Imbolc 2014

On the 2nd of February we celebrate Imbolc. I love Imbolc.  As a healer it is especially special as Brigid comes to bless healers at this time of year.  As Goddess of hearth (and blacksmiths) and home, what's not to love?  St. Bridget has the very same attributes. And although many pagans sites say that the Christians created a saint to replace the Goddess of the British Isles, there is actually quite a lot of information about St. Bridget and her amazing works.  So whether you are pagan or Christian or some mix of the two, there is a lot to celebrate on this day of the year.
There are some great ways to celebrate this holiday with kids.  And on Pinterest I have quite a few pins from around the world.  (Now how do I link them here, so you can jump from here to there?).  But this is how we spent Imbolc/Candlemass this year.

• We made Brigid's Crosses out of pipecleaners
• We visited the garden centre the day before to choose seed for our vegetable garden this year
• We asked Brigid to bless our seeds (Dear Brigid, Bless these seeds so that they may grow to nourish us in Mind, Body and Spirit. Amen)
• We created a blessing for the day (see below)
• We spent the morning at our favourite spot at the River.  The river was high but we washed our faces with a splash of cold water.  How could you not feel great when sitting with such beauty?
• Imbolc is a great time for cooking over the fire, and so we made a BBQ and made some bread over the fire as well.
• The kids' father did all of this with us, so it was especially nice to have a family day together
• I took some extra time to reflect and journal as this winter is leaving and spring is coming soon.

There are so many great ideas on how to honour this day, and in the interests of spending quality time with the kids we skipped a few that I had planned (such as making crescent moon biscuits).  I encourage people to look at Pinterest for more.

Brigid
Come and bless us as we prepare to welcome spring.  Clear our homes, heal our ills, and awaken the fire in our hearts for the coming year.  Thank you for our rivers, our craft, and healing arts.  Thank you for blessing our family and our home.