February 2020

During this time of the year many Pagans in the northern hemisphere are celebrating Imbolc. So I figured this would be a good time to cover what Imbolc means for not only a vast majority of Celtic focused Pagans but also many Christians out there, since in my practice I celebrate this overlap.  I want to first start with the significance of this time of the year. This is the time that we get the first signs of the spring season. This is seen by the onset of the lambing season, the beginning of the spring sowing, and the blooming of the blackthorn. It is also almost the midpoint between Yule and Ostara. The actual midpoint would be around the fourth of February but I’m not going to quibble over a 1-2 day difference because solstices and equinoxes can differ slightly. This is why in my practice I put a more hard line date to these days. We are also seeing the lengthening of days during this time of year as well. Because of this we see the lighting of candles playing a prominent role in practices and this reflects the increasing power of the sun.  In Christianity this time of the year is often referred to as Candlemass. I often interchange the words Imbolc and Candlemass in my practice. This celebration commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. This is a practice was done 33 days after circumcision along with a sin offering to purify the mother. Today in Christianity, candles are often brought to the local churches to be blessed for use during the rest of the year. In this practice the candles are a symbol of Christ being the light of the world.  This is also the time when the Catholic Church celebrates St. Brigid ofContinue Reading