Imbolc: The Promise of Spring
- Lucy Spencer
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
It’s a time when we once again find ourselves between two worlds, travelling from the darkness to the light, feeling the cold giving way to warmth, and standing at the point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox...
Imbolc (often pronounced ‘Imolc’) is traditionally seen as the first of the Spring festivals and is celebrated on February 1. There are several origins of the name, one being that it came from the Old Gaelic word i mbolc, which means ‘in the belly’, probably referring to the lambing season and also the availability of milk after winter.
Like all the early traditional festivals, Imbolc was christianised, and by the seventh century the pagan Irish goddess of fertility and fire, Brigit, or Brid, who was associated with Imbolc celebrations from the earliest times became syncretic with St Brigid of Kildare – and the festival celebration also became her feast-day.
Throughout Ireland, crosses are often woven from rushes or straw and hung over doorways to protect the home from dark spirits, illness and to symbolise the beginning of Spring. But to the pagan practitioner, the four spokes of the Brigit cross can be seen to represent the four compass directions and the seasons, representing the passage of the earth around the sun, throughout the year.
The promise of new strength and new life
At this time, we can see, smell and hear the hints of Spring through the dark, cold and rain. The Welsh word for spring is Gwanwyn, meaning gentle and fair/white. Snowdrops make an appearance in the frozen ground, emerging regardless. Something so tiny, beautiful and delicate reminds us to have faith to grow and emerge – we should let ourselves lean in to their courage and be inspired by these bold adventurers of nature!
When we are able to catch a precious few rays of sunshine on the gloomiest of days, the symbolism of their white petals and white light can offer us purity, cleansing and hope.
We embrace new beginnings, looking forward to new life and warmer days ahead. And we begin to feel the seasons merge and shift.
Celebrate Imbolc with us...
You can follow some traditional ways to celebrate Imbolc! Here are a few ideas…
• Light white candles in your home, see them as the new light bringers, a warm reminder of what is to come.
• Clear and cleanse the your home, remove old items that may have been sitting there for a while. This will make space for new, welcome energy to come in.
Photo: Csabla Tabler
• Find somewhere to sit in peace and in nature, slow down, catch your breath and remember who you are. Sit in the moment and take stock of how you feel, what you can hear.
• Listen out for birdsong to lift your spirit, and join with them in song, letting words of hope rise up from within.
• Think of what you would like to let go of from the cold dark months that are now behind you and embrace the ideas you want to bring forward to the light.
• Ask yourself – what are my intentions for this year?
• Consider ways you can bring harmony to in the world around you – in relationships, amongst those you know, and with Aim to go forward in from Imbolc in peace.
And together, we will feel a collective voice rising with the Spring.
With bright blessings.
Lucy
Lucy Spencer is AWEN’s Ritualist, Folklore Forager and Marketing Director. Shes a pagan practitioner and interior designer based in London where she explores the city on foot, photographing the coexistence of nature and the urban landscape.
