IMBLOC LORE

By Mab

Imbolc (Oimelc), the fire festival between Yule and the vernal equinox and also known as Candlemas, is celebrated on February 1. Imbolc marks the quickening of the year, the end of winter and the beginning of spring. In the wheel of the year, Imbolc is positioned opposite the festival of Lammas. Along with Samhain, Beltaine, and Lammas, Imbolc is one of the four most important sabbats of the year. According to some traditions, Imbolc/Candlemas is celebrated on February 2 and is called the Feast of the Waxing Light.

Imbolc represents the first stirring of life in the seeds buried in the earth. It is a time of renewal, cleansing and rebirth. The word Imbolc in Irish Gaelic means "the surrounding of the belly" or "around the belly" and referred to the Earth as the Mother Goddess' womb. For the Celts, this day was the beginning of spring. This was the time of the year they dedicated to the virgin Goddess Bride (also called among other forms of her name Brigantia, Brigit, or Bridhe) by featuring circumambulatory rituals for the benefit of the crops and by lighting fires. It is at this time that Bride expresses the arts of healing, smithing, and poetry, her threefold attributes. At Imbolc the Asatru tradition that worships the Saxon and Norse divinities sees Bride transformed as a part of her triune nature from her winter aspect of the aged hag into the virgin bride -- a transformation of death into life.

Christianity reformed this festival first into the purification of the Virgin and called it "Candlemas". The name Candlemas came from the lighting of candles at midnight by the faithful as symbols of the purification of Mary. (Under Jewish law, it was necessary for a woman to be "purified" after the birth of a child, the number of days passing between the birth and this rite depended on the gender of the infant.) Candlemas was first celebrated as a Christian holiday in Jerusalem early in the fourth century.

By the mid-5th century this feast was celebrated in rome on February 2 with the addition of a candlelight procession which was a substitute for a Pagan torch procession of expiation around the city walls. (Remember here that the Celts performed circumambulatory rituals at this time of year as well.) This Pagan festival was a celebration honouring Juno Februata. Juno, in this aspect, was the virgin mother of Mars. Candlemas is now called the Presentation of the Lord. It might be of some interest to note here that while Mary, Bride, and Juno Februata were all considered virgins, only the Christian Church considered their female deity to be polluted (which makes her purity as a virgin something of a paradox) and to be in need of cleansing.

Those among us of a more banal spirit celebrate the day as Groundhog Day. This day celebrates the old rite of taking omens on Candlemas Day to ascertain the weather for the coming growing season.

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