Celebrating Imbolc & Honoring Brigid


pronounced (im•blk)


meaning, origins, deities, blessings & rituals


{ keep going to learn more }




Meaning of Imbolc


What is Imbolc?


Imbolc (or Imbolg) is an Old Irish term that may be translated a few different ways:


  1. First meaning is "in the belly," which symbolizes the season of fertility and birth. Earth is preparing to renew and rebirth nature and all its warmth. Green will grow, blossoms will bloom, and all will seem right in the world again!
  2. Second translation of Imbolc is "in milk," which is similar to the previous meaning. "In milk," references the time of lactation, which occurs at the time of a birth. Earth is in a period of nourishment and is clearing the way for all her natural goodness. Her nourishment will replenish and renew to prepare for the upcoming months!
  3. Last, Imbolc can also mean "cleansing," which is why is it a prime time to clean, cleanse, and purify your home and space.

Origins of Imbolc


Where did Imbolc come from?


Imbolc can be dated back as far as the 10th century.


Proof of this celebration can be dated all the way back in pre-Christian era originating in the British Isles. Its earliest mentions found in Irish literature, and there is also poetry of that time that has references to "ewe's milk," and has the implication of purification as well.


It's been speculated that this celebration stems from the breeding cycle of sheep and the beginning of lactation. It was also traditionally aligned with the first day of spring, and the idea of rebirth.


Based in Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the first signs of spring.


This celebration begins in the evening of February 1st and continues into the evening of February 2nd. Imbolc is also known as Oimelc, Lady Day, and in Christianity, Candlemas or St. Brigid's Day. Traditionally, it marks the halfway point between winter solstice (Yule) and spring equinox (Ostara), and signals that spring time is near.


Imbolc is just one of many pre-Christian holidays that highlight the aspects of winter and sunlight and heralding the change of the seasons.



It is a Gaelic holiday, celebrated by many modern witches and pagans.


Imbolc is recognized as one of the eight seasonal festivals of 'The Wheel of The Year,' celebrated by modern witches and pagans, along with many other faiths as well. Anyone who desires to get closer to nature spiritually and practically may also participate in these celebrations.


Imbolc arrives to tell us that warmer, brighter days are coming and that the darkest days are through. The days will appear lighter longer, and we begin to prepare for the spring season by using this time to clean, cleanse, and purify. In lore, this was the time when people would finally come out of their homes and traveled to neighboring villages to check on their loved ones to see who all made it through the harsh winter months. To celebrate those who lived, there were feasts, gatherings, merriment and lots of gift giving. This process became the most important ritual of Imbolc commonly known as Brigid's Procession. The entire procession lasts until the 10th day of February.


This celebration is a treasured magical time of rebirth, renewal, healing, purification, preparation, and new beginnings! It is the time associated with fertility and pregnancy which is one of the many reasons why it is the same day we honor the goddess Brigid.

"We welcome the Light and honor the goddess Brigid. This is a fertile time of new beginnings, and it's traditional to light candles, plant seeds, and enjoy hearth & home."

—lida pavlova


Honoring Brigid


Who's Brigid?


Brigid is a Celtic goddess who we honor on the day we celebrate Imbolc.


Daughter of Dagda, a father-figure god in Irish mythology, bride of Bres, and mother to her son, Ruádan - Brigid, meaning The Exhaulted One, is a goddess from pre-christian Ireland. She is known by many different names, including Bride and Briant, and known as a member and poet of the Tuatha dé Danann (a supernatural race in Irish mythology).


She is not only suggested that she is a Triple Goddess for her Daughter-Bride-Mother aspects, but also because she mentions having two sisters in her poems.; Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith.


Here is the beginning of her story as seen in our favorite oracle guidebook by Stacy DeMarco:


"When the Irish goddess stepped forth on Earth, a flame appeared above her head, roaring upward, connecting her to the heavenly place from which she sprang. This burning fire, full of primal creativity and healing, has been Brigid's gift to her followers for millennia."


Brigid is the patron goddess of creativity, healing, and so much more.


She is much loved and actively worshiped to this day. Artists of all backgrounds - writers, musicians, scholars and healers will call upon her. Many artists will ask her for inspiration and healing. She is also the goddess of crafts, blacksmiths, spring, fertility, poetry, song, midwifery, birds, holy wells, and warfare.


She is still a popular deity, known around the world.


Imbolc is sacred to Brigid. Herbs necessary for healing are gathered and harvested during this time and ritually blessed in her name. Many celebrations are held around her healing wells, as well as natural springs sacred to her are still well-used in Ireland.


Through her later appropriation by the Christians, she is known as St. Brigid, a patron saint of Ireland. Her current sanctuary in Kildare, contains a sacred flame - one of the many symbols of the goddess. She is also symbolized with cows, spring, dew, flowers, milk, forged metal, and poetry.


Celebrating Imbolc


How can we celebrate Imbolc?


One can celebrate Imbolc by being in entirely in-tune and purely aligned with its themes.


Imbolc is about cleansing, communication, connections, loved ones, gift giving, fire magic, crafting, preparing for spring, and divination for readiness to know what lies ahead.


Here are a few simple, specific, yet super significant ways that you too can celebrate with us and participate in this witchy festival, harness its magic spark and fire power, and even honor the Celtic goddess Brigid & channel her energy and influence:



1. Clean your home and space

2. Spend quality time & check in with friends and relatives.

3. Light lots of candles & use the power and influence of fire and light.

4. Customize or create an altar space connected to Imbolc in honor of Brigid - sun symbols, flowers (especially white ones), seeds, crystals, snow in a jar, other talismans, etc.

5. Start showing yourself to the world & share your own unique voice.

6. Cleanse and or create magical tools, supplies & spaces.

7. Plant seeds, make crafts, write letters, create art, & build new ideas.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY WISDOMS:


1. Now is the time to take the concept of renewal seriously.

2. This period is favorable for influencing new habits and practices.

3. New beginnings are rooted well with the energies of this season.

4. It may be time to let something go in order to make room for something new.

5. The intention is peace and rhythm, not pain and regret.

6. It's important to take the time to really evaluate what is no longer serving you, your life, your relationships, and your home and space.

7. It's time to let go, grow, and blindly bloom as you go.

To briefly summarize the information above - if you are waiting for a time to try something new, or begin working towards a new goal...there is no better time than now!


The Influences of Imbolc will help you get started and on your way!



WEdding Witch Wisdom


Stuck in a wedding rut & losing your excitement?


Please know that you are not alone!


Kate, a 2023 bride herself, knows that planning the best day of your life is no easy task. Over the span of about seven years in the industry as a wedding photographer, Kate has not only now experienced the trials and tribulations of the planning process, but she has also witnessed, consulted, and assisted dozens and dozens of couples plan their visions and then work fiercely to bring them to life.


There is this negative, unfortunate, and overwhelming pressure in the industry to have THE BEST DAY, at the BEST VENUE, wearing the BEST DRESS, etc., etc., and The Wedding Witch is here to possibly be the first to say that, "Yes, it is A LOT, and yes, it is also extremely unnecessary." Your wedding and all the planning leading to it isn't meant to feel this way.


The only thing your wedding has to be is YOURS - that's it!


Each and every single event presents its own unique list of dreams, desires, needs and yes, even mistakes and mishaps - but let's focus on what we can control!


Stuck on finding vendors? Behind on sending out invites? Difficulty sticking to your budget?

We hear you - and there are millions of others just like you!

You are not failing, and The Wedding Witch won't allow you to feel defeated any longer!


Use the influences of Imbolc and the arrival of this magical season to help you through what is troubling you and keeping you from moving forward.


We want you to have the wedding day and magical marriage that you have always dreamt of - and it is 100% completely possible. Don't let the wild wedding world make you believe that it is out of reach.


You are limitless, and anything is possible. First, same with everything in life, you have to believe!


The Wedding Witch has created a simple ritual that can be completed in seven simple steps to help you get through this rut and influence excitement back into your research and plans.


View this magical system below, and put it into action as soon as possible to breathe new life into your vision and bring joy back into planning your wedding!


According to The Wedding Witch, here is a simple ritual to breakthrough your wicked wedding rut, renew your joy and excitement, and bring peace to the rest of your preparations:


1. Take time off planning and wedding talk - and spend some quality time with friends, family and loved ones thats not wedding related!


Let go of the stress and heartaches for a moment and spend some time out simply just for you! The tasks and to-do's aren't going anywhere - and they will all get done, promise! Take care of you for a moment, practice extra self-care, and fill your cup. You deserve to feel joy and happiness during this time, not dread and regret. Call your power back, and hold your head up high, bride. Everything will be okay, everything will work out, and it will all be perfect.


2. Clean off a desk, table space, cozy corner, etc. - dedicate this space solely for wedding research, planning, and inspiration, and try your best to keep is tidy, fresh and clean.


This ensures that energies do not get chaotic, and it will allow all that amazing information to flow to you, instead of painstakingly searching the ends of the Earth for the perfect vendors, venues, details and more. It truly can be that easy!


3. Set up & decorate your space with your vision and inspiration.


If you haven't we highly recommend creating a physical vision board! Take it off Pinterest, and make it REAL. They say that the brain retains things when we write out our words, and draw out our visuals. This ideology would also apply to the process of creating a vision board. We plan on writing a post, and launching a workshop specifically all bout creating your wedding vision and creating a vision board - but until then - we will define it as a collective of images, words, quotes and more that encapsulates one's vision, dream, and goals.


Create your vision board using images, words, and quotes that would define your unique wedding style and vision then hang your board in your dedicated planning space. Keep your eye on the prize, and stay focused, motivated, and influenced by who and what is most important to you.


4. Light a candle and/or Cleanse your space with fire/smoke, or song - set your intention clearly & properly protect your space.


Here's an example of an appropriate intention,

"I dedicate this space for all creativity and productivity - focused on my love, partnership, wedding day, and marriage, and I clear all other stagnant or negative energies and vibrations here that will no longer serve this purpose."


5. Start with a blank page.


All other previous research and any other information you may have gathered so far can be set aside for the time being - we do not need this right now. Right now, that binder busting with pages and details is overwhelming you. Its stacking all that energy up together - and it's causing your mind to become clouded and misguided. Don't throw all this hard work away, but we are in a sense, starting over.


Begin with one, single blank page of plain white paper. No lines equals no limitations!


Use this black page to "Brain Dump" or simply write down every single little thing on your mind - wedding related or not. Take your thoughts out of your mind and onto the paper - go crazy and leave no brain cave unturned. Dig deep and just get it all out! This is not the time to be nice, neat, and tidy. This page will most likely get messy, and that's okay because we are going to make sense of all of it in the next steps.


6. Weed out & prioritize your list.


What are the top three things from your 'Brain Dump" page that need your immediate attention? In other words, what are the three things on your page that are weighing on you most and causing you the most stress? We are going to tackle these first...


Physically circle those top three things on your list in a secondary, bright color. We are then going to forget about the rest of the list until these three things are complete.


Once you start crossing these off your list, you can expect to feel lighter and more peaceful when thinking about your to-do list. You are in control now - nothing can stop you!


7. Repeat, as necessary.


When in doubt, call upon Brigid.


Stacy DeMarco says in her 'Goddess & Sirens' oracle guidebook:


"Brigid appears in your life to heal you, often by inspiring you. Her energy is powerful and effective. She encourages the full expression of appropriate emotion and the creative spirit. It is said that no one who offers trust to Brigid is disappointed, and she always compassionately does her best to assist. Brigid's presence will help any creative projects or emotional journeys or discussions. She is a wonderful goddess to call upon when you need to bust out of a rut and get excited about life again!"


If you are struggling with a task or is someone is making this journey painful for you - call upon Brigid. Like DeMarco explains, Brigid will often inspire you through healing. How can you use her powerful energy to help you emote what you are thinking and feeling in order to process and let go? Ask for her assistance, believe in her power and influence, and allow her to work through you and guide the way towards acceptance, completion and peace!


We thank you for reading, and may you find a spark of guidance & inspiration this Imbolc season.


Happy Wedding Planning/Wedding Day/Magical Marriage, beautiful bride!


A little love letter from Kate, The Wedding Witch:


"If you have made it this far, first of all - I can't thank you enough for being here! This collection has been in the works for over a year, and I am beyond ecstatic that we are finally getting content out, podcasts planned and so so so much more. Be sure you don't miss out of our first ever Wedding Witch Workshop which is currently in the works with official details to come soon! If you believe in miracles, magic, the mysteries of the universe, healing, love & Light - then this is the place for you. I look forward to serving the industry to provide the best inspiration and intuitive guidance that a witch can give! I can't wait to meet you and see how I can help you focus in on your wedding vision and make your marriage magical AF!"



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