Simple Ritual for Imbolc

Imbolc is a Greater Sabbat in the pagan and Celtic tradition in the northern hemisphere, the honoring of middle Winter and the imminent return of life to the land coming at the Vernal Equinox. In the Celtic path, we honor these midpoints in the year. Celtic practice honors a time when life centered on the crop cycles. Everything, literally everything, for our ancestors revolved around the growth and harvest of crops they grew. They celebrated the return of the sun on this day, the end of Winter within sight, and gave thanks for the coming of crops that would bring money, opportunity, and nourishment to their families. You can celebrate too with a simple ritual for Imbolc.

Many of us aren’t as focused of course on the agricultural cycles, but even so, the wheel of the year echoes our inner growth patterns. Spring brings growth of our hopes, nourishment of our dreams, birth to our projects and offerings in the world. I’ve created a brand new Imbolc Ritual Set to offer you tools to honor this sacred day.

You might consider one of these ideas to create a simple ritual for Imbolc to honor this important day:

1. Light at least 6 white, yellow, or golden candles to represent the light and the sun. You can leave them lit all day or just light them for a few minutes this evening. As you light them, welcome the light to your life and your spirit. Open your heartspace to receive this light. Here’s a blessing you can recite:

2. Go out into nature and look for signs of emergent life on trees: Flower buds, green leaves, even hints of green on branches. If you can, gather some of these branches and buds and bring them into your home, arranging them with a few white, yellow, clear, or green gemstones to create a simple and sacred “spring is coming” altar space.

3. Take a purifying bath or shower with sea salt, either in the water or in the corner of the shower space. Visualize the release of anything old or dead leaving your body and your mind as you prepare fertile ground within you for what will grow in the coming months. Anoint your wrists, ankles, and Third Eye with an emerging blend such as my Imbolc perfume. 

4. Eat a clean and nourishing meal today, preferably green and raw, and taste the Earth within your food. Eat slowly, taking each bite with mindful care. Feel your body receive this food with gratitude. By eating cleanly you come closer to nature and I believe, you come closer to the Divine.

I hope these suggestions inspire you to create your own simple ritual for Imbolc, and nourish you as we prepare to bid farewell to Winter. All hail the end of the cold seasons. All hail the return of the light. So it is.