Imbolg Round-up

It's almost time for Imbolg (more commonly called Imbolc), the first sabbat of 2022! This year it's on Wednesday 2nd February, or Tuesday 1st Feb if you celebrate on the 1st. (Some people celebrate on sundown on the 1st to sundown on the 2nd.)

 

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere it's nearly Lammas! Check out these posts for inspiration:

Lammas Celebration Ideas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/07/lammas-celebration-ideas.html

Celebrating Lammas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/07/celebrating-lammas.html

July Update + Lammas Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/07/july-update-lammas-inpiration.html

Baking for Lammas + Extra Ideas!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/07/baking-for-lammas-extra-ideas.html

Lammas Round-up: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/07/lammas-round-up.html

 

The past few years I've written celebration idea posts for Imbolg. During 2021 I wrote a series of round-up posts for each sabbat, featuring a mix of past posts on the blog and links for articles on other sites. So, I'll continue that into 2022 with one for Imbolg. :)  

Imbolg is the first sabbat of the calendar year and the second or third on the Wheel of the Year, depending on whether you consider the cycle to start at Samhain (ending and beginning again) or Yule. Although some people think of Imbolg as the New Year.

Imbolg is the first spring festival on the Wheel. As I mentioned last year, you will more often find this sabbat named Imbolc, but I first came across it as Imbolg. Other names are February Eve (some people may start celebrating on 31st January) and Candlemas (the second is also a Christian festival). It is the festival of the Irish Fire Goddess Brighid/Brigid (pronounced something like "Breed") aka Bride. You can read about her here (I just came aross this article while looking at an old Rockstar Priestess Imbolg post): https://www.brighid.org.uk/goddess.html 

Update 31/1/24: Just got an antivirus warning on the Brighid.org.uk link above.

Themes for this sabbat include the first signs of spring/moving towards the end of winter, fire, cleansing and renewal.

Here are my previous Imbolg posts on the blog:

Imbolg: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2014/02/imbolg.html

Imbolg 2015:  https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2015/02/imbolg-2015.html

Imbolg 2016: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2016/02/imbolg-2016.html

Imbolg 2017: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2017/02/imbolg-2017.html

Imbolg Celebration Ideas: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/01/imbolg-celebration-ideas.html

Imbolg 2018: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2018/02/imbolg-2018.html

Imbolg Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/01/imbolg-inspiration.html

Imbolg 2019: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2019/02/imbolg-2019.html

More Imbolg Inspiration: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/01/more-imbolg-inspiration.html

Imbolg 2020: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/02/imbolg-2020.html

Ideas for Imbolg: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/01/ideas-for-imbolg.html

Imbolg 2021: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/02/imbolg-2021.html

 

And here are some posts from other sites:

Info about Imbolg: https://meaganrosewilson.com/2022/01/what-is-imbolc/

Post about Imbolg/Imbolc and Chinese New Year (contains references for both hemispheres): https://www.fengshuiism.com/feng-shui-blog/imbolc-celtic-chinese-new-year

Preparations for Imbolc and How to Make a Winter Wreath: https://witchoflupinehollow.com/2017/01/16/preparations-for-imbolc-how-to-make-a-winter-wreath/

Inspiring post about keeping dreaming your dreams at this time (written last year): https://luckyloom1.wordpress.com/2021/02/07/dream-your-dreams/

Menu plan for Imbolc: http://kitchenwitch-cookery.blogspot.com/2014/01/menu-plan-for-imbolc-feast.html 

9 recipes for Imbolg: https://wiccanow.com/9-imbolc-recipes-to-celebrate-the-coming-of-spring/

If you can't or don't eat dairy, here are some dairy alternatives from Witchcrafted Life:  https://witchcraftedlife.com/dairy-alternatives-for-imbolc-plus-imbolc-menu-ideas/

 

I usually make pancakes for Imbolg, inspired by Kate West's book The Real Witches' Kitchen. They fit this festival because of the eggs and milk associated with spring, and pancakes/crepes represent the sun. Also, the Irish Gaelic word "Imbolc" or "Imbolg" is thought to translate as "in the belly" meaning the ewes who are pregnant at this time of year. There is another word "Oimelc" which is said to mean "ewe's milk".

Last year I made these oatmeal pancakes from Don't Waste the Crumbs: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/oatmeal-pancakes/

You can see a picture of mine here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/02/imbolg-2021.html

I think I'll do those again this Imbolg. I make English pancakes (also known as crepes) some years. My favourite recipe (for English pancakes) in recent years is this one from BBC Good Food: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes

I'll make those ones for Pancake Day this year. For Imbolg 2020 I baked lemon and poppyseed cupcakes. You can find more pancake recipes (plus some links to other recipes) in the More Imbolg Inspiration post.

 

In addition to the pancakes, I sometimes make spicy hot milk, based on a recipe I make for Yule some years (based on one from the book The Kitchen Witch by Soraya). This year I thought I'd make some hot chocolate for a change. I've got into making it during the colder months in the past couple of years! I'm going to try a recipe for white chocolate in the Llewellyn's 2022 Sabbats Almanac. I might have lemonade again this year as well.

I usually light a white candle as well, since Imbolg is a fire festival. It's nice to celebrate the increasing light (which we celebrated the return of at Yule/the Winter Solstice in December). Some years I go to the beach around this time and I'm planning to go this Imbolg and take some sunset pics.

Hope that gave you plenty of ideas for celebrating! :) I will do a post about my celebrations next week. It's been a difficult couple of years and winter can get some of us down, so I'm pleased that we're shifting towards spring. Hope everyone's year has started off as well as possible.

Happy Imbolg! (Or Happy Lammas!) :) 

Photo: Buckingham Park, Shoreham-by-sea. Moonsparkle 2022.