celebrating imbolc in 2023: the day of the poet goddess
when is imbolc?
this year the ancient holilday lands on FEBRUARY 1ST TO 2ND, 2023
*the original blog post was written on february 1st 2021. images have been updated to reflect my new brand vision in 2022. the title was changed to imbolc 2023.
Just Yesterday I was initiated into Reiki mastership, a radiant day full of divine insights where I received the passing of sacred information from my teacher and communicated with my ancestors & guides.
Just after my attunement I sat in silent prayer, asking for any symbols, messages or plant allies to reveal themselves to me as the gateways to spirit were open.
An inner knowing of the lily of the Valley came to me, a powerful plant that has many significances in the magickal world, some of which I am new to learning.
lily of the valley
Today I was prepping for this blog post & was stunned to see that Lily of the Valley corresponds to the sabbat of Imbolc!
My mom shared with me that these flowers grew just under my childhood bedroom window and perhaps they even visited me in my childhood dreams.
Not only do they have a significance for Imbolc, but they are also called Mary’s tears- in honor of the Mother Mary - Another Divine archetype I’ve been working with closely who came to me through my mother & my grandmother.
I intuitively feel that these flowers are a sweet synchronicity of my past, my present & my future as a witch - so let’s get into the witchy shit!
Imbolc marks a sacred sabbat that rests so sweetly (and intentionally) between the Winter solstice & the Spring equinox. It represents a magickal time where the first whispers of spring can be heard while we are still in the lingering shadows of Winter.
Ironically, as I write this, it is snowing the hardest it has this Winter! However with the longer days and shorter nights, along with the return of some of my neighborhood birds, I can tell Spring is right around the corner. although traditionally this sabbat aligns with the budding of lily of the valley, i am reminded how not all flowers bud or bloom at once, and I embrace this powerful snow storm as the lilys will be here soon enough.
Imbolc’s sabbat window is between monday and tuesday (the 1st and 2nd) however I like to think that we can work with these energies for a bit longer than that.
what is a sabbat?
The sabbats (or the powerful 8 periods of the wheel of the year in witchcraft) are powerful times to practice ritual, to celebrate growth, balance inner alchemy & spark spiritual transformation.
Imbolc is one of those 8 sacred sabbats that rest on the pagan witch wheel of the year and falls on February 1st to 2nd, 2022.
image credit: vector stock
Working with rituals, the cycles of nature, plants, herbs & prayer are all sacred forms of divination I use and could be incorporated into anyone’s spiritual tool box as they pre-date modern religions.
In my spiritual practice, I love to work with the energies of nature, astrology & seasons to fuel my divinity. I often refer to my cultural and ancestral backgrounds of Latin America, Africa, Italy and Ireland for much of the divination practices I work with, which includes paganism.
the day of the poet goddess
Imbolc, also known as the Day of the poet goddess, marks the time between winter solstice and spring equinox. In it’s more modern form it is a celtic & gaelic holiday that represents the return of the goddess Brigid from the underworld.
IMBOLC means “in the belly” in Old Irish and signifies that time of hidden secrets, wisdom & the beginning blossoms of ideas & creations.
Us witches celebrate imbolc as a sacred window to usher in this shift between winter & spring.
If in winter we hibernate, become introspective & reflect, on imbolc you can begin to get clear on what you want to manifest using your intuition & inner guidance, so you may plant fertile seeds to bloom in spring or summer.
We must balance introspection (water) with action (fire) to keep the inner alchemy balanced & harmonized.
who is brigid?
Brigid is an ancient triple goddess who has different & slightly variating manifestations across Ireland, scotland & england. She is both a fire & water goddess who is also known as the goddess of hearth, the goddess of the forge & the goddess of inspiration.
the Goddess of the Hearth
In this form, Brigid represents energies related to fertility, motherhood, family, childbirth & healing.
The healing that is connected to the Goddess of Hearth is related to the home, security, childhood trauma, & the relationship with your mother.
Rituals to honor The goddess of the hearth:
doing any ritual that protects your sacred space
writing a letter to your mother or texting / calling her to say thank you
manifesting fertility & easeful childbirth
planting an idea you have in “fertile soil” & nurturing it until Spring or summer, when it may be an appropriate time to “birth it”
the goddess of inspiration
In this form, Brigid represents energies connected to poetry, writing, songs, history & the protector of all cultural learning.
Rituals to honor The goddess of inspiration:
writing a poem connected to your life right now
free writing in your journal with no set intention or goal to see the inner workings of the subconscious mind
writing a song
studying aspects of other cultures as It is a powerful time to initiate your inner activist. if your hobbies include other culture’s traditions, it is a good time to study cultural appropriation related to your hobbies (like appropriation of yoga or the burning of sage) and ways to avoid appropriation.
the goddess of the forge
To all my crafters out there, this may be a powerful window of creation! Brigid is a patroness of the crafts (especially weaving, embroidery, and metals-mithing), and a goddess who was concerned with justice and law and order.
A sacred way to honor this energy within all crafters would be doing ample research to find sustainable, fair trade & organic crafting items to build your creations with loving, heartfelt intention.
how to celebrate imbolc
There are many ways to celebrate such as through ritual, meditation, journaling and connecting to nature. I invite you to pick a method of sacred practice that connects with the things you love doing!
Whether you love to write, create art, get your body outside, or some other practice, you can use the below ritual ideas or your own intuition to celebrate!
affirmations & mantras for imbolc
WORKING WITH AFFIRMATIONS HAVE PROFOUND PSYCHOLOGICAL AFFECTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN DONE WITH REPETITION. IF ANY OF THE BELOW AFFIRMATIONS RESonate with you, feel free to use them!
they will work best if you recite them in the morning when you first wake up, mid-way through your day (set an alarm!) and in the evening just before bed.
I suggest repeating the affirmation you choose at least 3 times, or choose a number that feels sacred to you.
what do you think?
how will you be celebrating Imbolc? What is your favorite affirmation, ritual or spiritual tool you could use to balance your energy and honor how far you’ve come? be sure to drop a comment and let me know because I get all giddy & excited for this shit ya’ll!
Also, a pro witch tip: sometimes the sabbat windows are short, like imbolc only being 2 days long. I like to add a 3 day window onto any sabbat (just like we do with the full moon) because we live in a modern world & we sometimes need to carve out time for self care like this.
may you enjoy this sacred sabbat through any means possible, whether it is simple like lighting a purple candle to awaken your psychic gifts, or more intricate like doing a full ritual. Remember that self-care is your birth right & that everyone deserves a fruitful & magickal life.
all my affection,
carleena la curandera
carleena lara-bregatta is a mystic, author + lightworker from southern new jersey, usa. she is the host of the akashic alchemist podcast, offers teachings through the free app insight timer, her youtube channel and soon to be her patreon magic membership portal. you can follow along for more of carleena’s writings through her magic newsletter where she shares members only offerings.
love the vibe + want to book a session?
carleena offers 1:1 private sessions for past life regression therapy, reiki healing therapy, yoga + somatic movement, shadow work and hypnotherapy. you can book a session with carleena today by clicking the below button!
