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Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 11, 2014 at 12:46pm

Brigit's Crosses – are a form of woven straw or rushes symbolizing the Sun and used as talismans to bring fertility, prosperity and protection to the home.  They would be created at Candlemas and hung on the door, near the hearth, under the eaves or in the barn to bring luck and protection.

Burning the Yule Greens– the evergreens for Yuletide decoration are gathered and burned by Candlemas.  It is a symbolic way to let go of the old year and make way for the new.

Red and White – white symbolizes snow, red symbolizes the hearth fire, red and while may also symbolize the ewe's birthing blood on the snow.  White is the color of the Maiden Goddess and Red the color of the Mother Goddess.  White stands for purity, red for courage.

Springs and Wells – toss coins in wells springs, fountains or any running water as an offering the the Goddess Brigit

Herbs - Angelica, basil, bay Laurel,blackberry, celandine, coltsfoot, heather, iris, myrrh, tansy, violets, and all white or yellow flowers.

Incense - Basil, myrrh, frankincense, wisteria, jasmine, camphor, cinnamon, and lotus.

Stones - Amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, onyx, ruby, turquoise

Colors -  White, red, pink, yellow

 

Sources:

Candlemas Feast of Flames Amber k

BOS Rowan Morgana

BRIGIT'S CROSS

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 10, 2014 at 9:19pm

(Left, sometimes pilgrims hammer coins into the bark of a tree instead of tying clooties onto them. Photo © 1999 Shae Clancy.)

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 10, 2014 at 9:18pm

Imbolc in Yesterday's Ireland & Scotland

By Francine Nicholson

Almost all of the customs associated with Imbolc are no longer performed, even in rural areas. This essay describes some of the customs found in archives and collections.

The Evidence for Imbolc

Most of the evidence of how Imbolc was celebrated in Ireland derives from folklore collected during the last two hundred years and cross-cultural studies of similar customs in Scandinavia. Folklorists have collected a great deal of data about Imbolc. Much Irish data now lies in the archives of the National University, Dublin. In Festival of Brigit, Séamas Ó Catháin did an important study of this material and compared it to similar traditions in Scandinavia, but this is only a first step. Kim McCone and others have done important analyses of the medieval hagiography of St. Brigid and what it tells us about her cult and pagan roots. Similar studies need to be done of Imbolc and Brigid in other Celtic cultures. Alexander Carmichael collected some material on Imbolc in the Highlands for his Carmina Gadelica but his study was far from exhaustive. Until such wide-ranging analysis and collation takes place, suggestions about the original rituals can only be preliminary hypotheses, suggestions for further study.

This essay presents the customs as we know them from the folklore archives and some suggestions of the original meaning, context, and actions that lay behind the more recent activities.

Customs of Imbolc

There seem to have been two basic types of rituals associated with Imbolc: those performed by the community and those that centered on the family and household. Even some of the community activities involved going from home to home.

Most of the customs focus on the figure of Brigid and depend on the belief that on the evening before 1 February, the holy woman was thought to visit each home, acknowledging the offerings left for her.

Taking Time Off

In some places in Ireland, work used to cease on the feast and devotions at holy wells took place instead. In some places the ban on work was confined to activities we know to have been associated with St. Brigid: ploughing, smithwork, and anything that involved turning wheels (spinning, carting, milling, and sewing machines). (Danaher, 1972, pp. 14-15)

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 10, 2014 at 9:18pm

Fire and Light

An Irish saying noted the lengthening day that marked the time of Imbolc: "On St. Brigid’s day you can put away the candlestick and half the candle." (Danaher, 1972, p. 14) Many of the folk customs focus on the increasing warmth and light, the rebirth of the cold earth into pliability, and the birth process itself. It is likely that myths and stories underlie these customs, but at this point it is difficult to say exactly what those stories were. However, the rituals probably were or finally, in some cases, re-enactment of the myths.

In the Highlands of Scotland, the married women of the house created a Brigid figure from a sheaf of grain and decorated it with ribbons, flowers, or other objects. With rushes and grain, they made a sort of bed next to the hearth. After ritually inviting Brigid to fill this bed, the women placed the figurine. Beside it, they put a straight, peeled stick of birch or similar wood to serve as "Brigid’s wand," a symbol of sovereignty or perhaps a phallic symbol. Then they carefully smoothed the ashes of the hearth. The next morning, the women examined the hearth for signs of Brigid’s favor: the imprint of a foot or the wand. If there were no such marks, the family assumed that Brigid had been offended. Steps to appease Brigid—such as burying a cockerel or pullet alive at the junction of three streams—were then taken. (Jones, pp. 105-6)

Weather Omens

Imbolc was a time when farmers and fishermen depended on steady imporvement in the weather. They also believed that the kind of weather they occurred on Imbolc gave them some idea of how the coming months would go, too. To start with, the weather on Imbolc should be better than average, but a truly fine day was a bad sign. The prevailing wind on Imbolc would continue for the rest of the year.

The appearance of a hedgehog up and about was a sign that weather would continue to improve. If the hedgehog came out but then returned to its burrow, it was thought that wintry conditions would persist for several more weeks.

A rainy February generally was thought to predict a good summer.

For seacoast dwellers, the spring tide closest to the feast was considered the highest and an opportunity to gather seaweed for fertilizing. Around Galway Bay, a live limpet or periwinkle was placed at each of the four corners of the house to ensure good fishing and shellfish gathering in the coming months. (Danaher, 1972, pp. 13-14)

In Scotland, a charm was chanted that referred to a snake coming from a hole. Doubtless, this referred to some divinatory or fertility ritual whose origins and details have been lost. (Jones, p. 107)

Ploughing the Land

Depending on the geographic location, Imbolc was a time to make at least a show of beginning the planting season. In some areas, the farmer would turn over token soil and wait for warmer weather to plough and plant. In more temperate areas, sowing might begin at Imbolc. (Ó Catháin, pp. 4-5)

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 10, 2014 at 9:18pm

Checking the Stores

Heads of household checked quantity and quality of flour, salted meat, and other food, and the supplies of hay and other food for animals. From these, they estimated the economies they would have to take to make the supplies last until harvest. (Danaher, 1972, p. 14)

Spring Cleaning

The house was tidied and prepared for the visit of Brigid. (Danaher, 1972, p. 15)

Ritual Washing

Devotions performed on Imbolc at the holy wells of Liscannor (co. Clare) and Faughart (co. Louth) include ritually washing in the water. (Berger, p. 72) Also, a Highland Gaelic verse associated with Imbolc mentions ritual washing by Brigid as a means of ending the winter cold. (Jones, p. 105) This notion must reflect an earlier, pre-Christian myth in which a goddess took some action to end the winter.

Lambing, Milk, and Butter

Around Imbolc, sheep began to lactate in preparation for birthing lambs. The Imbolc rituals would be performed at least in part to ensure a new crop of healthy lambs.

The new sheep milk was a welcome supplement to the dwindling stores, especially since cows would generally not be milking at that time. Numerous writers note that the Irish diet depended heavily on milk products, known as "white meats" during the spring and summer months. Milk was often soured and processed into different forms of curds and soft cheeses. Hard cheeses were uncommon. Imbolc rituals were also focused at ensuring the steady supply of milk.

Butter was a very important food for the Irish prior to the twentieth century. Recipes even called for hares to be boiled in butter. After being churned, butter was put in wooden containers and buried in bogs to "cure." The result was a rather sour flavor considered characteristic of "country butter." Freshly made butter was an important element in the Imbolc feast, although various foods were associated with celebrating Imbolc, depending on the region. The making of the butter – the action of the dash working in the churn – would itself represent the fertility being sought at the feast. The churn dash was often used as the basis of the bríde óg, the figure of Brigid carried in procession (see below).

Food Offerings and Feasting

A bit of soda bread, cake, better, and/or porridge might be left on the window sill for Brigid to enjoy as she passed by, perhaps with some feed for her favorite white cow. Sometimes the food was given to the poor later. (Danaher, 1972, p. 15) Food was also offered as part of other rituals. In some houses, a place was set at the table for Brigid.

Feasting among the family was a central part of the rituals held in the home. The rushes to be used in creating Brigid’s cross were put under the table while the feast took place.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 10, 2014 at 9:18pm

The Parade of the Bríde Óg

In ancient and early medieval times, a pagan ceremony of a particular sort was held in areas throughout Europe, especially ones of Teutonic and Celtic heritage. The ceremony consisted of a procession in which an image of a goddess was carted about the community, especially the fields, accompanied by dancing and singing devotees, priests, and designated attendants. Animals to be sacrificed and possibly designated human victims also formed part of the procession. After being drawn or carried through the fields, the goddess figure was bathed in a lake or spring. The procession is thought to have occurred in late winter or early spring, the time of Imbolc. Celtic remains that may illustrate such a procession include a bronze cart unearthed from a grave in Strettweg (see figure, left) and a panel of the Gundestrup cauldron. (Berger, pp. 25-36)

Nineteenth-century folk practices at Imbolc in Ireland and Scotland included processions that visited homes throughout the community and resemble the processions described by Berger. In some places, the central figure was a woman chosen to represent St. Brigid as An Bhrídeog. Beforehand, talismans of woven straw or grass—called the Cros (cross), Sgiath (shield), and Crothán (veil) of Brigid—were distributed at each home and farm, to be nailed up as protection for all within. Surrounded by an accompanying group, An Bhrídeóg processed to each home and farm where she engaged in a ritual dialog with the residents and distributed a set of the talismans.

In other places in Ireland, the brídeóg was a figurine made by dressing a doll or encasing a churn dash or other pole with straw and adding a carved turnip for a head. The figurine was carried by a group of young men called brídeóga or Biddy boys, dressed in white shirts, masks, women’s skirts, and straw hats. These ambiguously dressed people carried the brídeóg from one farm to another, singing, dancing, or playing music, and receiving gifts of food, especially cakes, butter, and eggs. (Danaher, 1972, pp. 25-27). More recently, such groups wear masks and brightly colored clothing to which ribbons, patches, and fringes have been added, and the offerings they receive may be sweets or coins.

Visits to holy wells and streams, especially at Faughart, co. Louth, and Liscannor, co. Clare, have replaced the ritual bathing of the goddess statue. However, the devotions performed by pilgrims at those sites include ritual use of water from the well. (Berger, p. 74) Frequently the home, family, and talismans are blessed with water from such sites at Imbolc.

A Highland variation on the parade of the brídeóg holds specific reference to human fertility. The young women of the community created a figurine from a churn dash and carried it about to the various households, collecting offerings of bread, butter, and other food. Later the young women feasted on these in company with the young men of the community, followed by singing and dancing throughout the night. (Jones, p. 82)

Bears and Honey

In his carefully documented study, Ó Catháin suggests that the rituals originally associated with Imbolc were part of a cult of bears, honey, and mead. Figures of bears were made in Ireland long after the animals ceased to live there. All of these elements have associations with inspiration and knowledge. Also, because of their hibernation habits, bears were closely associated with the rebirth of the earth. It is difficult to say now what those early rituals might have been, but Ó Catháin’s suggestions deserve more study.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 10, 2014 at 9:17pm

Birth and Rebirth

Séamas Ó Catháin has also noted the parallels between Imbolc rituals and those that traditionally accompanied childbirth in rural Scandinavia. The ritual of stepping through the críos or girdle of Bríg may be a symbolic re-enactment of birth. At this point, it is unclear exactly what well rituals of rebirth were once associated with Imbolc to ensure the fertility of the awakening land. However, at a time when the natural world was coming out of its wintry sleep, one would expect rituals to dramatically re-enact this fact. It is probably not accidental that the holy well at Liscannor is situated underground; perhaps devotees once descended into the well chamber and re-emerged ritually. (Brenneman & Brenneman, 104) MacNeill notes that Liscannor was primarily a site of pilgrimage at Lughnasa, but two of her sources attest that it was also a site used at Imbolc. (Mac Neill, p. 276-277)

This highlights the basic theme of Imbolc: the rebirth of the land from its wintry, death-like sleep into new life. It’s unclear whether the associated goddess was thought to be reborn herself or whether she was the agent for regenerating the land. Because the land is being reborn, new crops can be planted. Also, most of the animals were also giving birth or preparing to do so. This accounts for the emphasis on food production that is so much a part of Imbolc: the farmers needed to perform rituals they believed would ensure that crops grew and herds flourished. Finally, Imbolc emphasized human fertility necessary for families and households to grow and maintain their position on the land and in the tribe.

Though their evidence is fragmentary, the aura of fertility hangs about many of the rituals folklorists have collected: the churning of butter with the dash, the bedding of Brigid by the fire, the night-long revelry of young people, and so on. However, one key element is missing: a make counterpart to Brigid, for the saint is a virgin. Surely, a male deity once partnered the goddess in the Imbolc rituals, but almost all trace of him has been lost or suppressed. One Scots traditional story gives us a hint: it tells of Aengus mac ind Óg rescuing Bride from a hag and bringing spring in the process. This is an intriguing story, but offers too little evidence for certainty.

References

Pamela Berger, The Goddess Obscured, Beacon Press, 1985; ISBN 0-8070-6723-7

Walter Brenneman and Mary Brenneman, Crossing the Circle at the Holy Wells of Ireland, Univ Press of Virginia (1995); ISBN: 0-8139-1548-1

Kevin Danaher, The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs, (1972) Irish Books & Media (1972); ISBN: 0-9377-0213-7

Kevin Danaher, In Ireland Long Ago, Irish Amer Book Co (1997); ISBN: 0-8534-2781-X

Noragh Jones, Power of Raven, Wisdom of Serpent, Floris Books, 1995; ISBN 0-9402-6266-5

M/aire Mac Neill, Festival at Lughnasa, Oxford Univ. Press, 1962

Kim McCone, Pagan Past and Christian Present in Early Irish Literature, An Sagart, 1990

Séamas Ó Catháin, The Festival of Brigit, DBA Publications, 1995; ISBN 0-9519-6922-6

This article in the Celtic Well E-Journal is © Copyright 1999 by Francine Nicholson. Sections may be freely quoted, provided the author is properly cited with the URL and the words"electronic version." You may link to this site, but please do not copy this web page and its dependent web pages without contacting one of the Celtic Well List moderators.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 9, 2014 at 4:38pm

Imbolc Incense

By Patti Wigington

Many of us use incense as part of a sacred ceremony. In fact, recently scientists got on board the incense bandwagon and agreed that there are indeed physiological benefits to using it. For thousands of years, we've been burning dried plants and berries in our homes or outside, as part of ritual. When Imbolc rolls around, we've been cooped up in the house for a couple of months, and although we know spring is around the corner, it's not quite close enough for us to get out and enjoy just yet. Make up a batch of Imbolc incense that combines the scents of the season with the anticipation of the warmer weather to come.

Before you begin making your incense, first determine what form you’d like to make. You can make incense with sticks and in cones, but the easiest kind uses loose ingredients, which are then burned on top of a charcoal disc or tossed into a fire. This recipe is for loose incense, but you can always adapt it for stick or cone recipes. If you haven't yet read Incense 101, now's the time to do so.

As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the intent of your work. This particular recipe is one which evokes the scents of a chilly winter night, with a hint of spring florals. Use it during a ritual, if you like, or as a smudging incense to purify a sacred space. You can also toss some into your fire just to make the house smell like the Imbolc season.

You’ll need:

2 parts cedar
2 parts frankincense
1 part pine resin
1 part cinnamon
1 part orange peel
1/2 part rose petals

Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or blossoms need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation or chant as you blend it. Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its name and date. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 28, 2013 at 2:17pm

Candlemas (Imbolc, Imbolg and Oimelc) is a Major Sabbat that is a celebration to mark the return of the sun and the end of winter. At Yule the Goddess gave birth to the promised “Child of Light” the tiny God of the Sun. At Candlemas the Goddess nurses her Son who is growing in power and strength. We celebrate the waxing sun and the beginning of Spring. Soon the Goddess will return from the Underworld and the Earth will be reborn. Candlemas is a celebration of hope, the light returns and Spring is just around the corner.

The Celts called this holiday Brigit’s Day or Brid’s Day (pronounced Breed’s). The Imbolg was the ancient Celtic festival celebration the birth and freshening of sheep and goats and was also called Oimelc meaning ewe’s milk. This is a time of great anticipation and the celebration of possibilities. New life is about to awaken in the earth; the earth is becoming ready to receive the seeds.

February 1 is the feast day of the primary Celtic Goddess Brigit. Her legends were not written down until century’s after the time of the Christian Saint Brigid. Saint Brigid was an Irish abbess who lived in the fifth and sixth century C.E.

Many legends are told about Brigit. She is one of the Tuatha de Danaan, and some legends say that she is the daughter of the Dagda. Other legends imply that she was his consort, not his daughter. She is also said to have loved Bres the Beautiful, the ruler of the Tuatha de Danaan. Interestingly Bres is said to be half Fomorian. The Fomorians were giants that lived during the time of the Celts in and around the British Isles and they were the rulers of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan. Scientific evidence supports the idea that the Fomorians were actually the last remnants of the Neanderthal people. The Fomorians and the Tuatha de Danaan were at war over the possession of Ireland. Brigit and Bres became lovers and had a son called Ruadan who was part Danaan and part Fomorian. Brigit became a bridge between the two warring tribes and as her aspect of mother-goddess her main concern was the future well-being of Ireland.

Brigit is a triple Goddess of poetry, healing and crafts. As a healer she taught leech craft and herb craft. She also was a patroness of sacred springs and wells that were said to have healing properties. Offerings to the watery Brigit were cast into the well in the form of coins or, even more ancient, brass or gold rings. Other sacrifices were offered where three streams came together. Her Cauldron of Inspiration connected her watery healing aspect with her fiery poetic aspect. Brigit the poet was the Celtic equivalent of the nine Greek Muses. She was invoked by bards whose traveling entertainment preserved the spiritual wisdom, clan lines, myths, songs and stories of the Celtic people. Brigit the smith ruled the mysteries of metalworking. In ancient times people who could work metal seemed to work magick, they used fire to transform stone (ore) into metal then transformed the metal into weapons. Metalworkers were seen to have mastery over fire and matter and the secrets of their trade were not shared with the uninitiated.

Comment by Dept of PMM Artists & things on January 17, 2013 at 3:09pm

Candlemas is the Christianized name for the Pagan celebration of the transformation of the Goddess from Crone to the Maiden of Spring, celebrated in old Ireland by the kindling of hillside bonfires and the lighting of candles. Also known as Brigit's Day, it is a Fire festival to honor the great Irish Goddess Brigit, the goddess of fire and the patroness of smith craft, poetry, and healing.

When Catholic missionaries arrived in Ireland they wisely felt they shouldn't demonize the great Goddess of this ancient land, and so they made her a Catholic saint. "Saint" Brigit then became the patron saint of smith craft, poetry, and healing in the Church's eyes. They explained their reasoning by convincing the Irish people that Brigit was actually an early Catholic missionary, and that they'd misunderstood that the miracles she'd performed were not of her power, but rather by the power of God working through her. The Church then proclaimed this day "Candlemas," keeping the symbolism of the Fire Festival, but devoting the day towards blessing the candles that were to be used in the coming liturgical year. However, the service of Candlemas only addressed the lighting of "pagan" fires by the populace, and not the symbolism behind these festivities. Thus, the Church also marked the day as the "Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary." This holy day marked the end of the six weeks of Mary's impurity after giving birth to Christ at the Solstice, and allowed the Church to co-opt the deeper meaning of this Sabbat, as well as the celebratory activities.

We still see this theme of cleansing and purification carried into our rites, as well as our seasonal activities today. While the house gets a thorough spring cleaning, it's symbolism prepares our minds and bodies for the resurgence of the coming season of warmth. The Maiden sweeps away the debris of the old, dead season with her new broom; thus, we sweep away the outdated and useless from our lives, and fill our minds instead with new ideas, plans, and goals.

This Rite of Candlemas marks the first stirrings of the new Spring. And, while it may seem strange to be celebrating Spring while snow still covers the ground and the bitter winds of winter still whip around your shoulders, the old name of this Sabbat actually explains the reasoning. Imbolc (or Imbolg) literally means "in the belly;" thus, though the land is still covered with snow and frost, within the belly of the Mother (earth), the first faint stirrings of the seeds of the new season are beginning. A festival celebrating light in the darkness, the Rite of Candlemas is the celebration of the rekindled fire both within ourselves and within the world, as personified by the growing strength of the new Sun God.

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