Imbolc Ritual

Imbolc, the halfway point between Winter and Spring. A time to celebrate the waxing light and the coming seasonal changes. A time for hearth and home, for cleansing and purification, for healing and inspiration. Often this festival is associated with the Goddess Brigid. This eve I will call upon the Goddess Brigid to accompany me in my celebration and perform a little fire magic upon this night.

Contained within this ritual are several forms or magic being used. As in most of my spells, I use candles. They help me focus and can be used as a mechanism to deliver a message. I use the appropriate color of candle to represent the cycle of the year. While concentrating on the candle, I raise energy through chanting. Vocalization of my intent is much more energetic to me than simply thinking about it. Although, a wiseman I know has often stated, “Energy flows where Thought goes”. Often times than not, there will be a crystal or stone involved. It usually becomes a talisman that will be placed in my home or given to an individual that contains a specific magical purpose. A form of Spirit with a specific magical intent. Color, light and crystals, my rituals are fun but do contain a seriousness.

· 13 Larger white candles

· Small White Candle 

· Athame 

· Orb of garnet (or just a chunk of garnet) 

· Dragons Blood Oil 

· Cinnamon incense 

· Matches or a sacred flame to light your incense and candle 

Cast the circle 

For a celebration of light, I place 13 lit candles around the circle, after all this is Candlemas and to define the outline of the Circle in which I will be creating. 

I stand within my sacred space facing North. 

I pick up my athame and hold it before me with both hands. I close my eyes and begin to open my Crown Chakra, my Third Eye Chakra and my Throat Chakra. I visualize silvery energy gathering in my Crown. I reach out to the Great Mother to source energy. 

As I ask for her assistance and guidance, I can feel my Crown energy increase. I open my eyes. 

I begin to direct the energy down from my Crown and through my Throat Chakra, creating a flow of blue energy. As this energy flows down my right arm, I direct it out through the athame. I visualize a straight line of blue energy touching the ground and creating the Circle as I move around the room in a deosil direction. As I move I state,

“I cast this circle in the name of the Great Mother, guide us, protect us.” 

I walk the Circle three times. The first circuit is to dispel and keep any negative energies at bay and to bring my alignment in with the positive energies of the Great Mother. The second circuit is to create a magical space where I will not be disturbed. A place to concentrate on the magical tasks at hand. On the third circuit, instead of a straight blue line of energy manifesting, I create a spherical curtain. As I continue around the Circle, I visualize I am drawing my blue energy curtain around the circle. Chanting and directing energy, I continue around the circle until I reach the northern point again. Instead of stopping, I continue onward to East, overlapping the energy field and sealing the circle and state:

“I seal this circle in the name of the Great Mother. This is a place that is not a place, on a day that is not a day, in a time that is not a time. As it is above, so it is below.” 

I lower my athame. The circle is now cast, and I have created a protected space to continue with my magical work.

I turn and face East.

I open my Heart Chakra and let the energy of Air envelop me.

I visualize a pentagram before me.

I raise my athame with both hands to the top of the pentagram, to the position of Spirit as shown in the figure at the beginning of this journal entry. 

While holding position with my athame, I call the Watchtowers of the East,

“Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, Lords of Air, knowledge and intuition, I do call and ask you to bear witness to these rites and to guard this sacred circle”

While I am calling the Guardians, I start to draw the pentagram. Starting with Spirit I lower my blade to the position of Earth, up to Water, across to Air, and down to Fire, up to Spirit.

To seal the pentagram, I perform one final stroke from Spirit down to Earth.

I lower my athame, bow to the Guardians and move around the circle.

I am in the Southern position of the circle.

I open my Solar Plexus Chakra and let the energy of Fire burn bright within me. Cleansing my soul.

I visualize a pentagram floating before me.

I raise my athame with both hands to the top of the pentagram, to the position of Spirit as I did while in the position of East.

Holding position with my athame, I call the Watchtowers of the South,

“Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South , Lords of Fire, transformation and purification, I do call and ask you to bear witness to these rites and to guard this sacred circle”

While I am calling the Guardians, I start to draw the pentagram. Starting with Spirit I lower my blade to the position of Earth, up to Water, across to Air, and down to Fire, up to Spirit.

To seal the pentagram, I perform one final stroke from Spirit down to Earth.

I lower my athame, bow to the Guardians and move around the circle.

I am in the Western position of the circle.

I open my Sacral Chakra and let the cool energy of Water flow through me. Washing away any negative energies that may have built up.

A pentagram floats before me.

I raise my athame with both hands to the top of the pentagram, to the position of Spirit. 

While holding position with my athame, I call the Watchtowers of the West,

“Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, Lords of Water, love and compassion, I do call and ask you to bear witness to these rites and to guard this sacred circle”

While I am calling the Guardians, I start to draw the pentagram. Starting with Spirit I lower my blade to the position of Earth, up to Water, across to Air, and down to Fire, up to Spirit.

To seal the pentagram, I perform one final stroke from Spirit down to Earth.

I lower my athame, bow to the Guardians and move around the circle.

I am in the Northern position of the circle.

I open my Root Chakra and let the strengthening energy of Earth surround me. Grounding me and giving me a sense of stability.

I visualize a pentagram floating before me.

I raise my athame with both hands to the top of the pentagram, to the position of Spirit. 

While holding position with my athame, I call the Watchtowers of the North,

“Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, Lords of Earth, strength and protection, I do call and ask you to bear witness to these rites and to guard this sacred circle”

While I am calling the Guardians, I start to draw the pentagram. Starting with Spirit I lower my blade to the position of Earth, up to Water, across to Air, and down to Fire, up to Spirit.

To seal the pentagram, I perform one final stroke from Spirit down to Earth.

I lower my athame, bow to the Guardians. I walk over to my Sacred Space and put down my athame.

I walk to the middle of the Circle and lift my arms toward the sky and say:

“Great Goddess Brigid, Daughter of the Dagda, Keeper of hearth and home. Bringer of healing and inspiration. I invite you into my Circle this eve to bless me with your presence and to aid me in my magical working.  Come be welcome!”

Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the Goddess Brigid. I feel a warmth about me and know the Goddess is present. Opening my eyes, I turn back toward my Sacred Space.

I pick up the matches or source of flame and light the incense. I place the source back on my Sacred Space. Incense will aide in carrying my message to the higher planes. I breathe deeply of the fragrance and relax. I let the flow of energy within me subside a bit so that I may continue with my task.

Picking up the candle, I dip my finger in the Dragons Blood oil, anoint the candle with the oil and state:

"Upon this magical night I anoint this candle in the name of the Goddess Brigid, thank you for attending this ceremony and accept this gift of fire."

I concentrate on the candle as a gift to the Goddess and feel her acceptance.

Picking up my athame, I carve a one word wish upon the candle. Words like "Health" or "Inspiration" are ones that I like to use. This evening I chose “Health”. Concentrating on that word, I carve it into the candle.

I place the athame back upon my Sacred Space and set the candle in front of my Goddess aspect.

Picking up the garnet, I dip my finger in the oil, anoint the stone and state:

"Upon this magical night I anoint this stone of fire in the name of the Goddess Brigid, accept this gift of flame."

I concentrate on the garnet as a gift to the Goddess. Once done, I place the garnet back on my Sacred Space.

Picking up the sacred flame, I light the anointed candle.  I place the flame back upon my Sacred Space.

I pick up the garnet and cup it in both hands. I let the energy flow down and around my arms and up into the garnet.

Focusing on the lit candle, I begin to chant:

"A stone of fire, a candle bright, 

I call Brigid upon this night, 

Watch over my health, 

watch over my home, 

Inspire my thoughts, where ever I roam, 

Goddess of Healing and Goddess of Fire, 

Upon this night, grant my desire."

I chant for several minutes, raising the energy as I do. The intensity of my chanting increases and I can feel a great warmth spread throughout my body. I have a light perspiration covering me. When I feel that I have raised sufficient energy, I release the power out into the universe and state: 

“Great Goddess Brigid, carry my message of health and healing to all of my family and to all of my friends and to all those in need!”

I focus as the energy begins to dissipate within me and I draw it’s power down and out through my Root chakra. 

I know the Goddess is delivering my wishes.

I sit down with the garnet still cupped in my hands. I watch over my spell candle until it goes out on its own. This took some time as it was a newer candle.

When the candle is extinguished, I stand and place the garnet on my sacred space near the Goddess aspect. Once I open the Circle, I will move it to the mantle of my fireplace as a reminder the Goddess Brigid is watching over me and my family.

I walk to the center of the Circle, lift my arms and say: 

"Goddess Brigid, I thank you for attending this sacred ceremony. I look forward to your days of celebration and I am certain our paths will cross once again. Go if you must or stay if you will, Bright Blessings to you, Hail and Farewell!"

I walk back to my Sacred Space and retrieve the athame. I move to the position of North within the Circle. 

Holding my athame in both hands, I see the Earth Pentagram before me. 

Beginning in the point of Earth, I draw my athame upward to Spirit, then downwards to the point of Fire, upwards toward Air, over to Water and then back down to Earth. While I am banishing this pentagram, I state,

“Guardians of the watchtowers of the North, Earth, go if you must, stay if you will, bright blessings to you, hail and farewell!”

I focus on releasing the Guardians from their position.

I lower my athame and move widdershins (counter-clockwise) to Water, Fire and Air, releasing the Guardians as I go. When drawing in the energy from these pentagrams I allow it to flow downwards through my Root Chakra, grounding out.

Once the Guardians have been released, I walk to the center of the circle and state,

“Great Mother, thank you for ever watching over this circle and providing guidance and protection while I performed my work. I am you and you are me, bound together for eternity!”

I move to the position of Air (East) and begin to open the circle. Moving counter-clockwise, I envision drawing the circular curtain open. As I draw the energy of the circle through me, I direct it downwards through my Root Chakra, grounding it out. 

As I open the circle, I state, 

“The circle is open but never broken, the love of the Great Mother is eternal, Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!”

I continue around the circle passing the position of Air to the position of Earth. This opens the overlapping, protective curtain.

I place my athame back upon my altar.

The work is complete.