The Rituals of Imbolc

Imbolc is a traditional Celtic festival marking the beginning of spring. It begins on the 1st of February through the night and ends on the dawn of the 2nd of February. Imbolc is an ancient tradition, probably dating back further than the Neolithic age since it is a celebration of the seasons; something that humans have always observed. Although it is celebrated in many different ways today, it isn’t too difficult to trace back the origins of this festival to discover how our ancestors really celebrated the coming of spring.

What does Imbolc mean?

The etymology of Imbolc is actually quite a mystery. Although most people maintain that Imbolc means “milking” referring to the pregnancy and milk that comes from livestock in spring, there scanty evidence for this. One scholar suggested Imbolc derives from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning “milk” and “cleansing” although another scholar suggests that it comes from a Proto-Celtic root meaning “budding.” From this evidence, that means Imbolc is an agricultural holiday about fertility.

You might be wondering, how old is Imbolc? If it is only associated with animals, breeding and milk then that means it couldn’t be earlier than the Neolithic revolution. It is certainly likely that around the time our ancestors changed to agriculture, Imbolc became a celebrated holiday as we know it today.

We know this because, in the ancient Celtic calendar, the year was divided only into two parts; the light half and the dark half. Around the time of the Neolithic revolution, the year was split into two once more, forming the four pagan holidays we know today. This means that the Imbolc festival we know of celebrating the coming of spring and agriculture dates to the Neolithic age.

However, history is more nuanced than this. Does this mean that Imbolc could be older than 6,000 years old? Perhaps through the stones of the past we can find the answer.

The Signs of Spring

Our first piece of evidence comes from the passage tombs of Ireland. Tombs like The Mound of Hostages on the Hill of Tara and Cairn L at Slieve na Calliagh or “Callieach’s Mountain” align perfectly with Imbolc and Samhain. Although the tombs themselves were cut into the mounds in the Neolithic era, the mounds themselves are actually far older than that, dating to a time far back in our ancient past. It could be that our ancestors noticed the position of the rising sun on the first day of spring and observed it from the mounds. A tradition that passed down through time until they later cut into the mounds to honor the moment.

Light was an important part of Imbolc, especially the rising of the sun, but what else was sacred at this time of the year to our ancient ancestors? Evidence of how our ancestors celebrated Imbolc can be found in the celebrations of Saint Brigid.

Brigid and Imbolc

Imbolc is also named Saint Brigid’s Day. The 1st of February was the feast day assigned to Saint Brigid during the medieval era. A whole new meaning is given here when you realize that the Celtic goddess Brigid or Brig was actually associated with Imbolc since the Roman invasion of Britain, where written records of Britain began.

Although Saint Brigid was celebrated in a religious sense during the medieval period at Imbolc, there is quite a lot of evidence tieing Saint Brigid to the Celtic goddess Brigid or Brig. I’ve already covered the parallels between them in my article about Brigid, but essentially it’s highly likely Saint Brigid was in fact a goddess associated with the oak tree and a female druid order. By looking at the medieval Irish rituals surrounding Brigid, a fuller picture of the original Imbolc celebrations comes into view.

Fire and Imbolc

We know Imbolc was associated with the light of the sun, so to embody this our ancestors would use fire to commemorate the occasion. On the eve of Imbolc, medieval women would smooth out the ashes on their hearth and sleep by the hearth at night. At sunrise, they would check for markings in the ashes. If there were markings left, the women would rejoice that Brigid came to their homes during the night, spreading her Imbolc blessings on the house that they would have an abundant year. These “footprints of Brigid” were part of many fire rituals during Imbolc that our ancestors would do to invite Brigid into their homes in the hope that they would be blessed.

The hearth has long been associated with Brigid since this was how our ancestors could have fire within their homes. Bonfires during Imbolc have also been recorded since the very earliest medieval age — a fire festival during the end of the dark winter months. Our ancestors would light a bonfire on the hilltops and bathe in the smoke or jump over the fire to invite in the cleansing energy. Brigid even had a fire temple where her eternal flame was tended by the druidesses.

The elements of light, fire and the sun, are often associated with learning (the illumination of the mind from the darkness of ignorance), esoteric knowledge (illuminating the soul) and life (the sun and the warmth of summer invites growth). Our ancestors were bringing in these qualities, both within themselves and around themselves, in order to have a prosperous new year.

Water and Imbolc

Fire and water had been Brigid’s main elements because fire and water both cleanse. It’s clear that ancient people around this time wanted to cleanse their homes and bodies to get rid of the old from the dark times, to welcome in the light times.

In the medieval era, people were documented to follow an ancient tradition of bathing in sacred wells to pay homage to Brigid. This tradition is obviously very old, dating back to an ancient purification ritual. Visitors to the sacred wells would leave an offering, say a blessing to Brigid, and leave a piece of cloth tied to a tree in order to pay homage to her. There’s even one record of people walking “sunwise” or “clockwise” around the well to gain blessings for their health.

Simple Rituals for Imbolc

So how can you celebrate Imbolc? During this time, our ancestors would invite Brigid into their homes to bring them blessings and prosperity for the year ahead. Here are some rituals you can do to bring in a brighter new year.

Make an Imbolc cross to hang above your doorway. Weaving an Imbolc cross or Brigid’s cross is easy to do. Simply get a few green rushes and begin weaving the pattern. The Cross of Brigid is actually a very ancient symbol of the sun, the form of the sun wheel. Hanging it above the front door was thought to bring protection to the home.
Burn incense for Brigid. Medieval women who felt that Brigid did not favor them would burn incense to get back in her good graces. Imbolc herbs that are great for cleansing include bay leaves, nettles and mugwort. Burn your favorite incense throughout your home and feel the presence of Brigid coming back into your abode.
Leave your linen outside. Before going to bed on Imbolc eve, medieval people would lay their linens outside. It was thought that Brigid would come by the bless them during the night. The next morning, the cloth would have the powers of healing and protection.
Make an offering to Brigid. Offerings to goddesses often bring blessings on sacred days like Imbolc. In one medieval account, a woman hosted Brigid and although she had nothing, still sacrificed her wooden spindle for the fire and a new calf to eat. The next morning when Brigid left, she saw a new spindle and calf in place of the ones she sacrificed. The ancients believed the more we gave selflessly, the more we reaped. So make an offering of food, like buttered bread with honey as Brigid was known to be associated with honey and dairy, or of some fresh fruit, and you are sure to be blessed by the Celtic goddess.
Clean your home. Imbolc was without a doubt an ancient cleansing holiday in preparation for the new year. Clean your home from top to bottom and get rid of any trash. This way, you’re welcoming in more prosperity for the next season.
Purify your body. Purification and cleanliness was very important to our ancestors. If the weather is good, go outside to a local spring and bathe your hands or your whole body in the water. You can also bring the water back to your home and sprinkle it around to bring in the energy of the new season. Another way to purify yourself is to have a long shower or bath. Bathing in milk is great for your skin and also emboldens you in the energy of Brigid.
Spend time with friends and family. Imbolc is a celebration of the hearth, and the hearth is all about community. Spend today in the company of loved ones, even if it’s remotely over video call. Through Imbolc, Brigid is said to visit homes and repay them with blessings. So be the best host you can be and who knows, perhaps you will get some blessings this year.