by Jess Howe

Created on: October 27, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2009

This article will give you some easy tips for an altar for Imbolc. It's easy for me, because this is my favorite holiday of all the Celtic ones. So, I'm excited to be able to share with you the knowledge I've gained over some intense study. And that will hopefully make your holiday celebration all the more special.

A FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

For one thing, when you're working with one of the holidays of the ancients, it's a good idea to try and find out where other names for that day came from. The very name of Candlemas, one of many names for this holiday, tells us that Imbolc is a festival of light. People in old Ireland looked at the turn of seasons slightly differently, marking February 2 as the very beginning of spring. Light was returning they believed after the long "dark" of winter. Plants could be planted again. In honor of this return, people would have huge bonfires and dance.

I light as many lights as I can in the house on this day: candles, votives, tapers, jar candles, and so on. The same should hold true for your altar: light it up! If you have the room, do a small bonfire - or a large one. This is an important day, so don't skimp on the light. However, even if your altar only includes one candle, it will be appreciated by the gods. The idea here is to have as much light going as you can.

Now, those wiccans and other pagans who are living in dorms might feel left out, because of fire laws: I remember when I was at Simmons and couldn't light candles for holidays. But these days there are cheap LED candles. They come in all shades now and are battery-powered. The second idea is just to leave your electric lights on for 24 hours or so.

The point here is just to celebrate the returning light, to honor it, and so however you choose to or are able to do this is good.

BRIGIT'S DAY

Another name for this holiday is Brigit's Day, which makes sense since she's a fire goddess, lady of the hearth and of healing, all things associated with springtime. Burning cinnamon incense and/or candles on your altar is good for specifically honoring her. If you're in a no-fire area, the option is to find cinnamon air freshener, or to get some cinnamon oil, heat it in the microwave (in the dorms' or wherever's kitchen) with a little water to dilute it. That way you aren't burning something, but you still have the essence of cinnamon in the air.

Colors associated with this goddess are green, red and white, so these should be prominent in the altar space in some form. Making fake flames is a fun way to represent and honor her, out of red and white paper. Or, have red, white and green scarves, which is what I do.

Another thing for your altar is making Brigit's Crosses, an activity children can work on. That way they can feel like they've contributed to the ceremony as well. Even just singing to your candles is a nice thing to do in her honor; Brigit is as well a goddess of song and story, part of the reason I like her so much. Or, write a short poem to her and leave it on your altar.

Imbolc is celebrated still worldwide, because it's a turning point in the seasons. I hope this article has given you some tips and made the altar for the celebration of this day a little less daunting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcfebruary2/p/Im bolc_Altar.htm

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55159.asp

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