Blessings of Brigid: 5 Ways to Embrace Imbolc and Awaken the Spring!

Imbolc has arrived! Are you ready for Spring?!

As the winter’s darkness begins to retreat, the Goddess Brigid returns, it must be time for Imbolc…

When is Imbolc 2024?

In 2024, Imbolc falls on February 1st. The exact astrological cross-quarter can change year to year, so sometimes Imbolc arrives on February 2nd, as it sits at the midway point between Yule (Winter Solstice) and the Spring Equinox. You may also hear this festival spoken of, as Candlemass, or St Brigid’s Day.

Who is the goddess of Imbolc?

The Goddess of Imbolc is Brigid, a revered figure in Celtic mythology associated with aspects such as healing, poetry, and the hearth.

Brigid is usually honored during Imbolc for her nurturing and protective qualities, as well as her connection to fire, transformation, and rebirth. The presence of the Celtic Goddess is evoked through many different rituals that celebrate the awakening of the earth from its winter slumber.

Why is Brigid associated with Imbolc?

Brigid is associated with Imbolc because of her connection with the themes of renewal, fertility, and the awakening of spring, which are all central to the festival. As the ancient Irish Goddess of healing, poetry, silversmithing, and midwifery, Brigid also embodies the rising fertility, and creative qualities that are celebrated during the cross-quarter festival.

Bring her to mind, and you may see flaming red hair, dewy skin, and a sense of the archetypal maiden. She carries the fresh energy of spring. She is youthful, creative, skilled, and energizing – something we (and our ancestors) likely all needed after getting through this long stretch of darkness since the winter solstice.

Her connection to fire is also significant. Many celebrate Imbolc by lighting candles and fires, honoring Brigid as a pagan goddess of the flame.

Isn’t Brigid a Saint?

It’s well-documented that Brigid has been a Celtic goddess for many centuries.

According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (an origin legend of ancient Ireland), Brigid was a daughter of the Dagda (high chief of all the Gods). Christian scribes then wrote about her again in the 9th century, as one of the most prominent Celtic deities, describing her as a “woman of wisdom” and a “goddess of poets”.

So strong was her presence in the Celtic lands, that the invading Christians couldn’t compete with the Goddess. So instead, the Irish deity was venerated through the process of syncretism, where pagan deities were often incorporated into Christian traditions.

In the case of Brigid, her status as a revered goddess in Celtic mythology made her a natural candidate for this transition into “St Brigid”. The transition from goddess to saint enabled the continuation of her worship, only now, it was within the context of Christian belief.

Today she’s celebrated as a Christian saint for her acts of compassion, generosity, and miracles. In the Christian calendar, Imbolc is known as Saint Brigid’s Day, or Candlemas Day, and is still observed with reverence and devotion.

What does the goddess Brigid symbolize?

For pagans, Brigid (also known as Bride, Brigit, Briget, and Brighid) remains a Celtic goddess who symbolizes healing, poetry, smithcraft, creativity, and inspiration. She is also a fertility goddess, offering protection and comfort to pregnant women and mothers. Brigid also represents the eternal flame, and the transformative power of this sacred elemental force.

To Christians, Saint Brigid symbolizes compassion, generosity, and the nurturing spirit of motherhood. She’s revered for her acts of kindness, her dedication to serving the poor and the sick, and her miraculous deeds.

For many, St Brigid is also she is seen as a symbol of hope, inspiration, and the transformative power of faith, embodying the virtues of charity and selflessness that are central to Christian teachings.

lit red candle as a spiritual thing for period

Why is Brigid associated with fire?

Since pre-Christian times, Brigid has been associated with fire as a symbol of transformation, inspiration, and the creative spark, all of which feature in her mythology.

Fire is the thread that runs through each of Brigid’s domains of poetry, smithcraft, and healing, as well as being connected to the hearth and home – a central aspect of Brigid’s nurturing and protective qualities.

She’s the keeper of both the initiating spark and the sustaining warmth of the hearth. It’s not difficult to see why the ancients of these Celtic lands connected to her and called her close on her feast day.

After a long winter, even though, yes, the nights are getting shorter and the days are growing in length, Spring still takes her merry time!

The quickening below the surface of the soil does not deliver straightaway, so the Goddess Brigid is a beacon of possibility.

In the Celtic tradition, fire is also seen as a purifying force, and Brigid’s association with the sacred element underscores her role in purification rituals and the renewal of life.

The sacred flame of St Brigid in Kildare

At Kildare in Ireland, there’s a sacred flame perpetually burning in devotion to St Brigid. It’s kept alive by a group of women known as St Brigid’s nuns who maintain the custom from pre-Christian times.

Scholars suggest that the flame at Kildare served as a sacred site for rituals and gatherings, where the Goddess was honored and revered through lighting fires and tending the flame.

Today the sacred flame at Kildare is a powerful symbol of continuity, spirituality, and the enduring legacy of Brigid, the patron saint of Ireland. It serves as a source of inspiration and reverence for many.

Red hair woman like St Brigid with flower petals on her cheeks

5 Ways to honor the Goddess Brigid and work with her at Imbolc

It’s important to understand that Brigid wasn’t (and isn’t) just a symbol. Like all the deities, she is a living presence in the world – a force that you can connect with and work with in your life.

As one of the four fire festivals of the Celtic calendar (or wheel of the year), Imbolc is Brigid’s feast day so it’s the perfect time to connect with her.

Here are 5 simple ways to call in the Goddess Brigid for your Imbolc celebration…

1. Light a candle

Traditionally on Imbolc, as the sun set each lamp in the house would be lit with a flame. In the days of old, these would likely be oil lamps, not electric lights like we have today.

So instead of simply flicking on a switch, why not light candles as the sun goes down on February 1st? Perform this simple act to welcome back the sun with intention. As you meet each candle wick with a flame, call in Brigid. Ask for her blessings, her warmth, and her protection.

It’s a beautiful way to honor the great rebirth.

2. Bake

Baking is an alchemical process that harnesses the power of all elements.

flour = earth
water/milk = water
the rise = air
heat = fire

Take it back to these basics, and intention becomes a significant influence in what you create.

As you stir the mixture, stir in words, wishes, and incantations. Call on the Goddess as you mix and concoct, create, and alchemize. Your kitchen table creations will serve as a kind of effigy, a symbolic representation of your intentions for the coming year.

Using ingredients from last year’s harvest (whether it’s flour, frozen berries, dried herbs or flower petals) in your mixture will also form a profound connection from one year to the next.

Don’t forget to make an offering of your baked goods to the holy woman herself.

3. Spring clean

Brigit is one of the Goddesses of domestic spaces: she hangs out in the hearth and home.

It is a highly honoring act, to keep these spaces clean, tidy, and in order.

The Spirits notice.

And let’s be honest, when things are spit-spot on the home front, it leaves more time, energy, and emotional bandwidth to get on with the things in life you REALLY want to do. Play. Socialising. Creativity. Sacred practice. The good stuff.

4. Write poetry

Brigid is the patroness of poets. She flows with inspiration, and sparks words and meaning.

Amongst all of the creative arts, poetry is her jam.

Devote some to her today.

5. Perform a ritual for self-purification

As the mistress of fire, Brigid has an immense amount of power over this element, particularly its power to cleanse and purify, in preparation for the budding new life that Spring will bring.

Try this simple rite to clear away the debris of the winter months, and let the light shine in.

YOU WILL NEED:

A candle (and something to light it with)
Incense
A small amount of sea salt
A small bowl of water (melted snow, or water from one of her holy wells would be amazing if you can get it!)

THE RITUAL METHOD:

Find a quiet space to work. Sit, and center yourself, taking a few deep breaths to come into your body.
Invite Brigid into your ritual space. Feel her presence.
Light a candle to represent fire, and ask Brigit to purify the will of your life force.
Take some salt to represent the Earth, and sprinkle it onto your skin, asking Brigit to cleanse your body.
Light some incense to represent Air, and ask Brigit to cleanse your mind.
Finally, take a small dish of water, sprinkle drops of this onto, and around your body, asking Brigit to cleanse and purify your emotions.
When you feel complete, offer the Goddess your heartfelt thanks, blow out the candle and carry on with your day.