Re-Post: "Signs of Love: Imbolc"

(Originally posted on the online religious news magazine, Creedible and on this blog, 2014)

Photo by Sonja Bannick

The energy of this time of year is hard to describe. Winter holiday festivities are long past, and it seems like there is nothing to look forward to for the next few months. It’s the end of winter and beginning of spring, but that doesn’t always make sense. Some cities haven’t even gotten cold yet and the bulbs are already popping up, while other places are still buried under many feet of snow with no hope for blooms or sunlight. 
 

Imbolc, celebrated on the second of February, is the ancient Irish holiday that commemorates this in-between time. Originally a festival celebrating ewes’ milk, this was the time of year that pregnant sheep started lactating, which meant it was a good time to make cheese. Most people, though, have never even seen a ewe, let alone any other type of lactating livestock. Although ancient Ireland is worlds away from the contemporary United States, Imbolc still holds important lessons for everyone.

It’s still cold outside, or if it’s not cold, it’s still grey and brown and dreary. Because of the blustery weather, this is a good festival to spend with the family, focusing on hearth and home. It is a good time of year to start working on spring cleaning and to start thinking of the tasks and projects that need to be done once spring is fully here. 

While Yule is a fire festival that is bright and dynamic and exciting, Imbolc, while still a festival of flames, is more quiet and reflective. It’s a good time to sit in front of the fireplace, or in front of a flickering candle, and focus on arts, crafts and other creative projects that you enjoy doing. 

Many of us have no idea how our food gets from the farm to our homes, but Imbolc might be a good time to honor livestock and crops even if we don’t have any of our own. Traditional holiday foods are milk and cheese, so treat your family to something local, organic, free range and delicious. 

Some Catholics may know this holiday as Candlemass, or perhaps St. Brigid’s Day. Brigid is a clear example of an ancient Pagan goddess who was reinterpreted by Christians and given a whole new life and story. Flames and creativity are sacred to Brigid, who may be related to a northern goddess who predicted winter by the length of the shadows. Bright, sunny weather on Candlemass meant she could gather lots of extra firewood for a prolonged winter. 

February for many is still the winter, but the tradition of Groundhog’s Day has its roots in the ancient Pagan world when people would look to nature for omens to see just how long winter would last. Maybe the groundhog isn’t afraid of his shadow on February second, but rather the cold weather the winter goddess promises to bring in February!

Re-Post: "Imbolc Oil"

http://www.naasparish.ie/2014/01/13198/

A repost from 2014

9 drops sandalwood

13 drops vanilla extract

9 drops jasmine

13 drops cedar

Grape seed oil

This oil can be used for creative inspiration, change, cleansing, arts, crafts, work, Brigid, honoring Celtic ancestors, health, healing, Goddess worship, winter, spring, dark moon, new moon, black moon, initiation, newness, Imbolc, etc. or any other associations with late winter/early spring, Brigid, Imbolc, and the dark/new moon.

Comhn orm a Bhride!

Pagan Blog Project - week 18 - I - Imbolc Oil

http://www.naasparish.ie/2014/01/13198/

Pagan Blog Project - week 18 - I - Imbolc Oil

I know it's not seasonal, but here is a recipe I made around Imbolc, 2014. 

9 drops sandalwood

13 drops vanilla extract

9 drops jasmine

13 drops cedar

Grape seed oil

This oil can be used for creative inspiration, change, cleansing, arts, crafts, work, Brigid, honoring Celtic ancestors, health, healing, Goddess worship, winter, spring, dark moon, new moon, black moon, initiation, newness, Imbolc, etc. or any other associations with late winter/early spring, Brigid, Imbolc, and the dark/new moon.

Comhn orm a Bhride!

Signs of Love: Imbolc

(Originally posted on the online religious news magazine, Creedible.) 

Photo by Sonja Bannick

The energy of this time of year is hard to describe. Winter holiday festivities are long past, and it seems like there is nothing to look forward to for the next few months. It’s the end of winter and beginning of spring, but that doesn’t always make sense. Some cities haven’t even gotten cold yet and the bulbs are already popping up, while other places are still buried under many feet of snow with no hope for blooms or sunlight. 
 

Imbolc, celebrated on the second of February, is the ancient Irish holiday that commemorates this in-between time. Originally a festival celebrating ewes’ milk, this was the time of year that pregnant sheep started lactating, which meant it was a good time to make cheese. Most people, though, have never even seen a ewe, let alone any other type of lactating livestock. Although ancient Ireland is worlds away from the contemporary United States, Imbolc still holds important lessons for everyone.

It’s still cold outside, or if it’s not cold, it’s still grey and brown and dreary. Because of the blustery weather, this is a good festival to spend with the family, focusing on hearth and home. It is a good time of year to start working on spring cleaning and to start thinking of the tasks and projects that need to be done once spring is fully here. 

While Yule is a fire festival that is bright and dynamic and exciting, Imbolc, while still a festival of flames, is more quiet and reflective. It’s a good time to sit in front of the fireplace, or in front of a flickering candle, and focus on arts, crafts and other creative projects that you enjoy doing. 

Many of us have no idea how our food gets from the farm to our homes, but Imbolc might be a good time to honor livestock and crops even if we don’t have any of our own. Traditional holiday foods are milk and cheese, so treat your family to something local, organic, free range and delicious. 

Some Catholics may know this holiday as Candlemass, or perhaps St. Brigid’s Day. Brigid is a clear example of an ancient Pagan goddess who was reinterpreted by Christians and given a whole new life and story. Flames and creativity are sacred to Brigid, who may be related to a northern goddess who predicted winter by the length of the shadows. Bright, sunny weather on Candlemass meant she could gather lots of extra firewood for a prolonged winter. 

February for many is still the winter, but the tradition of Groundhog’s Day has its roots in the ancient Pagan world when people would look to nature for omens to see just how long winter would last. Maybe the groundhog isn’t afraid of his shadow on February second, but rather the cold weather the winter goddess promises to bring in February!

Pagan Blog Project - week 5 - C#2 - (witch) Crafting

http://talkwiththegoddess.wordpress.com

Pagan Blog Project - week 5 - C#1 - (witch) Crafting

Here are the ingredients for some incense I made recently:

Red sandalwood

Cinnamon

Red wine

Spring tree blossoms

Basil

Bay

Rosemary

Benzoin

Chamomile

Dill seed

Cedar oil

Pine resin

Orange peel

Rose petals

Willow bark

I made it with many associations in mind. Here are just a few:

January/February

New moon

Black moon

Dark moon

Hecate's deipnon

Imbolc

Brigid

Late winter/early spring

This incense can be used for creative inspiration, change, cleansing, arts, crafts, work, Brigid, honoring Celtic ancestors, health, healing, Goddess worship, winter, spring, dark moon, new moon, black moon, initiation, newness, Imbolc, etc. or any other associations with late winter/early spring, Brigid, Imbolc, and the dark/new moon.