The first stirrings of spring after a long winter are celebrated on February 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1st in the Southern Hemisphere. This celebration takes the name of Imbolc. It is a pre-Christian celebration. Imbolc originated in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland to acknowledge the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It’s a celebration of rebirth. Nowadays, it has become a private celebration to get in touch with nature, which has been asleep during winter. Now, however, it is starting to show its first signs of life.
Because of its Celtic origins, it is closely associated with Brigid, a Deity I personally work with. She is the Triple Goddess of Poetry, Fire and the Hearth, and the Anvil. As a writer, I mostly work with Brigid to feel more inspired and gain better storytelling abilities. She can do great things when it comes to healing and helping you manifest anything that’s aligned with your highest good. Cows and lambs are sacred to Brigid, and so are all dairy products. It is not obligatory to work with dairy, though. I personally do not keep dairy in my house as I am intolerant to it. Other things that are sacred to her are Oak, images of cows and lambs, and apples.
Even if you don’t work with Brigid or don’t believe in Deities at all, Imbolc is a great time to manifest. It is all about rebirth. It is a time to ask for guidance and help with any transformation processes you may be going through, including therapy.
Imbolc in 2022 is particularly special because Imbolc in the Northern hemisphere coincides with the New Moon in Aquarius. This makes this day a particularly effective day for manifestation. This is so because it combines the power of the New Moon, which, placed in Aquarius, is especially effective to manifest new friendships and positive changes in your society or community, as well as the power of rebirth and transformation that comes with Imbolc.
Here are some Rituals to do this upcoming Imbolc:
1. A Ritual Bath
Draw a bath with some salt water. You can include a Tiger’s Eye tumble or Carnelian if you want it to be energizing – the main goal is for it to cleanse you and fill you up with energy and vitality. Then, pour some Cinnamon, three drops of Oakmoss essential oil if you have any and are not allergic, and two or three sliced apples.
If you include the Oakmoss essential oil, test it on your wrist or thigh first to see whether you are allergic to it. You can optionally include a little bit of milk if it’s not against your diet or your ethics. Don’t put too much as it will quickly turn sour. You can also replace it with vegan milk. Almond milk has ties to wealth, and oat milk is cleansing.
Lie in the bath. You can use a brush to cleanse yourself spiritually starting with your neck all the way to your feet. Then, draw in the good energies from the bath starting with the feet and ending by the neck.
2. The Ritual of the Red Ribbon
This is a common healing ritual tied to Brigid worship, and it consists of simply leaving a piece of red ribbon out of your door. Cleanse it with the cleansing smoke of herbs such as Rosemary or Sage. You can optionally anoint and consecrate the ribbon by rubbing a tiny bit of oil on it while saying a prayer. Oakmoss essential oil is ideal, but you can use Olive oil for sure.
Check the state of it after it’s morning, if it looks dull, you may not have Brigid’s favor this Imbolc. If it looks lush and even if it may appear longer than it was at first, it will be a great year until the next Imbolc. During Imbolc, it will become imbued with Brigid’s energy. It can be used for healing headaches or distressed stomachs by tying it around the affected area for a little while. If you use the same piece of ribbon each Imbolc, it will become more and more powerful with time.
3. Bake an Apple Pie
Apples, dairy, and wheat are all sacred to Brigid, so something as mundane as baking an apple pie can be a very meaningful and powerful act. Any recipe will do. Give it intention by dedicating it to Brigid or the spirit of Imbolc if you’re not much of a believer of the Deity. Use visualization and color correspondences when baking the pie.
Making a dairy-free, gluten free, or even vegan version of apple pie is also an excellent idea, as they all have apples, which are sacred to Brigid. Leave the apples you’ll use on your altar for a day or so for extra effectiveness.
4. Make Sun-Infused Crystal Water
Even though Imbolc is generally celebrated on the night between January the 31st and the morning of February the 1st, this is better done in the morning, either on the 31st or the 1st. Use a crystal that is red or orange in color in honor of Brigid. You may choose:
- Red Jasper, Garnet, or Ruby for physical strength
- Carnelian for joy, charisma and sensuality
- Orange Calcite to dispel a creative’s block
- Tiger’s Eye for assimilating knowledge and healing your soul relationship with your birth mother
- Hematite, which is red on the inside, for grounding, strength and protection
How to Make Crystal Water
Place your chosen crystal (it should be previously cleansed and charged by sunlight, preferably held during prayer to Brigid as well) and place it inside an empty glass or mason jar. Place said glass or jar inside a larger glass container, such as a bowl. Pour water on the bigger bowl until it reaches around half of the glass or the jar. In this way, the crystal and the water will be close without making physical contact, which could make the water toxic.
Wrap the bowl with the glass inside it with plastic wrap. Leave it out in the morning sun for at least three hours, more if possible, as long as it doesn’t get mixed with moonlight. Once it is done, you can either store it with a preservative such as Apple Cider Vinegar or vodka so it will last for years, or you can store it as is. It will last about a month without alcohol, but it’s apt for children, plants, pets, and people who are sober.
Pour in a glass bottle with more preservative than water if you’re using a preservative and close the bottle with the lid. Then, grab a hardback book and gently but firmly hit the bottle against the book making percussion sounds. This will activate the crystal water. Store in a dry, dark place, such as a cabinet.
5. A Candle Spell to Attract a New Friend (or Have an Old One Return)
This Imbolc is also an Aquarius New Moon. Aquarius is the sign of friendship and like minded communities. Therefore, this is a great time to manifest a new friend or the return of an old friend (the latter will only work if this friend has the inclination to come back, but it could speed up your reconciliation or getting back in touch).
You’ll need:
- a pink or orange candle
- matches
- a paper towel
- some Olive oil or Oakmoss essential oil
- a glass or ceramic bowl
- Sunflower seeds to represent a joyous new beginning
- marine salt or Pink Himalayan Salt, the latter works best
- some slices of an apple for the friendship to last a long time
- pen and paper
- trinkets or objects that symbolize the kind of friend you want to attract
- if you want the spell to be fast, include Ginger or Cinnamon
Instructions
First off, make sure you are protected. You can keep a protective crystal close to you during the spell. Cleanse the candle by placing it under the tap. Be careful so the wick doesn’t get wet. Pat it down with the paper towel from the top to the bottom. Concentrate on your intention while inhaling and then exhale on the candle.
Carve your full name and something like new friend to represent your intent using the back of a match. Take the oil in your fingers and anoint the candle with it from the top to the bottom to attract this new friend. Heat up the bottom of the candle with a match so it sticks to the bottom of the bowl.
Then, write down a description of your new friend as if you’ve already met them. Write what kinds of activities you do together and all the good things that they bring into your life. When you are done, sign the description and put on the date. Close it with a phrase such as “This will happen in a perfect way and in perfect timing, with the best interests of both parties involved in mind, so mote it be.” Fold the paper and put it in the bowl.
Fill up the bowl with a base of salt, then put on top of it the Ginger or the Cinnamon if you so choose, the seeds, the apple slices, and the trinkets. Light up the candle and snap your fingers three times or use a ceremonial bell or a Tibetan bowl to activate the spell. Once the candle burns out, your spell is done!
6. Community Service
The Aquarius New Moon combined with Imbolc this 2022 is also a great time to manifest a rebirth for your community. This is so because Aquarius is the Zodiac sign of the well being of a community as a whole. This Imbolc can be a great opportunity to do something for the greater good. These are a few ways to serve your community:
- cleaning up a nearby park
- preparing and distributing care packages for the homeless
- volunteering at the soup kitchen
- or even just taking the time to pray or meditate for the wellbeing of Planet Earth, this is an excellent time for community service
In short, Imbolc in 2022 is combined with the New Moon in Aquarius, which makes it an excellent time to manifest rebirth in friendship and community. You can celebrate it in various ways, whether you work with Brigid or not.
How are you planning to celebrate Imbolc? Tell us in the comments!
References
Weber, Courtney. Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess. Weiser Books, 2015.
love this! shared it to my social media 🙂 happy imbolc!
Thank you so much! Happy Imbolc to you too.
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