#FolkloreThursday: Imbolc 🕯️🌞 The celebration of Imbolc originates from the Celts. Imbolc symbolizes the halfway point between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Ostara). The word "imbolc" means "in the belly of the Mother," because the seeds of spring are beginning to stir in the belly of Mother Earth. Imbolc is a pagan holiday celebrated from February 1 through sundown February 2. Based on a Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland. The holiday is celebrated by Wiccans and other practitioners of neopagan or pagan-influenced religions. Imbolc is just one of several pre-Christian holidays highlighting some aspect of winter and sunlight, and heralding the change of seasons. The celebration of Imbolc dates back to the pre-Christian era in the British Isles. The earliest mentions of Imbolc in Irish literature date back to the 10th century. Poetry from that time relates the holiday to ewe’s milk, with the implication of purification. It’s been speculated that this stems from the breeding cycle of sheep and the beginning of lactation. The holiday was traditionally aligned with the first day of spring and the idea of rebirth. After months of turning inward, of hibernation & of rest, life is beginning to stir again. Depending on where you are, you may be seeing the first spring flowers beginning to show signs of life. Spiritually, this is a time of new life coming into manifestation. We may only be seeing the tiniest hints of life above the surface but things are really beginning to stir in the darkness. Just like nature is beginning to awaken after its dormant period, we are also reawakening with new dreams & exciting new plans. #imbolcblessings #imbolc2023 #spring #springseason #spring2023 #summer #summerseason #summer2023 #mystique #spiritique #mindfulness #spiritual #spirituality #blessedimbolc #mysticalsummers #mysticalsummer #februaryblessings #firstdayofspring #pagan #paganism #mystical #mysticisim #mystic #folklore #folkloreflash #folkspirits #imbolc2023 #blessedbe #Brigid #brigidsday https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKMEZFyipg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
