6 Reawakening Rituals to Try at Imbolc

Lemon cake recipes, refreshing dips and planting seeds of growth

Hello,

A gentle wave from me in case you are still in January hibernation mode, in which case, feel free to keep snoozing and come back to this email later.

But I’m writing to you today because, believe it or not, next week marks Imbolc, the first Spring Festival of the year.

Imbolc signals the start of rising energy levels, a gentle stirring in the earth under our feet, and a slow but steady shaking off of the hibernation layer.

The days are lengthening, the sun is gaining in strength and soon Spring will be here in earnest. (I told you to make the most of the sleepy peace of January didn’t I!)

So if you’re ready to embrace all things light, refreshing and energising then this newsletter is for you. If not, no judgement, just bookmark it until you feel ready.

Together we’ll unravel the ancient origins of Imbolc, discover a few simple rituals to mark the day and end with some zingy and fresh cake recipes.

Gentle stretches all round…

Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

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Isn’t it way too early to start thinking about Spring?

Although we might not think of Spring starting until a little later in the year, ancient cultures actually celebrated the start of Spring as soon as January was over, with Imbolc, the ancient Celtic Spring festival taking place on the first of February.

While it’s easy to feel that nothing is happening when the ground outside is still frost-covered and cold, underneath the earth there is a huge amount going on as the wheel starts to turn from one season to the next.

Equally, after several months of dark winter evenings and fireside contemplation, we might feel a stirring and a flow of new energy within ourselves. Not too much mind you, this is still technically late winter and hibernation can go on for as long as you need it to.

But if you feel inclined, now might be the time to take a gentle stretch, start to shake off the inertia of the cosy winter season and make a few tentative plans for the year ahead. 

Photo by Daniel Öberg on Unsplash

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Ok, so tell me about Imbolc

Imbolc is one of the four ancient Celtic Seasonal festivals, along with Beltane (1 May), Lughnasadh (1 August) and Samhain (1 November). Imbolc falls on 1st February, halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox and like all the Celtic festivals, is celebrated from the eve of the night before.

The word Imbolc is believed to originate from Old Irish i mbolc, translated as meaning either ‘ewe's milk’ or ‘in the belly’ relating to the start of the lambing season which would have taken place at this time of year.

It is believed that this was also the time of the year when farmers would prepare for the first sowing of seeds, so after the dark, restful months of winter, Imbolc was seen as a time of gentle awakening and new beginnings.

Imbolc was also celebrated as a festival of cleansing and purification; holy wells were visited on this day to undertake ritual cleansing ahead of a new year and water from these wells could then have been used to bless homes and livestock to bring good luck in the year ahead.

As a festival day, it’s an opportunity to welcome and encourage the return of the light, to put your house in order and set gentle intentions for the year ahead. 

Photo by Ainur Khakimov on Unsplash

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Sounds good. How can I celebrate it?

Below are a few ways to gently introduce the spirit of Imbolc into your home. Starting with candle rituals and cleansing dips and ending, of course, with cake.

1. Light a candle after sunset

Because the days are still short, light is really important in our homes at this time of the year and it’s traditional to light a candle in each room of your home at sunset on February 1st, or the evening before, to mark the festival and encourage the sun to return.

2. Plant seeds of growth

While it’s still too early to sow seeds outside, now is a great opportunity to make plans for what you want to grow outside this year, to sift through seed packets and order anything you might need.

As well as preparing to plant literal seeds, now is also a good time to plant the metaphorical seeds of new growth in your own life, by starting to make plans for whatever you want to see come to fruition in the coming months. Work, hobbies, relationships… whatever part of your life you want to grow this year.

3. Take a cleansing dip

Water is closely linked to Imbolc, and it was traditional in Celtic history to visit healing wells or outdoor water sources on this date to take part in cleansing and purifying rituals. If an outdoor dip seems a bit too brisk for you, bring your cleansing ritual closer to home and immerse yourself in a warm indoor bath instead.

4. Spring clean your home

Traditionally this is a time for spring cleaning, and decluttering the old to make way for the new. If you just have time (or energy) for one job this month, cleaning your windows is a good place to start as it symbolically and literally lets in the increasing light. Opening all the windows for a short while will also let all that fresh, crisp air into your home to blow away the cobwebs of Winter.

Photo by eduard on Unsplash

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Imbolc recipes

A traditional way to celebrate Imbolc is to bake a seed cake. Lemon and poppyseed is a classic combination that reflects this fresh time of year. Below are a few recipes to try.

As you stir your cake mixture, you can also think about your goals and intentions and stir in your wish for the year ahead. 

• Lemon Poppyseed Cake by BBC Good Food - A classic lemon seed cake that will get your month off to an excellent, refreshing start

• Caraway Seed Cake by Delia Online - A traditional recipe packed with seeds and flavour

• Orange and Poppyseed Cake by BBC Good Food - An orangey twist on a classic poppyseed cake, with a chocolate drizzle

• Classic Seed Cake by Nigel Slater - A simple recipe that can be livened up with lemon icing

Photo by Alexandra Golovac on Unsplash

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Ok, that’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed your Imbolc newsletter and I hope you have a gently refreshing day filled with candlelight, refreshing dips and lemon cakes.

Now it’s over to you to share your Imbolc rituals and traditions in the Comments. I’m really interested to know if anyone else celebrates it and if so what your rituals and traditions look like?

I’ll see you next week for a February edition of the Monthly Notebook. We’ll be diving into more early Spring rituals, learning about Frost Fairs and Winter closing ceremonies and having some leap-day fun. I’ll add a sprinkling of weird and wonderful folklore for you too. Look forward to seeing you there. If you haven’t already Subscribed then just click below to make sure that post arrives safely in your inbox.

Vicky xx

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