CHAPTER 5

IMBOLC/OIMEALG

CANDLEMAS

 

O glorious choice star, O tree in bloom, mighty torch whom all would choose, Sun who warmest everyone.

from Murphy, Early Irish Lyrics

For the stars and the winds are unto her As raiment, as songs of the harp player; For the risen stars and the fallen cling to her, And the Southwest-wind and the West-wind sing.

Algernon Charles Swinburne, “When the Hounds of Spring”

Down with the rosemary, and so
Down with the Baies and Mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivie, all
Wherewith ye dressed the Christmas Hall

Robert Herrick, “The Ceremony of Candlemas”

Imbolc, or Oimealg, the festival of the lactating ewes, marks the mid point of the dark half of the year. The fire that Brighid first kindled at Yule burns bright in the swollen bellies of pregnant herd animals, and rivers of milk begin to flow in swollen teats and udders.

Agricultural tools are consecrated for the work of the year ahead, household fires are put out and relit, and the fires of the smithy are blessed by a woman acting on Brighid’s behalf.

“Brighid’s crosses,” woven of wheat, are made and given as protective charms for the home. Brighid’s snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather (this is the origin of Ground Hog Day). Even the climate seems to mark the festival; the first week of February typically brings a temporary thaw.

Straw brideóga (corn dollies) are fashioned from oat straw or wheat, and dressed and carried door to door by young girls on Imbolc Eve. Each household bestows a small present on the image of the “bride.”

Special cakes are baked for the occasion, and a feast and a dance are held for all. The older women of the community gather “bride’s beds,” or cradles for the corn dollies to sleep in, and magic wands for the dolls to hold. The morning after the feast, everyone examines the ashes of the hearth to see if a magic wand has left marks. If so, it is a good omen for the following year.

In some areas, Imbolc marks the first official day of ploughing, and a decorated plough is dragged from door to door. Children in costumes follow the plough and ask for gifts of food, money, or drink at every home. Any household that refuses them is paid back by having its front garden ploughed up.

The plough itself is a significant symbol of the Imbolc ceremonies. Whiskey, the “water of life,” is poured over the blade, or pieces of bread and cheese are left on it to become food for nature spirits. Offerings of food or drink are placed in the new furrows or thrown into the fields.

While Imbolc is principally associated with Brighid, Aengus Og is the male aspect of deity who appears here in the calendar of the ritual year. Son of the Dagda, he is the Celtic version of Eros and the embodiment of youthful love.

Aengus was sick with love for Caer Ibormeith (Yew Berry), and went with Badbh to Loch Bel Dracon to find her. At the lake, they met one hundred and fifty grown women, who were bound to each other with chains of silver. Caer Ibormeith, the tallest, wore a silver choker with a golden chain.

Aillill, the king of Connacht, went to Caer Ibormeith’s father to try to win her for Aengus. Her father refused him on the grounds that Caer’s magic was stronger than his: Caer, a shape-changer, lived as swan and maiden in alternate years.

At the next feast of Samhain, Caer and her women were scheduled to transform themselves into birds. The only hope that Aengus had of winning her was to take her at this time when she was most vulnerable. Aengus, in human form, called to the swan-maiden Caer, and at that moment he also became a swan. Together, they took to the skies singing magical music that put to sleep for three days and three nights everyone who heard it. Aengus then escorted Caer to her Otherworldly home.

Imbolc is the festival of new beginnings: first ploughing, first planting, and the first fires of new romance. It is the great festival of the milk of the Mother who feeds her children with the fires of life and love.

THE HERBS OF IMBOLC/OIMEALG

Angelica, Basil, Bay, Benzoin, Blackberry, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Iris, Myrrh, Tansy, Violets

Burn the greens you brought into the house at winter solstice. Please refer to chapter 2, “Herbal Basics,” for methods of preparation.

ANGELICA, ANGELICA ARCHANGELICA

Part Used: Root.

Herbal Uses: Used in infusion or tincture, the root raises body temperature and promotes digestion, making it an ideal herb for older folks. It also helps bring down the menses. Use it for colds and flu, to induce a sweat and warm the body. The decoction of the dried root is said to remove the taste for alcohol. Simmer two teaspoons of the root in two cups of water for twenty minutes; take one cup twice a day.

Use the root in salves for skin problems and rheumatic pains (follow the general directions for salves). The tincture can be used in doses of ten to thirty drops, four times a day.

CAUTION: Do not exceed the indicated amounts, or the heart, blood pressure, and respiration can be affected.

Magical Uses: Angelica leaves are scattered to purify an area. Add them to incense to promote healing. The leaves can be smoked in herbal “tobacco” formulas.

BASIL, OCIMUM BASILICUM

Parts Used: Leaf and stem.

Herbal Uses: The infusion relieves gas and stomach pains. Reputedly abortive, it can help expel the placenta. A warming herb, it is used for colds and flu, constipation, vomiting, headaches, and menstrual cramps. Steep two teaspoons per cup of water for twenty minutes; take up to one and a half cups per day.

Magical Uses: Basil is used to mend lovers’ quarrels and in love spells. Basil attracts money and brings good luck to a new home. Use it in rites of exorcism and in the ritual bath. Sprinkle the powder over the area of your heart to promote fidelity. The scent brings happiness to the home and will protect you in crowds.

BAY LAUREL, LAURUS NOBILIS

Parts Used and Herbal Uses: Please see here in “The Herbs of Meán Geimhridh.”

Magical Uses: Bay is burned to induce trances. An herb of the sun, it brings light and purification to the home when burned.

BLACKBERRY, RUBUS VILLOSUS

Parts Used: Root, leaf, bud, and berry.

Herbal Uses: The root is a classic remedy for diarrhea and is reputed to clean the kidneys and urinary tract of stones and gravel. Simmer two teaspoons of the root per cup of water for twenty minutes, and take a quarter cup four times a day. The buds and leaves are used fresh in poultices for wounds, burns, mouth sores, and sore throats. Chew the leaves or follow the general directions for poultices. The berries are slightly binding (as is blackberry wine) and are useful in diarrhea, as are the leaves.

Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use Rubus villosus for diarrhea of infancy, with watery and clay-colored stool.

Magical Uses: Sacred to Brighid, the leaves and berries are used to attract wealth or healing. This is a Goddess herb, belonging to the planetary sphere of Venus.

CELANDINE, CHELIDONIUM MAJUS

Parts Used: Leaf, stem, and root.

Herbal Uses: Caution: Some people are sensitive to this plant and may experience skin irritation when picking it. The dried plant is less irritating. This herb is powerful and should be taken only once to bring about its effects. Internally, the tincture or infusion of the leaf will stimulate and clean the liver. To make tea, simmer one teaspoon herb or root in one cup boiled water for thirty minutes; it will boil down to one-half cup. Drink this tea cold, sipping it through the day. For tincture, the dose is ten to fifteen drops. Jaundice, and complaints of the gallbladder, liver, and stomach are benefited by this plant. Externally, the salve has been used to clear eczema, scrofula, and herpes; follow the general directions for salve. The fresh juice is dabbed two or three times a day on warts, ringworm, and corns.

CAUTION: Do not allow it to touch other parts of the skin.

Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use Chelidonium majus for jaundice with pain under the right scapula. Icy coldness of fingertips and alternating diarrhea and constipation are indications, as is a loose cough with right-sided chest pain. These ailments are worse with changes of weather.

Magical Uses: Celandine brings joy and cures depression. Wear it to escape entrapments and as a protective herb.

COLTSFOOT, TUSSILAGO FARFARA

Parts Used: Leaf and flower.

Herbal Uses: The yellow flowers of coltsfoot resemble the sun, and it is among the first plants to emerge in the spring, often when snow remains on the ground. The leaves appear after the flowers have bloomed. This plant, once called British tobacco, can be smoked to relieve coughs and shortness of breath. The tea is useful for all lung, sinus, and throat conditions and for diarrhea. Steep two teaspoons of leaf per cup of water for twenty minutes. Coltsfoot is applied as a poultice to stings, swellings, burns, ulcers, and phlebitis (follow the general directions for poultices).

Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use coltsfoot as an intercurrent remedy in pneumonia.

Magical Uses: “Sponnc” (the Gaelic for coltsfoot) is an herb sacred to Brighid. Coltsfoot, an herb of Venus, is used magically to engender love and to bring peace.

HEATHER, CALLUNA VULGARIS

Part Used: Flowering shoot.

Herbal Uses: The flowering shoots of heather are used for insomnia, stomach pains, coughs, and skin problems. Heather, used fresh or dry, strengthens the heart and slightly raises the blood pressure. Heather is slightly diuretic. Fresh or dried heather shoots are simmered, four teaspoons to the cup; the dose is one-half cup per day.

Magical Uses: White heather brings good luck and protects the one who wears it. Dip heather and fern in water and sprinkle around to conjure rain. Heather is a Goddess herb associated with the planet Venus and sacred to Isis.

IRIS (BLUE FLAG), IRIS VERSICOLOR

Parts Used: Root and leaf.

Herbal Uses: Iris root is found in the swamps of North America. Just as iris purifies the mud of boggy areas, so does it clean the human bowel. Chronic liver problems and digestive problems will benefit from this plant, as will nonmalignant enlargements of the thyroid. Stomach-centered migraine headaches and chronic sinus congestion are helped by it. Iris is taken in tincture, ten to twenty-five drops in water, three times a day. The fresh leaf is used in poultices for burns and injuries. The root is gathered in the fall and taken as a decoction for colds. Simmer one teaspoon per pint of water for twenty minutes; take three tablespoons six times a day, cold.

CAUTION: The fresh root causes skin irritation in some individuals.

Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use Iris versicolor for frontal headaches with nausea, constipation, ringing in the ears, psoriasis, eczema, and rheumatism. The pancreas and gastrointestinal tract are a strong focus for this remedy, especially when symptoms worsen after sundown or after resting.

Magical Uses: The fresh flowers are said to purify an area and to attract the qualities of wisdom, faith, and courage. Sacred to Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, to Juno, and to the sphere of Venus, iris is a classic Goddess herb.

MYRRH, COMMIPHORA MYRRHA

Parts Used: Resin.

Herbal Uses: Especially valued as a disinfectant, myrrh, a tree resin, is used as a wash for wounds. Caution: Use as a wound wash only after the wound has been well cleaned. It has the tendency to seal wounds once it is placed on them. Use the alcohol tincture in water or the tea as a wound wash. Myrrh promotes circulation and increases heart rate and power. Said to move stagnant blood through the uterus, it has been used for menopause, menstrual irregularities, and uterine tumors. Myrrh benefits diabetes and obesity; the dose is one to fifteen grains. Combined with echinacea and mullein, the tea helps ear infections. Use equal parts of echinacea and mullein to one quarter part myrrh; steep two teaspoons per cup of water for twenty minutes; take a quarter cup every four hours. (Try packing the ear with cotton soaked in mullein oil as well—see here in “The Herbs of Samhain.”) Myrrh, goldenseal, arnica, and cayenne can be soaked in rubbing alcohol for a few weeks to make a liniment for bruises and sprains.

CAUTION: Prolonged internal use of myrrh (longer than a few weeks) could lead to kidney damage.

Magical Uses: Myrrh is a Goddess plant of the Moon’s sphere, sacred to Isis. Burned, it brings peace, healing, consecration, and blessing. Myrrh aids contemplation and meditation.

TANSY, TANACETUM VULGARE

Part Used: Flower head.

Herbal Uses: The infusion of dried tansy leaves and flowers is taken while one is fasting to expel worms; steep one teaspoon per cup for twenty minutes, and take one cup on an empty stomach night and morning. Taken three times a day, it helps induce menstruation. The leaf is said to be a tonic for the heart. (Infuse one fresh leaf a day in herb tea.) Tansy is a good remedy for worms in children. The flowers and seeds are helpful for gout. Tansy and elderleaf make a natural insecticide when boiled and sprayed on plants.

CAUTION: Pregnant women should avoid tansy as it has been shown to be abortive in large doses.

Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use Tanacetum vulgare for poison ivy, abnormal lassitude, and worms. Dysentery, suppressed menstruation, labored breath, and a sensation as if the ears were roaring, ringing, and “closed up suddenly” are symptoms addressed by this herb.

Magical Uses: Once used to preserve dead bodies, tansy is known as an herb of immortality and longevity.

VIOLET, VIOLA ODORATA

Part Used: Whole plant.

Herbal Uses: The whole plant is used, fresh or dry. The leaves can be eaten as a type of wild spinach, and the flowers are used in salads and desserts. High in iron, the fresh leaf is used internally and externally for cancer, especially of the colon, throat, and tongue. For this purpose, the fresh leaves should be infused daily and taken as tea; using one teaspoon of plant parts to a half cup of water, steep and take a quarter cup four times a day. The tea can be applied externally as a fomentation. The flowers are laxative; the roots and stems are emetic and purgative. The fresh leaves are used in salves and poultices for wounds; follow the general directions for salves and poultices.

Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use Viola odorata for right-sided complaints, especially burning of the forehead, tension of the scalp and ears, headache across the forehead, discharge from the ears, labored breathing during pregnancy, milky urine, and pressing pain in the joints of the wrist and hand.

Magical Uses: Violet crowns are said to cure headache, bring sleep, and calm anger. Violets are mixed with lavender, apple blossoms, yarrow, and roses in love potions. The leaf is a protection from all evil.