Imbolc falls at the beginning of February, halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The land still looks like winter, but the days are noticeably longer, the first shoots are showing, and the year has begun to wake.
Imbolc at a glance
- Northern Hemisphere
- February 1 to 2
- Southern Hemisphere
- August 1 to 2
- Pronounced
- IM-bulk or IM-olk. The b is very soft.
- Also called
- Brigid's Day, Candlemas
- Kind of festival
- Cross-quarter fire festival, of Gaelic origin
- Themes
- Purification, inspiration, healing, new beginnings
- Colors
- White, pale yellow, pale green, red
- Symbols
- Candles, Brigid's cross, snowdrops, seeds, milk, wells
- Foods
- Milk, butter and cheese, oat cakes, bread, seeds
Where Imbolc comes from
Imbolc is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals and marked the start of spring in Ireland and Scotland. The origin of the name is uncertain. The two usual explanations link it to Old Irish phrases meaning in the belly, for the pregnant ewes, and ewe's milk. Either way, it belongs to lambing time, when fresh milk returned after the winter.
The festival is closely tied to Brigid. In Irish tradition Brigid is a goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft, and the saint who bears the same name has her feast on February 1. Folk customs recorded in Ireland and Scotland include weaving a cross from rushes to protect the house, making a small bed for Brigid by the hearth, and leaving a cloth outside overnight for her to bless.
What Imbolc means on the Wheel
In the Wiccan story, the Goddess has recovered from the birth of the God at Yule, and the God is a growing child. The light is strengthening. Imbolc is a festival of quiet potential: nothing has bloomed yet, but everything is getting ready.
It is a traditional time for cleansing the home, blessing tools, and making dedications. Many covens hold initiations at Imbolc.
Ways to celebrate
- Light a candle. At dusk, carry a lit candle from room to room to welcome the growing sun. Never leave a lit candle in an empty room.
- Clean the house. This is the original spring cleaning. Clear clutter, open the windows, and follow with a cleansing of the space.
- Weave a Brigid's cross. Rushes are traditional. Straw, long grass, or strips of paper all work. Hang it by the door.
- Start seeds indoors. Plant a few on a windowsill and name a hope for each.
- Make something. Brigid is the patron of poets and makers. Write, craft, bake, or mend.
- Bless your tools. Clean your altar and the things you work with, magical or ordinary.
A simple ritual
A candle and a seed
You will need
- A white candle in a safe holder
- A few seeds and a small pot of soil
- A cup of water
What to do
- At dusk, tidy your altar or a table and set out the candle, the seeds, the pot, and the water.
- Light the candle and say: "The light grows, and so will I."
- Hold the seeds in your hand. Think of one thing that you want to begin or to grow this spring, and say it aloud.
- Plant the seeds and water them.
- Sit with the candle for a few minutes, then put it out safely.
- Place the pot on a bright windowsill. Tending it is part of the ritual.
Imbolc where it is still winter
In colder regions the ground may be frozen solid at the start of February, and the talk of spring can feel premature. Look for smaller signs: the angle of the light, a longer afternoon, buds swelling on the trees. Imbolc honors the promise of spring more than its arrival.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Imbolc falls at the beginning of August. On February 1, Southern Hemisphere witches are keeping Lughnasadh.