The wheel of the year continues turning and once again we find ourselves at the transition point from winter’s deep sleep to the first awakenings of spring. It is marked by an ancient Celtic festival called Imbolc, also known as Imbolg or Brigid’s day. It is believed to have been celebrated long before the Celts arrived in Ireland and Scotland, probably as far back as Neolithic times.
Our ancient ancestors all around the world celebrated the changing seasons with rituals, feasts and magic. They constructed huge megalithic structures to help track heavenly movements. In this way they could predict the dates of solstices and equinoxes. Today our modern tech-oriented world has computers to track the tilt of our planet and the exact date these astronomical events will take place.
Imbolc was originally a movable sacred day determined by these astronomical phenomenon. It is the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox occurring in the beginning of February. In 2024 the astronomically determined date for that mid-point is February 3. But today Imbolc is celebrated on a fixed date in the Gregorian Calendar — Feb 2nd. It celebrates the first stirrings of spring and the promise of fertile abundance to come. It is a sacred time of renewal and awakening.
Brigid and Imbolc
At the heart of this celebration lies one of the most important, powerful, and loved of all the Celtic Goddesses — the Goddess Brigid. On this day The Cailleach, Winter Queen, relinquishes her hold on the land to the Goddess Brigid, whose name means “Exalted One,” “Bright One, or “Powerful One.”
As a Sun Goddess, born at the exact moment of dawn, she bears the gifts of knowledge, inspiration, and the life force and healing energy of the sun. On Imbolc, she spreads her green cloak across the land, releasing it from the Cailleach’s icy grip of snow and ice. Unlike The Cailleach, whose main concern is the land itself, Brigid is concerned with both human welfare and the land’s health. Reigning over the light half of the year, Brigid shepherds three aspects of life, all united by fire – inspiration, the forge, and the hearth.
She stokes the Fires of Inspiration as a poet and a muse. She rules over poetry, learning, divination, occult knowledge, and prophecy.
She stokes the Fires of the Forge as the patron goddess of all smithcrafts. She may even date back to the beginnings of fired pottery.
She stokes the Fires of the Hearth as a healing goddess. She reigns over medicine, spiritual healing, fertility, midwifery, inner healing and vital energy. In this aspect she is also associated with water. She rules over sacred wells and springs where the womb of Mother Earth opens to the light of day.
Imbolc, Brigid’s Day, is celebrated with bonfires, blazing hearths, lit candles and feasts. It is a time to celebrate and reconnect with Mother Earth — a time for the ritual burning off of the old — a time to nourish the new..
Scholars debate over the origins of the word “Imbolc.” though most agree it comes from the Old Irish “i mbolg,” meaning “in the belly.” At Imbolc the ewes first come into milk as their lambs are being born, the first flowers appear and the days begin to lengthen noticeably. Naturally lambs are sacred to Brigid.
Serpents are also sacred to Brigid. In Sottish folklore, Brigid’s serpent would emerge from its winter hibernation on Imbolc. If it remained outside and active then winter would end soon. If it returned to its burrow then winter would last another month or more. This belief is verified in the Carmina Gadelica. which illustrates our ancestor’s reverence for nature and their understanding of our place in the natural world.
“On Bride’s morn,
The serpent will come out of the hole.
I will not harm the serpent,
Nor will the serpent harm me.”
Celebrating Imbolc Today
Many of the traditional ways to celebrate Imbolc centered around the traditionally “feminine” aspects of life, domesticity, and fertility. House were cleaned, supplies were inventoried, traditional Imbolc food was prepared and crafting was enjoyed by all.
Here are a few ways you can celebrate Imbolc and honor Brigid:
Bonfires were always part of a community’s celebration in the past. To symbolize Brigid’s Fires of Inspiration, light a fire in your backyard firepit and gather with friends to share poems and stories.
Light candles — an age-old custom at Imbolc to welcome the return of the sun and its warmth and light.
Make a Brigid’s Cross, symbolizing the sun and the cyclical circle of life. Traditionally made from rushes or straw they bring protection and blessings to the home.
Make a Bridey Doll symbolizing Brigid. Also known as a ‘Brideog,’ it is another way to invite Brigid’s blessings.
Share a feast with friends and family. A Bannock Cake is a traditional dish prepared at this time. Be sure to leave a piece for Brigid on your altar or windowsill, inviting her into your life.
Enjoy nature. This is a great time for a walk in which you thoughtfully observe the early signs of spring.
As we celebrate the return of warmth and light let us hold Brigid close in our hearts. Allow Brigid’s fires to ignite the flames of creative expression. Allow Brigid’s fires to stoke the flames of our own creative forges while maintaining creative discipline. And let us tend the fires of our hearths, which provide warmth, sustenance, connection and healing.
Brigid’s emergence on Imbolc reminds us of the eternal cycles of nature, the promise of spring and the interconnectedness of all life. May Brigid inspire, protect, and heal you all while enriching your Imbolc celebrations.
Discover Judith’s Celtic Goddess Oracle Deck Click Here.
Also available — Animal Wisdom Oracle Deck Click Here.
And Judith’s latest project which brings her love of Goddess together with her love for animals — Elena and the Reindeer Goddess, a modern fairytale, is on pre-order now – Click Here.
feminismandreligion.com 
As always, the most beautiful art Judith… Brigid is a favorite goddess figure of mine who in neolithic times and even today was/is also honored as a bear emerging from a den… I love the image of her emerald cloak spreading over the land even though here in Maine it is just mid- winter.
“Brigid’s emergence on Imbolc reminds us of the eternal cycles of nature, the promise of spring and the interconnectedness of all life.” Ah yes indeed.
What seems less important (to me) is figuring out the exact time of this turning, (although it’s interesting to know the astronomical facts) since peoples throughout the world celebrate some aspect of this festival around this time of year on different days calling it by different names. A Christian example is Mary’s purification in the catholic church – once we remove the overlay we see a goddess associated with water! Amazing how these universal these relationships are once we dig below the surface! connections are
LikeLike
PS I would love to know how to make Brigid’s ‘cross’ – the wheel turning… sorry for mistake – extra words – don’t know what I did!
LikeLike
Sara,
I also find it very amazing how traditions all around the world have strong similarities and connections. I suspect that the fixing of Imbolc onto Feb 2 relates to Christianity and the Irish St. Brigit. Never able to suppress the people’s love for Brigid, the feast day for St Brigit was set to Feb 1, merging the two into one. I believe it’s in Ireland that she is seen as a bear emerging from her den – I too love that image. One source I read said that Irish Celts view Brigid as the daughter of the bear.
Here too, it’s still winter though for the first time this year I have felt it to be the very beginning of spring in this first week of February. The long, dark nights are noticeably shortening as the daylight hours increase. I feel some sort of wakening from within.
I made a Brigid’s Cross for the first time this year with a couple of friends. We had a great time. Traditionally rushes are used but as there are no rushes here in NM I gathered som stalks from the Savannah Grasses that grow along the river here. Here’s a video I found which gives good instructions. Another video mentioned soaking the grasses first so they will be more malleable which we did and was useful . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_MG4HZVOo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Judith – I’m thinking down your way you could also use willow…I want to try to make one of these – By the way almost all Indigenous tribes I know honor the bear. The Pueblo people have the Mountainway ceremony – the most important part of it involves a woman who is also a bear who walks mountains of fire! Brigid again!!! bear honored this time of year throughout all of Europe as well – not just in Ireland
LikeLike
Wow, I didn’t know about that Pueblo story around the Mountainway ceremony. I’ve discovered many similarities between Native American stories and traditions and Celtic ones. Yes, bear is most definitely honored all through out Europe. I think many scholars believe that bear is one of the oldest deities.
LikeLike
In relation to the Bear being honored in Europe, Orkney was a large trading base in Neolithic times and I’m presuming traders from all over the Northern Hemisphere would travel there?https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/oct/06/orkney-temple-centre-ancient-britain
LikeLike
Thank you. I loved your detailed description of Brigid. I wish I could attach a photo of a recent February sunrise, the clouds across entire sky aflame in brilliant pinks and oranges. Surely that was the appearance of the Sun Goddess.
LikeLike
Beth,
I wish you could upload a photo of that glorious sunrise. Sounds like an appearance of Brigid to me tool
LikeLike
I wish there were a way to do that, too! I’ll send it directly to you via your email.
LikeLike
Thank you for this informative and inspiring post! I especially love that the weather divination (now, I guess, done with groundhogs!) related to snakes. It’s amazing how ubiquitous snakes are in ancient matrifocal culture! Even though we are still deep into winter here in New England, in the past couple of days there is a feeling of spring – probably because the sun is higher and the days are brighter. I have noticed more birds on my early morning walks. When plants start to come up in a few weeks, I’ll think of Brigid’s green mantle.
LikeLike
Carolyn,
It is amazing how powerful snake energy is to our archetypal understanding of the world for sure and its deep connection to the fecundity of Mother Earth. I bet even in New England you might find a few of the early bloomers just beginning to send up some green shoots now – not sure.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed your article Judith and loved your art work, it’s so important for girls and women to see our refection in the world. Perhaps one day soon this will be a common theme throughout the world. I find it so disgusting that padres defiled Divine Mother God as a holy ghost or an evil serpent, such utter disrespect for God and yeah anything feminine. Here’s to the re-turn of Divine Mother God and the rise of girls and women worldwide!
LikeLike
Ditto to that sentiment Cate!!!
LikeLike
Hi, I’m in Kingsport Tennessee, which is in the very northeast corner of the state above Knoxville Tennessee and the Smokies. This week our weather has been sunny and in the 60s. We’re getting a teasing reprieve from Winter’s chill. During January we suffered 7 inches of snow. Had it remained as the lovely wet heavy snow it fell as, it would’ve been fun. However, it dropped into the single and minus temps and turned everything into the surface of a snow cone on an alien planet. I’ve been spending my afternoon’s outside. I’m attending a seminar and it’s lovely to sit in the sun while doing it. Sorry for chiming in late. I’m just finding this post. Happy belated Imbolc.
LikeLiked by 1 person