Imbolc: Weathering the Season of Survival

Hello my friend! How are you doing in this crazy winter season?

Today we’re going to talk about the Wiccan holiday, Imbolc, and how you can harness the holiday energy to aid in your continued survival. 

The holiday, Imbolc, is one of the lesser known and celebrated of the Wiccan holidays. It’s one of the major fire festivals and is usually celebrated with candles. This is a holiday to celebrate the middle of the winter and that from this point on, we are closer to leaving winter behind for the springtime. 

What is Imbolc?

Historically, Imbolc was celebrated as the turning point of winter. People could see the days were getting longer, life was starting to return to the land, and the birthing of livestock brought renewed hope of survival. The birth of livestock also meant the replenishment of food sources through dairy products like milk and cheese. 

This was typically the time of year when people could start airing out their homes from becoming stagnant and stale over the winter months. Windows and doors were opened, floors scrubbed and cleaned, fireplaces cleared, and new candles lit. This was a time of renewal and new beginnings, coming from the darkness into the light. 

In modern day Wicca, Imbolc still shares similar themes as were mentioned before. It is still considered a festival of light and fertility, celebrated with fire (usually candles) to represent illumination and inspiration. The days are starting to get longer and winter’s end is in sight. 

Why is celebrating Imbolc important?

Imbolc is a celebration of perseverance. You have made it this far through the winter and through the tough year that we just had and now is the time to celebrate that fact. You have survived 2020. Isn’t that cause enough for celebration?

Another reason to celebrate Imbolc is that the days are noticeably getting longer. The light is finally returning to this half of the world and there are whispers of spring in the air. It’s still cold, but you can start to see little signs of life returning. 

What is the energy of Imbolc for?

This sabbat, or holiday, is for getting in touch with the inner self, personal goals and what is important. Imbolc calls to nurture the WHOLE self, to awaken the parts of the self that have been missing or forgotten, or that have laid dormant over the winter months. 

Really looking at what will actually serve in the New Year and what is no longer relevant and being able to distinguish between the two is an important action to take during this time of year. The energy of Imbolc lends its energy to helping look deeper and really see clearly what is needed to move forward. 

Surviving winter with Imbolc

Imbolc is also a holiday to celebrate survival. People have made it through the harsh cold of winter and are looking now toward the spring. This is not something that is celebrated these days and that’s a shame. To survive through the roughness of winter and emerge on the other side stronger than before is something to be proud of. 

There is a sigh of relief that happens when someone has made it through a harsh or tough time. There is a moment of calm that comes from knowing the hard time is behind and the future is looking a little brighter. We know that life is 50/50, but there is comfort when it turns from the 50% bad to the 50% good. 

Imbolc is a time to honor the trials and tribulations faced and overcome. This is a holiday to acknowledge our resilience and our will to survive. And better yet, we can celebrate by thriving and come out better on the other side. 

Channeling the energy of Imbolc

We can use the energy of Imbolc to help us get through our winter’s harshness, whether that is physical or metaphorical. Imbolc is a celebration of survival, so it only makes sense to harness the energy of the holiday to help any transition we might be going through. 

Sometimes we go through hard times. That’s just part of life. But we don’t have to suffer. If we can get a little help when we need it, then we should take it. Like my favorite life coach says, “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” We don’t have to suffer through the bad times. 

By using the power and energy of Imbolc, we can then help to ease the transitional pain. If you think of the bad time you’re going through as a growing pain, then you can work through the discomfort by sending the energy of Imbolc into the issue. 

Below, I’ve written a little spell to help harness the energy of Imbolc to help with any sort of survival you need. 

Imbolc Survival Spell

Embracing Winter

We have made it to the middle of winter, but we still have a long way to go before the warmth of spring embraces us. Close your eyes and feel the winter around you. The sharp winter wind, the smell of snow, the hardness of the ground. The world is transformed into the stark contrasts of brights and darks. The winter snow covers everything like a white blanket, creating a blank canvas. This sparks your creativity, the need for new beginnings once we have survived the winter. Once you have this image in your mind, open your eyes and light the white votive candle and say: 

Though days are short and nights are long

In the wind, I hear the soft spring song

Telling me spring’s on its way

Just like the dawn of a new day

Though snow lies heavy on the ground

In the distance, I hear a sound

Of creatures stirring in their slumber

Soon to be woken by the new spring’s wonder

Though the trees are bare and the ground is hard

And the wind blows harsh with disregard

I feel that life quickens just below

Within my heart, this truth I know

Planting the Seeds

Now send your consciousness down into the earth. You notice there are seeds that have been planted, awaiting spring. You feel yourself melding into one of these seeds until your consciousness is merged with it. Feel the seed’s resolve to survive and grow become your resolve to survive and grow. And then feel the stirring within yourself to begin the journey of rebirth through this seed. Once you feel yourself and the seed start to move through the soil, open your eyes, but keep that image and feeling at the forefront of your mind. Light the green candle and say:

I am the seed beneath the snow

Despite the cold, I start to grow

Moving through the earth I climb

Slowly, but surely, taking my time

Ready to feel the warmth of the sun

My strength and resolve now work as one

I know in time I will break through

Ready to start my life anew

Now visualize your seed-self breaking through the hard ground to feel the warmth of the sun on your face. You have survived through the harshness of winter and have come out stronger than before. Take this feeling of accomplishment with you through the rest of this winter season, knowing that you can survive and begin again with the coming of spring. 

Until next time, my magickal friend, be well and choose joy! Blessed be.