Symbolism of Imbolc: Purity, Growth and Renewal, Fertility, and dispensing of the old and making way for the new.
Symbols of Imbolc: Brideo'gas, Besoms, White Flowers, Candle Wheels, Brighid's Crosses, Priapic Wands (acorn-tipped), and Ploughs.
Colors of Imbolc: White, Pink, Red, Yellow, lt. Green, Brown.
Hand-Dipped Candles
From Lady Morgan Crystal Moonstone's Book of Shadows
Supplies:
2-4 pounds of Paraffin Wax (the kind used in canning) or beeswax (which is usually expensive).
Candle wick (available at most hobby and craft stores)
oils and herbs (for scent and magickal goals)
candle dye (also expensive) or crayons (for color)
wax paper
a wooden spoon
a double broiler
1. Begin by melting the wax in a double broiler. If you don't have one, you can use a large pot filled half full of water and a large coffee tin with the wax in it, sitting inside the pot. Heat the water to boiling first and cut up your wax so it will melt quickly. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down and place the tin of wax inside of it. Keep the water hot enough to keep the wax melted but not so hot that the paraffin catches fire (which it has been known to do over high heat).
2. While the wax to melting, stir with a wooden spoon (never use metal) & make sure it all is completely melted.
3. Also, while the wax is melting, mix the herbs (if more than one) in a small bowl.
4. After the wax is completely melted and been checked, break the crayons up and put them into the wax. Keep stirring until all of the crayons have melted and the color is even and smooth, with no streaks. Keep in mind that the candle will be a shade or so lighter when dry. The more crayons - the deeper and richer the color, so experiment.
5. Next, add the herbs to the wax. Empower with your energy and magickal intention while mixing the wax. Stir with the wooden spoon until it is thoroughly mixed. Next add 10-20 drops of essential oil (please, no synthetics when making candles for magickal or ritual use) to the wax until it smells strongly of the fragrance intended. Now your wax is ready.
6. Start with a long piece of wick - twice the size of your desired candle length plus 3 inches (you will be making 2 candles at once). Bend the wick in the middle and hold it by the bend. Dip the wick into the wax and then lift back out. Getting started is the hardest because the wick will float on top of the wax until it has enough wax on it to weigh it down. Allow it to get completely cold between dippings when you first start.
7. After your candle has started to take shape you can speed up the process a little. I keep a pan of cool water nearby and dip the candles in the water after each dipping in the wax. While this speeds up the process a little, candle making is a slow process but very well worth the time and energy you put into it.
8. Keep dipping the candles and allowing them to cool & then dip again. When you have achieved the proper size, hang them to dry until the wax has set but the candles aren't too hard. Then roll them on the wax paper to smooth out the shape. Once the candle shape is too your liking, dip 1 or 2 more times to make sure your candle is smooth. Trim off any excess wax to make a bottom with a sharp knife. Cut the wick and hang your candles to dry. You are done!
Female Fertility Craft
This sachet is easily constructed. During the day, it should be carried close to the skin at all times. If it is made small enough, it can be easily and comfortably placed in a bra. At night, or during love-making, it can be placed either under a mattress or under a pillow. In a pink or green cloth bag, combine the following ingredients:
1 Pinch of Hawthorn flowers
1 Pinch of Dried Oak leaves
1 Pinch of Patchouli (or a drop of Patchouli Oil)
1 Pinch of Powdered Mandrake
Priapic Wand
Materials:
Small Tree Branch, Acorn, Thin Brown String or Thread, Yellow, Green, and Gold 1/4" Ribbon, Small Gold/Silver Jingle Bells. Select a small branch about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter. Cut top end flat. Approx. 1/2" below top score a groove with a sharp knife. Take 1' long piece of string/thread and tie in groove. Take another 1' piece of thread and tie in groove on opposite side of branch. Place acorn at top of branch (flat end) and adhere with some glue. Now pull the string up over the cap and wind once around acorn. Repeat with all 3 other pieces of string. Pull strings back down to the groove in the branch and tie off. This will hold the acorn in place. Decorate the branch by wrapping it with the ribbons, leaving enough length at top for streamers. Tie gold/silver jingle bells to the ends of the ribbons. Use this magical wand to help the sleeping plants and animals wake up and prepare for Spring.
Corn Husk Doll to represent the Goddess Brigid
Things You Need 12 corn husks, yarn, string or cord
Get the husks from 2 or 3 ears of corn. Soak them in water until they are soft and easy to bend.
Put together 3 corn husks that are the same length and fold them in half.
Tie a string one inch from the fold to make a head.
For the arms, cut two corn husk leaves about 5 inches long.
Tie strings 1/2 inch from end to make hands
Carefully part the husks of the body and slide arms through into place.
Tie string around the body just below the arms to hold them in place.
Paint or use markers to make a face and clothes on the doll. You may also use scraps of material to make clothes for your doll.
Dress the doll in white or blue with a necklace that represents the seasons. Lay it in a long basket to represent the bed, adorned with ribbons, (You can either make your own brides bed, or you can use a basket, but make the bed welcoming, like you expect the Goddess to sleep in it, then leave it in a warm place, as an offering to Her). Light white candles on either side of the basket, and say:
"Welcome the bride both maiden and mother;
rest and prepare for the time of the seed;
cleansed and refreshed from labors behind her;
with the promise of spring she lays before me."
Imbolc Incense
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Dragon's Blood
1/2 part Red Sandalwood
1 part Cinnamon
A few drops Red Wine
To this mixture add a pinch of the first flower (dry it first) that is available in your area at the time of Imbolc (February 1st). Burn during Wiccan ceremonies on Imbolc, or simply to attune with the symbolic rebirth of the Sun --- the fading of winter and the promise of Spring.
(The above recipe for Imbolc Incense is directly quoted from Scott Cunningham's book:
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews, page 72, Llewellyn Publications, 1992.)
Oil For Sabbat: See OILS
Candlemas Ritual Potpourri
A small cauldron filled with homemade potpourri can be used as a fragrant altar decoration, burned (outdoors) as an offering to the old Goddess during or after a Sabbat celebration, or wrapped in decorative paper and ribbons and given to a Wiccan sister as a Sabbat gift.
45 drops Myrrh Oil
1 cup Oak Moss
2 cups Dried Heather Flowers
2 cups Dried Wisteria
1 cup Dried Yellow Tulip Petals
1/2 cup Dried Basil
1/2 cup Dried and Chopped Bay Leaves
Mix the myrrh oil with the oak moss, and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and then store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.
(The above recipe for Candlemas Ritual Potpourri is directly quoted from Gerina Dunwich's book:
The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch's Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes", page 161,
A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995.)
Imbolc Oil
Put in soap or anoint candles
5 drops frankincense
5 drops rosemary
3 drops cinnamon
2 drops sandalwood
Add a piece of rowan and a small hematite, garnet, and clear quartz crystal. A spicy, sunny scent for awakening the earth.
Candlemas Candle Wheel
Materials:
Craft wreath
Eight white candles
Ivy leaves or vines
Glue gun
Directions:
Either drill thick holes into the wreath so that candles can be placed inside, or just secure them with screw-bottom candleholders or glue gun glue. Place the ivy leaves around in a decorative fashion.
Ritual use:
The eight candles are symbolic of the eight spokes of the year, and spinning the circle into motion at Imbolc is important. In ritual, the candles can be solemnly lit with a cauldron or bowl placed in the middle of the candle wheel. The cauldron or bowl can have the Wish Tree in the middle of it, with water all around it, and have new pennies thrown into it while cementing the wishes. Also the tree and the candle wheel can be toasted.
More Ideas and Activities for Imbolc
* Make or decorate candles
* Brighid, the Celtic goddess of fire, healing, and poetry is considered the patron Goddess of Imbolc. Read up on her as a Celtic goddess and as her later incarnation, St. Brigit.
* Burn the evergreen boughs that decorated your home during the winter holidays in the Imbolc Fires and celebrate the return of the Sun's strength and the Goddess as the Maiden.
* Brighid is the goddess of poetry. Write a poem in her honor, and read it aloud during any Imbolc ritual you may have planned.
* Cleanse and re-consecrate your ritual tools and clean your altar.
* Go through all your herbs and discard those that are more than a year old
* Weave "Brigit's crosses" from straw or wheat to hang around the house for protection
* Perform rites of spiritual cleansing and purification
* Make "Brigit's beds" to ensure fertility of mind and spirit (and body, if desired)
* Ritually cleanse your home and start your "spring" cleaning
* Make a Crown of Light (i.e. of candles for the High Priestess to wear for the Imbolc Circle, similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in Scandinavian countries.
* Place a lighted candle in each and every window of the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from nearby curtains, etc.
* Buy a "salt lick" block and leave it out for the wild animals.
* Make a window garden with seeds, soil, old glass jars or rinse some tuna or cat food cans, and get ready for spring! Easy items are beans, mints, marigolds. Even carrot or pineapple tops and avocado pits are fun to do.
* Make a Bride doll
* Make a tiny "Candle Garden" by filling a small aluminum pan with fine salt or sand and "planting" birthday candles, Hanukkah candles or even tea lights in the "garden"
* Tie tiny strips of fabric in trees near a stream and ask Bride for her influence in your life. Use cotton strips and the birds will use them for nesting or they will bio-degrade over time
* Meditate as a group. Have everyone explore what it would feel like to be a seed deep in the Earth, feeling the first stirrings of life. Lie on the floor and put out tendrils. Stretch and bloom.
* Have a bardic circle where everyone brings poetry, songs or a short story that they have written to honor Brigid (Brigit/Brigid/Bride was the daughter of Dagda. She was the protector of the poets, the forge and the healing persons.)
* Go for a walk. Search for signs of spring. Take off your shoes and socks and squish your toes in the mud!
* Lead a group on a parade outside, banging on pots and pans or playing musical instruments to awaken the spirits of the land.
* Hold some herb seeds in your hands. Talk to the seeds. Bless them with growth and happiness. Fill them with love. Plant an in-door herb garden.
