On the wheel of seasons, in the northern hemisphere, Imbolc is the midpoint between Yule (the longest night of the year) and Ostera (the spring equinox). It is celebrated in the Catholic tradition as Candlemas.
Use what you have
Imbolc is traditionally a time to take stock and make sure that you have enough candles, and provisions to get you through the rest of the winter.
It is a time to use what you have; to enjoy the harvest of the past seasons. It is a time to give thanks for the provisions you have provided yourself in times past.
- Organize your larder, pantry and freezer. Have a no spend month and use up your grocery stores.
- Finish that craft project. This is a time to finish those knitting projects or quilts or writing projects. You have spent good money on these projects, it’s time to hunker down and finish what you started.
- Instead of buying new books, revisit some old favourities. Light a candle, snuggle under a warm blanket and enjoy a lazy afternoon reading.
- Take stock of your clothes. Do you need new winter boots next winter?
- Get rid of things that no longer serve you.
It’s Time to Plan
I think Imbolc is the perfect time to plan for the next season of life; Imbolc is a time of fertility, a promise of the return of spring.
Imbolc is a time to dream about the seasons to come.
- Plan a garden
- Plan a trip
- Order your seeds or chicks
- Make a budget
- Make a vision board
- Plant a pot of grass seed or force some bulbs to decorate your mantle during Ostera, or Easter.
- If you haven’t started a new journal, now is the perfect time.
Even though there is a definite change in the air, and the promise of spring is palatable, the nights are still long and dark, the candles are still needed.
This is a time of pregnant anticipation. There is a lot happening, but it is all under the surface. Bulbs still lay sleeping under the blankets of snow, but they will soon pop their colourful heads though the cold hard soil, as a harbinger of spring. The baby is in the belly, and is quietly developing, but the time of birth is still months away. It is time to ready the nursery.
Brigid is originally a pre-Christian Celtic goddess of fertility, perpetual fire, and healing waters. Later, in the Catholic tradition she became patron saint of dairy maids, is celebrated during Candlemas.
Imbolc seems to be the ultimate time of self-nurturing, a time to cover oneself with a warm blanket, a good book and a lovely cup of hot milk until the last vestiges of winter finally disappear.
My Favorite Warm Milk Recipe
500 mL milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, but don’t let it come to a full boil or it will create a scum.
Pour into a beautiful mug, top with a dash of nutmeg, cinnamon or a little spiced brandy.
