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I am the unopened bud, and I the blossom, |
Imbolc falls approximately halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, in early February. It is variously known as Imbolc, Oimelc, Candlemas, and the Feast of Brigid. The date can be determined astrologically, at 15 degrees of Aquarius. Imbolc means "in the belly" in Gaelic, and Oimelc means "in milk." Imbolc falls in the spring lambing season; and a child conceived at Beltaine (a likely event in view of the way Beltaine was celebrated) would be born at Imbolc.
The season is also traditional for initiations, and for attending to various kinds of unfinished business-- settling debts, returning borrowed items, catching up on correspondence, weeding out and discarding unused possessions, and cleansing oneself of old mental and emotional baggage.
Because this time of year is associated with Brigit, it's an especially good time for writers to get together and plan out their projects for the coming year.
The season is also traditional for initiations, and for attending to various kinds of unfinished business-- settling debts, returning borrowed items, catching up on correspondence, weeding out and discarding unused possessions, and cleansing oneself of old mental and emotional baggage.
Imbolc 2007
A Dedication Ritual
