On February 1st, we move into one of the sweetest, purest Sabbats of the Witch’s calendar. Imbolc celebrates the near-end of the long Winter, bringing us towards the warmer part of the year, and celebrating the sprouting of new life from the Earth. The Wiccan tradition celebrates this as the strengthening of the Sun God, as he comes into his adulthood, and the Goddess is coming into her maidenhood once more, after birthing the God at Yule (yep, it’s convoluted and more confusing than your average family reunion).
Brigid, or Brighid, is the Irish triple Goddess of smithcraft, poetry and healing, who was worshipped as Goddess prior to the Christianisation of Ireland, and then sainted. Her origin story differs from Celtic pagan to Christian faiths, but everyone pretty much agrees that she is the Maiden, who blesses our crops and gives us sweet-smelling Spring flowers and the most joyful of all worldly creatures: tiny, dancing, bouncing lambs (insert love heart emoji eyes here). When I spent my first early February in Ireland with my partner’s family, I was amazed to see how seriously people took what they call St. Brigid’s Day. Everyone hung an item of clothing out of the window, and Brigid’s crosses popped up in the hands of children everywhere after making them at school.
For me, Imbolc is two-fold in its importance. Firstly, I celebrate the fact that we’ve (just about) made it through another Winter, and that Springtime is pushing its way through the Earth to burst forth with sumptuous flowers and edible plants. On the other hand, I look at Imbolc as a time of the year to make plans and sow seeds. I use it to meditate on the goals I want to accomplish, and to plan out how I can best serve those goals with actions.
Here are just a few ways we’ll be celebrating Imbolc in our house (apartment).
- Go searching for newly-sprouted wildflowers and (respectfully, asking permission of both the source and the owner, if it’s someone else’s land!) cut some flowers for your altar.
- Speaking of altars, create a luscious Brigid-inspired display of white, green, silver, orange and red. Sprinkle with wildflowers and flame-related icons to honour Brigid and the Sun God. Add crystals that represent Imbolc, like amethyst, garnet, turquoise or aquamarine (all the prettiest shinies for this celebration!).
- Now is a beautiful time to treat yourself to a love spell if you’re looking for a new connection. Place the focus on yourself – self-love and attracting the right love to you.
- Make a Brigid’s cross to hang above the door or in the rafters (you fancy thing, you) of your home to protect your house or apartment from evil and fire for the year. Next Imbolc, you can burn this year’s cross and replace it with your fresh one.
- Spring Clean. Okay, this one is just not one of my favorites, but for those of you not allergic to cleaning your own homes, now is the time to do a ritual cleansing. Mix magic into your floor wash, bless your broom and sweep away the spiritual cobwebs.
- Now is also a great time to practice some healing magic, too. If you need to address some physical or emotional issues, take some time to meditate and make yourself a gorgeous ritual healing bath of salts, peppermint, rosemary and sage. Envision the energy of new life revitalizing your body and mind (don’t scrimp on the candles).
- Speaking of new life and fertility, it’s not a bad time to think about getting it on. Imbolc is a fire festival, and a festival of love and reproduction. So, *ahem*, get out your sex magic supplies, if you practice in that way. If you’re trying to start a family, make a petition to Brigid. If you’re expecting, take some time to bond with your bump or new arrival, and thank the Goddesses for your blessings.
Finally – eat. Dairy-based foods celebrate the abundance brought by the return of the Sun, so make a cheese platter and eat some ice cream (that’s not traditional, I made that up, but it still counts). Bake breads and cakes with seeds, and use up the last of the Winter veggies in a hearty stew (with or without lamb, as is your preference). I’ll be baking and cooking up a whole lot of too much delicious food for us and some friends, to share the magic of the season.
But most importantly, hold your love and loved ones close. Imbolc is the time to share feasts and make love, to manifest your goals and plant the seeds for what you wish to read through the year. Now is the time to look ahead and start planning for the abundance you know you’re ready to receive.
How do you celebrate Imbolc?
xxK
Written by: onebosswitch.com/
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Bruja/o/x culture (brujería), stem from an ancient set of mystical beliefs and practices that have been passed down through generations in Latin America. It has its roots in the indigenous spiritual traditions of the region, as well as elements from African and European cultures and today’s Instagram hashtags #bruja and # brujería have over 2M posts combined.
As other magical practices, brujería orbits honoring spirits and deities, divination, nurturing specific traditional healing methods such as curanderismo, and rituals to protect oneself from negative energy. Get yer charms out!
In Latin American countries like Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, and Brazil it is still a vibrant part of daily life for many people, though there are some variations depending on location. The original practice was brought over by Spanish conquistadors during their colonization of the Americas, and the stories say the cobblestone streets were “paved in slave bones”—see a pattern of repressed magic much? Seems everywhere we turn there’s a need to rise up from the lid put on us for being natural… No longer, though. You watch! This next 20 years will have diverse magical cultures openly practicing without fear, the time is nigh 😊🌿☽🌕☾
Now evolved into something unique to each region, brujería remains a source of immense pride for those who practice this tradition, which continues to hold strong despite attempts to marginalize or even eradicate it
Are you looking for insight into your archetypal planetary vibes? Do you want to know what the stars have in store for you in May of 2023? We Spirit Nesters can help you to gain insight into the events going on. With Pluto’s ingress to Aquarius, the upcoming trends vibrate with Uranian energy, so expect the unexpected! From love and romance to career and financials, May prepares us for individual and collective freedom or to take steps towards clarity and avoiding potential pitfalls. Read on to get into the flow of your elements and how each sign expresses itself in what's coming up!
Astrological Movements: In May, we see the Sun in Taurus and Mercury in Gemini, which will inspires an increase in mental acuity with a skosh of practicality. This is a sweet, sweet time for learning new skills or tackling projects that require careful attention to detail. However, it's also important to be aware of potential communication issues that may arise due to this pairing. You'll want to think carefully before fully speaking your mind during this month! This isn’t to say withhold info, but just be prepared to take the repercussions if you do, from both sides of the coin…
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) can find themselves feeling energetically active during this month as they take on new challenges with enthusiasm and learn through friction, that’s what squares do, and there’s potentially enormous power in that, though not always 100% comfortable. We all know what kind of magic happens outside that zone, though, yes?
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo Capricorn) can expect stability and security thanks to the positive energy flowing through their world right now, but it’s super important that you know in which house Aquarius sits, because that security can be going through do-over renos, you feel me? And we’re not just talking light stucco here, we’re talking a new roof level of shift, lol.
Air signs (Gemini Libra Aquarius) can prepare themselves for exciting conversations as creative ideas come into play – but don't forget that words have power too and can anchor you to stuff that you might not have anticipated! The intellect is in full gear and, depending on where your moon sits, you could be having emotional epiphanies in May that will set stuff free that you might have been holding onto for too long.
Water signs (Cancer Scorpio Pisces) can experience heightened emotions during this period which could lead to solidified feelings emerging that you FINALLY understand, so make sure you take time out for yourself to feel them all the way through, up from the heart center and like a pinball machine bounce them around until their out on paper or in song or other creative force. Emotional inventory always feels correct and May has the vibes to take you through with the strength of an ox 😉
Karen Mitchell
May 08, 2023
My husband and I are going to Ireland in Feb to visit his family, and it’s the only time of year that I haven’t been there. I’m so looking forward to it, and to making a St. Brigid’s cross! Thank you for your story!