February 1 – 4
Gracious time comes with the passage of Festivals. Grace of the Divine passes through the temple of each human being. When attentive, alert and awake, we can take this grace into our consciousness and live more in the peace, love and harmony of our soul. We emanate this energy through us, around us and to our world.
Imbolc is the first festival of the 8-spoke wheel of the calendar year. February 1-4 are the traditional days of this celebration. This year, February 4th at 2:15 a.m. MST, is the most auspicious time to create this celebration. In the Quarter Festivals, it is best to celebrate when the Sun is 15 degrees of the sign that marks the festival. In this case, it is 15 degrees of Aquarius (Rowan). It is the celebration of the melting snows, the give away of winter. It is the time when the earth mirrors her face once again. Our ancestors celebrated New Light, for the darkness of winter was finally letting go of its grip. So it is today. Celebrations began with the coal of the Brighid Fire being taken to the homes of every one in the village from the one sacred fire of Brighid that had been held in a sanctuary throughout the dark days. The honoring of the Sacred Light and the interdependence of compassion, care, love, sharing and support was enacted. So it is we honor this passage of light.
Imbolc is a celebration of the Goddess Brighid and it gives honor to the Great Goddess and nine sacred gifts to the world: Poetry, Lore, Research, Intelligence, Understanding, Knowledge, Reflection, Meditation, and Wisdom. As you reflect on this ceremony, reflect on the power of each of these nine gifts and how you use them in your life now.
Imbolc is also know as Candlemas. During the celebration one large white candle is place in the center of your altar. This is the Candle of Brighid. Preferably on a mirror. Eight small white candles (each representing one of the sacred festivals of the year) is set around a circle linking them to the Large white candle.
The power of the moon is the power of the Maiden’s moon, the new moon.
MAIDEN’S MOON:
New Moon – Seed planting time in the Womb of the Great Mother Moon. New beginnings are to be honored. This is the time when you focus on renewed direction, planting the seeds of your monthly intent and desires. Write a message about your desires on a note paper and place it underneath the large white candle. Over the 3 days of the new moon, affirm what you have written.
To have this ceremonial time come right at new moon is a Power Time for Initiating your year ahead. During the ceremony of Imbolc, there is much to contemplate for the planting of your intent to fulfill the goals and dreams of your new year. Blessings to you and you set your purpose.
Spirit of Purpose
The Magic of Imbolc
-
- The time before Imbolc spend contemplating what you are desiring for the year ahead. Write down on a piece of paper all that you wish to manifest. If you have not created a Treasure Board (collage of pictures and affirmations) of what you want to see your year ahead be, then do so now.
-
- Establish the Spirit of Purpose (i.e. Honoring the Great Goddess, setting your annual path before you, etc.);
-
- Establish date and time to perform your magickal ceremony.
-
- Gather specific components for your assisting ritual. Choose the color white in all the candles, for this is the color of purity, renewal, and the Isness within all events. The essences of Gardenia can be used. Clear Quartz Crystals are the best stones to generate the transmission of energies to initiate your year. White flowers are best to grace your altar.
From the moment you know what you want to release, consciously place this energy into the Heart of the Great Mother, the Heart of the Moon where the Greater Purpose and Guidance can be directed for you..
-
- One day of your ceremony, gather all the elements and tools for your altar, (include your plants, oils, stones, candles, and altar elements ).
– Create an incantation that will be used in your ceremony. It is best done with your own words and written in your own hand.
– An example of an incantation: “Blessings of this time. Blessings for this ceremony. Blessings of the Year. All blessings flow as the Divine Plan Unfolds within me.
– Write out your complete ceremony that you wish to follow. Write it in your magickal spells book (from beginning to end). Include a space within the ceremony where you can spend time completely honoring all that you have been writing about.
-
- An hour or so before your ceremony begin by preparing yourself and placing all items on your altar.
– Self Purification – (bath/shower, sage or other cleansing incense/elixir)
– Cleanse the place where ritual will occur (sage or other incense to clear the area, i.e., elixir for room clearing, symbolic sweeping with a broom)
– Set an altar with a white cloth to place your items for symbols of fire (candle with specific color), water (in cup or shell), air (incense or double edged knife) and earth (a stone or pentacle symbol) as well as sacred items that align your heart and mind with the Spirit of Purpose.
– Clear your mind of other thoughts and activities. Bring a vision of your purpose into your mind, feel yourself ready to enter the deepest part of your inner being. Center your mind and emotions into the purpose of your magickal alignment. (Very important component.)
– Create a sacred vortex (a conduit for energy to be mixed and aligned with God/Goddess, the Spirit of your Purpose, and the most sacred vibration of the manifested desire). Mind and emotions must maintain the focus of purpose.
– Align with the 4-quarters. Sanctify the circle by honoring the elements/elementals. Call in the Goddess, deities and the Spirit of Purpose in the manner that is most comfortable for you, but always with clarity and deliberate focus of purpose.
– Speak out your incantation for what you desire. Raise energy (feeling and sensing a rise of energy from your womb, begin to visualize it forming a ball of light (i.e., for love it would be pink or red), hold tight your sphincter muscle and let the energy rise to your heart, then with a large exhale, direct the energy ball of light from your heart into the circle, knowing that it forms the spirit of your purpose).
– Meditate in the energy you have created. Visualize the manifest complete and utilize the powers of knowing that it is so: Feel it, put a smell to it, a taste, sound, and see it so. When you feel it deep within, end your meditation.
– Give gratitude to the Goddess, deities, elements and elementals, the 4-quarters and conduit alignment above and below. Acknowledge that all is within you now.
– Close your circle by snuffing out your candle, and walking in the opposite direction that you set your circle to gather all energy unto yourself.
– Say Awen (So it is, So Mote it Be, It is complete).
The following may provide you information for setting your circle after you have cleansed the area and set your items on the altar (cleanse them as well).
Draw a circle by standing in the center of your space, face East (the place of the returning light, renewal and vision), allow yourself to draw in white light from the heart of WomanSpirit to your heart. Feel it well up inside like a ball of light, release this light into your right index finger, and circle clock-wise, releasing the light as you complete one full turn around the circle. As your return to the North begin giving honor to the 4-quarters and calling in the elements as well. At your altar light the incense for air, light the candle for fire, and sprinkle water from your cup across your altar to honor the blessings of water, touch your stone and acknowledge the Spirit of Earth that allows you to flow with the essence of love and purpose, Then begin your opening:
Face the east:
WomanSpirit, from my heart to yours I align with the light of the east WomanSpirit, I ask that this door be open
I ask to align with the enchantment of air
I ask that the angels and goddesses of Imbolc help me hold the vision of, and know the love and power of my year before me.
WomanSpirit allow me to become one with the vision of my inner temple and the place of my Higher Self that I may flow with this power throughout the year before me
Face the south:
WomanSpirit, from my heart to your heart I ask to align with the light of the south I ask that this door be open
I ask to align with the enchantment of fire
I desire align with the angels and goddess of integrity, and intent to allow the power of purpose to be my magick throughout the year.
Facing the west:
WomanSpirit, from my heart to your heart I ask to align with the light of the west I ask that this door be open
I desire to align with the enchantment of water
I ask the angels and goddesses of the sacred inner realm enter my circle and assist my travels through the astral fluid of Divine Wisdom
I, the daughter of the Goddess become one with the powers that be that will assist me in flowing through my lunar year with the intent to fulfill my goals.
Face the North:
WomanSpirit from my heart to yours I ask to align with the light of the north I ask that this door be open
I desire to align with the enchantment of the earth
I ask that the angels and goddesses of the Sacred Place of the Faith to enter this circle for me now.
I desire to become one with the grounding forces that will help me manifest all desires before me.
The invocation to the WomanSpirit and the goddess Brighid that supports your passageway of the year.. Stand with arms raised and legs separated revealing the stance of a five pointed star that honors the Goddess and say:
WomanSpirit. I stand before you and call forth your presence, your love, your light and your sacred purpose into the Spirit of the Place, the Spirit of the Hour and the Spirit of this circle.
Great Goddess, WomanSpirit
May I be blessed by our union and the sacred powers within me. May I hear Your voice and Your direction that I will honor.
Great Mother, penetrate through this moment your Divine Energy and commence Your loving gaze and the blessings of my destiny through the 8-fold ceremonies of the year.
Inspiration has begun
From your loving heart the sacred voice from within Enlightenment shall begin.
Create a symbol of Anu (five pointed star within a circle) and Light the Candle of Brighid, create a prayer from your heart and say:
Brighid, Reflection of the Great Goddess, cast upon me the blessings of your gifts:
Poetry, Lore, Research, Intelligence, Understanding, Knowledge, Reflection, Meditation, and Wisdom.
Be the ever present guides to assist me as I travel the pathways of this year with intent and purpose.
Help me, I plead, bring the Light of my Higher Being into the expression of my daily activities.
Proceed to the incantation: (yours or the suggested one)
Blessings of this time. Blessings for this ceremony. Blessings of the Year. All blessings flow
as the Divine Plan Unfolds within me.
Go around the circle of 8 candles, lighting each one as you go. Say a prayer for the powers of the
Year:
Imbolc: The flow of Light, the power of focus through the beauty of ritual on the year ahead.
Spring Equinox: The beauty of balance, the sacredness of intent. The harmony of growth.
Beltane: The excitement of life, the planting of seeds, the merging of love (mates, ideas, etc).;
Summer Solstice:The growth and expression of life dreams, the beauty of the Greatest Power of
Light;
Lammas:Celebration of talents, fulfillment of intent, the honoring of the first Grains of life being
harvested for the year;
Fall Equinox:The power to be grateful for your abundance, the rewards of your efforts fulfilled;
Samhain: The willingness to clear your inner soil, the connection with your ancestors, the
completion act of your efforts, the return to the darkest part of the year.
Winter Solstice:Honoring the sacred silence, baring the temple within so the Still Small Voice can
be heard to direct your path a gain.
Spend time in meditation for the year ahead and when you are ready to accept the powers
that be:
Raise energy (feeling and sensing a rise of energy from your lower belly, begin to visualize
it forming a ball of light (i.e., white for this celebration), hold tight your sphincter muscle and let the
energy rise to your heart, then with a large exhale, direct the energy ball of light from your heart into
the circle, knowing that it forms the spirit of your purpose).
– Honor the energy you have created. Give honor for all that you experience and will
experience
– Give gratitude to the Goddess, deities, elements and elementals, the 4-quarters and
conduit alignment above and below. Acknowledge that all is within you now.
– Close your circle by snuffing out your candle (or blowing it out knowing that the
light goes out to the world), and walking in the opposite direction that you set your
circle to gather all energy unto yourself.
– Say Awen (So it is, So Mote it Be, It is complete).
