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Imbolc

Pronounced Immulk.  You will hear it said that Imbolc means “in the belly” or that it is sometimes called Oimelc, which means ewes’ milk, and that it is so called because it takes place when the ewes are coming into milk prior to lambing. This was taken to be the first sign of spring. It is also possible that the word is derived from the Welsh word ymolchi, which means to wash or cleanse.  Imbolc is about six weeks after Yule, or around 40 days – and 40 days is the traditional time when a mother would be “churched” after giving birth after being held to be ritually “unclean” ( I know, I know!)  Mothers are given a medical check six weeks after the birth these days, this being considered a useful time for doctors to check that everything has returned to normal. I prefer this interpretation, but feel free to disagree with me!

 The festival celebrates the Goddess as a virginal young girl.  After becoming a mother at Yule, at Imbolc her virginity is magically restored, ready for the cycle to begin again.  It is very much a Goddess festival, as are all the “cross quarter” festivals; ( the God is more prominent in the solar festivals).  It celebrates the promise of spring that is still hidden in winter, which we only know is there by subtle signs (such as the first snowdrops and the milk in the udders of the ewes).

 Associations with the festival are snow and ice, purification

 

Imbolc ritual 


This ritual is based upon a framework suggested by Alexei Kondratiev in his book Celtic rituals – an authentic guide to celtic spirituality.