold and represents the spark of new life that is sprouting within the seeds buried beneath the soil. Imbolc is represented by the crescent moon and the maiden aspect of the Goddess, especially the creative goddess Brigid or Brigit. We are renewing our own sacred fire within. This is a time of year for initiations, recommitment to your spiritual path, and new plans for creative and artistic ventures, as well as your new ideas and enterprises, goals, and aspirations.
Purpose
To celebrate Imbolc—or Imbolg, Candlemas, Brigantia.
Preparations
Fill a little cloth bag with small spiritual objects like feathers, clay ornaments of the Goddess, a piece of wood, shells, beads, a miniature statue, or other interesting things. This will be used for oracle readings. Prepare the “I am a powerful and wise person” reading on page 69 so that everyone has a copy.
Welcome and Greetings
Welcome to our Imbolc ceremony. Introduce yourself and go around the circle having each participant share their name and why they came to the circle. Have them close their eyes and share a moment of silence to prepare for the ceremony.
Call the Directions
We are the East and the air. We are the growing light. We are the seed bursting forth. We are the thinkers full of innovation and imagination.
We are the South and the fire. We are inspired. We are passionate. We are heat and flame. We are the creators full of the fuel of genius and light.
We are the West and the water. We are fluidity. We claim our tears. We are compassionate. We are the swimmers who navigate the waters of renewal and regeneration.
We are the North and the earth. We are the soil. We are strong. We are grounded. We are the builders who manifest our dreams on the physical plane.
We are the Above. We are the sky. We are dreamers and visionaries. We are expansive. We are magnificent. We are the gods and goddesses who create heaven here on earth.
We are Below. We are sisters and brothers. We are the stewards. We are protectors. We are lovers. We are the healers who transmit the energy of healing through our existence.
We are the Center. We are spirits. We are the doorway into the mysteries. We are past, present, and future. We are all that is now and was and ever will be.
And so it is.
Teachings
This day marks the actual date when winter’s temperatures begin to rise. This is a moon festival that celebrates the sexual and creative fires of the Goddess and the divine feminine. Other names for this day are Imbolg (Immolug) and Brigid’s Day. Imbolc means “in the belly” and represents this time of year when the ewe’s milk came in as the ewes made ready to birth their lambs. What is sacred here is the magic in the quickening of the seed that begins to grow toward the surface. This is true in nature and it is true within ourselves.
Brigid is a Celtic goddess of fire, healing, purification, and smithcraft. Her tree is the Willow, and she celebrates the art of collaboration, cooperation, and the good work of the collective. Her guides are the bees and the dove. She is all about intuition and the feminine perspective that advocates for peace.
Other goddesses that are prominent at this time of year are Vesta (Greek), who is the priestess that maintains the eternal flame. She is the goddess of our inner and outer hearth. Vesta keeps our inner fire alive. We also honor Juno (Greek). Originally this time of year marked a celebration of Juno Februata’s sexual heat. The original valentines were love tickets exchanged among young people in pagan Rome, and these valentines were licentious in nature. This was considered joyous and normal. This celebration was also sacred to Hathor (Egypt), the goddess of love, passion, and sexuality.
Later the church called this Candlemas and “the feast of the Purification of the Virgin,” and church fathers tried to replace the valentines with scriptural texts and even invented a St. Valentine who was a celibate bishop. This celebration was also a time for omens. Groundhog Day is based on weather predictions. In olden days, if this day was fair, more winter was to come, but if it rained, winter would not come again. Omens were taken from birds, apple peelings, tea leaves, and other sources.
Today this is a celebration in which we support each other’s creative endeavors and celebrate each other. We rely on the community. Imbolg is represented by the waxing crescent moon. We release the past and grow toward our new endeavors, desires, hopes, and wishes. This is the time when we celebrate and invoke the creative spark within. We want to honor the nine muses and celebrate their creative gifts. We write poems and incantations, sing songs, dance, practice divination, and expect healing. This is a time of dedication and initiation and we expect great inner transformation. It is a time to ask for inspiration for a creative project. We recommit to our own spiritual connection to Source and we are initiated further upon the spiral path or our spiritual nature and enfoldment. We move to wake up to our fully-realized divine human potential.
Sing
Choose songs that honor the maiden aspect of the Goddess or look at appendix B for ideas.
Chant
What is the teaching of Imbolc? The seed is sprouting forth.
Our hope comes from the light’s new beginning.
Behold! Our maiden Brigid is our muse.
She ignites our inner flame of light.
We seek the spark of her inspiration and fire.
What is the teaching of Imbolc? Create.
Read
(As each participant lights a candle at the center of the altar, read this to each of them, then have them say it out loud individually.)
I enter here with an open
heart and a clear mind.
I enter new realms of creativity,
self-expression, and brightness.
And I give gratitude for my sisters
and brothers and for our community.
And so it is!
Sing
Drum and tone together to unite the energy. Choose songs that reflect our connection to the earth and invite the renewal of spring.
Read
We call forth Brigid. She is the lady of the silver crescent moon. She rides her moon boat through the future waters of our becoming. We honor her fire and the creative spark that she offers us for new beginnings. She is the Celtic Triple Goddess of creativity and she holds the flame of inspiration for crafting, weaving, and healing. She is our sacred and beloved muse. She fires us up to create art, poetry, music, writing, medicine, and smithcrafts. We ask Brigid to be with us tonight in ceremony.
Visit us with ideas and invention. Lead us to transformation. It is you who heal the sick with your magic and gift us with the spark of inspiration that ignites our souls. We want to infuse our lives with your passion and your bliss. Help us, oh muse, to grow into and hold your beauty and bright spirit. We want to create peace and beauty in your name. We want to heal the world. Help us to ground and protect your plan for us. Blessed be!
Silent Meditation
Turn off the lights except for the candles. Play music of your choice that is soft and dreamy. During the music ask for a short period of silence. While they sit with the music, ask your participants to ask for messages from Brigid.
Sharing
Have the participants share any relevant experiences from the silence.
Read
On this night we light the candles
Darkness gives way to the light
We call forth Brigid
She comes full of flame.
Her fire warms our hearts and hearths.
She fires our minds.
She lights up our souls.
She enlivens our spirit.
She brings forth the quickening.
She fills the air with sparks of possibility.
She sets our inspiration on fire.
Her brilliance fills us with joy.
We are filled with the passion to create.
She is our beloved muse.
The magic she offers
Is the bursting forth of the seed
Is the creating of a song
Is the writing of a poem
Is the crafting and the weaving.
She invites us to express our passion
All for the joy of the inspiration to create.
She awakens us to shine for her
To build and create in her name
To feel her ecstasy and inspiration
To dedicate our energy for peace and beauty
To be the fire
To be the passion
To be the light.
Oh Brigid, we love you and give you our gratitude.
We welcome you here.
Activity: Creating Intention
Ask your participants to close their eyes. Say: “Take a moment to feel into your heart’s desires. What do you wish to create? What are you beginning? Invite the Goddess to spark the seeds of your intentions.” Have each one share what that intention is.
Read
Have your group read the following either together or one by one. End with everyone saying, “And so it is.”
I am a powerful and wise person.
I dedicate myself to the spirit within,
and to the power of creation and compassion.
I honor my true nature and the power
of spirit in everything that I do.
I honor my passion,
My desire to heal the earth.
I honor my own intuition and
my depths of feeling.
I honor all Mother Earth’s relations.
I honor the interdependent web of all
existence of which I am a part.
I pray for peace.
I offer my creative gifts out to the
world with gratitude and thanksgiving.
Blessed be.
Divination
Pass out a bag and have each person choose an article and interpret their object, keeping in mind encouragement for the manifestation of their intention.
Sharing
Share prayers for peace and healing.
Sing
Stand and tone together. Choose a circle song that encourages creativity. Recommendations can be found in the appendix.
Read
We begin to see the effects of the returning light.
We leave the cold and dark winter.
And yet we are grateful for the quiet time
for reflection as the seed that holds the mystery
of its own growth rests deep within the earth.
And then the magic is revealed and
the seed bursts forth
We honor that mystery that allows the
spark of creation to begin anew.
We are like that seed.
We invite in new beginnings.
We embrace the muse.
We honor her by creating.
We affirm our magnificence.
We are filled with her inspiration.
We continue to build connection and community.
And to create peace and sweetness all around us.
We are open to initiations and growth.
We open our hearts and release our fears
To create endeavors and acts of healing
We dedicate ourselves again to our
individual spiritual paths.
And we honor and hold sacred the mysteries
With great joy we say, ‘let the growth begin!’
And so, we release our beautiful Brigid.
We give our gratitude to her.
Blessed be.
Ending
Express your gratitude. Release the directions and open the circle.