The following is a re-post of an article by Patti Wigington. You can find the original
here.
Spring is Coming!
Imbolc is a holiday with a variety of names, depending on which
culture and location you’re looking at. In the Irish Gaelic, it’s called
Oimelc, which translates to “ewe’s milk.” It’s a precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs. Spring and the planting season are right around the corner.
The Romans Celebrate:
To the Romans, this time of year halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox was the season of the Lupercalia. For them, it was a purification ritual
held on February 15, in which a goat was sacrificed and a scourge made
of its hide. Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with
bits of goat hide. Those who were struck considered themselves fortunate
indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not
associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the
founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were
suckled by a she-wolf -- in a cave known as the "Lupercale".
The Feast of Nut:
The ancient Egyptians celebrated this time of year as the Feast of Nut, whose birthday falls on February 2 (Gregorian calendar). According to the Book of the Dead, Nut was seen as a mother-figure to the sun god Ra, who at sunrise was known as Khepera and took the form of a scarab beetle.
Christian Conversion of a Pagan Celebration:
When Ireland converted to Christianity, it was hard to convince
people to get rid of their old gods, so the church allowed them to
worship the goddess Brighid as a saint -- thus the creation of St. Brigid's Day. Today, there are many churches around the world which bear her name.
Purification and Light:
For many Christians, February 2nd continues to be celebrated as
Candelmas, the feast of purification of the Virgin. By Jewish law, it
took forty days after a birth for a woman to be cleansed following the
birth of a son. Forty days after Christmas – the birth of Jesus – is
February 2nd. Candles were blessed, there was much feasting to be had,
and the drab days of February suddenly seemed a little brighter. In
Catholic churches, the focus of this celebration is St. Brighid.
Love & Courtship:
February is known as a month when love begins anew, in part to to
the widespread celebration of Valentine's Day. In some parts of Europe,
there was a belief that February 14th was the day that birds and
animals began their annual hunt for a mate. Valentine's Day
is named for the Christian priest who defied Emperor Claudius II's
edict banning young soldiers from marrying. In secret, Valentine "tied
the knot" for many young couples. Eventually, he was captured and
executed on Feb. 14, 269 C.E. Before his death, he smuggled a message to
a girl he had befriended while imprisoned -- the first Valentine's Day
card.
Serpents in the Spring
Although Imbolc isn't even mentioned in non-Gaelic Celtic traditions, it's still a time rich in folklore and history. According to the
Carmina Gadelica, the Celts celebrated an early version of Groundhog Day on Imbolc too – only with a serpent, singing this poem:
Thig an nathair as an toll
(The serpent will come from the hole)
la donn Bride
(on the brown day of Bride (Brighid)
Ged robh tri traighean dh’an
(though there may be three feet of snow)
Air leachd an lair
(On the surface of the ground.)
Among agricultural societies, this time of year was marked by the
preparation for the spring lambing, after which the ewes would lactate
(hence the term "ewe's milk" as "Oimelc"). At Neolithic sites in
Ireland, underground chambers align perfectly with the rising sun on
Imbolc.
The Goddess Brighid
Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection as well,
although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The Irish goddess Brighid
is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth. To
honor her, purification and cleaning are a wonderful way to get ready
for the coming of Spring. In addition to fire, she is a goddess
connected to inspiration and creativity.
Brighid is known as one of the Celtic "triune" goddesses
-- meaning that she is one and three simultaneously. The early Celts
celebrated a purification festival by honoring Brighid, or Brid, whose
name meant "bright one." In some parts of the Scottish Highlands,
Brighid was viewed in her aspect as crone as
Cailleach Bheur,
a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself.
Brighid was also a warlike figure, Brigantia, in the Brigantes tribe
near Yorkshire, England. The Christian St. Brigid was the daughter of a
Pictish slave who was baptized by St. Patrick, and founded a community of nuns at Kildare, Ireland.
In modern Paganism, Brighid is viewed as part of the maiden/mother/crone cycle.
She walks the earth on the eve of her day, and before going to bed each
member of the household should leave a piece of clothing outside for
Brighid to bless. Smoor your fire as the last thing you do that night,
and rake the ashes smooth. When you get up in the morning, look for a
mark on the ashes, a sign that Brighid
has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes are brought
inside, and now have powers of healing and protection thanks to Brighid.
