Edit: we will meet at 9 o'clock. Please try to come a few minutes early so nobody is standing in the cold waiting for the rest of the group. Exciting!Please come to our house (5799 Barker Road, phone #503-1147) the morning of February 2 (in the comments we can discuss what time will work best for everyone) to celebrate Imbolc. True celebrations would begin at dawn -- anyone up for that?
"Imbolc" means "great belly" and refers to the life growing inside the earth, but not yet visible to the eye. It is a time of cleansing and symbolic preparation for our own new growth. Imbolc is the mid-point of the dark half of the year and is a celebration of renewal and preparation for Spring, a celebration of the waxing of the Sun. Spring cleaning begins on this day and the first seedlings are planted into eggshells filled with soil. Traditionally this was also when the candles were made, and in Scandinavian countries, the maiden wore a crown of lighted candles imbedded in a wreath of holly during the celebrations (Karen? hee!) Traditional foods were made from seeds (to symbolize growth) and raisins (fruit of the Sun God).
So, here's what I'm envisioning:
- a great cleansing fire (bring anything you'd like to ritualistically burn -- maybe old habits you're done with, written on paper to renounce and throw into the fire?)
- planting of some seeds (after each seed is planted we wave our hand over it and say "Grow, grow tall and free. Grow, grow tall as a tree.")
- did anyone gather any sweet grass last Autumn? hee! this is the day to lay it out in the sun, invoking the awakening of the Goddess who has been sleeping all winter...
- anyone know any songs that we could sing around the fire? "Circle Round" is a good one (Anne Hill - if you'd like a copy let me know) It's simple and easy to remember.
- I'm suggesting that Denny, Aidan and Cass come join US for this celebration and bring your guitar and recorder! Everyone else should feel welcome to bring instruments to sing to the sun, as well. I think drums would be especially effective.
- And any symbolic foods you want to bring to share.
- Also, this is a time to go through our homes and clean out what we don't need/value anymore and give it those who need it more than we do. I thought it would be neat to bring anything you want to donate to the Imbolc celebration so that we can all to a symbolic release of it together.
- And lastly, this is the day of the bride. Not the bride as we know it today, but more the goddess -- but white is very symbolic of the rebirth of the goddess bride. If any of the little girls are inclined to dress up as a bride, this would be the day to do it! As weird as that seems in our current culture...
So? What do you think? Use the comments section to share your ideas and thoughts and feelings on this, please.
8 comments:
I was hoping for afternoon.... I have my first butterfly class at 11:15 - 12:45.
I already wrote a big comment and then it disappeared. Sigh...it will take me a while to figure out this blog thing.
So we're in. Dawn is a cool idea - that will be VERY challenging for us, but we can try if that's the agreed upon time.
This sounds wonderful. Morning would work fine for me...I could be there by 8:30 or so I think, and early afternoon would work as well if that's better for everyone else. I have lots of rythm instruments and some drums I could bring for the kids. I will have and extra boy in tow.
I have a drum, too and a recorder.
Any time is fine with us, even 8:30.
could you come at 9, Andrea? I'm hoping to have it around the fire down by the creek so won't last more than 2 hours anyway. What do you think?
We'd love to come. And I think we could make an early morning time.
okay, 9 o'clock on Friday morning. Please aim to get here early so that we can start right at 9 -- Andrea has to leave early and it might be cold, so good if we aren't standing in the cold waiting for people to come. We're excited to have our first pagan celebration!! see you then.
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