Imbolc is celebrated on February 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. Imbolc is one of the fire festivals, the first on the wheel of the year. It is the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It marks the beginning of the light overtaking the dark. It marks the beginning of the end of Winter. If Samhain is the end of the witch's year, then Imbolc is the beginning of the new one. The Winter season is very similar to the energy of the dark moon. It is a time for rest, relaxation, and self-care. Winter is exempt from the growing year, unless you "fight" nature with a greenhouse, or live where the winter months aren't snowy or frosty. At Imbolc, we can see the small signs of the start of Spring, such as buds and mushrooms. The Goddess is recovering from her birth of the God at Yule and is in her maiden aspect. The god is in his youthful stage.
New opportunities and beginnings are the themes for Imbolc. It is similar to the energy of the new moon. It is a time to set your intentions for the coming year, and to bring new people, experiences, and opportunities into your life.
Imbolc is sacred to the Goddess Brigid, so celebrating through writing poetry, eating and/or drinking dairy, and creating Brigid's Crosses is popular.
Spring cleaning is a favorable activity because an intention of the sabbat is purification. Start by physically purifying your space. Clean out any trash, old clothes, or unused items that simply take up space. Then, use a besom, or a similar purifying tool such as a smudge stick, to energetically cleanse your space. This step is important, as it sets the tone for the space's energy for the year to come.
Do a tarot spread to divine the energies at work for this coming year. Ask your cards questions such as, what areas of my life do I need to grow in? What should I clear from my life? and How do I nurture myself?
Make a corn husk dolly. This is a traditional time to make corn husk dollies as it marks the beginning of the growing season, and the dolls were historically made by enslaved children who didn't have access to toys after their parents had collected the corn crops.
Work in your garden or yard to celebrate the return of nature's life. Plant some seeds, work compost into your garden beds, repot or propagate a beloved houseplant, or mow your lawn to connect to the energies of Spring.
Work with and/or wear the colors red, orange, and yellow. This is to symbolize the Sun and it's return. The days are getting longer and the sun is returning, so wearing colors that symbolize the sun such as red, will help you better connect to it's energy. Light an orange candle or carry around a yellow crystal. Your options for working with these colors are endless.
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