Good Afternoon,
The snow is flying around outside and some might wonder at the timing of our first spring Sabbat, Imbolc, but it is that time of year! Although many Pagans celebrate this Sabbat on February 2nd, take note that that is a Christianized date, when the early Christians started to overtake Pagan rituals and holy days and made them their own. They moved the date from the original February 1st, to the 2nd and called it Candlemass.
I am a traditionalist in my practice and I prefer to celebrate the original dates. This is an exciting Sabbat as it is the Sabbat that brings the spring season into being. Already this week I have seen Canada geese flying back north and sap is starting to run in the trees.
One thing to do during this Sabbat is to replace all of your used ritual candles with new ones. This includes your watchtower candles, your altar candles and any candles that have been partially burned by this time. Start your Imbolc ritual with new, unused candles and also take the time to clean altar pieces and surfaces of dust or melted wax. Be careful not to clean and scrub everything too well, you don't want to clean the energies off that have built up with ritual use. Just make everything clean and tidy.
This Sabbat traditionally would see the animals of the fields and pastures giving birth to the new born. Cattle, sheep, goats and deer are giving birth to the spring babies that are metaphorically giving new birth and new beginnings to all. So an appropriate cakes and ale celebration can have fresh milk kept cool in fresh snow and cheese bites. But that's up to you. Any cakes and ale choices are good. I prefer sparkling grape juice and real cake. But that's me!
So whatever your celebration looks like, celebrating this most important Sabbat is a must! Bring in the spring, help turn the wheel of the year and have a wonderful time!
Peace and Happiness
© 2010-2015 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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