What are you all doing for Candlemas???

[Lily Mai]

this is the first year that I will be offically celebrating the Sabbats, and I wondered what you all do on Candlemas??

[talamh]

We usually do a children's ritual where the cleansing,invocations and releasing is all sung to the tune of nursey rhymes ("Mommy come from the moon. Daddy come from the sun".. sung to the tune of "Here we go Looby-Loo".....) Even when we don't have any Circle babies present, we always have so much fun being silly happy kiddlies again.

Something we like to do as part of the ritual is to weave a web. We each bring a ball of yarn of whatever pretty colour we choose. We have a solid length of cord tied in a circle the size of the Circle. We each tie one end of our yarn on and .... throw the ball of yarn at someone. The idea is you catch a ball of yarn, wrap it around the circumference cord.... and throw it at someone. General mayhem and giggling is assured... and the pretty colours weave themselves into a manifestation of our interconnectedness. When we've run out of yarn, we hook the web onto preplaced cup hooks in the ceiling to make a lovely canopy for our ritual space.

Imbolc is the celebration of the God as the beautiful young child... innocence and joy. It is also sacred to Brigid and a celebration of the returning light.

If you have houseplants, especially those of us in northern climes, it is a good time to notice how they are already responding to the increased amount of daylight and have woken from their mid-winter snooze.... putting out little green shoots, needing to be fed and/or repotted. A good time to honour the promised return of life to the world by putting some energy into house plants.

bb talamh

[Myst]

Candlemas. Short excerpt here, from http://realmagick.com/articles/10/1810.html

"Imbolc is a Gaelic word meaning " in the belly" as a time when the first stirrings of Spring begin in the womb of the Earth Goddess. Imbolc is also known as Oimelc, which means "milk of ewes" and was so named since the lambing season also occurs at this time. This sabbat honors the Celtic triple goddess Breid, patroness of healing, poetry and smithcraft. Candles are lit to honor her element, which is fire, and to welcome back the young Sun God. It is traditionally a night of women's mysteries."

I would agree with all this stuff, even tho here the snow is going to just be grinding in, there's no "first stirrings of Spring" in February for us Canadians :)

I'm not into celebrating the Sabbats with much fanfare - mostly I just recognize them as I'm working away at something. So I don't know what I'll be doing yet, if anything :)

[Siren]

since she was unable to do the yule/christmas thing in december.....

and it's gonna have a "valentine's day" theme to it....hearts and stuff...ick...i hate valentine's day....

ah well....at least i will get presents....*grin*

[Garnet]

I've read conflicting things about when Imbolc is...Feb. 1 or 2?
Since my birthday is 2 Feb. (hint for chocolate!) that's when I celebrate it. However, since there is debate about the date, I do it 'Jewish'. We start our 'day' at sundown (if you wanna know why, you're going to have to give me a chance to look it up). so I celebrate from sundown 1 Feb. until sundown 2 Feb. (Unless the chocolate lasts longer).
:D :T :boing: :lol: :D :T :boing: :lol:

Living well is the best revenge.