Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Celebrating Imbolc/Candlemas!

On February 1, Imbolc, also known as St. Brigid's day, is the first chilly harbinger of the season.   The Irish climate is more mild than ours, so for the ancient Celts, February 1 was their first day of spring.  Calling it "Imbolc" (from the words for 'ewe's milk' or 'in the belly', depending on your source) because pregnant sheep and cowsImbolc/Candlemas began to lactate at this time.  In the US, our Groundhog Day (Feb 2) celebrations with the anticipation of spring is a leftover from the Celtic belief that magical animals come out of hibernation at this time.

Even in the cold northeast,  Imbolc begins to show the early signs of approaching spring:  the daylight is noticeably longer and there is a new, vibrant energy in
the air.  Have you noticed that more birds are singing in the early morning?  And even a few hardy plants sometimes begin to show their first shoots.  However, most of the activity is still underground.  Imbolc celebrates the strengthening sun and also the waking of seeds that are beginning to stir in their cold winter beds.  


Green Blessings!  -Donna
 



Celebrating Imbolc!  
Imbolc/CandlemasIn addition to the celebrations and definitions I mentioned above, Imbolc is also devoted to Brigid, a fiery, independent ancient Celtic goddess of poetry, smithcraft and healing.  Brigid is all about the transformative power of fire, which we need right now as an antidote or balm for the drudgery of endless gray days, seemingly endless cold, ice and dirty snow.  Fire's transformative power is also about fire in the forge/hearth, fire in the poet's mind, and of course, fire in the healer's hands.  The Celebration of Imbolc is the perfect time to reflect and write a poem, or to take the time to make a special craft (weaving of Brigid's Crosses out of wheat or rushes is traditional, as is candle-making) or to perform hands-on healing for someone you love!




Brigid's Broth of Inspiration (from Cait Johnson's book, listed below)
2 Tabs olive oil
3 leeks, white parts only, washed well and cut into 1/2" rounds
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 teasp cayenne
6 cups vegetable broth or water
sea salt to taste
handful of garlic-mustard greens, coarsely chopped
1-2 cups croutons
4-6 dollops sour cream
sprouts for garnish

In a large pot, heat the olive oil.  Add the leeks, red pepper and carrot and heat, stirring occasionally, until barely tender.  Sprinkle vegetables with paprika and cayenne to taste.  As you sprinkle, visualize Brigid's fiery energy filling the pot; the cheery orange-red color is a warming reminder of her vivid hair and of the sun that is slowly bringing the frozen earth back to life.

Cover the vegetables with the vegetable broth or water and sea salt to taste.  Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 15 mins.  Add the handful of garlic-mustard greens.  If garlic mustard is unavailable in your area, you can substitute parsley or watercress.  As you stir these into the broth, think of the green of the new plants just beginning to sprout and grow outdoors.  This same green vitality is now a part of your soup.  Continue cooking for 2 or 3 minutes.

Place several croutons into individual bowls, ladle soup into the bowls, and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.  Arrange two or three of the sprouts on the sour cream.  There you have it:  a broth as fiery as Brigid's hair, topped with sprouts emerging from the snow - a warming and reviving homage to spring's return!


(Sources:  "Herbal Rituals" by Judith Berger; "Witch in the Kitchen:  Magical Cooking for All Seasons" by Cait Johnson)

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Note: Any remedies or information listed on this newsletter are from historical references and used for teaching/educational purposes only. The contents are not meant to diagnose, treat, prescribe, cure or substitute consultation with a licensed health-care professional. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
 


We're living in powerful times. 2013 ushers in the long-awaited dawning of the age of the divine feminine!
 The stirrings of early spring have traditionally been celebrated at Imbolc, February 1, at the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. In the many early February holidays celebrated around the world, we give gratitude--tending our sacred spaces, blessing our tools, lighting our candles for the return of the spring.

This year, on the early February tradition of Valentine's Day, many of you are connecting with the V-Day One Billion Women Rising Movement. This global activist movement calls for an end to violence against women and girls, and is inspired by Eve Ensler, writer of the Vagina Monologues. To learn more about the movement and events in your area, visit www.VDay.org



The Red Tent Movie"The Red Tent Movie:  Things We Don't Talk About"  There's a deep recognition among us as women about how the Red Tent Movement can meet a hunger we have to connect with our sisters in sacred space.  The Red Tent Movie DVD's are now available and can be ordered online, so you can curl up at home and learn all about the Red Tent Movement~ Click here to use our referral link and order yours!
(Note:  We are coordinating with two local holistic centers to organize a mini-screening - check our website and FB page for more details coming soon!)



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