This is basically a gathering of notes about Imbolc. I just happen to be preparing for a ritual with my future house mates and Imbolc (a traditional Wiccan celebration) is the excuse to have the rite. There are many inspirations for this ritual including the celebration of Brigid an old Irish Goddess who is remembered today as Saint Brigid, a celebration of the beginning of Spring known today as Imbolc, a Christian celebration known as Candlemas.
Brigid
Brigid is a goddess often associated with the Spring. She has been represented as a beautiful, slim goddess sometimes with an embellishment that looks similar to a plume. She is often described as having two Oxen (Fe and Men).
One of her major symbols is a flame that believed to have been kept perpetually burning. Also hills, forts and raise places are said to be symbols of her some saying her name derives from Proto-Celtic Briganti meaning lifted one. (Campbell, Mike Behind the Name. ) It is said to be the same origin as Brigantia.
Brigid is said to be syncretised with Saint Brigid of Kildare who is recognised at the sanctuary of Kildare. Having the same name really helps us recognise this syncretisation, but also while Brigid is a spring goddess Saint Brigid is recognised as having 2nd February a similar date as a Saint Day.
Very little is recorded about the practices involved in adoration of Brigid but we can see some practices from as early as the 18th century concerned Saint Brigid and we can guess what might have come before.
Authors such as Gerald of Wales record as early as late 12th century that the nuns at Kildare kept a flame ever burning in honour of Saint Brigid. Also that the flame is surrounded by a hedge which no man can cross, lest he go mad.
In late 18th century the tying of cloth to wells associated with Saint Brigid was considered a petition for good health or healing. This was often after an Imbolc celebration including walking sunwise around a well. Sometimes a food offering is left instead.
In the 10th century Christian Monks recorded in Cormac’s Glossary, that Brigid is the goddess most beloved of poet. It is said that she has two sister Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith. This suggests to some modern Wiccans who like the triple goddess mythos, that she might be a triple goddess, but she lacks the the lunar association, which many triple goddesses have.
In Lebor Gabala Erenn, Brigid is presented as the daughter of Dagda and a poet. Cementing her connection to poetry.
Young girls often made dolls of straw to symbolise Brigid. Many houses would make a bed for her with offerings and sometimes a wand of birch (Carmichael, Carmina Gadelica) and the dolls would be taken to the houses much like the Trick or Treat events that occurred around Halloween. It is recorded that people would chant “come Brigid your bed is ready.” (Ronald Hutton Stations of the Sun) or “Brigid time to make your bed”
Imbolc
While this festival is recorded as far back as the 10th century very little is recorded about the practices until 18th century.
Celebrations started on 31st January at sunset and finished sunset of 1st February. It has not escaped the notice of some, that Ewes will be lambing during this period and the date this begins is probably a closer recognition of Imbolc that a date in the modern calendar.
It is recorded that it is a festival of hearth and home and the lighting of fires and hearthfires is common during this time.
It was also a time when weather was consulted and animals such as the snake and badger were checked to see if they left their home. It is said that if the weather was good then the Cailleach had seen more winter coming and so made the day good so she could gather more wood, but if it was foul weather then winter was nearly over so she didn’t need firewood. (Katherine Briggs – An Encyclopedia of Fairies).
Candlemas
Traditionally celebrated on 2nd February. This is as day which recognises Jesus presented to be circumcised. It is also traditionally a day when Christians bring their candles to the church to be blessed in the name of Christ, (“Lord of Light”), in order for them to be used in their homes to bring light.
Modern Witchcraft
For modern neopagan Imbolc or Imbolg is a celebration of the retreat of winter and coming of light. It is often celebrated with fires and merry-making. Brigid in her triple aspect is often conflated with a triple moon goddess and the Goddess of Wicca (Janet and Stewart Farrar A Witches Bible).
Often pagans attempt to revive the cultural traditions associated with this time of year suggesting that they make them feel more connected with the goddess. However many of those are simply cultural traditions and reading to them as if they were good luck charms for fertility of the participants or surrounding lands is very presumptuous and simply not relevant to our modern lives to removed from our agriculture as we are.
More traditional Wicca groups might make a crown from birthday cake candles and foil. The spiritual benefit of this is in its drama which it often fails to create with tiny dripping candle going out and a hat that looks like a conspiracy theorist trying to keep away alien mind reading probes.
Also a fire or candle is placed in a cauldron which is jumped over as part of the ritual in the South.
Often a Biddy (Brigid doll) is used in the ceremony and placed in her bed, despite the invocation of the God being the focus rather than the Goddess. This seems odd the ritual being on Brigid’s day, but it is worth remembering that in the Gardnerian book of shadows it is referred to by its Christian name Candlemas. You could if you so desire conclude that all women are already the goddess on this day or during this ritual and need no invocation. Also one could note that this could be an inspiration from the Gnostic Mass where the priestess consecrates and purifies the priest and invokes the sun in him, but he is not required to do it to her. This could be because she symbolises the entirety of the universe and no amount of invocation could crush that enormousity into her body. It also stinks of unnecessary gender inequality.
My personal preference is to petition Brigid for good homestead, hearth, health and inspiration for poetry. I choose to use the leaving of winter to consider the darkness we have come through and the toils we have overcome. I choose to use the coming light to represent hopes we have for the future and looking forward in positivity. I have decided to for my next Imbolc to have ritual of keeping the main candle of the coven lit, by the candles of the initiates in the name of Brigid. This is to symbolise the sharing of hope for the future. When one’s light has gone out one can light it from others and use that hope to light candles to supply other’s with hope.
Quick Imbolc Ritual
This is a ritual I did with a few friends. Things went a little crazy this time of year and I ended up doing 4 rituals around the time of Imbolc: one in person and 3 online.
Okay for this one we just did not feel like doing a symbolic great rite. Not every ritual needs to be that! We incorporated an aspect of the time of year having a made up mini bed in a shoe box with offerings at the foot of the bed and a representation of Brigid. I wanted the focus to be a good mental health practice to fit within the rite. (I believe in practicing healthy mindsets in ritual to encourage their natural resurgence in life. Like saying grace at meal times to regularly remind yourself of all the things you are grateful for.)
Also we are moving together and in the process of buying a house together so a spell to have the hearth of our house lit for us to come home to which is consistent with Brigid’s mythology. Also we are going to practice a lot of magic together, so lighting our candles together and blessing them will be a part of the rite. We then extinguish and re-light the candles as a reminder of that we intend to keep our hope and positive attitude to help those around us.
For the word we mixed together some Trad Craft stuff (Michael Howard and Gemma Gary) with some more Wiccan quarter calls (A Witches Bible Farrars). I was asked to remove the word Watchtower from the ritual for the sake of an ex-Jehova’s Witness for whom the word has negative connotations.
The words in bold are spoken and corresponding energy work is done to manifest the ritual in the astral plane. After a typical set up and a short reflection on our having overcome difficulties, we invoke Brigid, chant to her and use her spirit to bless us and our candles.
Eleusian Banishing
Hekas hekas Este babeloi
Flame
I light this flame in Brigid’s name
Spirits arise, old ones draw near
By my will and ways may you appear.
Bless the flame
Be this fire blessed by knife and will and breath,
A beacon to alight the paths of spirit.
Illumine our craft, ablaze our calls,
For the hidden draw with us.
We conjure thee, land spirits, flowing in the land
Give unto our blood the breath and let our cunning burn!
We conjure thee, we conjure thee, we conjure thee.
Circle
We conjure thee O Compass Round,
Be cast and be ye bound.
By Will and Wisdom, love and hearth,
By air and fire and water and earth,
Be ye cast and be bound, hallowed be O Compass Round.
We conjure thee, we conjure thee, we conjure thee.
Centre
As above…
So below…
And by the cross-quarter ways,
So mote it be.
Purification and Consecration
[adding salt] I bless and purify this water in the name of the Old ones.
[lighting incense] I bless and consecrate this fire in the name of the Old ones.
[sprinkling water and wafting incense in 4 directions]
By the elemental powers Air, Fire, Water, Earth
I bless, purify and consecrate this space
Let the castle be raised, caste and bound
So mote it be
Call quarters:
East
Ye Rulers of the East, ye Lords of Air, I do summon, stir and call you up, to aid our rites and to guard us from anything that stands against us.
Hail and Welcome
South
Ye Rulers of the South, ye Lords of Fire, I do summon, stir and call you up, to aid our rites and to guard us from anything that stands against us.
Hail and Welcome
West
Ye Rulers of the West, ye Lords of Water, I do summon, stir and call you up, to aid our rites and to guard us from anything that stands against us.
Hail and Welcome
North
Ye Rulers of the North, ye Lords of Earth, I do summon, stir and call you up, to aid our rites and to guard us from anything that stands against us.
Hail and Welcome
Ancestors
Ye that have come before, Ye that have shed blood and tears that we may stand here today, Ancestors, Lovers, Friends, those from whose eyes the veil of life has fallen. I do summon, stir and call you up to aid in our rites and guard us from anything that stands against us
Hail and Welcome
Reflection
As winter retreats let us consider the toils through which we have come and the strength we have gained in toiling.
[1 min reflection]
Goddess:
Fair Brigid, garbed in white and gold
Maiden reborn of the old
Thy sacred well, all health restore
From Thee all blessings sweetly pour
As blooms and shamrocks sprout behind Thee
Let Thy inspiration find me
Victorious one of shining spear
Come, dear Brigid, come, be here!
Bless my craft, oh glorious muse
With Thy powerful light infuse
With Thy fire upon Thy brow,
Oh Lady of ewe and corn and cow
Come, Bright Brigid, be here now
Hail and Welcome
Chant
[Everyone circle the centre deosil like going round a well (saying 7 times)]
Come Brigid make your bed,
Light the hearth of our homestead.
Spell of Brigid
May the lights be blessed by Brigid
[anoint candles in oil]
[while lighting the centre candle]
In the spirit of Brigid, be the candles lit
And In this way, may she light our hearth,
may she bring healing, and inspire our art.
Renewal of hope
[each person lights their own candle from the centre candle]
May each person take hope in the coming of spring
[Each person in turn does as follows]
At the times of greatest darkness
[Blows out their candle]
I will renew my hope
[Relight their candle]
So if others succumb to darkness
[blows out the centre candle]
I can help them to cope
[relights the centre candle]
Release the Goddess
Goddess thank you for attending our rite.
Fair Brigid, garbed in white and gold
Maiden reborn of the old
We bid you Hail and farewell
Release the dead
Unto them from whose eyes the veil of life hath fallen may there be granted the accomplishment of their true Wills; whether they will absorption in the Infinite, or to be united with their chosen and preferred, or to be in contemplation, or to be at peace, or to achieve the labour and heroism of incarnation on this planet or another, or in any Star, or aught else, unto them may there be granted the accomplishment of their wills; yea, the accomplishment of their wills. We bid you hail and farewell.
East
Ye Rulers of the East, ye Lords of Air, I thank you for attending out rite.
We bid you hail and farewell
South
Ye Rulers of the South, ye Lords of Fire, I thank you for attending out rite.
We bid you hail and farewell
West
Ye Rulers of the West, ye Lords of Water, I thank you for attending out rite.
We bid you hail and farewell
North
Ye Rulers of the North, ye Lords of Earth, I thank you for attending out rite.
We bid you hail and farewell
Circle closing
May the circle be open but remain unbroken
May the joy of the God, Goddess be ever in our hearts
[All together]
Merry we meet, Merry we part
And Merry we shall meet again