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| Art by Ruth Sanderson |
Aquarius Cross-Quarter: Imbolg
(Sun at 15 degrees Aquarius-
2/3/23 @8:43pm CST)
Imbolg Origins and Variations
Imbolg is a Gaelic name for
the cross-quarter fire festival celebrated at the midpoint between the December
Solstice and the March Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. This holiday is also called Imbolc, Candlemas
(the Festival of Lights), the Feast of St. Brigid, or (especially in the States)
Groundhog Day.
Though the meanings of Imbolg
and Imbolc refer to different things, the pronunciation is the same (both are
pronounced ‘IM-olk’). One of many old Gaelic
language rules is that G is only pronounced like a G if at the beginning of the
word…elsewhere in a word it is pronounced as a hard C. Take the Scottish Gaelic word for Gaelic, for
example, which is ‘Gaidhlig’ and pronounced ‘GAA-lik’. Also, the B in Imbolg/Imbolc is silent (or a very
subtle touch-and-release of the lips without a plosive sound), as in the word ‘limb’.
Imbolg refers to ‘In the belly’. Not only is this the 1st of 3
Spring Holidays, when seeds are stirring within the belly of the Earth and the
first signs of life begin to spring forth, but this is also traditionally the
time of year when dairy animals begin to give birth…such as the start of
lambing season. Because milk is
plentiful at this time, dairy is often featured prominently in Imbolg feasts. And, as far as human births go, if one was
conceived in the lusty month of May (Bealtaine/Beltane), then they would be
born around Imbolg. Interestingly, the last
name ‘Robinson’ comes from such traditions.
Because it was common for the mother of a child conceived in the throes
of passion at Bealtaine to not know who the father was, the baby was said to be
fathered by ‘Robin Goodfellow’ (one of many names, such as Puck, for the Pan-like Trickster of the Forest)…thus ‘son of Robin’ becomes ‘Robinson’.
Imbolc refers to the word ‘folc’
which means to bathe, wash, or cleanse…a term that mirrors the purification and
purgation roots of the Roman month of Februarius. As such, Spring Cleaning or House Cleansing
rituals are also ways to honor this time of year, as a way of sloughing off the
stagnation of Winter in preparation for Spring.
Candlemas refers to this time
of year having many associations with lighting up the home with candlelight. In celebration of the light of the Sun
increasing in the Northern Hemisphere, householders would light a candle in
each room of the house on the Eve of Imbolg.
And as Brigid/Bride/Brigantia
(Pan-Celtic Triple-Goddess of healing, smithcraft, fire, fertility, midwifery, and
poetry) is the Goddess of Imbolg, she was eventually syncretized to Catholicism
as St. Brigid…and this time of year, then, is also called the Feast of St. Brigid.
Imbolg is also traditionally a
time of weather divination. It is said
that when the weather is bright and sunny on this day, the Cailleach (Winter
Witch/Hag Goddess) awakens to gather firewood for the rest of winter. If she wants winter to last another 6 weeks,
she will make sure it is a clear and sunny day.
If the weather is otherwise, it means she slept in and winter is almost
over. Most times, Punxsutawney Phil (of
Pennsylvania’s Groundhog Day traditions) agrees with the same pattern on
February 2nd each year:
seeing his shadow means 6 more weeks of Winter. This year, Phil ‘saw his shadow’ on this
bright morning…heralding an extended winter.
Astrology of Imbolg’s
Quickening
In the Northern Hemisphere,
where these customs originate, this is the time of year that daylight expands
the Sun’s promise to Spring. That growing
Fire informs the chilly winter Air of Aquarius season to carry the message to Water. As the ice crystals melt that watery message
into Earth, the thaw stirs the seeds in Earth’s belly, quickening their
growth.
'Quickening Moon' by Erynnar
In February, which Imbolg
heralds, one of the names for the Moon (and my favorite of them) is the
Quickening Moon. This year, the
Quickening Moon is full on Sunday, February 5th (12:27pm CST)…less
than 2 days after the Imbolg Cross Quarter.
All that was seeded at the contemplative Aquarius New Moon of January 21st
is in full bloom with the expressive fires of Leo on Sunday.
Square to this Sun-Moon
opposition is Uranus in Taurus, adding much need for improvisation in tangible materialization. Balancing the head of Aquarius air with the
heart of Leo fire requires an innovative approach now. And Uranus can bring some unpredictability to
any quickening, especially through the necessity of a square. It can feel unsettling, so grounding is also
necessary to keep your balance.
There is great potential for
brilliance to burst forth from the solid intentions of two weeks ago. The Mars-Chiron sextile in Gemini and Aries
offers a subtle, but substantial, safety net for any risk Uranus may incline us
toward. The key to this benefit is in
communicating actional healing to guide the best possible expression of this
quickening. With this more harmonious
approach, self-care can act as a bit of a shock-absorber for Uranian electricity.
Celebrating the Imbolg
Cross-Quarter
Many celebrate Imbolg on
February 1st or 2nd…but because I’m an Astrologer, we tend
to celebrate the cross-quarters according to the Astrological midpoints when
Sun is at 15 degrees of each fixed sign (Imbolg/Imbolc- Aquarius, Bealtaine/Beltane-
Taurus, Lunasa/Lughnasadh- Leo, and Samhain- Scorpio).
So, for the Kavi Family, we’ll
be celebrating from Friday evening into Saturday. Kavi traditions at this time vary based on
weather, timing, and what our family feels is needed each year.
When Alyrica was little, she
used to act as Brigid for our family…lighting the first flame. She also used to get out her doll bed and
dress up her doll as Brigid…keeping her bed next to the front door on Imbolg
Eve. Now that she’s older, we do less of
that…but she’s still our honorary Brigid of the House.
photo by Michael A. Michail
Sometimes we make crafts for
the season, such as Brigid’s Crosses. Sometimes
we plant seeds at this time. We always
have a feast and a candlelit ritual to ensure good health for our family
(including, of course, our cats).
And I, personally, love to
immerse myself in self-care with a candlelit Brigid’s Bath…enlivening the
senses with essential oils and bath salts.
I also, always, make time to play some music for the season and write
some poetry.
Here is my Imbolg playlist on Spotify.
And here is a poem I wrote 13
years ago, which I change slightly each year to reflect where we are in the
moon phase.
She Sings the Silent Song of
Sun
By Felina Lune Kavi
The New Year outlasts January.
A dawning is vast as horizon,
In vivid watercolor light…
New dreams awakening from
night.
She sings the silent song of
Sun.
The light reflects in
everyone.
Quickening Moon flushes
February.
The Earth is moved by loving
life,
She shivers seeds astir again…
Another cycle to begin.
She sings the silent song of
Sun.
The life renews in everyone.
Remembering February
(recycled from last year’s Imbolg
post)
Why is February the shortest
month?
If you’re a word nerd like me,
and you love etymology, you may have noticed that the names of September
through December follow the sequence of the numbers 7 through 10. The Romans
who named these months originally considered Winter to be a monthless period,
so it was a 10-month calendar from March to December.
It wasn’t until around 713 BCE
that Numa Pompilius added January and February as the last two months. February
remained the last month (even more truncated back then, with an intercalary
month occasionally following February to realign the year with the seasons)
until about 450 BCE.
Under the reforms that
instituted the Julian calendar, January became the 1st month, so February was
thereafter the 2nd month…but it still remained the shortest month and held the
additional day every ‘leap year’. The Gregorian calendar reforms made only
slight changes, so February is still the shortest month to this day.
What does February mean?
Being long ago the last month
of the year, February derives from Februa which refers to instruments of
purification and purgation. Therefore, the (former) final month became a time
of cleansing in preparation for the growing season.
In the early years of
Februarius, the patron God of the month was Februus (‘the Purifier’) who was a
personification of February’s cleansing festivals. And because of the
association with the February festival of Parentalia (which honored the family
ancestors), Februus was also a God of the Dead and was a chthonic deity equated
with Pluto (‘Dis Pater’, meaning ‘Rich Father’), who was a combination of the
Greek Gods Pluton (God of the Underworld and Afterlife, a.k.a. Hades) and
Ploutos (God of Wealth, as mineral wealth was found underground). So February,
holding an ancient association with finality, was also a time to celebrate the
dead.
Later, the month was also
associated with Juno (‘Bona Dea’, meaning ‘Good Goddess’), for which she
carried the epithet Juno Februa (or Februtis). This epithet referred to her
aspect of being a fertility goddess, the patron of midwifery and the
purification processes involved in childbirth. In this respect, she represented
the fertility and creativity that comes from clearing out the old to make way
for the new.
Interestingly, many of these
same associations are still alive today in the Celtic pagan traditions of
February being the month of Imbolg (meaning ‘in the belly’ and referring to
fertility and childbirth) or Imbolc (derived from ‘folc’ which means ‘wash’ or
‘cleanse’, referring to purification and purgation).
And…now you know even more
pagan origins to the systems we still use today.
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi
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