An Introduction to Imbolc (Part 2)

Filed under: Reconnect with Nature — Tags: Artemis, Brighid's Cross, Feng Shui, Imbolc, Marsden Fire Festival, Marsden Imbolc 2011, sky lanterns, Venus, wheel of the year — urbandeva @ 4:13 am

(Click here to read Part 1.)

An Introduction to Imbolc (Part 2)

Before I continue, I recommend you take a look at The Green Witch’s recent Imbolc newsletter. She’s based in Aberdour, Scotland and I get all my incense from her. Everyone who’s smelt it have said it’s the best incense they’ve come across. The quality is superb. She’s also very witty and provides some lovely insights into various rituals and traditions for each of the eight sabbats throughout the Wheel of the Year.

In this post, I wanted to briefly share some of the traditions and rituals commonly associated with Imbolc. You may be interested to know, for example, that the Romans dedicated this sabbat to Venus, and the Greeks to Artemis — both Goddesses of Love. As the crocus and iris were sacred to both goddesses, people would lavishly adorn their homes and alters with them. However, any white flowers (preferably spring-flowering — remember to try and work with whatever’s in season) are perfect for decorating your home, as they symbolise purity and the Virgin Goddess. Red and yellow flowers are also good colours as they symbolise the rising sun and the Return of the Light. Only six weeks to go until the vernal equinox and the spring forward of the clocks!

Staying with the Romans, did you know the month of February is named after the goddess Februa and the god Februus? Februa was the Goddess of Fresh Starts and her month was often euphemistically referred to as the ‘cleansing time.’ As this sabbat is traditionally associated with growth, renewal and getting rid of the old to make way for the new, you may want to start spring cleaning this week so, come 2 February, you can adorn your home with flowers and light candles in every room (preferably 100% beeswax) to welcome the new season in and honour the rebirth of the sun.

If you want to go the whole hog, place a besom broom by the front door to symbolise sweeping out the old and welcoming in the new. (Although, if like me you adhere to the principles of Feng Shui, you may want to place the broom upside down or brush-end up.) And if you think investing in a besom broom for Imbolc is a tad strange, it’s no crazier than dragging a Christmas tree into your house to honour the birth of Jesus. And if you say you don’t do it for that reason, just why do you do it? To celebrate Yule? In which case, why not celebrate Imbolc? Anyway, brooms are a fraction of the price, last forever and add charm. We’ll be hanging a couple of silver and white baubles on ours for good measure.

The more creative among you may want to have a go at making an Imbolc candle wheel or a Brighid’s Cross to decorate your alter or hang on your wall. Another way to celebrate the Return of the Light is to have a bonfire or release sky lanterns. If you do buy sky lanterns, however, please do make sure they’re eco friendly, wire free, and 100% biodegradable. If you’re in the UK, I recommend ones by Sky Lanterns Online. We used them on New Year’s Eve and loved them.

Finally, if you’re in the north of England, Marsden in Huddersfield (an hour’s drive from Manchester) will be holding a torchlight procession and Fire Festival in celebration of Imbolc on Saturday 5 February starting at 7pm. It starts at the Old Goods Yard near the National Trust Office, near the railway station. The following is taken from the Marsden Imbolc Fire Festival Facebook page:

Marsden Imbolc Fire Festival is a community festival of celebration. It is a fire festival based around the Celtic Imbolc marking the time when the earth begins to wake up after its winter sleep. The festival was started by Kirklees Countryside Volunteers about eighteen years ago, primarily for the people of Marsden to come together at a quiet time of the year, to explore the environment around them, and to be aware of the turning of the year.

Imbolc has evolved over the years and now draws from a larger, more diverse community in terms of both performers/participants and audience. The festival involves a procession led by three ‘druid’ type characters, Mr Fox, samba and other bands, stilt walkers mixed with the procession, and people carrying fire lanterns. This is followed by entertainment – a fire ‘circus’ accompanied by the Fox Drummers and a singing group. Jack Frost and the Green Man battle for the spring. We end by welcoming the sun with a firework finale.

I’m very much hoping to be at the procession. But whatever plans you decide to make, I wish you and yours a very blessed Imbolc.

UD ~

(Psst… if you’ve enjoyed UD’s ramblings, why not take a look at her book here.)

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An Introduction to Imbolc (Part 1)

Filed under: Reconnect with Nature — Tags: Brigid, Candlemas, Christianity, Fish Fight, Goddess, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Imbolc, Imbolg, Islam, Judaism, Kyoto Protocol, Marsden Fire Festival, Marsden Imbolc 2011, Nature, Oimelc, Pagan, Spring, St. Brigid, Virgin Mary, wheel of the year — urbandeva @ 2:39 pm

One of Urban Deva’s guiding philosophies is to help individuals consciously Reconnect with Nature. Aside from encouraging everyone to stare up at the wonders of the night sky, one of the many others ways we do this is to follow and celebrate the sabbats or festivals of the Pagan Wheel of the Year — our cyclical journey around the sun. These Old Holidays are not man-made, a part of history; rather, they are as old as the earth itself. Nature in motion.

Now, before you go associating Pagan with witchcraft and all things evil, just think for a moment where you got that idea from, who planted it there. Yup, Christianity. Pagans are not devil worshippers (again, that’s the spin Christianity put on it as part of their own marketing campaign). They are, however, heathens in that they don’t believe in the monotheistic God of Judaism, Christianity or Islam. But again, see how heathen has been twisted and is now used as a denigrative term?

Pagans lived closed to the earth. In other words, it’s a Nature based religion. This made a lot of sense. Still does. Regardless of your beliefs, the one thing we can all agree on is the cycles and seasons of Nature. Much like the majority of belief systems in the East, Pagans saw the sacredness in all things. They revered the sanctity of the forests, the oceans, the mountains, animals, birds, and all humanity. To them the Divine was immanent, not Up There sat on a throne in the sky, meting out punishments, lording it over all and sundry. Put another way, if their beliefs and intimate connection to Nature had not been driven out or persecuted and burnt at the stake, we wouldn’t have a need for agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol or campaigns such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall‘s Fish Fight, today.

Anyway, I digress.

Imbolc (also known as Imbolg or Oimelc) or St Brigid’s Day is a festival that marks the beginning of spring and is usually celebrated on the 2 February. Although our Gregorian (Christian) calendar states that spring officially begins on the vernal equinox (20 or 21 March), Pagans recognised the first signs of spring from the flora and fauna that sprung forth, the subtle shift in the quality of light, the position of the constellations and, among agrarian people, the onset of lactation in ewes soon to give birth to the spring lambs.

Unable to stamp out all Nature based religions, the Christians decided to impose a feast of their own on the same day called Candlemas (also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple or the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin).

Bit sneaky, really. Why?

Well, in Christianity, Candlemas is the day the priest blesses the beeswax candles for use throughout the year. It’s also the Purification of the Virgin Mary. Fire and purification rites, however, already played an integral part in the festivities that accompanied Imbolc and often involved hearthfires, bonfires, and the lighting of candles. You can almost imagine the scene when the priests were trying to get the nature-loving commoners through the door: “Look, we have candles too! Take some, warm yourselves, bless your homes. And look — a virgin goddess!”

Imbolc’s goddess Brigid, who was later Christianised as St. Brigid was, like Christianity’s Mary, also considered a virgin (virgin as in one-in-herself and nothing to do with sexual chastity). Actually, Brigid is enshrined in many fascinating stories and symbols, and worthy of blog post herself. Another time. Suffice to say, spring was personified (the fancy word being ‘anthropomorphised’) by Pagans as the goddess in her budding, maiden form. By midsummer (summer solstice), she will be heavy with pregnancy just as the earth is pregnant with the coming harvest’s bounty.

Right, that’s enough for now. Next time, we’ll take a look at some of the rituals and festivities that accompany Imbolc and how you can celebrate it, too. After all, if you put a Christmas tree, wreath or Yule log out, why not celebrate Imbolc? Another opportunity to decorate your home, gather with friends, and feast once more! Meanwhile, here’s a couple more links for you to look at, whet your appetite:

The Chalice Centre: Wheel of the Year – Imbolc

Details of Marsden’s (Huddersfield, UK) Imbolc Fire Festival 2011

Click here to read An Introduction to Imbolc (Part 2).

UD ~

http://www.runningintomyself.com/

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January 26, 2011