We’re officially halfway to spring! That means Imbolc is upon us! Maybe you’re wondering, what is Imbolc? Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.
In today’s post, we’ll look at all the basics and correspondences of Imbolc. When you’re done reading, you’ll be able to build your own magical Imbolc celebration based on the themes that most strongly speak to you.
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Early pagans (and also just early humans, really) relied completely on the cycles of the seasons for survival. They had to know when the growing seasons started, peaked, and finished in order to grow enough food to make it through winter. Different cultures observed these cyclical changes in varying ways, but most ancient cultures did observe them in some form.
In modern times, most of us don’t worry about growing food for survival anymore, so we’ve become detached from the cycles of nature. Luckily, all us modern witches and pagans can still tap into these cycles by observing the Wheel of the Year – the eight Sabbats.
What are the origins of the Wheel of the Year?
The Wheel of the Year is Wicca’s answer to modern witches seeking communion with the cycles of nature. These festivals were created by Gerald Gardner, regarded as the founder of modern Wicca. I believe these are modern festivals, but he’ll tell you they’re rooted in ancient tradition. Far be it from me to argue with Gardner. I don’t personally think it matters whether they are ancient or modern.
What does matter to me, though, is knowing the origins of these celebrations. The 4 greater Sabbats (Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasadh, Samhain) are based in Celtic and western European origins, while the other 4 lesser Sabbats (Yule, Ostara, Litha, Mabon) mark the transitional times between the greater Sabbats.
Why is this important? Well, Britain and western Europe have a very specific annual cycle based on their climate. Spring often starts to peek its head out in February, and the growing season is done by the first of November. Winter is cold and snowy, and summer is one big, long growing season.
What If I Don't Live in Europe?
If you live in Texas, Northern Canada, Mexico, the entire Southern Hemisphere, or any number of other places in the world, your annual cycles look different. Your winter might start late like mine. You might not have a winter at all. Maybe you have growing dead zones in December and July. You might even need to observe those changes in the opposite order!
While the Wheel of the Year is well established as a tradition, your input as a witch matters. The best way to celebrate the Sabbats is to learn about them and modify them to be specific to your area. Trust your intuition, and trust your environment when determining what traditions are important to you and which ones you will leave behind. The Wheel of the Year, after all, is meant to help you connect to the cycles of nature.
But I'm Not Wiccan. Can I Still Celebrate?
I’ve never met a Wiccan who will tell you no, though I’m sure they exist. Pretty much everyone I’ve ever spoken to or read information from agrees that the Wheel of the Year is accessible to all of us. Even those of us who are not Wiccan. Modern witchcraft is so variable. There’s no rule book, and you get to make it your own. These celebrations bring us all together even when we are so different. What is witchcraft? Learn more here.
The Wheel of the Year includes associated deity, and the history centers on stories about the god and goddess. However, it’s up to you to decide if that speaks to you.
For many of us, myself included, The Wheel of the Year is simply a great way to reconnect with our environment and the natural cycles of all living things. For others, each Sabbat is a piece of the story that tells their faith.
I feel that as long as we all respect each other, the 8 Sabbats can totally serve both purposes!
The Wheel of the Year begins on November first and ends on October 31. The festivals alternate between solar observances and earth centered observances. Each Sabbat comes with its own themes, correspondences, and traditions that infuse your whole year with magic rooted in the shifts of your climate and seasonal patterns.
What is Imbolc? The History
Imbolc is what’s called a cross quarter Sabbat – meaning that it falls directly between two major Sabbats. In this case, Imbolc marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, or Yule and Ostara. Imbolc is a celebration with Celtic roots that’s usually celebration on February 1st – 2nd.
Spring is not here yet, but the Imbolc season marks the point where you can finally start to see a light at the end of the dark, wintry tunnel of the last few months. Some. varieties of grasses and flowers have begun to poke up through the frozen ground, and the days are slowly getting longer. Hibernating animals begin to rustle from their long slumber, and some animals like sheep have begun to birth their young.
In fact, the Imbolc season is all about birth and rebirth. Imbolc translates to mean “ewe’s milk” or “in the belly” in honor of how sheep would typically birth their young during this time. With new birth comes new milk. After months of eating old preserved food and what little could be hunted, fresh milk would be a blessing. Babies conceived at Beltane would also be born around Imbolc, and it was surely a common occurrence.
It’s not all sunshine and daffodils though. In many places, February brings the harshest elements of winter. The lowest temperatures, deepest freezes, hungriest hibernating animals on the hunt, lowest and most rotten food stores, filthiest living conditions (guess where all those remaining farm animals would live during our ancestors’ winters…) Throw some sheep babies and human babies into the mix. Can you imagine how joyful the first greenery and the first milk would make them feel?
If you survived this far, you’d probably make it to see another spring. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate that?
Spiritually , this is considered a time for maiden goddesses and young child gods. The once crone goddess has come back full circle into her maiden form, and the god, reborn at Yule, is growing up. This is also without a doubt the greatest time for celebrating the Celtic goddess Brigid. Her lore is expansive and could fill an entire blog post (or book, really), but here are the absolute basics. Brigid was a central goddess to many celtic cultures, so much so that she was sainted by early Christians attempting to convert pagans to Christianity. She was even transformed to Madame Brigitte in Voodoo belief by early Celtic indentured servants in the Caribbean.
Where during Yule, we began to consider the goals we might set for the year, during Imbolc, it’s time to set those goals and start preparing to plant future seeds.
Imbolc Themes and Symbols
When I ask myself, “What is Imbolc?”, the first place I go for inspiration is the themes of the season. This determines all my altar decor and many of my favorite celebrations. Consider what is going on in nature where you live. Then use these themes to figure out what kind of Samhain celebrations you want to have.
For example, many regions find themselves sheeted in ice and fighting harsh cold, pushing them into the home. For you, that might mean a theme of inner reflection speaks volumes. If you live in a place where the first little bits of greenery are starting to burst through, maybe the theme of potential or renewal speaks most strongly to you.
Themes of Imbolc
These are some of the common themes of Imbolc, but don’t feel confined by this list. First and foremost, you should always listen to your intuition and defer to the cycle of the seasons in your area to honor these changes. February in England is very different from February in North Texas where I live. For this reason, I pay careful attention to seasonal cycles relevant to North Texas when trying to determine, just what is Imbolc?
- births and beginnings – the year is starting fresh again with new births and new goals.
- fertility – with spring around the corner, take time to ensure abundance and fertility to come.
- self love and self care – we all know about Valentine’s Day and celebrating romantic relationships, but to me, Imbolc is the perfect time for self care. Take time to honor and love yourself now.
- cleansing – we’ve been cooped up for months, and our homes are probably starting to feel kinda stuffy and dirty. It’s not spring yet, but Imbolc can be a great time to get a head start on your spring cleaning.
- preparation – it’s time to start planning the spring garden, starting seeds indoors, and deciding what other types of seeds you’d like to sow as spring approaches.
- awakening – the season of rest is coming to an end, and it’s time to start coming out of that winter hibernation.
- renewal – At Yule, we started thinking about our goals for the upcoming year. At Imbolc, it’s time to start making plans to meet those goals.
- resilience – even though spring is right around the corner, there’s still a few more weeks of winter to survive. Dig deep to get through this next push.
Symbols of the Season
When it comes to Imbolc, I like to pull in symbolism from deep winter (February is when we get our true winter in North Texas) as well as pulling in symbolism from traditional February celebrations like Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day, Lupercalia, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year, and Candlemas.
- Brigid’s cross – symbol of protection for the home
- burrowing animals – there’s a reason groundhog day is February 2nd. Ancient cultures relied on the behavior patterns of animals to predict the weather. Animals such as serpents and groundhogs have been observed by many cultures for whether they observe their shadow at Imbolc.
- brooms and besoms – traditional tools for cleaning and cleansing
- candles – Imbolc was traditionally a time to make candles for the upcoming year. Celebrate by making your own, stocking up for the year, or simply lighting candles in honor of the awakening of the sun., representative of warmth and light
- cauldrons – representative of the mother’s womb and feminine energy.
- dragons – represent protection, balance, overcoming challenges, power, wisdom, enlightenment, and blessings.
- flower bulbs – while hold similar meaning to seeds. While you might not be able to plant seeds yet, you can start planting some flowering bulbs which benefit from the freezing temperatures.
- fairies – all the cross quarter Sabbats are considered “in between” times where spiritual activity is more active. Fairy energy is more abundant at cross quarter times.
- hearts – symbols of love and connection
- seeds – while the time for planting has yet to come, the time for gathering seeds and performing seed blessing rituals is here, representative of potential and fertility
- sheep – abundance, new beginnings, nurturing, security.
- snakes – change, cycles, rebirth, wisdom, transformation
- snow and ice – it’s still winter time, and for many of us, snow and ice are a huge part of our experience this month
- swans – transformation, rebirth, awakening, innocence
Imbolc Colors, Herbs, and Crystals
You can use these correspondences to bring Imbolc flair to your decorations, foods, altar, and spell work.
Imbolc Colors
When choosing Imbolc colors, look to nature for inspiration. Consider which plants and flowers are in bloom and the color scheme of the world outside your door. Think freshly sprouted sprigs of baby greenery, snow, and pinks and reds of Valentine’s Day.
- red – blood (as in new birth), ancestral ties, feminine fertility, passion.
- light green – new growth, fertility, new beginnings, prosperity, abundance, potential, health
- pink – affection, love, tenderness, friendship, self love
- orange – solar energy.
- white – purification, snow, peace, protection, innocence, and male fertility.
- yellow – joy, vitality, creativity, the sun, attraction
Herbs, Plants, and Oils of Imbolc
These seasonal herbs, plants, and oils can be infused into your spells, meals, and even decor to add some herbal inspiration to your Imbolc season. I am not a master herbalist or doctor. As with all medicines, treat carefully, and do your research. Don’t take unnecessary risks.
- angelica – new beginnings, purification, success
- basil – abundance, love, money, success
- birch – cleansing, protection, fertility, new beginnings.
- cedar – protection, tapping into ancient wisdom, strength.
- chamomile – associated with the sun and Brigid.
- cinnamon – brings abundance and prosperity, promotes fertility and good health, shielding.
- crocuses – rebirth, attracting love
- daffodils – fertility, love, fairy magic
- dandelion – associated with Brigid, hearty and hard to get rid of.
- heather – cleansing, fertility.
- peppermint – cool, refreshing, and abundant.
- reeds – confidence, growth, healing, protection, unity
- rosemary – fire, creativity, healing, strength.
- snowdrops – traditionally one of the first flowers to pop up through the snow.
- wormwood – banishing, divination, overcoming obstacles, purification (Warning: Toxic. Do not consume)
Imbolc Crystals and Stones
These crystals and stones are perfect for home and altar decor. They’re also great for infusing your spell work and your day with the energy of Imbolc. I don’t recommend putting any crystals directly in water. If you choose to use crystals in baths or elixers, I suggest using an indirect infusion method. Please do your research.
- amethyst – healing, courage, peace, calming, beginnings, coping with change, transformation
- carnelian – healing, protection, creative potential, sexual energy.
- garnet – strength, passion, fertility, love, stability, commitment.
- green aventurine – new growth, healing old wounds from past relationships, and opening up the heart to new connections.
- gold – power, success, wisdom, illumination, purification, strength, success.
- Iceland feldspar – clears Chakras, stability, self trust, helps give clear vision to desires and turn thoughts into action.
- lepidolite – associated with fairies.
- meadowsweet –
- moonstone – hidden knowledge, the Moon, healing negative thought patterns, fertility, the Goddess.
- moss agate – a stone of earth energy and abundance that is a wonderful addition to seed blessings and garden blessings.
- onyx – protection, grounding healing from trauma.
- peridot – helps with releasing unwanted energy and leaving negative energy behind.
- rhyolite – helps you to connect past, present, and future, supports healing trauma and helps you find your true path, aids in positive transformation.
- red clover – love and lust magic, money, success, and protection.
- rose quartz – a stone of self love and peace.
- Selenite – supports past life recall, protects from harmful energy, helps to build energetic connections.
- silver – associated with fairies, the Moon, and the Goddess.
- sunstone – solar energy, self confidence, may help support seasonal affective disorder and bring positive energy.
- turquoise – attraction, clarity, compassion, courage, healing, strength, wisdom
Flavors of Imbolc
Any seasonal foods and drinks this time of year make the perfect addition to your Imbolc celebration. These are some of the most common suggestions as well as a few of my favorites.
- baked goods – bringing together to power of milk and grains, baked goods are also hearty and delicious.
- blackberry – healing, prosperity, associated with Brighid.
- bulb veggies like onion and garlic support the immune system and add fiery flavor to dishes.
- grain – oats, barley, wheat, and other grains are hearty and sustaining when fresh foods are scarce.
- milk and dairy products – representative of new birth, life, and abundance.
- nuts and seeds – represents potential, hearty and calorie dense food with a long shelf life for the cold months.
- peppers and chilis – associated with fire energy, supports the immune system, and can speed up your spell work.
- root veggies like potatoes, carrots, radishes, turnips, parsnips, onions, garlic, and rutabagas.
- soups, especially stews and squash soups with lots of bone broth and hearty veggies.
- warm drinks and mulled beverages – a great way to preserve fruits and warm your bones in the dead of winter.
- winter greens like kale, spinach, winter lettuce, chard. Kale chips, anyone?
- Winter squash like pumpkins, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, pretty much any hard skinned squash.
What is Imbolc? Activities to Bring Magic to Your Imbolc Season
Mundane Ways to Celebrate Imbolc
Maybe you’re short on time or looking to get skeptical family members involved in Imbolc. Perhaps you’re just not super into the witchy aesthetic, or spiritual stuff makes you uncomfortable. These fun activities are just the ticket for helping you reconnect with the cycles of the season without the pressure to include actual spell work.
- Go on a nature walk. If you’ve got kids, let them pick up sticks, leaves, flowers, and acorns. You can bring them home and set up a simple science investigation to help your little witchlings learn about the changing season. My oldest loves looking at everything under a magnifying glass, while the baby loves crunching and squishing whatever she can get her hands on!
- Wear the colors of the season. Go simple with painted nails or a tie. Alternately, go full out with a head to toe Imbolc inspired outfit.
- Watch Groundhog Day to celebrate the themes of growth, rebirth, and transformation that occur at Imbolc.
- Light candles to honor the season.
- Plant flower bulbs and gather up your spring seeds – Spring will be here before you know it, and now is the time to start preparing for spring planting!
- Get a head start on your spring cleaning by sweeping, dusting, and getting rid of clutter.
- Take a healing self love bath or shower to show yourself a little extra love. Include gentle and loving herbs like lavender and rose or cleansing herbs like rosemary and salt. You can even put some crystals around the edge of the tub to surround yourself in loving, healing energy. Add oats and milk for a full Imbolc experience.
- Show appreciation for the important people in your lives by offering up small gifts or thank you cards like you might do at Valentine’s Day or Chinese New Year.
- Perform winter service projects to support your community. For example, you can clear ice from a neighbor’s sidewalk, gather blankets and food to donate to shelters, help clear and clean up a community garden bed, help someone in need clean up their home.
Witchy Ways to Celebrate Imbolc
If you want to infuse some magic into your season, these activities are perfect for all you witches at heart.
- Make a Brigid’s Cross with straw or reeds and hang it outside or above your door to draw in the blessings of Brigid.
- Set up your Imbolc altar. Include the colors, foods and symbols you have learned about here!
- Continue your shadow work from winter to release what no longer serves you. Tread carefully, as shadow work often brings up old traumas with a vengeance. For some, this is best done with the support of a mental health professional.
- Carry the crystals of the season with you. Choose one stone per week over the 6 or so weeks of the Samhain season. Then, make sure to pay attention to what you notice, and journal about your experience. Perhaps you’ll find a new favorite.
- Make your own magical candles. Your options are limitless! Poured candles, hand rolled candles, shaped candles, you can even decorate pre-purchased candles with greenery and small seasonal florals.
- Make an ice candle to pull in the energy of this icy time of year. Get a candle form (I usually use a toilet paper tube with parchment paper rubber banded to the bottom). Put a wick or a thin candle in the center. Add a little bit of crushed ice to the form, then pour in some melted wax. Continue alternating ice and wax until the form is full. You can also add in herbs of the season. Leave it to dry for several hours. Then pour out the melted water, remove the form, and patch up any really thin parts with dripped wax. Burn ice candles with caution! All the holes and openings mean that they burn and melt very unpredictably.
- Cleanse your home using your favorite methods. Get rid of things you don’t need and tidy up so you have a peaceful and comforting space.
- Collect snow water for spells. Use the water in baths or rituals that match the associations of Imbolc.
- Meditate – Imbolc is our final push for reflection and still a very good time to work on releasing our demons and incorporating our shadow selves. This way, we are ready to take on the worlds again at spring time.
- Bless and dedicate new magical tools to your practice for the coming year.
- For lactating parents, perform some magic with your own breastmilk. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for healing, protection, abundance, connecting to your little one, and growth. You can use breastmilk in a bath, as a tool for anointing like you would oil or water, or as a powerful offering to the goddesses of birth and protecting children.
- Make a Brigid’s Doll or corn dolly. You can also take out your corn dolly’s from Lammas to reuse.
Divination for the Season
Pretty much any of your favorite forms of divination are fair game any time of year. However, these are some of my favorites that I feel truly embrace the themes of the season.
- Pull out your favorite tarot or oracle deck.
- Learn about divination with animals.
- Learn about practicing divination based on the weather.
- Try your hand at scrying. Scrying with a black mirror, water, ice, fire, crystal ball, or a scrying stone lends itself well to this time of year.
- Brew up a warming cup of tea, and read the leaves after you drink it.
Imbolc Spell Ideas for Seasonal Magic
Whether you have loads of time for an elaborate ritual, or you’re a busy witch with no spare time, you’ll find spell ideas here to perfectly suit your needs and bring in the themes of Yule.
- Fertility Magic
- Self Care Rituals
- Release Rituals
- Cleansing Magic
- Home Protection Spells
- Cord Cutting Rituals
- Abundance Magic
- Ice Magic
- Relationship Renewal Spells
- Seed Blessing Rituals
- Pet Blessings
- Candle Magic
- Magical Tool Blessings
Spirits and Deities of Imbolc
Imbolc is the time of year for maiden and young mothergoddesses and young gods. Here are a few examples to guide your research if deity work interests you. This list is NOT exhaustive and really only scratches the surface.
Goddesses
- Anu – Irish Mother of All Things Goddess
- Aphrodite – goddess of love and sexuality
- Athena – Greek Goddess of wisdom and warcraft
- Artemis – Greek Goddess of the hunt and virgins
- Arianrhod – Celtic Goddess of fertility, rebirth, time and fate
- Bast – Egyptian Cat Goddess of protection, home and hearth, guardian of mothers and childbirth.
Branwen – Celtic Goddess of Love and Beauty - Brigid – Celtic goddess of healing, protection, birth, new mothers, fire and flame, hearth and home.
- Ceres – Roman goddess of grains, agriculture and farmers
- Cerridwen – Celtic Goddess of prophecy
- Diana – Roman goddess of the hunt and virgins
- Februa – Roman goddess of Purity
- Gaia – Greek mother goddess of all things
- Hestia – Greek goddess of the home and heart, family.
- Inanna – Sumerian goddess of love, fertility, sexuality, and warfare
- Minerva – Roman goddess of wisdom and warcraft
- Pax – Roman goddess of peace
- Venus – Roman goddess of fertility, beauty, and motherhood
- Vesta – Roman goddess of home, family, and sacred flame
Gods and Male Entities
- Aenghus Og – Celtic god of love, young beauty, and poetry inspiration
- Cupid – Roman god of fertility
- Dian Cecht – Irish god of healing
- Eros – Greek god of fertility
- Faunus – Roman god of prophetic dreams and the forest
- Februus – Roman god of purity
- Ganesha – Hindu god of new beginnings
- Pan – Greek god of the forest, beasts, sexuality, and self love
- fairies – all the cross quarter Sabbats are considered “in between” times where spiritual activity is more active. Fairy energy is more abundant at cross quarter times.
How Do You Celebrate Imbolc?
As you can see, Imbolc can mean so many different things to each of us. You have a lot of options to make your Imbolc magical! It all just depends on what rings true and what lines up with our surroundings.
What is your favorite way to celebrate Imbolc? Do you have any traditions I didn’t mention here? I’d love to hear about them!
So, what is Imbolc to you?
