Imbolc and the Ice Moon

Published January 17, 2013 | By Peter Beckley

Imbolc (the name possibly originating from the Anglo-Saxon for “ewe’s milk”)  is upon us (Feb 3) and it’s a great time to be a Pagan. Now more than ever Pagans can easily find one another, come together, celebrate and raise some energy for a great work on a Sabbat. This year it happens just a week after the full moon, the 2nd of the season, which I call the “Ice Moon” on the Winding Path. Traditionally this is the time of year when we get friends together just to shake off the mid-winter blues, and warm up over good food and drink. It’s a ritual without really looking anything like a ritual, but it sure does accomplish a lot of good!

“…The warmth of the fire was comforting, I was finally warming up enough to stretch out my limbs, and loosen the scarf from around my neck. The Old Man got up and filled two metal tankards with his brew, sat down next to me again, and handed one to me. It smelled really good, a mix of different spices, and it was sweet and creamy like fresh milk right from the milking bucket. I drank deep and it warmed me through and thoroughly.” –excerpt from The Old Man Chronicles by Peter Beckley

Commonly associated with Brighid, Imbolc is also the perfect time to honor ‘hearth’ goddesses from non-Celtic cultures such as Hestia (Greek), Vesta (Roman), or Bast (Egyptian). The Winding Path doesn’t specify any particular pantheon, or even that you must stick to one from ritual to ritual, much to the delight of my detractors who’s egos seem to ignore the irony in accusing me of “making stuff up as I go”, which I’ve never denied, and have even celebrated, and their own adherence to a religion, which by their nature are all “made up”.
Personally, at this time of year, both Hestia and Brighid seem to be prevalent in my day-to-day life, which I take as a sign that one or both should be the patron of at least one ritual around this time of year. I don’t believe that they are insecure and need to have their ego stroked or that I’m so important to be the only one to do so; these are just my observations and journey.
Imbolc is not just a time of hearth ...