La Fheile Brighid: A Solitary Imbolc

I truly enjoyed and learned so much from my little Imbolc feast. This time, I cooked the ritual food by my own. What better offering to the muse of creativity than something you created yourself? I actually spent more time in the kitchen than in front of the altar. But then, the kitchen is the modern hearth. Here is the true altar of Brighid.

Brighid's Flames

Imbolc food: bannocks with raisins, honey-sweetened milk with a pinch of nutmeg, and clarified butter. Too much dairy for poor lactose-intolerant me, but I had fun making them

Eight candles partly submerged in a pan of water representing the Fire and the Well, to call upon the blessings of Brighid.

Boiling butter. Mmm, smells good!

Adopted the ADF practice of using augury to determine the message of the Kindreds. True to the spirit of the season, the first rune that was drawn was Cen - "Fire".

Butter. And butter clarified.

It's all about fire and creativity. So it makes more sense to cook my own food.

Beannacht oraibh!

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Back in Candlemas Hotel

It was supposed to be an out-of-town trip to Potipot, but things happened and some people couldn't go and so we came to Plan B instead - rent a hotel room. It was the same hotel in the sleazy outskirts of Makati where we celebrated some of our previous Imbolcs and Samhains. Why do we come back here? It's cheap, it does the job, and we really have nowhere else to go. 

Even though I am a solitary druid (or witch, or whatever) I always look forward to casual Sabbat celebrations like this with friends. Not too academic, not too solemn, and just the right combination of magic and mirth. What I like most of all is that you get a chance to comfortably speak yourself out to other humans (unlike solitary rituals where you virtually speak to ether), and maybe learn about yourself from a different perspective in return.

Lighting a candle for each other, before lighting one for ourselves.

Long time, no see. Darn sabbats, why do they have to be six weeks apart? 

The cool amihan breeze and the warmth of the candles combine to create a soothing atmosphere.

The usual photo ops.

Of course, it just wouldn't be right without pizza.

Basbasan Nawa!

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Milk, Candle, Cross and Cradle

Little Ms. Biddy and her wand in bed,

and a cross to keep us safe from harm.

Some bread and milk to keep her fed,

and smoke and flame to keep her warm.

Paving the Way for Ms. Bridget

Today is Imbolc and the star of the season is Brighid: thrice-blessed goddess of the Sun and keeper of the sacred flames. In countless years she has reached cultures far and wide, taking many forms and known by many names: from the quaint island of Eire to the great empire of Rome, to the perilous New World and to our beloved home. She is mother of high wisdom, and watcher of home and bed, admired as Christian saint and feared as queen of the dead.

This Sabbat I revere Brighid, the Celtic triple-goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft.

It may seem inapt for a goddess of healing to be at the same time linked with the art of smithing, a masculine profession usually associated with brawny gods as the Roman Vulcan, the Norse Weland or the Yoruban Ogoun. But then a coarse iron ore only becomes a beautiful shining sword when subjected under the forceful strike of the hammer and the blazing fire of the forge - in the same manner that our spirits become healed and our wisdom sharper after going through repeated trials of fire.

The Cross of St. Brigid

As simple as it may be, the Brigid’s cross is an artifact rich in story and meaning, and an example of an intermarriage of Pagan and Christian symbolism - just like the feast of Imbolc/Candlemas itself. The cross is most popularly attributed to St. Brigid of Kildare, an Irish Catholic nun who, as legends tell, gathered some rushes and made a cross out of them to tell the story of Jesus’ death to a dying man. St. Brigid’s biography is quite unclear as of to date, and her persona has now become almost inseparable from the Celtic goddess Brighid. As a symbol of the solar goddess, the equal arms of the cross correspond to the solstices and equinoxes of the Wheel of the Year.

Due to lack of time, for my Brighid's cross I just used paper twine, which is readily available in the gift wrapping section of department stores. I used the traditional seven strands for each of the four arms, which would equal to 28, the number of days in February, Brighid’s month. Brighid drops by for a visit on this day, so I also made her a place to stay. Screwpine (Pandan) is not only a great material for the doll and the bed, but also leaves a fragrant smell in the room as well.

Our Lady of Loreto (Oshun Ololodi), an image of the Virgin carrying the child Jesus, to represent the mystery of the presentation of Jesus at the temple. In the background is the veve (symbol) of Maman Brigitte, and a putat laut: this poisonous fruit is also called the "Heart of the Ocean" and is sacred to Yemaya, goddess of the seas and mother of Oya.

Je vous salue, Maman Brigitte. Maferefun Oya

In honor of the departed souls of Haiti, I also pray to her dark sisters in the West. It is said that Brighid reached the Caribbean islands by way of slaves and prisoners evicted from the British Isles. There she became a loa, a deity of the Vodou religion, and has been called Maman Brigitte. She eventually became far too different from her Irish lineage however: Maman Brigitte is described as an obscene, tough-talking woman who loves pepper-laced rum, a silent judge of the underworld as well as mother of the ancestral dead. Whereas the symbol of Brigid of Ireland is a cross made of grass, Maman Brigitte’s symbol is the cross of the grave, also representing the crossroads between the worlds of life and death.

Worshipped in Cuba and its neighboring countries is the orisha Oya, who is also guardian of the graves. Early African slaves were wise to hide their worship of the native deities behind the images of Catholic saints to protect their religion from Christian conquerors. The Yoruban goddess Oya, who is also lady of storms, is syncretized with the Christian figure of Our Lady of Candelaria, both of whom share their feast day with Brighid, and all of them representing fire.

Basbasan Nawa!

More Readings:
http://www.applewarrior.com/celticwell/ejournal/imbolc/brighid.htm
http://www.brighid.org.uk/goddess.html
http://mysite.verizon.net/cbladey/brigid/thesaint.html

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Imbolc and Candlemas

Along with seven created beings

I was placed
In a fire of purification.
I was myself gleaming fire,
When I was first given life...

-- The Black Book of Caemarthen, Taliesin

My Imbolc candle, 2009

Imbolc

Imbolc, the first Wiccan Sabbat in the Gregorian calendar, is one of four Sabbats that are adapted from the ancient Celtic fire festivals [1] which are mainly based on agrarian and pastoral cycles. It is usually celebrated on or around February 2, or at the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. 'Imbolc' (pronounced 'imolk') is an Irish Gaelic word meaning 'in the belly'. The festival is also sometimes called 'Oimelc' ('imelk') meaning 'ewe's milk'. Both refer to the time of the year when mother sheep begin to lactate and are ready to give birth again. This period occurs on the early days of February in the British Isles and some traditionalist Pagan groups still determine the time of Imbolc thereon. Around this time, badgers, groundhogs [2] as well as serpents begin to emerge from their burrows, and Galanthus flowers begin to grow through the snow [3] . Other Pagans, especially those who do not experience winter, determine the time of Imbolc astrologically by finding the point in time when the Sun is in 15 degrees the sign of Aquarius. Events in the Wheel of the Year of the southern hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand) are at the exact opposite of their northern counterparts, so Imbolc is celebrated in the lands down under around August 2, the time of the sabbat Lughnasadh in the north.

Imbolc signifies the end of winter and the beginning of warmth and is thus called the "Festival of the Waxing Light". In the Wiccan narrative, it is the time when the goddess has recovered from childbirth, and the Sun god whom she gave birth to in Yule is beginning to grow in strength and power.

Brighid, Celtic triple-goddess [4]

Being a fire festival it is sacred to the Celtic triple-goddess Brighid ('breed'), keeper of the three-fold flames of smithcraft, poetry and healing. In fact, Imbolc is also called La Fheile Brighid, or the day of Brighid. In honor of Brighid as a muse of poetic inspiration, bards and poets usually hold Eisteddfods ('aistedvod') at this time, which is a celebration of song and poetry. Many Pagans also choose this time to cleanse and consecrate their ritual tools and ask blessings from Brighid as the lady of smithing. Brighid is also the patroness of childbirth and the guardian of sacred wells, so Imbolc is also considered as a period of rebirth, transformation and of purification, and an ideal time for initiation and dedication to deity.

Drying some fragrant Pandan leaves for the leaba brid for this coming Imbolc.

It is a custom to clean the house before Imbolc in preparation for the coming of Brighid, who is also goddess of hearth and home. Bridget's crosses and 'brideogs' ('brijog)', a corn dolly to represent Brighid, are traditional Imbolc crafts. The brideog is usually placed on a 'leaba brid' ('lawa bree'), or the bed of Brighid, and placed in the bed with the brideog is a phallic wand called the 'slatag brid' ('slatag bree'). Butter, milk and a lit candle is placed on the window sill on the eve of Imbolc to welcome Brighid as she walks the earth during the night. A piece of cloth is placed upon a shrub for Brighid to bless as she passes by. The cloth, called 'brat brid' ('brat bree') is imbued with powers of protection and healing thereafter, and is sometimes cut to smaller pieces and sewn to garments, blankets or pillows.

'Presentation of Jesus at the Temple', Giovanni Bellini

Candlemas

Candlemas is a related yet different festival although some Wiccans  today use the term interchangeably with Imbolc. It is a Christian feast to honor the presentation of Jesus at the temple. This occasion actually consists of three important events for the Christian belief:

1. An ancient Judaic ritual for the child Jesus called "Pidyon Ha-ben", whereby the first born male is redeemed from the Priest by the father of the child, in exchange for a small amount of coins. This is still being practiced today by the Jewish religion.
2. A ceremonial purification of Mary, mother of Jesus. In ancient Judea, a woman is considered impure after giving birth and must undergo a ritual of purification 40 days after giving birth to a male child, and 60 days to a female child.
3. The declaration of Jesus as the light and redeemer of the world by the prophet Simeon.

The rituals of redemption and purification are in accordance to the laws given by Moses in the book of Leviticus. Like Imbolc, Candlemas is also a festival of fire, celebrating Jesus as the light of the world, and of purification. Traditionally it is a time when the priest blesses candles to be used in the church or at home throughout the entire year. Ancient Christian leaders declared the celebration of this feast at February 2, the time of Imbolc, in keeping up with the Pagans of the lands they were ruling.

Philippine Wiccan Society, Imbolc 2009

Candelaria, as it is called in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, is also celebrated in the Philippines, most notably in the towns of Jaro, Ilo-ilo and Silang, Cavite. Pope John Paul II declared Nuestra Señora de Candelaria as the patroness of Western Visayas during his visit to the country in 1981 [5]. Her feast day is celebrated with mardi-gras-like candle-lit parades and is one of the biggest annual festivals in the Visayas region. For followers of Santeria, a syncretic religion mainly practiced in Latin America, this is a sacred day to the Yoruban goddess Oya, who is syncretized with Our Lady of Candelaria.[6]

The ancient Roman festival of Februatio is also a ritual of purification that happens around this time. 'Februa' is an instrument or offering for atonement or purification, and it is in fact where the month of February gets its name from. It is also more commonly known as Lupercalia, and is also a fertility festival from which the modern Valentine's Day is said to be derived. Followers of Stregheria, or Italian witchcraft, still celebrate the feast of Lupercalia.

There are many other celebrations around the world that parallel the Wiccan festival of Imbolc, like the Aztec and the Chinese New Year,  but the ones mentioned here are what I consider to be its closest relatives.

Basbasan Nawa!




[1] The other three being Samhain, Beltaine, and Lughnasadh.
[2] Hence its association with Groundhog Day, celebrated in North America on February 2.
[3] Also called Snowdrop, a pretty little white flower
[4] "Brighid", by Miranda Gray
[5] Pope John Paul II himself also crowned the image of Our Lady of Candelaria in the Cathedral of Jaro.
[6] Thanks to my Lucumi friends I'm finally getting the grasp of New World religions and their relation to Old World Paganism.

More Reading:
[a] Imbolc and the Goddess, by Tira Brandon-Evans
[b] ADF Imbolc Traditions

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