The Goddesses of Imbolc

Two nights ago, I gathered around the [virtual] altar with my friend and teacher and a few other friends to celebrate Imbolc, the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It was a much-needed respite from the 24/7 chaos of the news cycle and social media, and we spent about an hour together doing a shamanic journey, an oracle card reading, listening and learning about the role of Groundhog in the web of life, burning the greens from Yule, and just telling stories and laughing and enjoying each other's company. 

There are a few female deities associated with Imbolc that are not groundhogs, in case you were wondering. Although Groundhog is what we've come to associate with February 2 (and a very funny movie with Bill Murray), there is an ancient female wisdom that goes along with this day. 

Cailleach is the first of the ancient feminine wisdom keepers that I heard about, and she is the one I associate most closely with this time of year. She is the Queen of Winter, and in Scotland was also revered as the maker of mountains. 

Her story goes that on February 1, she goes out to collect wood for the remainder of winter. If the day is bright and sunny, then she can collect copious amounts of wood and keep the winter going for many more weeks. If the day is overcast or cloudy and dark, then she cannot gather as much wood as she would like and she will have to end winter early for spring. 

Brigid is the other wise woman who appears at this time of year in the northern hemisphere. While she appears to have been conscripted by Christian practices as St. Brigid, her legends go back well before Christianity arrived in Europe. 

Brigid's Pagan roots make her the deity to work with if you are a poet, a healer (or in need of healing), someone who works with metal (like a blacksmith or a jeweler), or if you need protection. She is also a protector of domestic animals like goats, sheep, and yes, cats and dogs. 

Her element is that of fire: fire to soften metal so it can be shaped and bent for our needs, and fire to warm and protect. There are writings from the end of the 12th century (late 1100s) that talk about a group of Christian nuns who kept a perpetual fire burning to Brigid, and it was believed that the fire had been started centuries earlier during Brigid's lifetime as way to honor her. 

Whichever of these goddess deities you resonate with, it's always a good time to put together an altar to honor their wisdom and energy.