IMBOLC

Feburary 1: also celebrated as St. Brigid's Day, Candlemas. As a follower of Brigid, this is an important holiday for me. Scottish tradition varies, but I interpret this as the time that Brigid escapes Gentle Annie. They will struggle for the following weeks until Gentle Annie finally concedes on Beltane. The period between Imbolc and Beltane is when there are particularly strong storms in the area where I live, and I like to think this is the result of Gentle Annie's attempts to recapture Brigid.

Obviously, there is a lot of Christian syncretism with Brigid. In the liturgical calendar, Candlemas and the Feast of the Presentation take place around Imbolc. The Scottish lore holds that Brigid (a different Brigid than before?) is carried to Bethleham by angels to help Mary give birth. She then becomes the foster mother of Jesus, a position of high regard to the Scots. On this day, forty days after Christmas, Brigid leads Mary and Jesus in a procession to the temple for the post-partum purification. She leads the way with a candle, therefore this is the day to bring your candles to church to be purified and blessed. So the story goes.

A great summary of celebrations can be found on the Tairis website. Honestly the website does a much better job at explaining than I could.

This is a time of particular anxiety. The fields are being prepared for sowing. The lambs are being born. The plants are beginning to regrow, but the larders are growing thin. The fate of the rest of the year seems to hang on this period.

To combat these anxieties, purification and blessings are important. I enjoy doing a simmer pot with cleansing and protective herbs, namely lemon (or whatever citrus is around), cloves, cinnamon, and bay. Then I lay wards at all the thresholds, usually with an incantation with the gist of "may only friends cross this way." Take time to enjoy the new growth, especially spring ephemerals like crocus and snowdrops.