Date: February 1st-2nd
How to pronounce: IM-bulk or imb-OLC
Energies: New beginnings, renewal, and fertility,
Deities: Brigid, Gaia, Pan, Demeter, The God, The Goddess, and Eros
Crystals: Amethyst, garnet, ruby, turquoise, onyx, and bloodstone
Herbs: Jasmine, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, and cinnamon
Food: Dairy, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, bread, honey, and cake
Colors: Red, green, white, yellow, and pink
Animals: Bear, deer, groundhog, and sheep
Trees: Birch or willow
Happy New Year, everyone! As we make our way closer to the lustful month of February, the first sabbat of the new year is upon us, and it is no other than Imbolc. Associated with the passionate energies of fire, new life, and renewal, Imbolc is a Celtic festival that takes place on February 1st and celebrates the emergence of the spring only a few weeks away. It also marks the halfway point between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara) and signifies that the winter is coming to an end. However, this powerful sabbat signifies more than just the physical changes happening on the earth around us and also brings our attention to the light and new changes that are beginning to grow within us.
With that said, with so much going on energetically right now, it can be hard to know the best ways to welcome in and celebrate the energy of the season fully. So, to help you out, in this article, we're going to go over everything having to do with the sabbat of Imbolc. From its history to its correspondences, traditions, and a few ways you can celebrate today, let’s dive into everything you need to know about this powerful sabbat and how you can truly make the most of its incredible energy in your own unique way.
To start, Imbolc is one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year and is focused on celebrating the growing daylight as we make our way closer to spring. At this time, the God is developing and strengthening his power once again, as the Goddess is recovering from giving birth at Yule as the Crone and is once again beginning to step into her role as the Maiden. For this reason, Imbolc is often related to the feminine energies of the Goddess as well as the growing energies of the masculine.
Now, while there are many different celebrations that take place on Imbolc that range from a variety of beliefs, perhaps the biggest celebration widely associated with this day is celebrating the Celtic Goddess Brigid. In many sacred beliefs, Brigid is known as a fierce and powerful Goddess aligned with the energies of healing, the hearth, poetry, and smithcraft. She is often evoked in fertility rites, brought fertility to the land, and is even a deemed overseer of prophecies. On top of that, since she is also a fire goddess, she was also honored with flames on the day of Imbolc. From large bonfires to small candles, many would use fire as a way to honor her, while others chose to welcome her into their home due to her strong association with the hearth.
However, deities aside, energetically, Imbolc was also deemed a beautiful time for transformation and new beginnings. The dark days of winter are finally coming to an end, and this is the time that we begin to stir from the stagnant place we’ve sat at throughout winter and begin preparing to take strides towards our goals and dreams once more. Therefore, spending some time with yourself, honoring the cycles of nature, and stoking that great fire within your soul is a great way to align with the beautiful healing energy of this fire sabbat and bring all your energetic intentions to fruition.
Now, when it comes to traditions of this sabbat, Imbolc has been celebrated in a variety of ways throughout the decades. From giving offerings to deities to designing handmade crafts, there are many beautiful ways to honor this divine sabbat. Here's a list of a few of our favorite traditions for celebrating Imbolc throughout the years. 
1. Make a Brigid cross
To start, one of the oldest traditions of Imbolc was by making a Brigid cross. With that said, a Brigid cross was a unique handmade cross with four woven arms coming out of a central square that was designed to represent the coming of spring. Once complete, these crosses would then be hung in the home to ward off illness, the chance of fire, and evil energies, but of course, you could also set your own intention with them, too.
The Brigid cross was also commonly made from reeds, but you could also get creative with them and make them from straw, twig, or any other material of your choosing.
Next, since Imbolc is one of the four fire festivals of the Wheel of the Year, bonfires were a common activity to take part in during ancient celebrations on this day to honor and celebrate the returning light. However, if you aren’t able to have a bonfire, lighting a candle is another great way to honor some of the old-time traditions of this sabbat. Of course, just remember to always be careful around fire and never leave any flame unattended.
Now, when it comes to ways you can celebrate Imbolc in today’s world, there are a variety of easy ways to incorporate its energy into your space. While times and traditions may have changed since Imbolc was first celebrated, many of its key elements have still carried over since the beginning. With that said, here are a few fun ideas of how to celebrate Imbolc in modern times.
To start, as with any sabbat, decorating your altar with corresponding pieces of the season is a great way to welcome the energy of the sabbat. For Imbolc, adding things to your altar to represent the coming spring or the growing light is an excellent way to do this. For this, a few ideas might include:
And more. No matter what you choose to use, the most important thing is that your altar decor aligns with what you feel is a good representation of Imbolc for you personally. Therefore, even if it’s not what you commonly see used for this sabbat by others, if it connects with you and your practice, make sure you add it to your altar space to help the energy of this day be as strong as possible.
Next, since Imbolc is a festival celebrating the emergence of spring, now is also a great time to spend gardening and welcoming in the new life of the earth blooming around us. For some, there may still be snow on the ground outside, so you may not be to garden outside just yet. However, if you have indoor plants, it is a really great time to give them a little extra attention. You could do this by moving them around to a new spot, taking some time to clip off any dead pieces, or even propagating the plants you do have. If you don't have any plants currently, however, that's ok, too! Instead, maybe take some time to sit down and journal some gardening ideas for a garden for the spring. This could include a layout of it, what herbs/flowers you want to plant in it, or even when you're planning on starting it.
Whatever you do, now is an excellent time to start thinking about all things related to gardening to honor the new life of the earth, so make sure you set aside time to plan it out and get outside in the fresh air and enjoy nature’s beaming energy as much as possible.
Up next, another great way to connect with the powerful energy of light at this time of year is to charge your spiritual tools in the sunlight. For this, all you do is find a sunny window and place the tools that you wish to absorb the sun’s energy there. Additionally, during this, you could also make sun water, which is water that is energetically charged by the sun designed to absorb its healing abilities, much like moon water, and can be used for a variety of different rituals. All around, this is a great way to make use of the unique energy of the sun in your daily life for all of your spring-themed spells and rituals.
However, with that said, if you do plan to charge crystals, it is important to note that certain kinds of crystals, such as selenite, amethyst, and celestite, for example, don't do well in direct sunlight. Therefore, it is important to make sure you research what crystals are ok to be put out the sun before setting them out to help prevent damage, cracking, or fading.
Next, another great way to embrace the sabbat is to indulge in some of its corresponding foods. For this, many often link the day of Imbolc with dairy, as well as spicy foods, as spices were believed to be linked with the burning energy of the sun. However, if you aren’t much a fan of spice or dairy, don’t worry; there are still plenty of other yummy foods and beverages you can also enjoy for this sabbat. With that said, a few options might include:
Overall, no matter what you choose to eat, setting aside time to give thanks and enjoy the seasonal food with loved ones is an easy and meaningful way to connect deeper with the energy of the season. Therefore, don’t be afraid to get creative with some fun new recipes at this time as you indulge in all the unique flavors that this sabbat has to offer.
Up next, alongside planting physical seeds, Imbolc is a great time to work on planting energetic seeds as well. And by that, we mean planting intentional energies into the Universe that you want to manifest in the months ahead. There’s no doubt about it; spring is a beautiful, opportunistic time full of new life and possibilities. Therefore, it is an excellent time to contemplate what intentions you wish to nurture in the future and what steps you can actively take now in order to do so. Therefore, writing down intentions or reciting corresponding affirmations each day is a great way to do this. Of course, you can also meditate on the idea as well.
Whatever you choose to do, the main thing is that, much like a physical seed, you’ll need to make sure you give this goal attention each and every day in order to keep it growing. Whether that’s through journaling or meditation, keep it on your mind with optimistic thoughts, and don’t forget to take active steps to bring it to life. Truly, this time of the year is beaming with potential, and the energies of Imbolc are certainly here to support you in it, so don’t miss your chance to start manifesting your dreams right now in the present moment as it could grow into something truly beautiful.
Next up, one of my favorite ways to welcome in and honor the energy of this fire sabbat is to light candles. Personally, I like to turn off all the lights in my house and place candles in every room as my only light source on Imbolc to symbolize the light of the sun growing. However, you can also just keep it simple and light a single candle to represent all of the energies of this day instead.
Either way, incorporating candle magic into your Imbolc sabbat ritual in one way or another is a great way to honor the light and welcome in all the beautiful new energy this festive time has to offer.
And lastly, since Imbolc is a powerful time to prepare for the coming spring, now is also an excellent time to do some spring cleaning. Whether that means donating old clothes, getting rid of clutter, or simply rearranging your home, spring cleaning is a great way to say goodbye to the old, stagnant energies lingering in your house and embrace all the new energies that this season has to offer. Not to mention, you could even take part in a more ‘spiritual-based’ spring cleaning ritual, such as opening up the windows to allow fresh air to sweep in and cleanse your space naturally.
Whatever you choose to do, working to organize your space physically and energetically is a great way to embrace all the fresh energies that Imbolc brings and also helps you to declutter your house in the process, which is a total win-win.
Overall, Imbolc is a time of preparation, new beginnings, and intention setting. From focusing your manifestations to celebrating the growing light within us and around us, we hope this article has helped you to better understand all the powerful correspondences of Imbolc and how you can work to embrace them easily in your everyday life to make the most of this transformative sabbat.
~ Blessed Imbolc ~
Written by: The Spirit Chic
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Andrea julie Thwaites
May 08, 2023
Thank you I am going to attempt making a cross for my alter . I love these articles they are so inspiring