Imbolc 2003 arranged by ---Shining Spider- 2003 The astrology of today: Moon- waxing (1st phase- Aquarius) The myth of Imbolc/Imbolg: February 1st (also called Lady Day, Imbolac, Olimec, Brigit's Day, Imbolc, Brigid, Gwyl Olau, Brigintina or Candlemas) is the Celtic Fire Festival between Yule (Winter Solstice) and Ostara (Spring Equinox). Imbolg is known as Lady Day because it celebrates the Goddess in her Maiden form, usually as Brigit, or Bride. It is the time that the Crone changes from her Crone aspect into the Maiden. As part of this change, the celebration usually focuses on the quickening of the Earth, Light rather than Warmth. Ritual: I. Creating A Sacred Space A. Cleanse space B. Ground and Center C. Call Elements D. Cast Circle II. Calling And Honoring the Divine A. (lighting candle) We invite you, Brigid, goddess of spring and inspiration to this circle B. As the Wheel of the Year turns to warmer and brighter times, so does our focus on specific Goddesses. We have just passed the Winter Solstice and our world is beginning to awaken anew. The Celtic Goddess Brigid is best known as a shining example of the Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess and is often personified as a maiden, virgin, or bride, although she is known for her mother and crone aspects, as well. We can trace Brigid's lineage in Celtic mythology. She was born into the line of the Danu and she was born at sunrise. At the time of Her birth, it is said a great tower of flame arose from Her forehead. This flame illuminated the house, as if it was on fire. During the dawn of Spring, Brigid's light shines as the sun grows stronger and the days become longer. The most famous and enduring shrine to Brigid is at Kildare, in the area once known as Civitas Brigitae (The City of Brigid), and celebrates Her as a Sun Goddess. The shrine was the home of the "eternal flame" and, most likely, has its roots in ancient Druidism. It is believed Kildare was, for many centuries, occupied by nineteen virgin priestesses and was off limits to all men. The priestesses dedicated 30 years of their lives in attendance to Brigid and the shrine's eternal flame. At the end of their tenure, the priestesses were allowed to leave and to carry on with their lives as they saw fit. It is also believed the priestesses were responsible for the care of Brigid's sacred wells, springs, groves, and caves. Today is not a "spring celebration," but the celebration of the approach of Spring. At this time, the cows and ewes begin to bear their young and lactate, as the earth begins to awaken from her winter rest. Imbolc signals that soon the ground will thaw, spring flowers will begin to rise, and the time for planting will be upon us. III. Pathwork A. The Boy Who Did Not Know How To Shudder *. 1. Long before there was any time, there lived a father and his son. The father so loved his child that over the years, he kept careful watch, never letting any harm come to him, nor allowing any one to say a word in anger. The lad grew into a handsome youth, but one who was not learned in the way of the world. In particular, the youth never knew fear. He would listen to many people of the village say that when they passed by a graveyard they would shudder and pray for safety, but this only puzzled him. And when the town’s elders would tell fantastical tales of haunting spirits, he would hear the listeners say, “that makes me shudder,” but he never knew what they meant. This only caused the villagers to laugh and call him block-headed. On day the youth decided to strike out into the world on his own, for he wanted to make his father proud by learning what it was to shudder. So the lad set out, saying, “if only I could shudder!” Finally the boy wandered into a faraway kingdom. The king happened to be passing by when he heard the boy muttering, “O I wish I could shudder.” The king stopped the boy and asked “what is that you are saying?” Said the boy “I do so wish that I could shudder.” “What is this foolish chatter?” replied the king. “I will teach you such a thing, so come with me.” Now the king had promised his beautiful daughter in marriage to anyone who could stay in a haunted castle for three nights and then bring back the treasure therein. Those who had already tried never returned from the castle, but the king took the boy there and said, “ surely this will teach you.” The youth replied, “I will willingly spend three nights in this castle if it will teach me what I do not know.” The king instructed the boy only to take three things with him into the castle. The boy thought and asked for a fire, a turning lathe, and a cutting board with a knife. The king had these brought to the boy. As night drew near, the lad entered the castle, made a fire in a large stone fireplace and sat patiently. Then, at the stroke of midnight, he heard a strange cry from a darkened corner, “meow! Let us in from the cold night!” “Why are you so stupid?” the boy replied. “If you are cold, sit in here by the fire.” Then in leaped two black cats whose eyes glowed yellow. “Please, come sit with me, but first let me see your paws.” Said the youth. Upon seeing their sharp claws, the boy said, “My what sharp claws you have. I must cut them before you tear at the furniture.” Thereupon he grabbed both cats, threw them down on the cutting board and said, “I have seen your sharp claws and I no longer wish to sit with you by the fire.” Then he quickly struck them dead with the knife and threw them out the window into the moat. But when he had done this, more black cats with yellow glowing eyes emerged from every corner of the room. He sat quietly watching them all for a while, but when the time was right, he grabbed the cutting knife and cried: “I have grown tired of you vermin. Be gone!” and began to cut them down. Some were killed and thrown into the moot and the rest disappeared into the dark shadows of the room. When he was done, he sat once again by the fire, fanned the embers and warmed himself until he felt drowsy. He saw a bed in the corner and decided to lay down, but as he did, it began to move as though it had a life of its own. It danced and jumped and moved all over the castle. Instead of feeling fright, the boy laughed and urged the bed to go on running, only faster. But the bed grew weary and soon stood still. The boy said, “I enjoyed that tremendously! But now I must get some rest. “ So he laid down next to the fire and fell fast asleep. The next morning, the king went up to the castle and saw the youth laying next to the fire. He thought the boy was dead, so he spoke aloud, saying, “What a pity!” But the boy then awakened and the king stood amazed the youth had survived. “Have you learned to shudder yet?” the king asked. “No. I wish someone would just tell me how it was done.” The second night the youth sat by the fire again. When midnight fell, he heard loud noises coming from the chimney. From that chimney fell half of a man. Soon after that, down came the other half. “Perhaps you need a fire, “ said the youth as he stoked the logs. When he turned back the two halves joined to form a hideous man, who now sat in the boy’s chair. Soon more dead men fell down. The brought nine dead men’s legs and a skull and set them up and played at nine-pins with them. The youth, instead of feeling fear, said, “I should like to play at nine-pins too, but this ball is not quite round.” He placed the skull into the lathe and turned it until it was round. “this should roll better,” he said. With that, all the dead men vanished from the room as though they had never been there. The next morning the king arrived to see if the boy had survived. He was surprised to find the youth in good spirits. “so you haven’t learned to shudder then?” asked the king. The boy said, “All I have learned is how to play at nine-pins. I wish someone would just tell me what it is to shudder.” The third night, as he sat by the fire, he said to himself, “I will never learn to shudder in this place!” Just then an old man entered. He was taller than all the other spirits the youth had seen and he had a long, scraggly, white beard. “You fool!” said the man. “I shall be the one to teach you what it is to shudder, for soon I shall kill you.” “Please wait,” said the youth. “If I am going to die, then I wish to have some say in it.” The fiend said, “I will soon grind you into dust.” To that, the boy replied, “If I were you, I would not talk like that. For, I am as strong as you are. Nay, I say that I am even stronger.” The fiend said, “We shall see. If you are stronger than I shall let you go.” The old man led the youth down dark labyrinthine passages to a smith’s forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the ground. “I can do better than that,” said the youth, who went to the anvil. The old man wanted to get a better look, so he drew near and his white beard hung down. The boy took the axe and with one blow, he split the anvil in two, catching the old man’s beard in it. “Now it is you who will die,” said the boy. But the old man begged for mercy and told the boy that if he released him he would be rewarded with riches. The boy freed the axe and the old man led him to three chests of gold. When the clock struck midnight, the old man disappeared into the shadows and vanished from the castle. The next morning, the king arrived early to see how the youth had fared. “you must have learned how to shudder by now,” said the king. “No,” said the youth, “I saw an old man who showed me a room full of riches, but no one showed me how to shudder.” “Then,” said the king, “my boy, you have saved the castle, and you shall marry my daughter.” Then the gold was brought up and the wedding was celebrated. 2. Consider the line between fear (culturally imposed) and our ability to wonder and accept what is outside of the realm of societal acceptance B. Work outside of the circle later-- 1. Make a list of unspoken rules that impact your behavior. These can come from your family, culture or other influences. They can be subtle, or overt. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Think about these rules, and how they limit you. C. Gaining the Power to Wonder ** 1. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Relax each part of the body starting with the feet and moving all the way up to the top of your head. Let whatever tension you may be feeling flow into the ground, into the earth, where it is neutralized. Allow a blue mist to form around your feet and move all the way up your body until you are completely cocooned within the mist. Allow it to lift you p and take you on the journey of wonderment. You are being taken to a sacred place that your spirit has been once before. It is a place that allows your natural, child-like state of wondering to emerge. Reader-PAUSE The mist now sets you down, and as it does, it evaporates to reveal a new scene. You find yourself on the edge of a cliff looking out at the vast landscape below. The time is dawn, and you face the glowing eastern horizon. As the sun peeks little by little over the horizon, concentrate on thinking nothing at all. No words, no songs, no noise, simple stillness is called for here. Stay with this stillness as long as you can. Notice when you remain still that thoughts drift into your awareness. Simply observe them. Watch them go by and evaporate awareness. Simply observe them. Watch them go by and evaporate like clouds. Stay with the stillness. Notice how still and silent the landscape below. Reader-PAUSE For 2 Minutes It is time to return now. The blue mist, once again, begins to form around your body, starting at your feet and moving upwards to completely envelope you. Allow the mist to bring you back to the place where your body rests comfortably. Once you are fully back, take time to jot down your experiences. IV. Spellwork –letting go *** A. Cauldron is filled with earth and a candle. The candle is lit for the light of the goddess, and warming sun. Together the group chants (3 times): She shines for all, she burns for all. Take the bowl of water (blessed with 9 drops frankincense oil) and have each participant (individually) light a candle and add it into the water saying “I shine for all, I burn for all” and contemplate their own inspiration, their own sense of wonder, and their own internal flame. V. Thanking A. Poem: *** Inspiration She shot out light from forehead from third eye from that place where inspiration lies My sister My mother My godmother My alter-ego has mastered word and song note and knowledge knowing, internally where the truth lies, and where talent hides. B. Thank Brigid C. Thank the elements D. Break the space VI. Crafts and Dinner! A. Priapic Wand --- Children (and inner children as well) will love the sound of this magical wand as they walk about pointing and shaking it at plants and trees, invoking them to wake up from Winter's sleep to witness the union of the Bride and the Lord of the Forest. Materials: Small Tree Branch Acorn Thin Brown String or Thread Yellow, Green, and Gold 1/4" Ribbon Small Gold/Silver Jingle Bells. Select a small branch about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter. Cut top end flat. Approx. 1/2" below top score a groove (parents only) with a sharp knife. Take 1' long piece of string/thread and tie in groove. Take another 1' piece of thread and tie in groove on opposite side of branch. Place acorn at top of branch (flat end) and adhere with some glue. Now pull the string up over the cap and wind once around acorn. Repeat with all 3 other pieces of string. Pull strings back down to the groove in the branch and tie off. This will hold the acorn in place. Decorate the branch by wrapping it with the ribbons, leaving enough length at top for streamers. Tie gold/silver jingle bells to the ends of the ribbons. For smaller children, thread the bells onto the ribbon while wrapping the branch. Tell the children about how the acorn-wand is a symbol of the Lord of the Forest, and how this magical wand helps the sleeping plants and animals wake up and prepare for Spring. Incense recipes: (we used Incense #1) Incense #1 by Dawn Thebarge-Hill used with express permission of the author-do not copy or use without written permission 1 part each of Basil and Bay, Frankincense, Myrrh 2 parts Rosemary 3 parts Cinnamon Grind herbs until fine if using whole herbs. Break resins into small pieces and grind. Visualize fertility and cleansing your home, environment and life of all negativity. Burn on charcoal tablets. Incense #2 by Scott Cunningham 3 parts Frankincense 2 parts Dragon's Blood 1/2 part red Sandalwood 1 part Cinnamon a few drops of red wine a pinch of the first flower of the season-dried Credits: * & ** from: ‘Dark Moon Mysteries’ by Timothy Roderick *** by Laura Craig Mason © 2002 |