Imbolc (from January 31 to February 2) is celebrated in honor of the Celtic goddess Brigid and is associated with fertility rituals; Imbolc means "in the womb." Some witches celebrate it between February 4 and 5, when the sun reaches 15º in Aquarius, marking the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Daylight is increasingly present and the arrival of spring begins to be noticed. For all this Imbolc is considered a time of hope and renewal.
The goddess Brigid (Saint Brigida in Christianity) is a solar and fire goddess. It is a deity with many powers and it was believed that it had no age, but each of its facets marks an important point in a woman's life. Her first facet had the appearance of a virgin maiden, her second facet had the appearance of a mother, and the third that of an old woman. Its powers, like its aspects, were also three. In the first place it was the flame of wisdom, which encompasses everything related to the arts and creativity; In this way, Brigid was the goddess of poetry, music, history, inspiration... As well as divination and prophecies. Second was the hearth flame; In this competition she was the goddess of the family, fertility, childbirth, women and healing. And his third competition was that of the flame of transformation that encompasses all those arts or crafts that use fire; She was a goddess of blacksmithing, goldsmithing, beer fermentation...
It was customary that at sunset lighted candles were placed in all the windows in honor of Brigid and as a symbol of the arrival of light. It was believed that Brigid passed by the houses at night and seeing the candles in her honor brought good luck and fertility to that house. It is also a good time to perform divination rituals and officiate at marriages.
These days the witches, following the theme of this festivity, light candles in honor of Brigid. If you feel like it you can perform a ritual, for this you will need 9 candles that you must "plant" in the earth in a spiral. Start in the center and work your way out in a clockwise direction. With each candle you place you should focus your energy on the different themes that are celebrated in Imbolc.
The goddess Brigid (Saint Brigida in Christianity) is a solar and fire goddess. It is a deity with many powers and it was believed that it had no age, but each of its facets marks an important point in a woman's life. Her first facet had the appearance of a virgin maiden, her second facet had the appearance of a mother, and the third that of an old woman. Its powers, like its aspects, were also three. In the first place it was the flame of wisdom, which encompasses everything related to the arts and creativity; In this way, Brigid was the goddess of poetry, music, history, inspiration... As well as divination and prophecies. Second was the hearth flame; In this competition she was the goddess of the family, fertility, childbirth, women and healing. And his third competition was that of the flame of transformation that encompasses all those arts or crafts that use fire; She was a goddess of blacksmithing, goldsmithing, beer fermentation...
It was customary that at sunset lighted candles were placed in all the windows in honor of Brigid and as a symbol of the arrival of light. It was believed that Brigid passed by the houses at night and seeing the candles in her honor brought good luck and fertility to that house. It is also a good time to perform divination rituals and officiate at marriages.
These days the witches, following the theme of this festivity, light candles in honor of Brigid. If you feel like it you can perform a ritual, for this you will need 9 candles that you must "plant" in the earth in a spiral. Start in the center and work your way out in a clockwise direction. With each candle you place you should focus your energy on the different themes that are celebrated in Imbolc.
RITUAL:
- Start by lighting the candle in the center while visualizing how the light is gaining space to the darkness of winter.
- With the second candle, take the opportunity to welcome spring.
- Think of all that the arrival of new lives and new beginnings represents and brings as you light the third candle.
- With the fourth imagine your own "rebirth."
- As you light the fifth candle, be thankful for all the challenges you have overcome and what you have learned from them.
- The sixth candle represents the unknown, the lessons that lie in front of you and all that you have left to learn.
- Light the seventh candle and meditate on the things you would like to change (mental, physical, spiritual or emotional).
- The eighth candle represents the things you want to heal. There are wounds that need to be closed so that you can have good mental health. Visualize how you would like to feel.
- When you light the last candle, let inspiration enter your life. Play music, sing, dance, paint, write... Unleash your creativity.