Imbolc Season
reawakening the fire
Image: unknown author, googleimages yields no concrete results.
Stephanie Anderson Ladd at Owl & Crow in a 2013 post also acknowledges unknown status
Merry Imbolc! WTF am I talking about? Good question!
Early February is a time of many celebrations, traditions and feasts that have a central theme of 'the reawakening of fire': from the Sun adding more fire to the Earth to the passionate affirmations of Lusty-Love.
A few specific celebrations:
- Groundhog Day: traditionally celebrated February 2nd in the US and Canada. Brought to North America by German immigrants, where the badger is the forecasting animal, it is a superstition centered around the animal seeing its shadow and forecasting the length of winter [1].
- Candlemas: a Christian Holy Day commemorating the presentation of Jesus to the Temple "accordance with Leviticus 12: a woman was to be presented for purification by sacrifice 33 days after a boy's circumcision" [2] also know as
- The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus, recall Jesus referred to himself as "The Light of the World"[8] OR
- The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Chinese New Year: traditionally celebrated "the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February"[3].
- Valentines Day: a tad bit later in the month, traditionally celebrated on February 14th "Originating as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus" and to celebrate "romantic love in many regions around the world" [4]. As referenced by Chaucer, this holiday has roots in the Roman
- Lupercalia: "observed in the city of Rome on February 15, to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility" [5]. This Roman celebration in turn had roots in the earlier Greek celebration of
- Lykaia: a celebration of the forest dwelling, joyful and sexual Pan and was a "primitive rite of passage" of adolescent men to stave off becoming werewolves (cannibalism) [6], though probably celebrated in May.
- Brigid's Day: or later known as Saint Brigid's Day, is a "Gaelic traditional festival marking the beginning of spring. It is held on 1 February, or about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox"[7]. It is this traditional celebration that is the origin of the word Imbolc. Though the entymology of the word is unclear, "the most common explanation is that is comes from the Old Irish i mbolc (Modern Irish i mbolg), meaning "in the belly", and refers to the pregnancy of ewes"[7].
However, Imbolc in our modern society is reference to the cultural event revival by many Neopagan and/or Wiccan groups. Though the term and most direct origin is in the Celtic tradition of Brigid's Day, it is clear that this mid-point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox is celebrated in some way in several modern and ancestral cultures.
In the modern Gardnerian Wiccan tradition, for example, Imbolc is a celebration to acknowledge our confirmation in the Return of the Light [9]. The Wheel of the Year follows the cycle of the Sun's intensity and how the Earth's life responds to this. After the Winter Solstice, or Yule, the Sun has been reborn metaphorically as the Sun is no longer lowering in the sky but instead rising. However, even the close observer can barely tell the lengthening of days or the height of the Sun until it is quite obvious... thus the time of Imbolc as a confirmation of the returned light! It is quite clear by the second new moon after the Winter Solstice that the light has returned. Though Earth remains locked in winter cold, it is now very clear there is a spring-time in the future. Time to celebrate a New Year!
That is my interpretation, anyway.
So why all the reference to romantic love?
Well, what is better in winter than snuggling under the sheets with your lover and blowing off the outdoor responsibilities in favor of another love session?
Winter can be hard on relationships as we spend soooo much time in-doors and may suffer from cabin-fever or seasonal depression. Like the Yule or Christmas holiday, it is really nice to those around us to reaffirm our likeness for them by exchanging gifts and battle away those grinchy feelings. By this time in Winter, we also need a little celebratory boost in our relationships.
Though Ostara is the traditional Wiccan celebration of fertility because by that time it is very apparent the Earth was re-awoken from Winter slumber, the seeds are germinating, the birds may already have nests with eggs, and other mammals may appear very full with pregnancy.
Well, by Ostara how did all these animals or the Earth become such a great visual representation of fertility with round bellies, eggs, and full udders or breasts??
Again, back to a great Winter activity SEX!
While the rut for many ungulate mammals is in the fall, 1) humans are a much different animal and 2) sex isn't just about making babies and is often an affirmation of the continued love and attraction. Is'nt that what modern Valentine's Day seems to be about in our culture? In the Hollywood version, buy a dozen roses; plan a candle-lit sexy evening with foreplay of chocolate and whispering sweet-nothings to affirm your dedication, love, an importantly lust for your partner. This lust part is clear in the Greek origins of V-day (Imbolc Season) in relation to the faun-God Pan who is known in mythology to lure maidens to the forest with his gay-music, handsome appearance, and musky aroma.
So, how one might celebrate Imbolc? There are several existing resources for rituals or celebration suggestions for the Wiccan or Celtic Neopagan oriented, but those on a more eclectic path might be interested in a variety of ways to celebrate. Luckily, many aspects of this holiday are already broken into seperate modern cultural holidays!
- To celebrate the coming or spring and the sun's new intensity, we have Groundhog Day and Candlemas (Candlemas when metaphorically the story of deity-Jesus is applied to the actual Sun instead of the Son): tune in to the clarity of the sky and the animals responses, tune in to Punxsutawney Phil the Pennsylvania semi-mythical groundhog, and take your candles to your church [10] to be blessed in ritual for the rest of the year.
- To celebrate the affirmation of a new solar year, we can celebrate a the Chinese New Year: clean your house "in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for incoming good luck" [3]
- To celebrate the affirmation of love and passion, we can celebrate Valentine's day in all its commercial glory (or not): make that plan mentioned above with an emphasis on the verbal foreplay, spice up your interaction with your lover with a couple nice honey-dos, or bask in the glory that is yourself, your own awesomeness, the person you need to love the most and give yourself a pleasing masturbation session [11].
How did we celebrate Imbolc this year?
This 2019 Imbolc we did some of the seemingly traditional things we have done for years, but as the kids get older or situations change each Celebration comes with small bits of new.
- I made some new candles over the weekend: Serpent Passion, Imbolc edition.
- My loving lioness spouse worked Sunday (6am - 2pm) after a crappy night of sleep. I didn't plan some big and elaborate welcoming party, but this particular day I had a platter of snacks and an alcoholic beverage ready for her arrival. Also prepared to offer her a nap while I did some errands for something with the kids. Point it, I know what she needs to feel 'pampered' and provided it for her in a way according to her liking.
- A simple request was made for dinner "some carbs and cheese". Though curry was on the menu, I whipped up some scalloped potatoes to hit the spot. Instead of carrot curry, made some gajar halwa (spicy carrot pudding with pistachios).
- After dinner, we did out usual tradition of lighting several small candles and placing one in each room of the house. This year many of the candles were reject non-scented beeswax that I didn't want to put on the market. It was really nice for everyone to be so aware of what was going on. Our two oldest hve done this several times by now and so have memories, while the youngest (3) was actually able to participate more wholly this time. It is always a nice sensation to have the lights in the house down but to see the dancing shadows of candle light emanating from each room. While the candles burned...
- We ate our almost Crescent Cakes. This is a recipe I picked up from Scott Cunningham's book [9] and was recommended for Imbolc. Ground almonds, some flour, almond extract, an egg and some honey... simple yet scrumptious. This is my favorite tradition because I served these at my very first Imbolc themed house part in Eugene, OR in 2007. For some reason at that time, I decided to incorporate something I read in my favorite Tom Robbins Novel...
- The 'king of the bean'! Since that first party, each time I make these I stick a dried bean in one of the cakes. The one to score the cake with the bean is deemed 'Queen of King of the Bean' for the year! Usually this ends up as a fight between the kids and one of them seems to always pick up each cookie looking for the spot where I inserted the bean. None-the-less, I enjoy it. In the book 'Jitterbug Perfume', the main character Alobar is chosen in such a way (chomping into a dried bean in a cake) to be the 'King of the Bean' in a small Christianized-pagan town he lived in after running from his true fate as King of another land. He soon found out the Bean King was to be sacrificed at the end of the celebration... bummer. In our family tradition, no one is sacrificed (yet!) but we use the christening as a form of spiritual responsibility. The Queen of King of the Bean should be serious in their endeavor of spreading light to the rest of the family.
- After eating our cakes in candle-lite darkness, and a little fun with the whipped cream can, the candles were blown out (3 year old got most of 'em!).
- After bedtime, ... well, I will leave those details out! But intimacy with loving hands and the connection between lovers is a theme here... make up your own details. They pail in comparison to reality.
At this point, I am positive I get way more spiritual pleasure out of this than anyone else (well, except the after bedtime part...) but the kids have grown up in a household with these stories, with this ritual-like ceremony, and seem to enjoy the act if not the reasons behind it. Still, the Imbolc season continues! Later this week we are joining a friend-family in their annual Chinese New Year celebration and Im sure we will cook up some spicy Valentine's Day plans.
Merry Imbolc Season! Feel your fire, and light one for someone else...
After worshiping the Naked-Lady-of-the-Bedroom patron goddess, I though I'd add this humble pop-culture reminder of the Goddess:
God is a Woman
References and footnotes:
[10]: your church is whatever you make of it. I typically refer to a Sunday hiking spot along the Owyhee River as my current 'church'. Maybe its a forest. Maybe its a building.
[11]: masturbate in whatever fashion brings you the most joy and affirmation of your love for yourself, so that is not an exclusively erotic type of physical masturbation. Maybe its candlelit wine, some smooth jazz and a cry-session, maybe that is shopping or two-pints of Ben & Jerry (the only BJ you can give yourself), of naked in a cold snowbank while fervently pumping, yelling a magickal Sigil and staring at the star Sirius. Its your pleasure, affirm your love to yourself by showing yourself you know how to please it.
Jesus christ you are informed-enlightened, thanks. I will read this when I am not so drunk
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