Spring equinox is only a few days away. Are you all as excited as I am? I bet you are. Soon we can say goodbye to cold noses and freezing temperatures. “For witches, the Spring Equinox is known as Ostara, named after the Germanic lunar goddess, an embodiment of the great Goddess who gave birth to the Sun God at the Winter Solstice. As an Equinox, Ostara is a time of balance and equilibrium.” (https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2018/08/how-to-celebrate-spring-equinox-like-a-modern-witch#)
A witch lives by the lunar and solar cycles – the Moon and the Sun. We celebrate the cycles of the moon.
Every month, witches honour the moon in full moon gatherings. We hold Sabbat celebrations and this time the Sabbat to celebrate is Ostara, or the spring equinox. Ostara marks the first day of spring, when the night and day are of equal length. Ostara is named after the Germanic lunar goddess who is an embodiment of the great Goddess who gave birth to the Sun God at the Winter Solstice. Ostara is a time of balance.
During the Spring Equinox, plant seeds and clean your home. Now is the time to reflect and create and clear away any stagnant energy.
Decorate your altar with warm colours; seeds, fruit; gemstones such as citrine, clear quartz, aventurine and carnelian. Make offerings of honey and milk for the faeries. Place tarot cards like the High Priestess and the Nine of Cups on your altar.
Perform rituals and make offerings. Play music that makes you think of spring and enjoy a cup of herbal tea while you pore over seed catalogs – for organic seeds, of course!
I am so done with mundane society. I desperately want to move to Middle Earth and be an elf- and I want there to be no Sauron ruling the world there either. I’m ready to go, all packed. Oh I wish I could. Don’t we all? Instead, I am stuck in this mortal realm. But is it really that bad? My rent increased but not to an astronomical height thankfully. There is hope yet despite wars, starvation, crime, drugs, poverty, weapons blasting buildings, desperation, environmental degradation, pollution, climate change. I have to believe there is yet hope. The odds seem stacked against us but if we lose hope, then the bad guys win.
I find joy in my sweet cat, watching birds visit the bird feeder, and in knowing spring will soon grace us with her return. The Crone will eventually give way to the Maiden. The earth will turn green again and be full of fertile energy. Yes spring equinox surprises us next month. It almost seems hard to believe. I hate it that my tired feet suffer over hard packed snow too. I miss my garden so much. Feeding the birds and helping my herb seedlings I have been growing all winter comforts me.
Today I bought a bag of soil for starting seeds and a large white bucket. I plan to begin my onion seeds soon as well as other herbs. My seed starting project with the ziplock bags is going well. The mint seeds, the marshmallow seeds have taken off so far and one purple basil seed germinated. The other seeds are germinating much slower. I like to start seeds in ziplock bags that way because I can know for sure then what the germination rate is. I can’t wait for spring. I am sure I am not the only one.
The interior of my apartment looks like a smaller Middle Earth. I am sure I belong there. Alas, spring equinox begins in March on the 21st. We can move our clocks ahead one hour in March. March means spring and I can’t wait. I know March is also the cruelest month weather wise and so is April but after that, the world gets green.
I have been thinking hard about where I will grow my onions and potatoes this summer. I can grow the potatoes in grow bags. I have to buy another grow bag because then I can get a bigger harvest. I am not sure yet where I will grow my onions. I have time yet to decide that. This is the time when most gardeners who are serious about gardening decide those sorts of things though. I wish I had the room for growing a hundred potatoes and onions. I would be stocked all winter. I have only a small space. I am growing garlic too. I decided that I want to grow purple onions in between the rows where the garlic is growing in the box. I have yet to decide where I might grow the white onions though. Then there is the matter of growing root veggies successfully. Only too often I get the greens of the root veggie but not the root I want. But now, thanks to a hurricane ironically, a large branch has fallen off the nearby tree in my garden. So now my garden gets more light which it needs. As for the soil itself, I have successfully created compost. I also plan to really dig the soil and add the right nutrients in the right amounts. I also want to grow the onions in containers as the rest of the space is claimed by herbs. So, it is probably understandable that I am really thinking about where to grow the white onions.
I want to grow carrots in the white bucket and a turnip. It can be done, I have seen it on YouTube videos. The bucket is food safe. I’m planning on starting the carrot seeds indoors and when the temperatures are warm enough, moving the white bucket outdoors. I need to get a lot of soil though. I think I can even get it at the dollar store. I do not have any fertilizer though. I can always work in the fertilizer though when I mix up the soil and water it. I can also add the ground up eggshells to the soil. The bucket is big and deep. I will need a lot. Canadian Tire, the local hardware store, did not have the large bags of soil I wanted. I can use that for the onions and my other starts. Yeah it is easy to add a fertilizer to soil. I am sure carrots are forgiving about the quality of soil they will grow in. They need nitrogen to grow the greens then they need less nitrogen to grow the root and more phosphorus later to grow the root. I plan to also cover the topsoil with shavings (for guinea pig cages) to keep the soil moist to ensure the carrots grow their very best. I can’t wait to get started. Carrots don’t like to be disturbed. I don’t see the point of thinning. I want to arrange the seeds in a way where I have control over how many sprout. I will arrange then in a clock face pattern. Thinning seeds, to me, is wasting seeds. I don’t have the money for that- basically throwing seeds away. So yeah I am excited to grow plants again! C’mon, spring!
I want to grow catnip for Penny of course. Last year, I had nettle not catnip. This year, well I should just start the seeds in a ziplock baggie. That usually tells me which seeds will germinate and which ones won’t. Of course, the flip side of this is that I have to keep the catnip away from Penny. I will start the seeds in May then. That way I don’t have a long wait to keep her away from eating it. I bought purple top white globe seeds and sweet pea seeds. I also bought ashwagandha seeds and St.John’s wort seeds. I can’t wait to start those seeds either.
Yup I look forward to spring’s return. It feels so long ago. Time is speeding up and where it leads us to, I do not know. I had special handouts from Herbal Academy about herbs laminated at the local print centre. I plan to have a more special handouts/notes laminated. It makes it easier to refer to them and they are protected from stains too. I want to keep them in the kitchen, not just my binder to refer to.
I have plenty to look forward to this spring! I am eager to get started.
A powerful snowstorm blew in at the Atlantic provinces here, creating record amounts of snow. Over three thousand people lost power which thankfully I was exempt from. The Cape Breton provinces received the most snow, a total of 150 centimetres in some areas. The amount of snow was unreal. It is really bad and I just hope that things get better.
Imbolc is here, along with the record-breaking snowfall. I cooked Guiness Stew, a new recipe. Beer broth took some adjusting too, but it is delicious. I encourage you all to try steak soaked in beer broth at least once or several times in your life- with more Guiness and rustic bread. Let the stew steep as that really draws out the flavours.
I worry for those in Cape Breton in regards to the storm. They need food and are not able to get to work. Now the climate change deniers can look me in the eye and tell me that climate change isn’t real. It is. The polar ice caps are melting. We received a winter’s worth of snow in a weekend. That is not normal. I keep filling the bird feeder. As soon as I do, they are right there at the feeder, pecking for seeds, the poor things. I have to stock up on more seed. I refuse to see them starve.
I hope that the long black boards can finally be adhered to my altar this weekend. The weather must cooperate. It will just be such a game changer and I can’t wait to have my altar off the floor. It will make such a difference in here, because I will be able to store stuff underneath the altar and no longer need to kneel on the floor. I wear a lot of black and my cat has white fur- need I say more?
I bought a set of queen-sized black linen bed sheets to match the black blanket I bought from Killstar. I swear I sleep better with darker sheets. I also got some white magazine holders and have now happily arranged papers and magazines. It looks so much more organized and coordinated. I am on a mission to get more organized, even if it takes the rest of my life. I am making progress though.
Imbolc may be the first of the three spring Sabbats but spring is a long way off here yet. Imbolc occurs on February 2nd is the second Sabbat of the Wiccan year. Seeds stir under the soil and animals slowly emerge from their long hibernation. Imbolc is the cross-quarter day between Winter Solstice and the spring equinox. Candlemas is also celebrated on February 2nd. The God returns and strengthens his power. The Goddess gave birth to the God at Yule and returns her maiden role for spring.
Imbolc is an old Irish word for the birthing of the first lambs of the season, and is often times translated as “ewe’s milk.” The Celts revered the Goddess Brighid for her talents with poetry, healing and smithcraft.
We will discuss Imbolc more in the upcoming posts.
Happy Beltaine!!!!! Beltane is the third of the three spring Sabbats. Flowers are in bloom everywhere here despite the cold snap.
I ordered gold fairy lights for the bookcase. I know that will look amazing. Stringing up the fairy lights is my next challenge. Scotch tape and push pins are my best bet, most likely. The fairy lights are eighteen feet long. I plan to use the fairy lights outside in the garden too. That will look amazing at night. I need to grow some flowers that bloom at night, such as moonflower!
I finished gluing the moss to the entire bookcase- the side facing out. That is the side that everyone will see, so that gets the moss and decorations. I also kept to one colour plan- gold, browns, moss green, reds and oranges. That is basically the autumn colours but it could also represent the entire green growing season. I foraged, prepared and attached two more pinecones. By ‘prepared’, I meant cleaning the pinecones of any potential pests. I soaked the pinecones in cold water and vinegar for thirty minutes then baked them in the oven at 225% for almost two hours. The sap dried on the cones and they lay more flat. I glued them to the moss on the bookcase.
I glued fake ivy leaves and pink flowers and leaves to the bookcase. I drew runes on to small round wooden pieces and glued the wood mini logs to the bookcase, leaves and moss. It looks so cool. The mini logs look like natural wood and may be created from real wood. I believe they are, and look like they were always there. I await the fairy lights. The faeries must be overworked today, because the delivery is taking a long time.
I can’t wait for the frost to leave. I am so anxious to get my plants in the ground outside. The soil is deeper, leaving more room for the roots. They are exposed to the elements of earth, air, fire, water and Spirit. They can grow more strongly and as big as they want. It is still cold out. It is so hard waiting. I have a lot of work to do in the garden. I can’t wait for the cold snap to end. I need to clean up the garden, rake the leaves away, and move the spreading raspberry canes to a new home/ spot. They can take over there and would still receive sun. I need to buy several bags of soil and work that into the soil that is already there. I have to tidy up the garden supports. Then, once that is done, and the earthworms are up to the task of working through the soil, I will make my annual twice a year offering of cornmeal, honey and milk and pray to the God and Goddess for a bountiful and beautiful growing season.
Then I move my seedlings outside to their new homes. This is the part that I look the most forward to. None of this can happen till the frost ceases. I want to grow datura from seed outdoors. It is a poisonous plant but witches are not supposed to be scared right? I also want to start it outdoors to protect my cat from it. I will regularly fill the bird feeder, stir up the compost and tend to my herbs and flowers and veggies. I can’t wait to get started.
I know lovage will grow well near rhubarb. I plan to get a new lovage seedling from a garden centre. It is easier to start with a seedling and faster. I want to see how well the lovage will grow near the rhubarb. The elecampane main crown root had two new buds (or maybe more) and I hope new stalks come up this summer. I didn’t use the syrup so I won’t make more. The plant needs to get established and it is clearly trying to do just that.
Once Jack Frost bids goodbye, I plan to be ready and armed with bags of soil and my new cute pink garden trowel in hand. I wish you all a lovely Beltane!
Happy Summer Solstice!!! I hope you are all celebrating the summer solstice. I did too and I’m going to tell you all about it in this post. I will post a link below to the blog post from Herbal Academy that tells you how to make it. I’m taking the summer course on how to press flowers at the Herbal Academy.
To make a Summer Solstice Lantern, clean and wash a large glass jar like one you use for pasta sauce. Let it air dry. For this project, I didn’t press the flowers first but they are supposed to be pressed. Also, instead of white glue or Mod Podge glue, I used a hot glue gun. I used the watered down white glue at first. I discovered that a hot glue gun was better at making flowers adhere to the jar. Afterwards, I bought and used Mod Podge to give it a permanent finish. It looks great and yours will too.
You will need the following supplies:
a hot glue gun and glue
tweezers
scissors
a clean dry jar
flowers
white glue
Mod Podge glue
paper towel and a work surface – glue can get messy
twine, a wire
salt
tealights
Ok let’s get started. So once your jar is clean and dry, set it down on your workspace. Have old newspaper and paper towel nearby. This can get messy. If you pressed the flowers ahead of time, that’s great. I used the flowers I picked today for this project. Clean off any bugs and snip off the stems. It’s a good idea to use flat faced flowers for this project such as buttercup, white Shasta daisies, violets, red clover leaves. Use a paintbrush to dab on the glue of your choice to the jar. Before the glue dries, pick up the delicate flower with the tweezers and stick it on the jar where you dabbed the glue. Apply the flower with gentle firm pressure.
This is tricky. You can’t tear or cut the flower. I brushed from the centre of the flower out to the petals. I dabbed the glue over the face of the flower in gentle, outward strokes. I suggest making sure the flower face stays flat. So be gentle with this step. Add more flowers to the jar. Think about the design you want it to have. Let the jar dry thoroughly. Be patient with this project. Arrange the flowers around the jar as you choose. Keep dabbing glue on to the jar and applying gentle firm pressure till you are satisfied with it. Place stems around flowers or under flowers or in whichever design you choose.
Gently dab glue over the flowers. I suggest using Mod Podge for this step. It gives the flowers a frosted finish. When it has all dried, then you can proceed to the next step. You can wrap a wire around the opening of the jar. I secured mine with a dab of hot glue. I love my hot glue gun, can you tell? The instructions on how to do this are in the link. Then add a few inches of salt into the jar. Put a tea light in perhaps one with essential oils added to the candle, and watch the candle glow in your personal Summer Solstice Lantern. I hope you have fun with this and show me pictures of your own summery crafts.
Below is the link to the blog post from the Herbal Academy:
The Wheel of the Year has turned again! The Beltane Sabbat is upon us. But I keep seeing ads that tell us we are halfway to Samhain. I just feel like jumping up and declaring, “No, not yet, I don’t have my plants in the ground!”. Beltane is about fertility, love magic, passion and flowers. I am excited to see my garden growing! The chives, woodruff, lemon balm, dandelions, coltsfoot, raspberries and tiger lilies are up. Even the lungwort has already flowered! It is just beautiful. I went on a long walk on the nature trail.
We are less than a week away fron StokerCon! I am so excited! It is the premier horror writing convention for all those horror fans (including me!). I attended the virtual StokerCon last year and I can’t wait for this year’s StokerCon! A lot to look forward to! I pre-ordered Tim Waggoner’s Writing in the Dark workbook. It accompanies the original Writing in the Dark book. My poem, The Frightening Spirit, is the second poem published by Polar Borealis this year! It will publish soon. I look forward to that too. I just approved the proofs the editor sent me. Waggoner’s book is released on May 25, 2022.
I ordered a hot black dress from Killstar. That should arrive soon! So much to look forward to. !!
My pumpkin seeds just germinated. I am surprised. I had to wait 2 weeks for them to germinate. They did germinate and now I have to let them grow. When they are transplanted outside, I have to either thin them out or figure out where they will get the most room to grow. Pumpkin patches need lots of space and sunlight to grow their best.
Beltane is a Pagan holiday, and one of the eight Sabbats. It falls about halfway between the spring equinox (Ostara) and the coming summer solstice, Litha. The holiday celebrates spring at its peak, and the coming summer. Beltane also sometimes goes by the name May Day. This holiday is associated very strongly with fertility for pagans.
This festival is often commemorated with bonfires, maypoles, dancing, and performing fertility rituals. Beltane is a Celtic word, meaning “the fires of Bel.” Bel, likely referred to the Celtic sun god, Belenus. The Celts used to light two bonfires because they believed it would purify themselves, as well as increase their fertility. They would pass cattle between the two fires, with the belief that it would purify the cattle, and ensure the fertility of the herd. Although this is not a ritual that is practiced now, modern pagans still light bonfires and practice fertility rituals on this day.
Modern-day pagans celebrate Beltane in a variety of ways. One way to celebrate is with a maypole. In this custom, a pole is placed in a field with ribbons attached. Each person (usually women and girls) will grab a hold of their own ribbon, and dance around the pole in a special way, so as to weave the ribbons into a specific pattern. This is one of the more common fertility rituals that might take place on this day. Celebrators also might weave flowers into their hair, or create a floral wreath to wear upon their head as a celebration of spring. Some pagans light a bonfire and dance around (or even over) it, which is another common fertility ritual for the day. Lastly, some people prepare “May baskets,” and fill them with flowers and goodwill. They give the baskets to someone in need of care, such as an elderly friend, or someone who is recovering from an illness.
Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend. Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty. Dress in bright colors. Dance the Maypole and feel yourself balancing the Divine Female and Male within. On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it. Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck. Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing.
Going A-Maying & Bringing in the May — Merry-making and Nature communion. * Midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. * In Pagan Rome, Floralia, from April 27-May 3 was the festival of the Flower Goddess Flora and the flowering of Springtime. On May 1, offerings were made to Bona Dea (as Mother Earth), the Lares (household guardian spirits), and Maia (Goddess of Increase) from whom May gets its name. * Roman Catholic traditions of crowning statues of Mary with flowers on May 1 have Roman Pagan roots. * Marks the second half of the Celtic Year; one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. Complement to Samhain, it is a time of divination and communion with Fairy Folk/Nature Spirits. * Pastoral tradition of turning sheep, cows, other livestock out to pasture. * In Pagan Scandinavia, mock battles between Winter and Summer were enacted at this time. * Building on older tradition of this time being a holiday for the masses, in the twentieth century, May Day has been a workers’ holiday in many places. * Some say that Mother’s Day, in the USA, Mexico, and elsewhere has Pagan roots.
Maypole
Forms include pole, tree, bush, cross; communal or household; permanent or annual. * In Germany, Fir tree was cut on May Eve by young unmarried men, branches removed, decorated, put up in village square, & guarded all night until dance occurred on May Day. * In England, permanent Maypoles were erected on village greens * In some villages, there also were smaller Maypoles in the yards of households. * Maypole ribbondances, with two circles interweaving; around decorated bush/tree, clockwise circle dances.
Flowers & Greenwood
Gathering and exchange of Flowers and Greens on May Eve, pre-dawn May Day, Beltane. * Decorating homes, barns, and other buildings with Green budding branches, including Hawthorn. * Making and wearing of garland wreaths of Flowers and/or Greens. * May Baskets were given or placed secretly on doorsteps to friends, shut-ins, lovers, others. * May Bowl was punch (wine or non-alcoholic) made of Sweet Woodruff blossoms.
Beltane Fires
Traditionally, sacred woods kindled by spark from flint or by friction — in Irish Gaelic, the Beltane Fire has been called teine eigin (fire from rubbing sticks). * Jump over the Beltane Fire, move through it, or dance clockwise around it. * Livestock was driven through it or between two fires for purification and fertility blessings. * In ancient times Druid priests kindled it at sacred places; later times, Christian priests kindled it in fields near the church after peforming a Christian church service. * Rowan twigs were carried around the fire three times, then hung over hearths to bless homes. * In the past, Beltane community fire purification customs included symbolic sacrifice of effigy knobs on the Beltane Cake (of barley) to the fire, or, in medieval times, mock sacrifice of Beltane Carline (Hag) who received blackened piece of Beltane Cake; Maypoles in Spain were each topped with a male effigy which was later burned. Contemporary Pagans burn sacred wood and dried herbs as offerings in their Beltane fires.
May Waters
Rolling in May Eve dew or washing face in pre-dawn May Day dew for health, luck, beauty. * Getting head and hair wet in Beltane rain to bless the head. * Blessing springs, ponds, other sacred waters with flowers, garlands, ribbons, other offerings. * Collecting sacred waters and scrying in sacred springs, wells, ponds, other waters.
Sacred Union & Fertility
Union with the Land focus, often with actual mating outside on the Land to bless fields, herds, home. * May Queen (May Bride) as personification of the Earth Goddess and Goddesses of Fertility. * May King (May Groom) as personification of Vegetation God, Jack-in-Green — often covered in green leaves. * At Circle Sanctuary, in addition to May Queen & May King, is May Spirit Couple, an already bonded pair. * Symbolic Union of Goddess and God in election/selection, crowning, processional, Maypole dance, feast. * Morris Dancers and pageants (with Hag & Jack-in-Green) to awaken the fertility in the Land.
Credit given to Circle Sanctuary site.
I hope you found this post interesting! I shall post the link to Polar Borealis when the new issue is published. Till then, be well and enjoy Beltane!
Production or should I say, construction of my dreamy winter coat has been postponed. The lining material has strangely vanished. I can’t explain it. Besides, I want a new colour for the lining material. The red I chose is in my opinion, the wrong colour. Since I have to live with the shade of brown for the rest of my life, I am purchasing a tan or camel colour at the end of the month. The ling material that I have now is too red, more like a wine or a burgundy color. I can’t wait to get back to work on it.
Imbolc is here! Imbolc is the first of the three spring Sabbats. It doesn’t look like spring today. The sky is dark and overcast, and rain batters the houses and streets. Spring is a while yet in coming. mbolc is a pagan holiday celebrated from February 1 through sundown February 2. Based on a Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland.
Imbolc, or Imbolg, is one of the lesser-known festivals of the ancient Celts, but it was one of the four most important festivals in the Celtic calendar. For this ancient society, the year revolved around two main points; on the one hand, since the Celts were an agricultural society, everything was based around the harvest.
On the other hand, they also had an in-depth knowledge about the alignment of the sun and stars, which history suggests had great significance for them. So their calendar was neatly divided up into four quarters, with a festival to celebrate reaching each one. The year started with Samhain at the end of October, when the harvest was in full swing, to prepare for the onset of winter.
In Celtic philosophy, light must always follow dark, so this is why their year began on such a somber note. Bealtaine at the beginning of May marked the coming of summer, the beginning of sowing crops, and the light half of the year, and was the biggest and happiest celebration. In between were Lughnasa in August, marking the beginning of the harvest, and Imbolc in February, to celebrate the beginning of spring.
What was Imbolc about?
Simply put, Imbolc was a celebration of the end of winter and the impending light half of the year.
The hardest part of the year was over; adverse weather, cold temperatures, food rationing, and of course, no warfare (an integral part of Celtic society) would soon be a thing of the past.
Farmers were getting ready to go back to work, preparing animals for breeding, warriors were picking up their weapons again, and the political and social aspects of life that had been put on hold for winter were also beginning again.
The name Imbolc originates from ‘i mbolg’, which translates as ‘in the belly’. This refers to livestock breeding season, particularly the pregnancy of ewes, which was one of the focal points of the celebration.
Because the festival was so associated with this, it’s timing often varied – it could be anywhere from mid-January to mid- February depending on the weather and the animals’ behaviour.
It also appeared to have a more spiritual significance for the Celts too, as it’s no coincidence that more than a few megalithic monuments around Ireland are perfectly aligned with the rising sun around the dates of Imbolc and Samhain.
Imbolc was celebrated all across Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, with each region having slightly different variations in name and customs. Wales also had a remarkably similar version of the festival known as Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau.
After the onset of Christianity in Ireland, the festival was tied in with a celebration of Saint Bridget, and transformed from a pagan one into a Christian one.
Christians used Brigid as the focal point of their celebrations to smooth the transition, as Imbolc had previously been associated with a goddess of a very similar name, Brighid. Essentially, Bridget and Brighid were the same person! As with all Celtic festivals, Imbolc involved a host of unique customs and rituals to welcome the spring, say farewell to the winter, ward against evil and promote health and wellbeing.
Imbolc was similar to Samhain and Bealtaine in that fire played an integral part of the celebrations, although not on the same scale. While at Samhain bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and at Bealtaine they served to offer protection and growth, at Imbolc they were symbolic of the sun’s return.
Rather than a huge central bonfire at the centre of the festivities, Imbolc was more about the home and each home’s hearth. Every home in the community would have their own fire burning right through the night, and during medieval times when homes consisted of actual wood and stone buildings rather than the wattle and daub huts of the Celts, all of the fires in the house were lit for the night. If for some reason that was not possible, it was sufficient to have candles lit in every room instead.
The Celts were always concerned about the weather (something that has lasted up until the present day with modern Irish people!), so Imbolc was an important time to read omens and attempt to predict the weather for the summer. An unusual but widely popular omen was if the weather was especially bad on the day of Imbolc, which meant a great summer was on the way. This is because one of the more malicious creatures in Irish folklore, the Cailleach, would spend the day of Imbolc collecting firewood for herself if winter was to last a while longer.
To do this, she would obviously need a bright and dry day to collect her wood, so if Imbolc was wet and windy, that meant the Cailleach had gone to sleep and winter would soon be over.
Visiting wells was another important custom for Imbolc, particularly holy wells. Visitors would walk around the well in the same direction as the sun traversed the sky at that point on the land, praying for health and wealth for the year.
Offerings were left at the well once this was done; usually coins or ‘clooties’ (pieces of cloth). Special foods were also part of the festivities, usually consisting of bannock – a flatbread cut into wedges – as well as dairy products and meat.
The early Celtic version of Imbolc was not all that different from the festival in early medieval times when Christianity was taking hold in Ireland. One of the goddesses the Celts worshipped at this festival was Bhrigid, the daughter of Dagda (the chief Celtic deity) and one of the Tuatha De Dannan, the first inhabitants of Ireland.
She is associated with many things, most significantly poetry and fertility, but such activities as healing, smithing, arts, and crafts, tending to livestock and serpents also make the cut. She is credited with creating a whistle for people to call to one another through the night.
Some legends claim that while one half of her face was beautiful, the other was horribly ugly. She is thought by many to be the Celtic equivalent of the Roman goddess Minerva and the Greek goddess Athena.
Saint Bridget, on the other hand, was not a mythical goddess but a real woman, born in Dundalk, County Louth, around the 5th century AD.
During her lifetime she became a nun, founded numerous monasteries and performed her fair share of miracles, becoming one of the foremost advocates of Christianity in Ireland. After her death, she was made one of Ireland’s patron saints (and the only female patron saint), along with Patrick and Columba. So it was a natural progression for Imbolc, the pagan festival worshipping the goddess Bhrigid, to become the Christian festival in honour of Saint Bridget. February 2nd was chosen as the permanent day of celebration.
For the Celts, Bhrigid represented the all-important light half of the year, so her presence was much revered during the festival.
On Imbolc Eve, it was claimed that she would visit the most virtuous homes and bless everyone who slept in them, so people would leave pieces of clothing, food, or other tokens outside the entrance for her to bless, or to entice her into the home, It was Bhrigid’s role as a fertility goddess that was most important here, but for the medieval people of Ireland, her healing powers and general protective sense were as important as well as her fertility.
The majority of Imbolc traditions regarding Bhrigid or Bridget come from this time. While the tradition of leaving small tributes to Bridget on the doorstep continued for several centuries, several others sprang up too.
Celtic Inspired Torc Pendant – Celts believed the ancient Torc provided the wearer with a mystical form of protection
Ashes from the fire that was left to burn all night long would be smoothed out and left to see if a mark from Bridget appeared, to confirm that she had visited the house. Sometimes a makeshift bed would even be made up next to the fire, in case the saint wanted to rest a while.
This tradition was particularly popular in the Isle of Man and Scotland, where there were several short rhymes to go along with the tradition, acting as a call to the Saint to come and visit – generally, they were some variation on the phrase ‘Bridget, come in to our home, your bed is ready’. In some areas across Ireland and Scotland, women played a very important part in the festivities. They would make a doll figure from rushes known as a ‘Brideog’, dress it in white and with flowers, and carry it in a procession while singing hymns and poems in honour of Bridget.
At every home they passed, they would receive more pieces of cloth or small bits of food for the Brideog. Once the procession was finished, they would place the Brideog in a seat of honour and have a feast with all of the food, before placing it in a bed for the night while they began celebrations.
The most well-known tradition, however, and one that is still practiced today, is making a Saint Bridget’s cross and hanging it in the home. These crosses were a unique symbol of the transition from Paganism to Christianity. Before, bunches of rushes were tied together and hung at the entrance to homes to welcome Bhrigid. One of the stories of Bridget’s lifetime, however, recounts how she wove a cross from rushes and placed it above a dying man’s bed.
He roused from his delirium to ask what she was doing, and on hearing what it meant, he asked to be baptised before his death.
Since then, the cross has been a symbol for Bridget, and was also a familiar symbol for the Celts, making it the perfect transition symbol for Imbolc. The cross is distinctive, with a square in the middle and each point of the cross placed at a corner of the square. Somewhere between then and now, placing a cross in your kitchen came to mean that your house would be protected from fire.
Imbolc today
Unlike Samhain, which transformed into the much loved night of Halloween, Imbolc is one Celtic festival that hasn’t quite survived through history.
Although Christians still celebrate St. Bridget’s Day in Ireland and children still learn how to make crosses at the start of February, little else remains of the ancient Celtic spring festival. However, Saint Bridget’s cross, made from rushes and hung around the home just as the Celts would have done, is as good a reminder as any to the festival’s ancient and mythological origins.
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