And you will hear the faint yawning of the seeds and tender plants yawning as they awaken from their winter slumber.

Welcome Imbolc.

Imbolc, (EM-bowlk) is a Gaelic term meaning ‘in the belly’. This is the time of year when Mother Earth celebrates life by nudging awake the seeds snuggling within her belly under the frozen ice and snow coating my yard. She whispers softly to them to wake and ready themselves for the coming spring.

Typically, this time of year I can see the green specks breaking through the ground but sadly at present, after multiple floods interspersed with snow, the new life yearning to burst forth lays hidden.

This year, no tender shoots. Just a blanket of white.

Ancient Celts, Druids, and other pagans, celebrated Imbolc as the beginning to the season of spring–a time when winter began to wane and life returned to the sparse lands.

I should mention the term pagan comes from the Latin word paganus, which means ‘rustic’ and ‘country dweller.’ It has nothing to do with demon worship. Just saying.

Imbolc is also referred to as Oimealg  (IM-mol’g), meaning ‘ewe’s milk’, as this was the time of year when herd animals would give birth and their milk would flow.

Imbolc starts at sundown on February 1 and lasts into February 2. Brigid’s Day (pronounced Breed’s Day), named for the goddess Imbolc honors. Brigid would call forth snakes from the earth to test the weather. If the snakes could survive then it was warm enough for her to awaken the young plants. Snakes. Groundhogs. You say ‘toe-may-toe’, I say ‘toe-mah-toe’–it’s all the same.

According to Celtic lore, Brigid, a goddess of the sun, wells, and springs, was born at daybreak then rose into the sky as the sun’s fiery rays streamed from her head, thus portrayed by her long, flame-red hair. As an infant the goddess was fed the milk from a white sacred cow, giving her the power to bring life wherever she walked. It is believed small flowers and shamrocks sprouted after Brigid passed by.

Brigid’s other gifts include light, knowledge, inspiration, vitality, and healing. The pagan Brigid is one and the same as Saint Brigid but was a pagan goddess long before Christianity claimed her.

It’s believed that Brigid will reward any sincere offering made to her. Throughout Ireland and Scotland, coins are often tossed into wells in hopes that she’ll answer the person’s plea. (There might be a quiz later so remember this when I ask you how the custom of throwing a penny into a fountain originated.)

As a way of welcoming the return of the sun, at sundown, a celebration of Imbolc includes the lighting of white candles in each room of the house.  Next an offering of food is made in the name of Brigid. My offering this year is the traditional corn for the ducks and chopped peanuts for the birds.

As I spend most of my time sitting on my couch I’m given the opportunity to compare Imbolc of last year to now. I am given the perspective of time as I survey what has passed and embrace the beautiful memories I retain. And I offer gratitude for the blessings to I now have.

In closing, may Brigid bless the threshold of your home; May she keep your hearth warm and your belly full; May she grant you wisdom and peace; May she guide your way; And may she light your world with the beauty of flowers, birds, and love.

Blessed be. :}

Il mio amato immortale.