Imbalc

Imbalc (pronounced Im-molc) is the Celtic Sabbat that falls between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's celebrated sometime around the first of February, as the "beginning of the end" of winter.

Imbalc means surrounding belly- the Earth Mother’s womb; soon the seeds in the womb of the earth will begin to swell and creative forces will begin to come alive in the world.

Agenda for today: 
1. Creativity Altar
2. Journal queries

3. Seed blessing ceremony

4. Start my Love Cycle
5. Make a Brigid's Cross
6. Make Irish seed cake
7. Have a fire

1. Creativity Altar:

Imbalc is sacred to Brigid, the European and Celtic goddess of healing, crops, poetry, and creativity. As a sun goddess her powers are light, fire, inspiration, and vital energy: Wow! She’s one of my favorite images of the Spirit.

Brigid is the maiden aspect of the Great Goddess and so her color is white; her symbols are a sun-wheel, Brigid's cross, snake, and cock (herald of the new day). 

Today I made a special creativity altar for Brigid with:

• a white candle- for light and purity
• a Brigid's cross- for the sun and the seasons
• a beaded snake- for healing and regeneration
• a small bowl- for openness and inspiration 
• and some of my garden seeds

2. Journal queries:

February is a month of expectation, exciting with potential; the grey veil of winter is still in place, but tinged with pink around the edges.

At Imbalc, I write about my seeds of inspiration- those thoughts, dreams and ideas that are inside me waiting to grow into wise actions, sweet words, or beautiful things made by my hands.

What is waiting to bloom in me this year? 

I write each germ of inspiration on a tiny slip of paper, and roll it into a seed, then put these in the bowl on my altar.

3. Seed blessing ceremony: 

Light the candle on the altar, and ask the Goddess to bless my garden seeds, and also my seeds of inspiration. 

May they all grow well when the time is right.

4. Start my Love Cycle:

The cold, wet days of February are perfect for prayer, reading, writing, contemplation of the deep questions of life, and listening for leadings and inspirations. It's about time, though, to step out of the cloister a little and gently re-enter the world of personal relationships. February is a good time to consider love, friendship, and family.

Especially this year, while still in quarantine, I need to find ways to re-connect with friends I feel separated from.

Love is the key to happiness and success in all areas. Life is lived in relationship- in community- and no matter how brilliant and effective I am, I will struggle if I have poor connections with the people in my life. Love is also a frame for my bond with the earth, with Spirit, and with myself.

Love is one of my 5 daily priorities. My intention for love:

I intend to love my family, friends, neighbors, and community with all my heart, using loving words, giving full attention, and offering generous service, because love is the ultimate act of God, and the only thing that will save us.

Love is a practice, not a belief or feeling. It’s a set of habits learned over a lifetime: Listening, giving, speaking and acting in a loving way. It’s a way of being, with my attention on compassion, patience, generosity, kindness, and understanding. Every year, on the first of February, I start a 30-day cycle of daily love practices, which help me to cultivate and improve the habits that allow me to keep love central in my life, and in my everyday interactions.

Today I will list 4 specific goals for improvement this month - these could be a change in attitude, a person I want to show more love to, a habit I want to improve, or a service to share - and I will brainstorm small but concrete actions for each of these goals, and put them on my To-Do list.

“By celebrating—and sharing—the love that already lives inside us, we can free ourselves from the fear, anger and sadness that cause so much suffering. I have seen firsthand that when we open our hearts to love’s abundance we are able to transform our lives and make the world a more just and peaceful place… When put into practice in our daily lives, these simple habits help us make the choice, day after day, to reject fear’s hold and embrace, instead, the immense power and grace within us.” --Ed Bacon

5. Make a Brigid's Cross:

My cross has 40 pieces of straw. 

The Bridget’s cross is an ancient symbol of the sun and the seasons. It's hung by the door or in the rafters to protect the house from fire, which is always a threat in Irish houses with thatch roofs. 

Making a Brigid’s cross is one of the traditional rituals in Ireland to celebrate Imbalc and the beginning of early spring. At Imbalc or Imbalc Eve a new Brigid’s Cross is hung above the door, and the old one is burned in the hearth.

The crosses are usually made of rushes, which are abundant in Ireland. The one above was made of straw, and instructions are in this post. 

A few years ago I re-invented the crosses using pipe cleaners, and it was easy enough even for the six-year-olds in the group! Instructions for these are in this post.

Hang your Brigid's cross in the kitchen or over a door to protect from fire and evil.

6. Make Irish seed cake:

Celtic deities are not abstract but are a part of daily life; the fires of inspiration and the fires of the home and the forge are the same. 

I usually heat up the oven today to make an Irish seed cake.

7. Have a fire:

Bits of winter collected to burn.

On Imbalc evening we seek out "bits of winter" and burn them in a fire. When our kids were young we hid things around the house -- old Christmas wrapping paper, some leftover wreath greens, last year's calendar... and had a fun search. 

Now we remind each of our guests to bring something to burn.

Imbalc 2017

We invited friends and family over for a rainy fire tonight, and after we burn winter we will eat seed cake and snacks, outside, under cover.