IMBOLC, CANDLEMAS, or OIMELC

Midwinter (early February) was the time of many ancient Pagan festivals,
which have continued under Christian guises. The wild Lupercalia of
ancient Rome was replaced by the austere Festival of the Purification of
the Virgin, or Candlemas. Modern America's midwinter celebration is
Groundhog's Day, an Erisian holiday which has shed all serious religious
and cultural pretensions.

The Celtic Imbolc, or Brigid, is a time for purification and new
beginnings. Besides being a time of warming and melting snows, Imbolc is
a time of mental and physical cleaning, as well as spiritual renewal.
Imbolc anticipates spring, although the vernal equinox is seven weeks
away. The word Imbolc refers to the pregnant condition of ewes at
Midwinter. Their fertility was a good sign to the ancient Celts who
depended on sheep for food and clothing.

This sabbat is also called Brigid in honor of this Celtic Triple
Goddess. Brigid is anything but dainty and symbolizes a strong woman
leading and providing for her people. She is a war Goddess and a patron
of martial arts, and her soldiers were the brigands or outlaws as the
Christians called them. She is also the goddess of fire, poetry, fine
arts, smithcraft, and the healing arts including midwifery.

South and east of the British Isles ancient Romans celebrated the
Lupercalia in honor of Lupa, the she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus
who were considered Rome's founding twins. Orgiastic rites were
performed to honor her in the Grotto of the She-Wolf to insure fertility
in the coming year. After these rites, naked youth traveled to
neighboring towns to purify them according to Barbara Walker in The
Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets .

The Christian clergy had very different ideas about what kind of actions
constituted purification and tried to suppress the Lupercalia. Failing
to do this, they substituted the Feast of the Purification of the
Virgin, or Candlemas, in its place. Many Lupercalian customs, other than
the orgies, continued as part of Candlemas celebrations. These included
extinguishing the old hearth fire and lighting a new one, and replacing
old candles with new ones.

Personal Rituals

Wiccans who seriously reduced their activities during the dark time
starting at Samhain are now physically rested and mentally prepared to
begin the new year's activities. Negative personal relationships and bad
habits that were reviewed and mediated upon during the dark time can be
ritually discarded at Imbolc. Those personal relationships deemed worth
saving can be renewed, and it is a good time to start new relationships.
It is also time to clean out your physical environment including
cluttered personal altars, overflowing desks, and closets. Work can
start on new ritual tools, and other additions to our lives and/or
houses. Light a new fire in your hearth. Buy or make next year's candles
and consecrate them. Invite Brigid to visit your home by making a bed
for her by the hearth or other comfortable area. Light a red candle and
ask her to visit the place you have created for her. Fix Brigid's strong
image in your mind as you begin to take bold new actions to change your
life.

Coven Rituals

Wash and repair your ritual garments before the ritual. Cleanse yourself
both physically and mentally beforehand, too. A ritual bath or sweat
lodge cleans your skin, and moderate fasting can purify your digestive
tract. Focused mediation helps you remove old self-imposed limitations.
At the Imbolc sabbat go skyclad or wear white during the purification
part of the ritual. Don your clean and mended robes after the group
purification. Otherwise wear brilliant red clothing and jewelry as this
is a festival of light that celebrates the return of the sun with colors
of fiery red and pure white. Starhawk recommends using the Imbolc Sabbat
to publicly renew old pledges or commitments and to make new ones.

However Imbolc or Brigid is celebrated, we have reached a time of year
when we feel the coming spring in our bodies. Outside the weather is the
same as it was in early January, but the increasing daylight after work
encourages us. We are a part of Nature's cycles of birth, death and
rebirth symbolized by the ever changing seasons. No matter how urbanized
we become, we cannot completely detach ourselves from feeling the impact
of Nature's journey toward spring. Finally, resolve to be strong and
enjoy life during the coming year.