An account of how Imbolc went and thoughts for the future.
(Image description: A photo of my Imbolc altar. From left to right, there is a black LED lantern and three of icons of Brighid as Smith, Poet, and Healer. In front of the pictures are some pine cones, a copper sun disk, a Brighid doll in a bed, a couple Brighid’s crosses, a large acorn and smaller ones, a spiral labyrinth, a large pillar candle in a cauldron, a small glass candleholder, wooden incense burner, a bell branch, and an altar cloth with blue Celtic knotwork on top of a wooden chest. An LED tree stands behind the pillar candle.) Credit: My own work.
Brighid’s Day has turned out to be a chilly and damp festival, as the area I live in has been hit by rain, and much the U.S. is also on the receiving end of a winter storm. On one hand, it’s proving troublesome for many, but perhaps it might mean that spring isn’t far off.
I began Imbolc Eve with a flamekeeping shift, and I placed the handful of Brighid’s mantles outside to be blessed when She passed by. Since I knew there was a chance of rain, I secured them to a hanger and hung them from a hook on the porch.
It’s not traditional in the least, but it kept the mantles from becoming damaged. Also, traditions should be adapted as needed, based on your living situation and the environment around you.
Later in the evening, I incorporated my nightly routine into my Imbolc observations. I offered Brighid cream with honey, vanilla incense, and a poem. It doesn’t have a particular rhyme or rhythm and functions as more of a conversation.
It was inspired by a part of Lucy Valunos’ book, One Heart, Many Gods: The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Devotional Polytheism, proposing that the reader consider this question from time to time. Given that poem is more of a stream of thought, I imagine you’ll find it somewhat rough around edges, but it didn’t feel right to clean it up.
Why?
It’s easy to go through
the motions of praising
and offering to You.
But why is my heart
drawn to You, O Brighid
through good and ill.
It’s easy to bless Your name,
when the flow is smooth and steady
but when the stream is rocky
and obstacle-filled,
I must continue,
lest I lose course and my light.
You are there for me,
even though I might miss
the Clue-by-Fours You send me.
You are the Coach, praising
and critiquing me, as
I strike the punching bag of Life.
You have healed me,
You have inspired me,
Word by word,
line by line,
joy flows ‘tween us.
I ask myself why,
“Why do I turn to
Your sacred flame,
each day and every day
each night and every night?”
A threefold litany
or none at all
could not encompass
all that I feel,
the reasons too numerous to utter.
You are the Sublime,
the truth-ringing knell
of Your hammer against my heart.
The cool waters
cleansing my sorrows
the blazing fire igniting
my fingers to write.
May I continue to
to listen and ask why,
so that I may understand and
see You more and more.
Lastly, I did a three stave ogam reading on subjects I should contemplate over the time period from Imbolc to Bealtaine in May.
I received nGétal, Idad, and Beith. With a cursory look at these three letters, I get the sense that it might be time to do some ancestor work, along with healing and purification. It’ll take time to fully interpret what I need to contemplate on and what significance they have to the current events in my life and with Brighid.
Have a happy and blessed Imbolc!
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