Imbolc Spells & Traditions: Activities and Ritual Ideas for the coming Sabbat!

Imbolc is one of the four main festivals in the Celtic calendar, also known as the Fire Festivals :fire: and one of the 8 sabbats, celebrated by Wiccans and other pagans who honor the Wheel of the Year.

I’ve prepared a video with Imbolc Ritual Ideas to celebrate this sabbat! When is Imbolc? Traditionally, February 1st (northern hemisphere) and August 1st (southern hemisphere).

9 Imbolc Ritual Ideas to Celebrate the First Light

Imbolc History

Among agrarian peoples, the festival was traditionally associated with the onset of lactation of ewes :sheep: soon to give birth to the spring lambs. This could vary by as much as two weeks before or after the start of February. In Irish, Imbolc means “in the belly” (i mbolg), referring to the pregnancy of ewes, and is also a Celtic term for spring. Another name is Oimelc, meaning “ewe’s milk”.

Imbolc Traditions

Imbolc is conventionally celebrated on February 1st. It is traditionally a time of weather prognostication :sunny: and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to Groundhog Day.

Some Celts and Neopagans shorten the name to Brigid, referring to the Celtic goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft, to whom the day is sacred.

Imbolc Crafts :yarn:

A special kind of offering for Imbolc can be an artistic offering. Imbolc is a good time to do crafts that involve a connection with divinity. Setting up an altar for your deities is a type of devotion on itself.

Imbolc Candle Art


(Printable sticker) Click here to download.

I print it on Printable vinyl sticker paper that works with any regular printer. Then I paste it on a tall glass candle.

Brigid (also known as Brighid, Bríde, Brigit, Brìd) is the Goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. As both goddess and saint she is also associated with holy wells, sacred flames, and healing.

Prayer to Brigid

Written by Megan Black. Download a printable version of the prayer here.

Brigid’s Cross is a symbol of protection that is traditionally prepared just before Imbolc. These crosses are left outside the front door in hopes that Brig will bless them. The blessed crosses are then hung to protect the home.

Imbolc-Craft-Brigids-Cross
How to make a Brigid’s Cross from rushes (Youtube).

Imbolc Rituals :crystal_ball:

There is an Imbolc tradition of opening all the doors and windows in the home and standing at the doorway to receive Brigid’s blessings.

February was also a time when the Romans would start cleaning up the fields for the planting season, and the word February comes from februare meaning “to purify”.

Imbolc Spell :seedling:

A solitary celebration of the Wiccan sabbat. This holiday marks the beginning of spring, a time for self-renewal and the hope of growth: The darkness is retreating and the promise of spring is here.

Imbolc-Wiccan-Sabbat-Celebration Imbolc-Celebration-Ideas-Sabbat

On Imbolg, you may bless your candles with a prayer, or do a candle reading. Divinations are typically enhanced during the sabbats, as these are days of transition between the seasons of the year.

Reading Candle Flames and Wax

Read the post: 🕯️ Flickering Magic: How to Read Candle Flames, Meanings and Interpretations and download a printable page with meanings and interpretations:

How to Read Candle Flames

In some parts of Ireland, women would place a piece of cloth outside on a bush on Saint Brigit’s Eve. They believed that during the night the saint would pass by and touch the cloth, imbuing it with healing properties.

Imbolc Altar Ideas & Correspondences :pray:

Symbols and ornaments: White flowers, marigolds, plum blossoms, daffodils, Brigid wheel, Brigid’s cross, Bride’s Bed, candles, seeds for blessing, red candle in a cauldron full of earth, doll, the Bride, broom, milk, birchwood,
snowflakes, evergreens, besom, Sun Wheel, shepherd’s crook, plough.

Colors: Blue, green, lavender, pink, red, orange, white, pale yellow, silver.

Plants: Acorns, angelica, basil, bay, benzoin, celandine, clover, dandelion, heather, myrrh, primrose, roses, verbena, violet, snowdrops, yellow flowers, willow.

Gods & Goddesses: Eros, Frey, Lupercas, Pan, Faunus, Venus, Diana, Aradia, Athena, Inanna, Vesta, Gaia, Brigid, Selene, Branwen, Artemis, Freyr, Vara, Venus, Selene, Persephone, Hestia.

Food and Drinks :bread:

Butter, cream, milk, yogurt, spicy foods, raisins, pumpkin, sesame & sunflower
seeds, poppyseed bread/cake, honey cake, pancakes, waffles, herbal tea, garlic, lamb, leeks, onions, shallots.


What else to do on Imbolc? Go out in Nature, find a quiet spot to meditate! Or stay indoors and do a candle meditation.

If you can, make a bonfire :fire: and burn some juniper or dandelion, the sacred plants of the winter season. Cleanse and purify yourself with the smoke.

Have a Blessed Return of the Light! :sunny:

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All definitely good things to do for Imbolg. I’d also like to add the practice of setting out the brat Bríde for Brigid to bless as She walks the earth on Imbolg eve.

On the eve of January 31st it is traditional to leave a piece of cloth or ribbon outside the house. It was believed that St Brigid’s spirit traveled across the land and left her curative powers in the brat Bride (Brigid’s Mantle or cloth). It was then used throughout the year as a healing from sickness and protection from harm. Source

This is one thing I do with a shawl I crocheted two (?) years ago specifically for Imbolg.

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What wonderful ideas for Imbolc! Thank you so much @Francisco for sharing!

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Thanks for the link! That’s a great resource!

I love the symbolism of the brat Bríde. I knew that Brigit’s mantle was believed to help with an easy labor and healthy babies (on both women and animals) giving birth.

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Thank you so much @Francisco the printable sticker is very beautiful!

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Four years ago I was staying on a farm in Tuscany- and right on, this time of year all the cute baby goats were being born! Not quite sheep, but pretty close :laughing: :goat:

I was just sorting through old travel photos for the challenge the other day, so I recalled a good one to share:

Thanks so much for this treasure trove of information, Francisco! :pray:

Wishing everyone a Happy Imbolc! :sheep: :two_hearts: :goat:

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Thank you @Francisco! I made sure that I have them printed out. It seems like it is coming up fast for me. I’m looking forward to it.

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Thank you for sharing this @Francisco, being new I know of the Sabbats but not all the details about them, I usually do the research on them just before they come around. Last week I was at a dollar store and I found two candle making kits on a bottom shelf and decided to get them although I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. Now I know, I will make them for my first Imbolc. Blessed be.

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That’s a great idea. Good Luck with your candlemaking project! I look forward to seeing the final product! :candle:

Have a lovely sabbat everyone!! :pray:

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Anyone else feel light and warmth starting to return in your personal lives too? Feeling moods and priorities shift, or is it just me? This is my first Imbolc, definitely going to put up some candles and make something nice to eat, maybe some lovely fresh scents too! :sunny: :blush: :seedling:

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I definitely feel better all over. I know that this chapter is coming to an end & I am excited for what comes next. I think I am going to make another cross & maybe make some bread with my daughter. She likes to bake with me and the bread that we make is very good warm with butter. I’m going to the store today to make sure we have things for the beginning of the week and to make the bread. We are supposed to get a lot of snow starting Monday.

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I’m happy to hear that Krissie, and I hope you’ll have a wonderful time together baking! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: It’s been very snowy here this week too… really looking forward to seeing more sun again! :sunny:

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I love the sunshine! My favorite thing in the morning is to open my curtains and let the natural light in from the sun. I love to do it with my living room too.

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I love it too, I’ve started leaving the curtains open for the night so the gentle sunshine can wake me! :sun_with_face:

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I’ve been in a better mood, I’d like to think it was because of the returning light but it could be my Helper. LOL. Still, I’m excited for the Sabbat.

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Thank you @Francisco, for the post. My best friends Grandma passed away from Covid over the weekend. Have not been in the mood to practice or do any spells or magic. But, I think I will give myself a hot ritual shower and invoke Brigid. ( Not sure how that works!? Isn’t that you shouldn’t practice magic when your sad, or angry?!) However, I’ve been wanting and looking forward to imbolc. Will cleanse myself and light my altar candles and try to get out of this funk while still being respectful of her passing. Just wish I can ease the family’s pain.
Thank you.
Blessed be

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Sorry to hear this happened to you, Dee. I think it is a great time to reach out to Brigid. In my opinion, Magic should be performed with a clear mind but if you acknowledge those feelings and they aren’t harmful, then go ahead and do your ritual! Remember that crying is also a spiritual practice, one of the highest devotional songs.

Here’s a quote I like:

“Each time you host your own pain or another’s pain in openness, awareness, and warmth, the pain transforms and the strength of the pain identity is weakened.” –Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Happy Imbolc! :pray:

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@Francisco, thank you so much! This is beautiful!:pray:t3::yellow_heart:

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My daughter and I finally got to make our Brig dolls this evening. Time just got away from me. Been dealing with a lot of darkness this past week.

Here are the results.

I also saw Mr. Badger traveling south this morning when I left for work. I am glad he is gone. He lives behind my house. :roll_eyes: and I worry about my small dog whenever she goes out.

Anyway, blessed day everyone. I am off to eat stir fry. )O(

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This looks amazing! Love the altar and corn dolls! Awesome job to you and your daughter.

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