This early spring festival has been called Imbolc, Imbolg, St. Bridgets Day (Christian), Candlelaria (Mexican), the Snowdrop Festival; the list goes on. Another name is the Feast of the Virgin as all virgin and maiden goddesses are honoured at this time.

Imbolc is a gentle festival as we celebrate the birth of spring. The Earth puts out her first shoots. Candlemas, another name, is a fire festival that celebrates the coming of spring. It is a time for new beginnings, of spiritual growth. It is a time to clear out our old possessions, to rediscover the child within each of us, to honour the Goddess in her guise as Brighid. This is when we finally clear away winter and prepare for the year ahead.

We honour the Goddess and God in their childlike aspects.

In ancient Europe, the Candlemas Sabbat was celebrated with a torchlight procession to fertilize and purify the fields before the seed were planted.

IMBOLC CUSTOMS

THE BRIGHID DOLL

The ancient Irish had a custom of making and decorating a straw doll in honour of the Goddess.

You will need: approx 80g garden raffia

Thin, shiny ribbon

Small glittery objects (broken pieces of jewellery, small stones, dragons tears etc)

Open out the bundle of raffia, laying it lengthways. Trim to make the lengths even. Measure 60cm and cut across the bundle. Take it up in one piece and fold in half. Tie one strand of the raffia tightly about 10cm away from the fold. This will become the head. Once this has been done, the bottom part will fan out like a skirt. This is the basic doll.

Add coloured ribbon, stones, whatever feels right to you, onto the skirt of the doll.

The Brighid doll can hang in your house until Ostara or throughout the year.

IMBOLC INCENSE

2 tsps myrrh

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp crushed juniper berries

¼ tsp dried thyme

2 drops lemon balm oil

2 drops sandalwood oil

2 drops sweet orange oil

Put all ingredients together in a screw top jar. Shake to mix. Leave to mature for around a week. Use to help find your inner child, to clear the air of winter from your home.

INDIVIDUAL INCENSES FOR IMBOLC

Basil, Bay, Wisteria, Violet, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Myrrh

Milk and dairy products are the foods for Imbolc, so make a soda bread with soured cream to honour the Goddess.

SOURED CREAM AND HONEY CAKE

225g wholemeal flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

50g butter

75g raisins

125ml soured cream

100g honey

Heat oven to 200C/GM6. Put the flour, bicarb, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips. Add raisins. Make a well in the centre. Add soured cream and the honey. Mix everything to a dough.

On a floured service, roll the dough into a square about 2cm thick. Bake the cake for 12-15mins, or until firm and golden on top.

Put on a wire rack to cool.

Most important: eat and enjoy.

COLOURS FOR IMBOLC

White, pink, yellow, red, light green, brown

FOOD FOR IMBOLC

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, poppyseed cakes, muffins, scones, all dairy products, peppers, onions, garlic, raisins, herbal teas, spiced wines

HERBS FOR IMBOLC

Angelica, basil, celandine, coltsfoot, heather, myrrh, violets, all white or yellow flowering herbs

ACTIVITIES FOR IMBOLC

Candle lighting, searching for signs of spring, making, feasting, lighting bonfires