Imbolc Celebrations

Imbolc, Groundhog Day, Candlemas, St Brigid’s Day… all celebrating a variation on a theme on the same day. The emerging light and the revolving cycle of the year.

Next week, Feb 1st/2nd we’ll be celebrating Imbolc. The turning point in the year when we can feel the winter beginning to give way to spring. Although there’ll be frosts for a little while yet (until mid-May for us last year) there’s a real sense that spring is imminent. Shoots pushing through the earth, leaves beginning to unfurl and animals stirring all around. ⁣Imbolc is such an uplifting time, we’ll all feel a big surge in positive energy as daylight creeps back; 7hrs 55minutes on Jan 1st and a glorious 9hrs 10minutes on Feb 1st. Just what we all need right now. ⁣Imbolc comes before the solar festival of the Spring Equinox, it’s an awakening of the land, of new beginnings and fresh starts. All the earth springing to life again.

There are so many ways to welcome back the warmth of the sun, here are just a few ideas for you.

Light a flame

Imbolc, whilst not a solar festival (like the equinoxes or solstices) is a celebration of the light. The sun gradually warming the earth back to life.

Make and light candles, have a BBQ or gather round an outdoor fire circle.

These are sweet little walnut shell candles we made to celebrate the season.

St Brigid’s Cross.

Traditionally made from rushes, Brigid’s Cross is a symbol associated with Imbolc. Its roots going way to back to folklore around the sun-wheel, they’re created to bless the earth with fertility and life. These were made the night before Imbolc and hung in place in your dwelling.

There are so many brilliant tutorials online for you to follow. The trickiest challenge is finding long luscious reeds to make your cross. Try watery hedgerows, boggy areas and around ponds/lakes.

This little rhyme will help you figure out whether you have the right greenery…

Sedges have edges,
rushes are round.
Grasses have knees,
which bend to the ground.

Walk Barefoot on the Earth

It's said when Brigit's feet touch the earth, she lays a blanket of green on the land. Right now, you can feel Kith is blooming back to life. The snowdrops are out and the bluebells are on their way.

Kick off your shoes and tip those toes to the earth.

Plant seeds and plan your garden

There will be seeds ready to be planted as early as February. It’s a perfect way to see Spring quite literally bloom to life before your eyes. The potential tucked within a tiny seed is magic.

Try beautiful sweet peas or nourishing kale. Keep them tucked up in a warm, light place until the frosts have passed.

Bake

Baking bread helps us to remember the seasons of harvest, the work of mother nature and the farming communities. There are some beautiful braided loaf recipes out there.

This is a super simple recipe you can try at home with little ones. A fail safe, quick bread with lots of room to add big flavours.
Recipe coming soon to the Homestead Series

Stoke the fire of creativity

Imbolc is a time for welcoming in new creative fires. Try a new handcraft like knitting or whittling, write a poem or paint a picture. Whatever you choose, enjoy the process, soak up the moment.

This is our new woodland friend, her name is Moss.

Weave with Willow

Willow has long been associated with Imbolc. The water loving tree is aligned with flowing female energies and Mother Earth. Rebirth of the land from the dark winter and the emergence of life again. Willow has amazing rooting abilities, so growing new shoots from cuttings is incredibly simple.

Try making a beautiful sprouting willow heart on Imbolc and watch how life begins again. See more about the willow and how to make this beautiful willow heart on the Homestead Series.