Imbolc 2026

Merry Meet and Welcome to you magickal souls!!!!

It's time to start thinking about Imbolc! This is believed by some to be a modern celebration brought in by Neo-Pagans but it is based on an ancient Celtic festival that was documented within early medieval Irish literature from 10th Century.

Imbolc is seen as the first of the four Celtic fire festivals within the Wheel of the Year. It is the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.

It might be better known by some as Candlemas or even Groundhog Day. Candlemas is supposed to be the day that Jesus was presented at the Temple and his mother, Mary, was purified after the birth. It is supposed to be 40 days afterwards but there is only 38 days between 25^th December and 1^st February.

The connection with Groundhog Day comes from the tradition of doing weather divination using animals like hedgehogs or badgers. The German settlers who moved to America are likely to have substituted the groundhog for native UK/European annimals.

However, Imbolc is typically when lambing season begins and the sheep farmers and herdsmen of northern Europe would have been at their busiest. Imbolc is also called Oimelc, which is the Old Irish name and means “ewe's milk” according to the 10^th Century Cormac's Glossary.

It was a celebration that lasted all day, sometimes starting at midnight the day before. It was seen as a festival of hearth and home, which explains the connection to the goddess Brigid who was associated with both of these.

While fires would have been lit, they would have been the indoor home hearths which focused on light rather than heat. Imbolc is also known as the Festival of Lights as this time would have celebrated the days lengthening and slowly moving from darkness to light.

So Imbolc marked the return of light to the world as wel as a reconnection with nature, as the lambs being born and the ewe's letting down their milk brought a sense of renewal and rebirth.

The Celtic goddess Brigid (also spelt Bridget, Brighid, Brigindo, Brigantia, Brigandu) was the goddess of fire, creativity, poetry, fertility, healing and midwifery. These are all themes of Imbolc, even if the midwifery aspect is more closely related to animal husbandry but it's close enough.

Brigid isn't just a Celtic goddess though as she became a Christian saint, and her mythology potentially got interwoven with that of Brigid of Kildare. Both are celebrated on 1^st February though.

Modern celebrations can include lighting eight candles that rise out of water from the middle of a ceremonial circle, and/or writing and reciting/reading poetry relating to Brigid or the new light of life. Lighting candles or fires, especially ones that are just meant to light the area, is seen as an important part of acknowledging and celebrating Imbolc.

Another activity that could be undertaken is spring-cleaning and purifying the home as Imbolc signifies the start of Spring.

In Ireland, a Brigid's Cross is often made. While it might be predominantly made with Catholic beliefs in mind, they can still be made by anyone. It is a symbol of protection, blessings and fertility, and is usually hung over doors and rafters (if your home has them) to ward against fire, evil and illness for the coming year.

To help me navigate this time and with everything I have going on, I decided to focus on myself rather than doing a collective reading for Imbolc. This is because I have recently rediscovered my creativity and I don't want to spread myself too thin with general collective readings. So I chose to use my Alice in Wonderland Tarot deck and here's the spread (and reading) I did for Imbolc:

How can I nurture myself at this time?

Knight of Teacups

With this card, I feel as if I'm being told that I can nurture myself by just resting. This makes sense because within a few days of Imbolc, I will be having surgery and will need to recover from it. My plan is to rest as much as possible while also looking after my feline companions.

There's also an element of letting go of everything else, just sitting back and letting it all just run off me, like water off a duck's back/feathers. This is something that I feel as if I need to work on so this is encouragement to me that it's something I should focus on.

Perhaps this card is actually just telling me that I need to nurture my sense of doing as I please. I tend to do this but on occasion, I can also end up doubting myself when others voice their opinions and views about what I'm doing.

What area of my life is in need of growth?

8 of Spears & Queen of Hedgehogs

With the 8 of Spears, this card is all about feelings and changing my perspective about them. It particularly relates to feeling as if I am limited, trapped and/or restricted or something similar when in actuality, I do but I haven't realised it yet. It is about changing my perspective, possibly even trying to look at the bigger picture rather than the tiny minute details. There are times where I can be more focused on the "small things" and so I lose sight of the end-goal or the life masterpiece that is before me. If I want to find clarity and freedom, then I need to put a bit of distance between me and the situation. This is the skill I need to grow: the ability to step back and see what the life-puzzle before me is actually showing. My perspective or viewpoint needs to grow, adapt and change.

With the Queen of Hedgehogs, I feel as if I'm being told that I need to work on my ability to be maternal. I don't have to have children to be maternal. This Queen knows the value of balance between every aspect of life. She knows how to be resourceful and kind, shows her maternal instincts in ways other than just ooking after people. There is an element of this tying into the fact I will need to nurture and look after myself soon, after my surgery. I feel as if this card is also tying into my home, ensuring that I am comfortable with how it looks, the furniture I have. How my home looks and feels is my choice and business. I have had people in the past try to influence my decisions about my home but I have chosen to distance myself from them because their opinions are unimportant when it comes to MY home.

What fire needs lighting within my life?

The Tower

This card is interesting as it shows a house with Alice inside, looking very unhappy and disappointed. This card also followed the Queen of Hedgehogs, which has a connection to the home.

So this card could be saying that I need to work on my home-life, my level of comfort within my home, at how much I like or dislike the furniture I have.

Perhaps I need to make a plan for whether I might want to change some of the furniture and what I would like to replace those items with. This plan should probably include a budget and when I can achieve the changes I would like.

The Tower is typically a warning of change so this all seems to make sense to me. It could also show a change in perspectives, seeing my home in a different way.

What needs clearing so that the light can clearly be seen?

The Star

This is one of my favourite cards, and also is associated with my Sun sign, Aquarius.

The Star is usually associated with hope so perhaps this card is saying that I need to clear out the unrealistic hopes I have had. I try to be realistic but it can be hard.

This card could also be encouraging me to clear away the webs of the past that have held me back from achieving my personal hopes and dreams.

Looking at the film this deck is based on, I know that these plants were singing about enjoying a "Golden Afternoon", which was all about the beauty of Nature, of taking the time to enjoy watching the world that surrounds me.

The song is also associated with the simpler pleasures of childhood and how growing up can complicate things.

It looks as if this really will be a year of change and transformation for me. Depending on how I approach it, it could be full of challenges or it could be easier. Growth in any form isn't without pain but it doesn't have to be excrutiating and debilitating. That's what I'm taking away from this time.

I hope this inspires you to look at how this time of year could help you to navigate the next few weeks, few months or even the next year. If you'd like a personal reading about this, my diary and inbox are open.

Peace and love to all!!!!