I just adore Imbolc as it fills me with hope and feelings of renewal and promise.  My pent up, hibernating energy is just waiting to uncoil and spring into action ready to embrace the warmer weather and longer days.

This Imbolc festival I decided to wait until the 7th Febuary for the full moon to celebrate this auspicious festival.  The first signs of spring have sprung in my garden.  There are snowdrops aplenty whose courage in springing above the earth’s surface wasn’t dampened by the four inches of snow that fell on Saturday!  Not out of the woods yet it seems, in terms of the cold weather.

Well, I love snow and my spirits weren’t dampened as I headed out for a snowy walk with my son.  The sights were truly magickal.  Holly and hawthorn displayed resplendent, bright, red berries contrasted by the ivy, with its black berries as it roved in between the two, reminding me of the Yuletide now behind us.

Traditionally at Imbolc, the God who was reborn at Yule is now seen as a young man who is in hot pursuit of the Maiden.  In this new season, she puts aside her role of Wise Woman and dons the white robes of Maiden.

Imbolc is the first rite of spring and a fire festival.  In some covens, a maiden will be chosen and dressed in white and a crown of lights.  The presiding deity at Imbolc festival is Bride (or Bridgit).

Looking back over Imbolc rituals past, I am so encouraged to see how my intentions have born fruit.  In 2010 this is especially notable when my rekindled relationship is still the best ever, I now have a son and definitely a magickal garden and a lovely house complete with real fire. I have also maintained this blog and started two others.  It’s special to see how our intentions come to fruition.

My Imbolc Ritual 2012

This year I fully utilised the full moon’s power and did a ritual for my intentions for 2012.   I love to honour the Goddess and God at all the Sabbats so I made an Imbolc ritual cake offering to them – mini banana cakes.  I also offered fire in the form of a special candle, air by lighting incense I bought in India called Vrindavan Flower, a bulb I will later plant for earth, and a goblet of water.  We have our own water supply from a borehole in the back garden so our water is pure and sweet, making a lovely water element offering to my spiritual guardians.

Invite the Elements and Goddess and God

I then invited the elements and called upon the Goddess and God and offered them my preparations.  I bought Imbolc candles – one white and one black.  I lit the black candle and said loudly “This light represents the Wise Woman who presides over the dark winter months.  I thank her for her guidance and wisdom over this internal and meditative time. ”

Then I spent time thinking about what I’ve learned and achieved over this time period.

“Now the Wise Woman becomes the Maiden, full of youthful vitality, health and beauty and brimming with promise.”

I then lit a white candle and extinguished the black one, thinking about what I would like to begin this Imbolc.  I list these things on a special piece of paper and then bury the list along with my bulb I offered for the element of earth.

I have since planted the bulb in a pot so it will grow and bloom along with my new projects.

I then thanked the elements and Goddess and Gods’ presence and closed the circle.

This is a nice Imbolc ritual for solitary practitioners.

Please share yours by commenting below.

I’m often asked about Wiccan holidays recognised as part of this spiritual path and people usually mean the seasonal festivals that witches know as Sabbats.  These are often marked with Bank Holidays and national holidays because the traditional Sabbat days coincide with the dates of most Christian (and other religious) festivals.   When Christianity was introduced to a Pagan British Isles, many of the Sabbats were overlayed with a similar festival to make the introduction of another spiritual faith integrate easier into culture.  For example, Samhain/ All Souls Eve, Yule/Christmas, Imbolc/Candlemas, Oestara/Easter and Madron/Harvest Festival.

Witches’ Sabbats

So here’s a description of all our Sabbats that those practising the art of Wicca and Witchcraft traditionally follow.

There are eight Sabbats altogether which comprise the Witches’ Wheel of the Year.  The festivals vary in importance and are divided into two groups of four major Sabbats  and four lesser Sabbats.

The Four Major Sabbats

Samhain: 31 October

Imbolc: 2 February

Beltane: 1 May

Lammas: 1 August

These comprise the ancient fire festivals and are often celebrated by witches with a small ritual fire outside or more simply with candles.  These four represent the major parts of the Witches’ year with Samhain being the most important as the start of the New Year.  At Imbolc, new life is stirring under the last frosts of Winter, Beltane the heat of the sun can be felt and the first blossoms bloom, Lammas sees the harvests gathered and Samhain sees the year come full circle again.

The Four Lesser Sabbats

Yule: 21 December

Oestara: 21 March

Litha: 21 June

Madron: 21 September

The lesser Sabbats are the two solstices of Yule and Litha, Winter’s shortest day and Summer’s longest day and the two equinoxes of Oestara and Madron where day and night are equal in length.

Click the individual names of these Wiccan holidays or festivals to find out more about how I, and other witches, celebrate these special times of our year.

Imbolc sunshine

Oooo I’m excited.  For the first time today I can feel the season changing.  The sun is beeeeaming in through my office window and the brook opposite my house is tinkling away merrily to itself.

There also seems to be something in the air, something palpable, an energetic tingling of life that certainly wasn’t there last time I looked.  It’s like the Earth is stretching for the first time this year, just little by little she’s awakening and flexing a little bit at a time.  Connecting to life again after a very long (and very cold!) slumber.

I stepped out my back door early this morning.  A frosty sight and a cold belt of air struck me – a sudden awakening from my cosy bed.  But the sun!  Oh Hello sunshine!  How grateful I am for you on my face.

Imbolc is just around the corner.  Please share what you plan for Imbolc this year by leaving a comment below…

Imbolc is particularly special for me this year because of my relationship renewal. It really feels like I am in touch with the seasons. Either that, or they are in touch with me!

The Imbolc Venue – Madron Holy Well

So, this year I went to a truly old and magickal place called Madron Holy Well. For me, it is one of the most spiritual places in Cornwall. I follow the twisted ivy and hawthorn lined pathway down to the well itself which is like walking through a portal to another world!

Then I reach the well overhung by a hawthorn tree bedecked in ‘clouties’ – the cloth strips people leave as an offering. Traditionally, these were taken from the cloth of a sick person, tied to the tree by worried relatives who prayed for the health of their loved one. They prayed that the sickness would disappear as the cloth degraded on the tree. There are great stories of healing from the waters of this place and it’s not surprising when you visit it.

Imbolc Meaning

For me it’s the perfect place for an Imbolc ritual because you’re so in the midst of the earth stirring its new tingling awakenings from the dark of winter – like wiggling your toes when you first wake up in the morning.

Imbolc is a Celtic word meaning ‘in the belly’. The first lambs are born and the earth is full of potential and fertility for the upcoming season of fruitfulness.

My Imbolc Ritual

My ritual this year was a bit different because of my renewed relationship! It was full of gratitude to the Goddess and God for helping me. I took some witchcraft supplies down to the Holy Well. On the granite slab altar, I placed two candles representing Goddess and God, and placed another two candles – one black and one white. The black one represents the Crone or Wise Mother of the Winter who is now turning away to make way for the Maiden of Spring.

I also took my usual element representatives – feather, candle, pentagram and a goblet which filled from the spring. I took a cake I’d made to offer to the God and Goddess. I always like to offer them food!

After calling upon the quarters, I lit the black candle and acknowledged the Wise Mother residing over the land and me over the Winter. I took time to think of all that I have experienced over these months and especially what I have learned.

I then lit the white candle and extinguished the black one, recognising the Wise Mother has now become the Maiden of Spring.

Then I spent time thinking of what I want to begin and bring to fruition during this new season of plenty. For me it’s to nurture and heal my restarted relationship and to think about starting a family (at last!!). Also new work projects and keeping this blog up-to-date. I would like to find a new home with my partner and have a magical garden too.

Then, I spent time visualising my goals, asked the Goddess and God to bless them and sent them off into the ethers, my intention complete.

Leave your Comments

I’ll write again in a couple of weeks’ time. In the meantime, please let me know about your Imbolc rituals for this year. I would love to hear from fellow witches.

I can’t believe Imbolc is nearly here already. Onto that in a sec…

In a November post I wrote about how my relationship ended. Well, something truly magickal happened which I am in shock about. After the magickal rituals I did helping me to let go, surrender and forgive and, after much talking and being in touch with my intuition, we are back together. Or as I prefer, together again, renewed.

Tentatively, I am dipping my toe back into the relationship with the person I love but who hurt me terribly too.

We wanted different things, a deal breaker in a relationship – kids. I did, he didn’t. Say no more. But, after six months apart, each being in our process of aftermath, he has accepted that this is what is being offered to him in this life. A wonderful partner who wants his babies! He accepted his reality as I did mine, that he did not want this and I did, so I must leave and find another.

But, each in our respective processes found ourselves. We found deeper truths and strengths about ourselves when apart, outside of being a couple. I let the person I loved go and if it was meant to be, he would come back to me. And he did! I can’t believe I am a living example of this principle and I am so grateful to my spiritual guardians of devotion to whom I prayed. They helped me beyond belief.

So, back to Imbolc festival – how apt. The first festival of Spring who waves goodbye to the dark of winter. Welcome anew the life in the earth, echoing my personal experience right now.

Soon I will write more about the lovely festival of Imbolc and the Imbolc ritual I’ll do for this year. I’ll also write about the gratitude ritual I’ll do to say thank you to all my spiritual guardians for helping me get through pain and loss. And then for rewarding me with my desire.