The pagan festival of Imbolc falls halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is usually celebrated on February 1st or 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere (beginning at sunset on the first and continuing throughout the 2nd). Modern pagans celebrate on August 1st or 2nd, although it is not a tradition with deep roots in the Southern Hemisphere, but rather introduced to the Antipodes by European immigrants.
Imbolc celebrates the increasing hours of sunlight as we emerge from winter, and the renewal of spring is finally in the air. It is a time to start making plans for the coming year, to decide what seeds you will sow to be harvested in the late summer.
This carries on in the modern world as we emerge from the chaos and disorganization of the holiday season and can start to focus on more structured plans and goals.
February 1, 2026, is also the full moon in Leo, making it a powerful moment for a candle magic ritual.
Imbolc Symbols and Associations
- Colors – white (renewal), green (new life), red, and pink
- Symbols – Candles, Cauldrons, Chalices, Lambs (often the first animals born in spring), Ewes, Swans (representing transformation)
- Stones – Amethysts, Bloodstone, Garnet, Onyx, Ruby, Turquoise
- Plants – Snowdrops (the first flowers to emerge after winter), Angelica, Basil, Bay Laurel, Celandine
- Food – Dairy, Winter Vegetables, Seeds
- Deities – Brigid, Aphrodite, Eros, Hestia
Celtic Imbolc
Imbolc was initially a Celtic holiday. Its name means “in the belly,” referring to the life that is ready to sprout in the spring, and is associated with the goddess Brigid. She was associated with fire, healing, poetry, smithcraft, childbirth, and spring.
Since at least 450 CE, pagan priestesses maintained a perpetual flame of Brigid at Kildare, which was taken up by Brigidine nuns when Brigid became Saint Brigid with the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
Brigid is also a goddess of death, which is common for fertility deities, associated with the cycle of birth-growth-death-renewal.
Brigid was also the goddess of the hearth, the fire at the center of the home, like Vesta in the Roman world and Hestia in the Greek world. The hearth is the warmth of family, and it is also the fire that cleanses and creates. Many religions believe that fire is the first element, most closely linked to creation.
The earliest surviving mention of Imbolc comes from an Irish saga known as the Ulster Cycle, written between the 8th and 11th centuries. The specific passage reads:
“No man will travel this country, who hasn’t gone sleepless from Samhain, when the summer goes to its rest, until Imbolc, when the ewes are milked at spring’s beginning, and from Imbolc to Beltane at the summer’s beginning, and from Beltane to Bron Trogain, earth’s sorrowing autumn.”
As Christianity spread and adopted local customs, it was adopted as Candlemas, traditionally celebrated on February 2.
Modern Irish traditions include making Brigid dolls or crosses and hanging them for protection and leaving oatcakes and butter out for Brigid.
How to Celebrate
Cleansing Rituals – Since Imbolc is about setting intentions for the new year, it is a good idea to start with a clean slate. This is where the idea of “spring cleaning” comes from, and it is a great idea to clean your physical space and then clean the space energetically with practices such as incense smudging. Letting go of things you no longer need in your life, whether they be physical possessions, relationships, or ideas, can be easier at this time of year.
Set Goals and Intentions – On Imbolc itself, commit to new goals and habits. Engage in candle magic rituals to support your intentions and commitment. You can also plant seeds that represent your goals and aspirations and nurture them over the coming months.
Fire Rituals – If you are part of a community, host a bonfire, or if that is not possible, a candlelit dinner. Cook with winter foods that are going out of season as you prepare to embrace the fresher spring menu. Think winter vegetables and smoked meats.
Fertility Practices – If you hope to get pregnant in the coming year, consider engaging in fertility rituals that invite new life into your body. Celebrate nature by creating an Imbolc altar with fresh herbs and sprouts and a sacred candle.
Divination – This is also an ideal time for divination, as it is a time of year when the veil between the worlds is considered to be thin, and it can be easier to make contact with the supernatural.
Get Creative – Brigid is the goddess of creativity, so many people choose to write poetry or engage in other creative arts over Imbolc.
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