Imbolc is one of those ‘in-between’ holidays I mentioned in the ‘Wheel of the Year’! This witchy/wiccan/pagan holiday marks the in-between of Yule and Beltane, halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. I always felt like it was hard to ignore that Imbolc stands for feminism, I mean Brigid was one of the only female saints named by Ireland. Pagans and Wiccans have always honored her as a strong goddess of light, she reminds us the light is on its way. The warmth of spring is on the horizon.

My favorite image of Brigid though is certainly the earth pregnant with all that will come alive this spring. It’s that part of pregnancy where there is just the little bump to let you know that there will be birth. The constant rebirthing of the Earth is a huge part of the Wheel of the Year. I think it supports for the celebrant to remember that we are a work in process, life is a journey, we will never arrive at a destination, and that the journey IS the destination! This is an in-between holiday even if it is rooted in early feminism. Even in Feminism the goddess holds the GOD in her belly, which symbolizes new life of the land. Therefore, the goddess embodies both genders and is not binary. Certainly pagans and wiccans have spent a lot of time gendering things but for our purposes we will just let them continue to do that while we find something in the in-between.

When you come back to nature you realize this isn’t about feminism or gender, this is about rebirth. This is about things coming back to life. By Imbolc we begin to hear the birds sing (assuming your in the upper hemisphere of Earth) and you may even see some very early flowers begin to poke through the snow. Crocus always make me smile as they rebelliously poke through the snow. The world begins to awaken again, you can feel it in your bones. Cabin fever can intensify because somehow our soul KNOWS the earth is about to reawaken!

Traditionally, many covens and groups hold their initiations at Imbolc. Practicing the craft with other magick users brings energy and power to any magick you do together, because of the other people involved. When you add more people, you add more magick and therefore increase the power of the magick. Group rituals are often beautiful not just for powerful magick but also for friendship and connection to other magick users. Not all of us have access to groups of people able and willing to practice magick with each other, truly a special group of friends. What a fantastic gift if they are also LGBTQIA+ and allies! We are open to new people and hope to see you at the ritual! Bring a white candle, a glass of milk to your choosing, breads, seeds you want to plant and wishes for the future. Bonus magick if you made any of the things listed yourself.

Wishes and spellwork? What does that mean for the witch/pagan/wiccan? Many of us have hopes and dreams for 2021, many of us are hoping to manifest things? What do you have in your belly? How will you manifest that? What are your wishes for 2021 and this coming summer? What will you harvest? Set you intentions now, use this powerful moment that is between to powerhouse your wish! Tap into the in-between energy of Imbolc and harvest your biggest dreams!

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