Imbolc 2024 and other stuff

1st and 2nd February is Imbolc (pronounced Im’olc), where we mark the end of winter. It is traditionally the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and where we welcome in the longer days and warmer weather. It is a traditional Gaelic festival of Saint Brigid, Irelands patroness saint and was known as Saint Brigid’s Day.  Imbolc was later adopted by Christians as the St Brigid’s feast day. It is also where spring cleaning originated from!

Things you can do during Imbolc:

• Plant things! Imbolc represents the end of winter, so now is the time to plan and start planting.
• Make a doll to represent the goddess Brigid. The doll is a token of female fertility and can be made out of grasses, or other materials from nature. Place her next to a candle to attract fertility to your home. If you have an altar, this would be a wonderful place for her.
• Imbolc is also a good time for a love spell! But you need to make sure this is centred on you and making yourself more open to love. Do not cast a spell involving another person without their consent.
• Make a Brigid cross for your altar. Like the doll, you can make it out of materials from the garden or local woods.
• Spring cleaning! And this means your mind and body as well as your home.  This is the best time to have a cleansing bath ritual, or set aside time for a crystal meditation. We have recently teamed up with Holly from Flynn Care, who has a shelf in our shop for her wonderful vegan and plastic free bath products; some of which come with crystals! Do pop in and explore her range of products.

This festival is about growth, rebirth and renewal. For Wiccans, this is the time when the Goddess gives birth the the God of the Sun and nurtures him so that he can provide us with a sunny and warm spring and summer, in order to have a full harvest later in the year.

For your altar

In addition to the Brigid’s Cross or the Brigid doll, you may want to put other things on your altar that represent fertility, rebirth and renewal. This can include seasonal fresh flowers, and a priapic wand. This is made out of wood from a fruit tree or a fruit bush. Wrap a light green or a yellow ribbon around it and attach a pine cone from your Yule altar. This represents the male aspect of fertility. Crystals for Imbolc can be malachite for transition, citrine, orange calcite and sunstone for welcoming back the sun, and golden healer quartz and moss agate for grounding and connecting with the earth.

Another aspect of Imbolc is fire. This is a time to burn your Yule greenery, such as wreaths and Yule trees If you can’t do this, you can put pine essential oil in a diffuser or or in an oil burner and have green and yellow candles on your altar.

Do drop into the shop for Imbolc ideas!

Shop News

• We will continue to provide readings every week on a Saturday (or the Sunday if Jo can’t do the Saturday). These will be from 10am. Jo is an intuitive tarot reader and past life regression specialist, and readings are an a drop-in basis at the moment.
• We are also holding a Beginners Tarot Workshop on 28th February at the shop at 6pm. This will be 1.5 – 2 hours long and will cost £55. If you want to book one of the limited places, drop into the shop and secure your place with a deposit.
• Are you interested in having a Moot? This is a great way of connecting with the local pagan community to share ideas and learning, and is ideal for both beginners and more experienced practitioners alike. Initially I’d propose a coffee shop or pub Moot in Crawley Town to establish numbers and expectations, with a view to moving it to the shop for more workshop based activities. I’m happy for someone else to lead on this, so if you want to get involved or lead then  do get in touch via the contact page on the website or via our Facebook page.

Just a bit of housekeeping. If you want to take pictures of things in the shop, please ask. Usually this is OK as it’s mostly about a crystal someone’s purchased and they need more info, or they want to share something with a friend. This is only being mentioned as we’ve had a number of people coming in just to photograph things and leave, without even talking to staff. In an intimate environment like our shop, this behaviour sticks out.