January 2020 Grey Matters

The Grey Matters

January 2020

Table of Contents

Imbolc: A Short History

The Great Tree Meditation

Wizardry: Just Do It!

Herbarium Now Open

Upcoming Events

Awards

Photo by Miltiadis Fragkidis on Unsplash

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Imbolc: A Short History

Grey Matters Staff

The holiday celebrated today as Imbolc can be traced back to ancient traditions in the pre-Christian British Isles. Celebrated on February 1st and 2nd, it marks the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Correspondingly, its meanings are associated with winter, light, and the changing of the seasons. The earliest known references to Imbolc date to the 10th century CE in Ireland.

In ancient times, the holiday celebrated Brigid, a goddess of the Celtic pantheon associated with fertility, crafts, and prophecy. Effigies were constructed in her honor and lights of all kind were kindled: torches, lamps, and even blazing bonfires. Participants hoped that the goddess would visit them overnight and grant them her blessings.

Over time, Brigid was supplanted by the Christian Saint Brigid. The saint and goddess shared several similarities, such as births associated with flame and milk, and the saint was said to have lived in a monastery located on the site of a traditional shrine to the goddess Brigid.

Modern neopagans have reclaimed the holiday as a celebration of nature and the forthcoming spring.

Sources

"Imbolc." August 21, 2018. The History Channel. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/imbolc

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The Great Tree Meditation

Apprentice StarDragon

The great tree started out as a little sapling.

Just a seed that probably blew around in the wind from the mother tree and landed right in my garden near the beautiful pond filled with lilies, fish, and frogs. It had found the perfect spot to grow.