Imbolc

pexels-photo-235615.jpegYesterday was Imbolc in the Witches world.  It was groundhog day for the rest of America.

On Imbolc, we celebrate the dying winter and the coming of spring.  It’s a time to begin preparing for the plantings, spring is not far away.  In fact, Imbolc is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.  It’s also the day that the light begins to be noticeably longer, the sun is staying up longer chasing the darkness away.

Most people realize that many of our holidays today are based on Pagan rituals and beliefs.  However, most people don’t know that that includes very minor holidays like groundhog day.  Pagan beliefs are everywhere and many of them have been turned into more mainstream celebrations without the general public realizing their beginning.

So happy belated Imbolc.  Rest assured that spring is coming.  Do we really need a groundhog to tell us that?

 

 

Lighting the way

christmas-lights3As we approach the winter solstice it gets a little darker each day. 

Our Christmas or holiday lights are an ancient ritual to keep the darkness at bay and help the sun find it’s way back.

The lighting of trees and buildings is just one just of the ancient rites associated with the winter solstice that we still practice today.

Holiday Season

wintersolsticeThere is another holiday coming up.  I’m not referring to Christmas or even New Year’s. 

The next holiday is the winter solstice.  It is Sunday December 21st this year and yes it celebrates the beginning of winter. 

Over the last couple of thousand years or so it has gotten lost in the shuffle with Christmas.  Many believe that the winter solstice was incorporated into Christmas in order to make Christmas more appealing to the new Christan’s.

Over the next week I’ll share some more about the ancient rituals of winter solstice.