🌱 🧙‍♀️Solitary & Group Rituals for Imbolc 🧙🌱 (Patreon)

This post is all about solitary and group rituals you can do to celebrate Imbolc! Are you doing anything special? These articles are from Learn Religions by Patti Wigington.

Imbolc Solitary Candle Ritual

Hundreds of years ago, when our ancestors relied upon the sun as their only source of light, the end of winter was met with much celebration. Although it is still cold in February, often the sun shines brightly above us, and the skies are often crisp and clear. As a festival of light, Imbolc came to be called Candlemas. On this evening, when the sun has set once more, call it back by lighting the seven candles of this ritual.

The seven candles in this ritual represent various aspects of both the seasons and the human existence. Several symbolize the light that emerges as winter finally comes to an end, and another represents the purifying warmth of the hearth fires. One candle is symbolic of the barrier between the positive and negative in your life; a boundary of sorts between our world and the next. Another stands in for the magic of wisdom and inspiration, and for the light that comes into our lives when we experience love.

If you're a solitary practitioner, don't worry! This is a ritual you can perform all by yourself. Although this ceremony is written for one, it can easily be adapted for a small group by assigning each participant their own candle, or candles, to light and take charge of.

First, set up your altar in a way that makes you happy, and brings to mind the themes of Imbolc – rebirth and renewal, purification and cleansing.

Prior to beginning your ritual, take a warm, cleansing bath. While soaking, meditate on the concept of purification. Once you're done, dress in your ritual attire, if you normally wear it, and begin the rite. You'll need:

• Seven candles, in red and white (tealights are perfect for this)
• Something to light your candles with
• A large bowl or cauldron big enough to hold the candles
• Sand or salt to fill the bottom of the bowl/cauldron

If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, do so now. Pour the sand or salt into the bowl or cauldron. Place the seven candles into the sand so they won't slide around. Light the first candle. As you do so, say:

Although it is now dark, I come seeking light.

In the chill of winter, I come seeking life.

Light the second candle, saying:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.

I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.

I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Light the third candle. Say:

This light is a boundary, between positive and negative.

That which is outside, shall stay without.

That which is inside, shall stay within.

Light the fourth candle. Say:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.

I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.

I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Light the fifth candle, saying:

Like fire, light and love will always grow.

Like fire, wisdom and inspiration will always grow.

Light the sixth candle, and say:

I call upon fire, that melts the snow and warms the hearth.

I call upon fire, that brings the light and makes new life.

I call upon fire to purify me with your flames.

Finally, light the last candle. As you do so, visualize the seven flames coming together as one. As the light builds, see the energy growing in a purifying glow.

Fire of the hearth, blaze of the sun,

cover me in your shining light.

I am awash in your glow, and tonight I am

made pure.

Take a few moments and meditate on the light of your candles. Think about this Sabbat, a time of healing and inspiration and purification. Do you have something damaged that needs to be healed? Are you feeling stagnant, for lack of inspiration? Is there some part of your life that feels toxic or tainted? Visualize the light as a warm, enveloping energy that wraps itself around you, healing your ailments, igniting the spark of creativity, and purifying that which is damaged.

When you are ready, end the ritual. You may choose to follow up with healing magic, or with a Cakes and Ale ceremony.

Group Ritual to Honor Brighid

This ritual is designed for a group of individuals, but could easily be adapted for a solitary practitioner. At this time of returning spring, our ancestors lit bonfires and candles to celebrate the rebirth of the land.

In many areas of the Celtic world, this was the fire feast of Brighid, the Irish goddess of hearth and home. Set up your altar with the symbols of Brighid and the coming spring–a Brighid's cross or dolly, potted daffodils or crocuses, white and red yarn or ribbon, young fresh twigs, and lots of candles.

Also, you'll need an unlit candle for each participant, a candle to represent Brighid herself, a plate or bowl of oats or oatcakes, and a cup of milk.

If you normally cast a circle in your tradition, do so now. Each member of the group should hold their unlit candle before them.

The HPs, or whoever is leading the rite, says:

Today is Imbolc, the day of midwinter.

The cold has begun to fade away,

and the days grow longer.

This is a time in which the earth is quickening,

like the womb of Brighid,

birthing the fire after the darkness.

The HPS lights the Brighid candle, and says:

Bright blessings at midwinter to all!

Brighid has returned with the sacred flame,

watching over home and hearth.

This is a time of rebirth and fertility,

and as the earth grows full of life,

may you find abundance on your own path.

Imbolc is the season of lambing, of new life,

and a time to celebrate the nurturing and warmth of Brighid.

At this time, the HPs takes the cup of milk, and offers a sip to Brighid. You can do this either by pouring it into a bowl on the altar, or by simply raising the cup to the sky. The HPs then passes the cup around the circle. As each person takes a sip, they pass it to the next, saying:

May Brighid give her blessings to you this season.

When the cup has returned to the HPs, she passes the oats or oatcakes around in the same manner, first making an offering to Brighid. Each person takes a bit of the oats or cakes and passes the plate to the next, saying:

May Brighid's love and light nurture your path.

The HPS then invites each member of the group to approach the altar, and light their candle from the Brighid candle. Say:

Come, and allow the warmth of Brighid's hearth

to embrace you.

Allow the light of her flame

to guide you.

Allow the love of her blessing

to protect you.

When everyone has lit their candle, take a few moments to meditate on the warmth and nurturing nature of the goddess Brighid. As you bask in her warmth, and she protects your home and hearth, think about how you will make changes in the coming weeks. Brighid is a goddess of abundance and fertility, and she may help you guide your goals to fruition.

When you are ready, end the ceremony, or move on to other rituals, such as Cakes and Ale, or healing rites.

Family Ritual to Say Farewell to Winter

This simple ritual is a fun one to do with your family on a snowy day, but can also be performed by a single person. The best time to do it is when you have a fresh layer of snow on the ground, but if that's not possible, never fear.

Find a big pile of snow to work in. Try to time the rite so you begin it just before dinner–you can actually start it while your meal is cooking.

Prepare a collection of things to make noise with–bells, clappers, drums, etc. Make sure each person has one form of noisemaker. You'll also need a candle in the color of your choice (tall enough to stick in the snow), something to light it with (like a lighter or matches), and a bowl.

Go outside, and create a symbol of spring in the snow. You could draw a picture of the sun or some flowers, rabbits, anything that means spring to your family. If you have a lot of space, feel free to make it as big as you like. Another option is to have each person make their own symbol in the snow. One family member calls out:

Old man winter, it's time to go!

Take with you these piles of snow!

The other family members stomp around the symbol in a circle through the snow, banging their drums, ringing their bells, and chanting:

Melt, snow, melt!

Spring will soon return!

Light the candle, and place it in the center of the circle. Say:

A flame, a fire, all the warmth it brings,

melt the snow, cold be gone, welcome back the spring!

The rest of the family stomps through the snow once more, in a circle, making lots of noise and chanting:

Melt, snow, melt!

Spring will soon return!

Leave the candle to burn out on its own. Fill your bowl with snow and take it back inside with you. Place it in the center of your table and eat your meal. By the time you're done, the snow should be close to melted (if you have to, put it near the stove to hurry things along). Hold up the bowl, and say:

The snow has melted! Spring will return!

Make lots of noise with your bells and drums, clapping and whooping it up. Use the melted snow water to water a plant, or save it for ritual use later on.

End of Winter Meditation

This meditative journey is one you can read ahead of time, and then recall as you meditate, or you can record yourself reading it aloud, and listen to it as a guided meditation later on. You can even read it aloud as part of an Imbolc group ritual. The ideal place to perform this meditation is somewhere outside; try to pick a day that's warm, or at the very least sunny. Go out in your garden, or sit under a tree in a park, or find a quiet spot near a stream.

Visualize yourself walking along a path. You are traveling through a forest, and as you walk, you notice that the trees are covered with the vibrant hues of autumn. There are reds, oranges, and yellows everywhere. A few leaves have fallen on the ground beside you, and the the air is cool and crisp. Stand for a moment, and take in the scent of fall.

As you continue down the path, you see the sky getting darker as the Wheel of the Year turns. The air has become more brisk, and the leaves are gently falling around you. Soon, the trees are bare, and there is a crunching sound beneath you. When you look down, the leaves are no longer bright with autumn's colors.

Instead, they are brown and brittle, and there is a light touch of frost on them. Winter has arrived. Breathe deeply, so that you can smell and taste the difference in the air.

The darkness is full now, but above you there is a full moon lighting your way. A snowflake falls in front of you, drifting down ever so slowly. Soon another drifts down, and another. As you walk further, the snow begins to fall heavily.

The crunch of your feet on the leaves is muffled, and soon you can't hear anything at all. A blanket of pure white snow covers the forest floor, and everything is quiet, and still. There is a sense of magic in the air–a feeling of being in some other, special place. The real world has vanished with the sun, and all that remains now is you, and the darkness of winter. The snow glistens in the moonlight, and the night is cold. You can see your breath before you in the moonlit air.

As you continue through the forest, you begin to see a faint glimmer of light ahead. Unlike the silvery light of the moon, this is red and bright.

You are beginning to get colder now, and the idea of warmth and light is promising. You walk on, and the red light draws closer. There is something special about it, something of relief and change and warmth.

You walk through the snow, up a steep path, and the snow is now up to your knees. It is becoming more difficult to travel, and you're cold. All you want, more than anything, is a warm fire, and some hot food, and the companionship of your loved ones. But it seems that there is nothing but you and the snow and the night. It seems as though the light has grown closer, and yet is still unreachable. Eventually, you give up–there's no reaching it, and you just keep walking through the snow.

As you come over the hillside, though, something happens. The forest is no longer surrounding you–in fact, there are only a few trees left on this side of the hill. Off in the distance, to the east, the sun is rising. You continue on the path, and the snow fades away. No longer are you walking through great drifts–instead, you are on a muddy track, crossing an open field. In the meadow are tiny buds. Grass is peeking up from the dead, brown earth. Here and there, a cluster of bright flowers appears beside a stone, or beside the path. As you walk, the sun rises higher and higher, bright and orange in its glory. Its warmth embraces you, and soon your night of cold and darkness is forgotten.

Spring has come, and new life abounds. Flowers and vines are beginning to grow, and the earth is no longer dead and brown, but vibrant and fertile. As you walk in the sun's warmth, you realize that winter has truly left you, and that you are renewed and reborn once more.

Stand and bask in the light for a few minutes. Meditate on what sort of abundance you are looking forward to this season. Think about what you will plant in your own garden, and what new life you will bring forth.

Celebrating Imbolc With Kids

Imbolc is a festival of fire and light - it's one of the cross quarter days - and falls on February 2 in the northern hemisphere (it'll be on August 1 if you're one of our readers below the equator). This the time when winter is beginning to wind down, but it's still cold and snowy; spring is looming around the corner, but isn't quite here yet. In some magical traditions, this is the season of the goddess Brighid, who keeps the hearth fires burning and watches over domestic life and the home. If you're raising kids in a Pagan tradition, there are a ton of ways you can get them involved and make them more mindful of what it is your family believes and does.

Here are five easy ways you can celebrate Imbolc with your children this year!

Celebrate Hearth and Home

This is a season in which we're often stuck indoors - after all, it's cold and snowy, and sometimes the temperatures outside are downright dangerous. It's the time of year when we embrace comfort food, burrow into our couches under a pile of blankets, and hibernate just a little bit. However, just because you can't go outside doesn't mean you can't still observe the Imbolc season. This is a time of hearth and home, remember, so why not include that theme in your practice?

For many of us, the kitchen is the center of ritual activity, especially at Imbolc - after all, Brighid is the hearth goddess associated with cooking and family life - so if you don't have a family kitchen altar, now is a good time to invite your kids to set one up. It doesn't have to be huge, because, after all, you still need room for meal prep. Just select a small corner or spot on the counter to serve as you altar space. Your children can add a statue or symbol of Brighid or the hearth goddess of your own tradition, and a small bowl or cauldron. Consider using a small wooden cutting board to serve as your kitchen altar; this way, if you need to move things out of the way, you can just pick up the board and move everything at once.

If you're fortunate enough to have a fireplace, you and your children can do a hearth blessing together on Imbolc, as you light your fire. Use a simple blessing like:

Hearth and home, home and hearth,

welcoming close our family and friends.

Home and hearth, hearth and home,

the light returns as winter ends.

When you extinguish or dampen the fire, use another blessing or prayer, like Smooring the Fire.

Imbolc Craft Projects

When it's too cold and windy to get outside and have fun, why not work your way through the fallow time by getting creative? If you've got kids, craft projects are a great way to celebrate the Imbolc season and get the magic of inspiration growing.

Make a Brighid's cross to hang on your wall or door. The Brighid's Cross takes many forms in different parts of Ireland, and is used to symbolize the goddess herself. It may be pre-Christian in origin, despite its appearance, and although you can buy inexpensive versions in Irish craft stores, it's easy enough to make your own. Traditionally made with wheat stalks, the cross represents Brighid in her aspect as a hearth goddess. If your children are small, you can make one of these with chenille stems or even construction paper.

A Brighid's crown combines this Celtic goddess' position as firekeeper with that of fertility goddess. Make this crown as an altar decoration, or leave off the candles and hang it on your door for the season. For smaller kids, they're fun to wear!

Since Imbolc is also known as Candlemas, this is a great time of year to make your own candles and firestarters. Candles aren't hard to make, and ice candles are especially fun. Use soy wax instead of paraffin to keep this project safe for younger kids. If your family enjoys a blazing fire during the winter, firestarters come in handy. Be sure to provide plenty of adult supervision.

Family Altar Time

You can start by setting up a family altar for Imbolc. Include the colors of the season - white for a blanket of snow, red for the rising sun, and green for the goddess Brigid. Add a few potted seedlings, since Imbolc is a harbinger of the spring to come. Even very young children can help plant seedlings in pots. If you've got the space, have your children add small toys that represent animals associated with spring, such as lambs, baby chicks, and a calf or two.

Be sure to put candles - or other symbols of light - on your altar, but follow basic safety precautions if you've got little ones around. Say daily prayers and devotionals at your altar, and make sure you include the kids! Make offerings to Brighid, or other hearth goddesses of your family's tradition, that are appropriate to the season. Eggs, milk, and other dairy items are perfect to leave out for the goddesses this time of year.

Parenting Tip: Let your kids decorate glass pillar candles for Imbolc, with symbols of the season. Use acrylic paints, glitter glue, or permanent markers to create designs honoring the hearth, home, and family.

Mark the End of Winter

You can also mark the Imbolc sabbat by doing a family ritual to celebrate the end of winter. The best time to do this is when you have a fresh layer of snow on the ground, but if that's not possible, never fear. Find a big pile of snow to work in. Try to time the rite so you begin it just before dinner—you can actually start it while your meal is cooking.

Add in a simple Imbolc meditation as well, if your kids are old enough to sit still for a few minutes. This time of year, we're all feeling a little bit squirrelly because we've been stuck inside, so a meditation ritual is a good way to get the whole family feeling a little more grounded as you think about the good things to come in the approaching spring.

Get everyone—parents and kids alike—involved in this house cleansing ceremony. Pick a bright sunny day to do a through clean sweep, both physical and spiritual, and then invite the kids to join you in a blessing of your home.

Imbolc Magic

Imbolc is a time of magical energy related to the feminine aspect of the goddess, of new beginnings, and of fire. It's also a good time to focus on divination and increasing your own magical gifts and abilities. Take advantage of these concepts, and plan your workings accordingly. Make a small Brighid's cross or other talisman to hang in the kitchen or over the mantel as a blessing for your home and hearth.

If it's warm enough to get outside—you may have to bundle up!—go on a nature walk and see what signs of spring your children can spot. Are there birds returning yet? Have the built their nests? What plants are beginning to appear from the frozen ground? Talk about how this ties into themes of rebirth and new beginnings.

Try a bit of simple divination for the season with a pendulum - this is an easy method for children to use, because it's focused on Yes or No answers. You can make your own by hanging any sort of heavy object - a ring, stone, or even a seashell - on a string or chain. Be sure to work with your kids to make sure they don't jiggle the chain when they're trying to find answers with their pendulum! Make a divination board, let the kids decorate it as they wish, and ask questions about the upcoming year.

Sources:

Wigington, Patti. "Celebrating Imbolc With Kids." Learn Religions, Sep. 5, 2021, learnreligions.com/celebrating-imbolc-with-kids-4118557.

https://www.learnreligions.com/imbolc-rituals-and-ceremonies-4157556

https://www.learnreligions.com/hold-an-imbolc-candle-ritual-for-solitaries-2562108