by Silva Payne

Created on: February 06, 2010

Imbolc is the modern name for the traditional pagan festival welcoming the beginning of spring. In the Christian calendar, February 2nd is known as Candlemas and is one of the 4 collective mass days. These were adopted on or close to the existing pagan days of celebration in order to make the transition to Christianity easier for the newly converted. The day is also associated with St Brigid, and is often called St Brigid's Day.

If you have an altar, changing the items that you have on it with the changing seasons is a good way to connect with nature. It is not essential to have an altar to be pagan. Indeed, many pagans feel that restricting themselves to just one permanent space in their home is inhibiting; for many, their whole home and garden is an altar.

For Imbolc, you are welcoming the return of spring. Take your cue from nature; the traditional colours associated with Imbolc are white and green. If you use an altar cloth, then white linen or cotton, perhaps with some simple embroidery of spring flowers would be appropriate. Altar cloths are useful to catch the drips from candles and seeds or petals that may fall from plants placed there.

Bringing spring flowers in to your home can be difficult as many have very short stems and do not lend themselves to being placed in water. Crocus, snowdrops and narcissus can all be grown in pots, and displayed on the altar without removing their flowers. These will also fill the room with a delicious scent if kept at around 18 degrees centigrade. After the flowers have gone over, the bulbs can be replanted in the garden ready for the following spring.

White candles are the obvious items to have on an Imbolc altar. White ceramic candle holders will help continue the theme, although silver candlesticks also go very well aesthetically with white candles. Alternatively you may want to use a lamp instead. Make sure that the lamp is designed to be used with a candle, or small tea light, and is not purely decorative.

If you are in the habit of offering food to your deities during Imbolc, any kind of dairy product is appropriate. Milk and cheese are traditionally associated with this time of year. Breadcrumbs and small plain sponge cakes also make good offerings to the birds outside if your altar happens to be in the garden.

Many people burn incense or oils on their altars. A good blend to use during Imbolc would be something with a crisp, green scent such as pine or rosemary, or a musky vanilla-based blend. You can either burn the incense over a charcoal disc on a heat-proof plate or bowl, or you can burn a few drops of oil in water over a tea light candle. Never leave a naked flame unattended, and make sure nothing can be knocked or blown onto the flame.

Redecorating your altar for Imbolc is a good way of focusing yourself on the year to come as well as honouring deity and the natural world around us.

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