Happy Imbolc Everybody!

Good Morning,

This has been such a mild winter for many of us across the country this year. Its been hovering around the 50 degree mark during the day here at home, with chilly winds and a dampness that makes it feel colder than the thermometer says.
At Imbolc we stand at the half-way point between winter and spring. It is still pitch black when I wake up in the mornings, and my gardens are sleeping away under a blanket of leaves.

I have to say this is the first time I can remember being able to harvest rosemary- which is a tender perennial- all the way into February out of my gardens. Its been fun to go raid my herbs for dishes and my parsley loves the chilly weather so it has been continuously growing all winter.

Last week I discovered a bag of pink tulip bulbs that I had forgotten to plant in the fall, so I dug into that chilly dirt in one of the beds in the front yard and planted them… here’s hoping they bloom for me- They are later blooming tulips- not suppose to bloom until May so they should still have plenty of chilly days and nights to do their thing, and bloom for me in a few months.

Imbolc is a quiet sabbat, and one that is often used for reflection and for planning for the future. Brigit’s crosses, snowdrop flowers and winter landscapes are familiar themes for this holiday. Other classic ways to celebrate this sabbat are fire magick and candle magick.

As you go to light your Imbolc candles, stop and say a prayer for illumination, and for healing, fresh starts and peace. This is a wonderful time to begin new projects, and to adopt a new more positive attitude.

Here is an Imbolc candle spell for self-healing from my book, How to Enchant a Man.  This spell calls on Brigit the Celtic Triple Goddess. Brigit is a goddess of smith-craft, poetry and healing. Variations on her name include: Brighid, Brigid, Breed, Bride, and Brigitania. She is often pictured as a red-haired woman surrounded by or holding flames. In the pretty illustration below, you can see her classic four- spoke crosses

Say this spell verse while you light your candles. (White or purple would be appropriate candle colors.) If you are interested, this entire Imbolc ritual is found in my book, How to Enchant a Man, on pages 154-156.

I wish you all healing, inspiration and a fresh start!  Embrace the light of the coming spring and walk your path with joy.
Happy Imbolc, Ellen

For more information about the author’s books and tour schedule, please visit Ellen Dugan’s website at www.ellendugan.com

Read more at Ellen Dugan’s Blog of Witchery