The festival of Imbolc occurs on February 2nd. This date is near to astrological 15° Aquarius: the precise cross-quarter time between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. The etymology of Imbolc refers either to old Irish i mbolc meaning "in the belly" referring to pregnant ewes, or oimelc, refering to the ewes' resulting lactation. The festival is linked in various Indo-European cultures to fertility, ploughing fields, hearth fires, and home purification. Imbolc is the time of year when we are gifted with the promise of spring: the first green sprouts are coming up from the ground, livestock are giving birth, and the days are becoming noticeably longer.
Imbolc is a time of growing potential. It is is the freshly plowed field which could be sown with any crop. It is fresh milk feeding offspring, and ready to be turned to cheese or left to go sour. It is a time of raw fertility, a fertility waiting to be impregnated with possibilities. Imbolc is like that moment in the Two Powers meditation when Chaos and Order have merged and are waiting in a state of raw power at our cores.
As modern Pagans, we can honor the essence of Imbolc by tending our hearths, spring cleaning, preparing garden plots, and engaging in arts and crafts. This would also be a good time to consider choices we might make for the coming year, and what we wish to sow into our lives come spring.
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