Calendar information from http://www.io.com/~cookec/pagan/calendar.html
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(From the Encyclopaedia of the Celts.)OIMELC / IMBOLC Sundown February First to sundown February Second "The coming of Brighid, Feile Bhride, or Brigit's feast - that was springlambing (Oimelc means 'sheep's milk') and the combat between the Caillech of Winter and her rival, the Spring Maiden. Celebrated on 1 February. It is told in an obscure text how Brigit's lamb fought against the Cailleach's dragon. Scottish Gaelic regions still celebrate her feast in remembrance of a gentle mystery cycle about Brigit's imminent appearance, while in Ireland, people make Bride's Crosses woven of rushes or withies and in the shape of a three or four-armed cross. This custom may derive from an earlier fireceremony in which this cross would have been ignited and cast into the winterskies of February to hasten the coming spring. The combat of Brigit with the Cailleach can still be traced in some extant folkstories."
Imbolc is a time of beginnings, the true beginning of spring, and a common occasion for initiation into the craft. The Covenant of the Goddess says that "It is the holiday of the Celtic Fire Goddess Brigid, whose threefold nature rules smithcraft, poetry/inspiration, and healing. Brigid's fire is a symbolic transformation offering healing, visions, and tempering. Februum is a Latin word meaning purification -- naming the month of cleansing. The thaw releases waters (Brigid is also a goddess of holy wells) -- all that was hindered is let flow at this season." Lights are left burning all night.
ACTIVITIES
STORIES
RECIPES
EVENTS
DECORATIONS Decorations such as evergreens, sun wheels, or a cup of melted snow are good, but not necessarily practical if you live below the snow level, or around deciduous trees! Anything equally seasonal is good: the idea is to evoke a time of year when winter is passing and spring is going to erupt out of the earth all around. Good colors tend to be green and white, for the juxtaposition of frozen winter and new life. Brigid's colors are green, black and white.ACTIVITIES Creative Exercise: Brigid is the Goddess of creativity and poetry, among other things. Brainstorm what you know about her; make a special trip to the library or the Web to look up Celtic legends around Brigid; meditate on her. Then write a poem, a story, or a rambling train of thought about her; get out some crayons and paints and draw a picture, or sculpt something for her. Anything goes!Planting A popular Imbolc activity is to prepare a seed for spring planting. Needed:Dirt or potting soil A small pot suitable for your chosen seed Any seed which can germinate at this time of year (indoor plants are good for urban dwellers, to brighten up an office, or to more easily keep track of the progress of your spell) Cast the circle. This can be done a number of different ways: by visualizing a sphere of energy shielding your work area; by sprinkling salt water around the edges of the circle; by raising energy through humming or chanting and forming it into a sphere around you; by pacing off the safe space until you feel it is impenetrable; or any other means you find to be effective. The idea is to make this space sacred to you for the duration of the spell, dedicated to your purposes; since no meditation is being done, safety from outside forces is less of an issue. Next, invoke the Goddess and/or God. An invocation can be a poem or any passage written by yourself or anybody else that you feel evokes the presence of the God/dess. Fill the pot with earth, knowing that you and it are connected to the greater Earth all around you, and place pot and seed in front of you, on the altar if you have one. Hold the seed in your hand, knowing that it represents the beginnings of life and the magical creed "as above, so below," mirroring the knowledge held in an ancient oak tree with its tiny coils of DNA. Bless the seed in any manner that springs to your heart, and concentrate on your goal for the next spin of the year. Put your intent into the seed and plant it, knowing that your progress toweards the goal will grow along with your plant. Thank whoever you invoked, ground any energy you raised, and close the circle. Some nice grounding snacks are usually called for at this point... bringing us to: RECIPES General ideas: Dairy products are good for Imbolc, celebrating the new milk coming to animals now. Sprouts and fruitcakes are nicely symbolic of spring. Anything round, or involving honey, is appropriate to symbolize the sun and warmer weather. Pancakes and waffles with thick cream are still a Swedish Imbolc tradition. BRIDECAKES: 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup honey 2 cups oat flour or wheat flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup currants 1/4 cup buttermilk Cream butter and honey together. Mix dry ingredients together and add the currants, stirring to coat them with flour. Stir dry ingredients into butter-honey mixture and add butter milk to make a dough. Roll into balls and flatten on greased cookie sheet. with a knife mark each with a Bride's Cross (+). Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. (Recipe from WiccaCraft for Families by Margie McArthur.)EVENTS 1/21-2/3 Alchemical Healing Nicki Scully teaches Michele Brunner Switzerland three levels 41 031 302-0559 1/24-26 Craft Wise Rituals, workshops, etc. Craft Wise Kissimmee FL (203) 874-5832 P.O. Box 457 Botsford,CT 06404 e-mail: stonewise@aol.com 1/24-26 Women and Drumming, song, ceremony 7Oaks Pathwork Cntr. $195 Winter nature, altars, etc. Rt. 1, Box 86 Madison, VA (540) 948-6544 Madison, VA 22727 1/31-2/2 Shamanic Journey Journeywork to find Church o'Earth Heal. $50 New Marshfield, OH Shamanic helping spirits 6560 SR 356 (614) 664-5050 New Marshfield, OH 2/6-9 Spirit Gathering Ritual, water sharing, Spirit Weavers Nest Union City, MI dance, drumming, seminars P.O. Box 2867 Orion Stormcrow, etc. Toledo, OH 43606 firemage@ix.netcom.com (419) 531-9785 2/7-9 Huichol Shamanism Brant Secunda leads Rowe Conf. Cntr. $195-$350 Rowe, MA Shamanic dance, healing Kings HwyRd, Box273 etc. (413) 339-4216 Rowe, MA 01367 2/8-9 Healing Nicki Scully teaches Anugama Marg Hamburg, Germany personal and planetary 4940 550-1514 2/13-16 ConVocation Workshops, rituals, music Mag.Ed.Coun.AnnArbor $40 ($50 Southfield, MI Jane Sibley, Todd Alan P.O. Box 7727 @ door) Ken Deigh, etc. Ann Arbor, MI 48107 (313) 761-1137 email: convocat@cyberspace.org 2/14-15 Tarot Retreat Learn Tarot with Bekki Church o'Earth Heal. $50 New Marshfield, OH Shining Bearheart 6560 SR 356 (614) 664-5050 New Marshfield, OH 2/14-17 PantheaCon `97 Pagan Convention with Ancient Ways $50 ($60 Oakland, CA workshops,music,Masquerade 4075 Telegraph Ave. aft 1/15) Ball,Starhawk,Luisah Teish Oakland, CA 94609 etc. Rooms cost $82/day (510) 653-3244 2/21-23 Men's Pathworking John Bayerl, Keith 7 Oaks Pathwork Cntr. Madison, VA Covington, etc. Rt. 1, Box 86 (540) 948-6544 Madison, VA 22727 2/21-23 Shamanic Rattle Make a powerful Shamanic Church o'Earth Heal. Making rattle in sacred space 6560 SR 356 Germantown, OH (614) 664-5050 New Marshfield, OH 2/27-3/2 Winterstar Workshops, rituals, ACE NE Ohio etc. focusing on Magic 1643 Lee Rd. #9 shamanism, altered states Cleveland Hts, OH (800) 446-4962 44118 March Witchcamp Focused workshops, rituals Sylvia Adame Texas etc. with Reclaiming (512) 288-6615 3/14-16 Spirit of Spring Fun, frolic, workshops, Spirit of Spring $35 ($45 Lake Eufala, OK rituals, celebrating P.O. Box 10161 aft 2/1) Ostara (Spring Equinox) Enid, OK 73706 3/14-16 Love Without Polyamory workshop IntiNet Res.Cn. Limits for people with more than P.O. Box 4322 Atlanta, GA 1 lover (415)507-1739 San Rafael, CA 94913 3/27-29 Celebration of Song, mirth, workshops, (214) 204-7183 Womanhood ritual etc. for Women Texas area 3/21-23 Healing from Temple of the Beloved 7Oaks Pathwork Cntr. Being with Karon & Ron Aarons Rt. 1, Box 86 Madison, VA (540) 948-6544 Madison, VA 22727International Events 2/8-9 Healing Nicki Scully teaches Anugama Marg Hamburg, Germany personal and planetary 4940 550-1514 Ongoing Pagan Rituals OBJ, a Pan European Baelder and celebrations fraternity of knowledge 60 Elmhurst Rd., England, etc. HWTP://www.bogo.co.uk/ Reading, Berkshire, aceing/Baelder_+_Hoblink RG1-5HY EnglandCalendar information from http://www.io.com/~cookec/pagan/calendar.html
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