SECTION I - HOLIDAY LORE
Imbolc - Ahneke Greystone
Peppermint Ritual - MagickLass
Circle of Light Invocation - Anonymous
The Ice Maiden - DreamDancer
Candlemas - Gina M. Pace
IMBOLC
In the midst of winter
I discovered within me,
an invincible summer.
Camus
NAMES: Imbolc, Imbolg, Oimelc, Bride's Day, Brigantia, St. Brigid's Day/Eve,
Candlemas,
Groundhog Day, Feast of the Poets, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of Brigde, Feast of Pan,
Feast of the Waxing Light, Feast of the Flame.
In ancient times the first lambs of the season were born this month. The Gaelic name
for ewe's milk, Oimelc, lives on in the name we have given this holiday; one of the four
major holidays. It stands with Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain, as the time of the seed,
followed by the times of ripening, harvest and lying fallow.
There is a brief moment in the first stirring of the life of seed and womb, when there is
at once a commonality with all that exists and a "separation" which becomes our
individuality. It is why no leaf is as another; no animal a duplicate; and no person
identical, nor even one person the same from year to year. This is the moment when we
begin to "become" our self. Our Goddess came to this knowledge through Yule and into
the season of Imbolc. She gave birth not only to her Lord, but also to her very Self.
She teaches us that Self awareness is an act of creation. And that we are all capable
of that bringing forth.
It is almost Spring. The signs are not yet evident, except as we experience the slightly
warmer days. But we know, as we have known throughout time, that within the womb of the
world, there are ripples of earth-muscle responding to the ancient call of Sun and wind.
The wakening call. We eagerly await the First Sign. Will it be the sight of a robin?
Or the first crocus? Will it be geese winging overhead? The smell of ripe earth after
the thaw? Or will it be the moment when we are aware of evening, once dark, now lit with
late afternoon Sun?
Our pagan faith reflects the concepts of singularity and totality. The moment of
awareness of our Divine individuality is for many of us the epiphany of our pagan
spirituality. The moment when, as the seed breaks through its protective shell and
begins its journey to the Sun, we reach in our extraordinary and personal way towards
Spirit. We acknowledge with joy how much we differ and how much we are alike. This is
the time to particularly honor that which makes us unique.
THE GODDESS
She is Maiden. Becoming Self-aware and learning the scope of her own talent and power.
As we discover our selves, we discover her.
She is Mother. Recovered from childbirth, she stands strong with her child upon her
hip.
She is Persephone, returned home; and she is Demeter, giving thanks in the form of a
stirring world.
She is Brigid, goddess of fire and healing, showing her radiant virgin face.
Goddesses of Imbolc: The goddesses of Imbolc are goddesses of fire, light and healing;
they are Maiden goddesses and Mother goddesses: Agaehindvo, Amaterasu, Anu, Aphrodite,
Aradia, Arianrhod, Arinna , Athena, Befana, Bertha, Blaize, Branwen, Brigit, Demeter,
Diana, Februa, Felicitas, Freya, Gaia, Hera, Hestia , Inanna, Irene, Juno
Februata, Kuan
Yin, Lucia or Lucina, Oya, Pax, Pele, Perchta, Persephone, Sarasvati, Selene,
Sul-Minerva, Venus and Vesta.
GOD
He is child. And the child within us.
He is the Sun Lord. He touches us ever more with his warmth.
He is the Oak King. Strong and reaching his green arms skyward.
Gods of Imbolc: The Gods of Imbolc are gods of love and fertility and of the warming
forest: Aengus Og, Februu, Cernunnos, Cupid, Dagda, Eros, Jupiter and Pan.
CORRESPONDENCES
COLORS: Black, brown, lt. blue, lt. green, orange, pink, red, rose, violet, white,
yellow.
FLOWERS: Amaryllis, baby's breath, carnation, clover, crocus, heather, primrose, roses,
snowdrop, violet.
ANIMALS: Badger, bear, blue jay, chickadee, cow, coyote, deer, dragon, eagle, groundhog,
eagle, fox, lamb, lark, otter, pheasant, raven, robin, sheep, stag, unicorn, wolf.
TREES: Ash, birch.
STONES: Amethyst, bloodstone, citrine, clear quartz, garnet, green, hematite, jasper,
onyx, pearls, red zircon, rock crystal, rose, quartz, ruby, turquoise, yellow
tourmaline.
HERBS: Angelica, basil, bay laurel, benzoin, blackberry, calamus, celandine, cinnamon,
coltsfoot, coriander, frankincense, heather, marjoram, myrrh, rose and rose hips, sage,
sandalwood, sunflower seeds, tansy, thistle, vervain, violets and witch hazel.
INCENSE/OILS: Basil, bay, camphor, carnation, cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, heliotrope,
jasmine, lavender, lilac, lotus, mimosa, myrrh, musk, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary,
sage, vanilla, violet and wisteria.
FOOD: Breads, chives, corn, curries, garlic, grain, onions, peppers, poppy seed cakes,
pumpkin seeds, raisins, scones, sesame seeds, spiced wines, sunflower seeds and wheat.
IT IS THE TIME
... for awareness and preparation. It is time to enjoy the delicate current of energy
moving through our minds and our muscles. We stretch one last time in the quiet, aware
of the strength we have to create, to accomplish and to grow.
Give birth to yourself ... be gentle and kind and nurture yourself sweetly.
Blessings of the Young Mother and the Divine Toddler!
Ahneke Greystone
Imbolc 2001
Peppermint Ritual
By MagickLass
If you are not performing at your peak, Peppermint will lift you spirits.
You will need:
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint Oil
A Large Bowl of Water
The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, Japanese and Romans revered peppermint. Greek
athletes used Peppermint oil as a muscle toner before competitions and more generally as
a refreshing perfume. The name comes from the Latin "mente," meaning, "thought," and the
Romans used it to stimulate the brain.
You need to set aside half an hour at any time of the day or night for this ritual
remedy.
Method Brew the Peppermint tea and leave it to steep for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare
a footbath by adding 5 drops of Peppermint oil to a large bowl of fairly hot water. Do
this in a methodical manner, thinking only of the task in hand. Stir the Peppermint oil
into the water in a clockwise direction, and while you are watching the circles of oil
blend with the water, chant:
"Dispel the cloud upon my brow,
uplift my spirits here and now."
Sit in a comfortable chair that hugs your body, and sip the tea as you soak your feet.
Close your eyes and feel the warmth spreading up your body from your feet and meeting the
hot Peppermint tea you are drinking. As the warmth and essence engulf your senses, your
whole body will glow, revitalized.
The Ice Maiden
By DreamDancer
Long has the story been told in the villages and towns, of an incredible sight seen in
the forest glen beyond the farthest hills. The tale was told of a maiden, but a maiden
like no other, a maiden made of ice. She was a thing of beauty they said, but one could
not draw close. For the cold that emanated from her would freeze the stoutest heart,
make brittle the mightiest tree. No man, no woman could ever hope to draw near. Young
William had heard these tales of the Ice Maiden from his earliest days. He longed to
venture forth into the forest and experience this magnificent sight.
"No", said his mother. "No", said his father. "No", said all the elders of the village.
"You are too young to venture forth so, and if you were to do so, you would not come
back. For this maiden of ice beguiles men and draws them close, freezing their hearts.
Freezing their very souls".
So the lad listened to his elders and did not follow his hearts desire to lay eyes upon
her. But the vision of the Ice Maiden never left his mind. It just moved over time from
the forefront of his thoughts and to a place where it could safely wait.
The years passed, and young William grew to be a man. He grew to become the mightiest
warrior not only the in the village, but also in all the known land. William was though,
a warrior the likes of which the village had not seen before. No savage brute, good only
with his weapons and the arts of war, William also read all that he could, not for the
power of knowledge, but just because the stories and facts he read stimulated his mind.
He was also known to walk about the village, just stopping from place to place and
enjoying the scents of the springtime flowers. A time or two it was said, he was seen
with tears in his eyes as he gazed at the beauty of the setting sun.
To that day the folk of the village would talk, from time to time, of the maiden of ice
in her frozen forest glen. One morning William awoke, and vowed that this would be the
day he set off in search of this wonder. His parents, and the village elders once more
tried to sway William from this journey, but he was a man now, responsible only to
himself for his own actions, so he could not be swayed. He set off walking into the
rising sun. It was a long journey, not a days walk, but a matter of many days. Up each
hill and down the next, walking through the forest around the bases of those too high to
climb, he traveled on.
On the sixth day of his journey, William crested a hill, and there, lying before him in
the valley, he spied the frozen glen, home of the Ice Maiden amidst the bright green
springtime forest, a frozen wasteland. The stories it seemed were in fact true. William,
being the mighty warrior, knew of caution but he did not know of fear, so off he set,
down the hill and into the valley, coming finally to the border of the glen. He stopped
at the edge, feeling the cold in the air. He gazed upon the glen where no grass grew,
and the trees brittle and bent under the weight of the ice that covered them. The brook
that meandered through the glen was nothing but a sheet of ice.
There, in the center of the glen, he saw her standing, frozen arms stretched forth
beseechingly, beckoning him to come forth. Were the village folk right? Would she draw
him forth only to his death in her icy embrace?
As was said before, William the warrior knew not of fear, but he knew of Caution and
sense. He had done what he had set out to do, to gaze upon and see with his own eyes,
the Ice Maiden of legend. Believing now, and knowing he would perish if he ventured
forth into the glen, William turned to make his way back home to his village. Back home
he would testify to the truth of the legend, and to warn others of what he had found. As
he turned, William saw, from the corner of his eye, a fawn cut across the far side of
the glen, deep into the field of ice but seemingly untouched by the cold. This gave him
pause. How could this be, that the fawn could walk across the field unharmed, untouched
by the deadly cold that pervaded the place?
He turned back to face the Ice Maiden once more, pondering what his eyes had seen, and
what his senses told him. William looked again at her, and came to realize that he was
not really seeing her fully. Not in detail, just the basic image of her. He pondered
some more, and thought then that he had not in fact satisfied his quest. He had not
truly looked upon this maiden of ice, had not really and truly looked. He decided to
chance going closer, so that he could at least say to himself that he had seen all the
details of what she was.
He placed one foot into the glen, and the cold immediately embraced him. Shivering and
teeth chattering he stood there for a moment, realizing that while his breath misted in
front of his face, and the cold was so intense that it hurt, it was not totally beyond
bearing. He could suffer it, if only for a short while. He took yet another step. And
another and another. Head down, he trudged his way forward. With each step that he took
it grew yet colder, but still not beyond his ability to bear. He knew that if he needed
to, he could retrace his steps and enter the warmth of springtime once again.
Finally, with his strength almost faded and on feet that seemed to be of lead, he stood
before the Ice Maiden. He lifted his head and truly gazed upon her for the first time.
She in fact was a thing of beauty, but her visage also brought to him incredible sadness.
Her arms still held before her, reaching, seeming to need his touch. Her face, beautiful
as it was, was also so full of sorrow that it almost caused his heart to break. Frozen
tears, rivulets of ice, stained her cheeks.
William almost turned and fled away from her, this vision that hurt his heart so. He
could not do it though, could not bring himself to leave her this way. Her sorrow touched
him as nothing else ever had, but there was more, something else she brought forth
within him that he could not even name, for he had never felt its like before.
Gazing into her sorrowful eyes, William reached up his hands and reached forth for her.
If the legend were true, this would be his last act in this life, but he cared not. He
needed more than anything he'd needed before, to at least touch this creature of ice. To
not let the chance pass for her to feel a touch, even though in all likelihood it would
matter not. Yet it mattered to him.
William braced as the last few inches were passed, knowing that the cold would spread
through his hands and either kill him, or turn him also into a statue of ice. Closing his
eyes at the last second, his hands touched upon hers, and he grasped them tight. Rather
than a frigid bite, his hands felt glowing warmth. And this warmth spread up his arms and
through him, banishing the chill from his body, from his heart and soul.
He opened his eyes and saw; not a creature made of ice, but a beautiful woman of living
crystal standing before him. Rather than sorrow, he now saw happiness shine from her
eyes. The rivulets of ice upon her cheeks were not ice, just simple tears of a woman,
tears now of joy and not sadness. Then she smiled upon him, a tentative smile at first,
but as he returned it, the smile grew into a thing of radiant beauty, the light from her
smile shining through her body, creating yet more beauty in her as the rainbow colors
flashed and sparkled in her crystal facets.
Now other things invaded Williams's senses, the smell of flowers, the chirping of bird,
the babbling of the brook. He took his eyes from her for a moment and glanced about him.
Rather than the frozen dead land upon which he had stood, he was surrounded by life.
Springtime was truly in the glen. Had it always been? Hand in hand they walked, enjoying
the sunlight, enjoying the beauty that was the nature around them, and enjoying each
other's company. And they talked.
The Ice Maiden it seemed had not started the way he had found her. She had been a thing
of beauty, a thing of joy. But she had been different from others, and this difference
the people had not been able to fathom. They had seen her crystal form, and not knowing
what to make of what they saw, they had assumed that she must be made of ice, cold and
heartless, a dead thing.
The Ice Maiden had tried to prove them wrong, but they wouldn't see. Over and over she
had heard the words of others, words that brought a chill to her soul, and eventually the
power of their words had made her believe them as well, had made them her reality. When
it finally became her reality, it became truth for the world around her as well. Thus the
frigid Ice Maiden was born, radiating her cold all around her, and freezing life away.
William sat and talked with her, into the evening and through the night. He found himself
coming to love the gentle spirit of this creature, her beauty, and the love her heart was
oh so capable of.
Morning came, and with it time for William to return to his village. He had
responsibilities he could not shirk, and he had been away far longer than he had
intended. He asked her to join him in his travel, but she said no, not quite yet. She
had to get used to feeling again, and wanted to revel in her newly restored life. She
was not yet ready to face others. But if he would wait, then one day she would return
with William to his village, and to experience the life there, to live with other people
yet again.
William promised that he would return to her. Over and over, until she felt herself to be
ready. For both now knew that the ice would never form again, for he believed in her, and
she now believed in herself once more.
And so she became The Ice Maiden in name alone.
DreamDancer
1-9-01
Candlemas
By Gina M. Pace
Candlemas.... Imbolc.... Oimelc.... Feast of St. Lucia.... Groundhog Day....
Groundhog Day???
We often tend to think of Groundhog Day in terms of Punxsutawney Phil, peeping out of his
hole to see his shadow.... It's a media thing.
Then we start to think about how Groundhog Day is just the civilian world's way of
covering up a pagan holiday with something nonsectarian, so that everyone can share in
it, but that it takes the spirituality out of the day.
We may seek ways of interjecting that spirituality back into the day. It's not easy to
do so. The Swedish holiday of St. Lucia is probably the closest thing to a contemporary
Candlemas ritual.
We may remember Bill Murray's movie "Groundhog Day," in which his arrogant, obnoxious
character is forced to repeat the same day over and over until he figures out a way to
break the pattern. And we laugh, because it's a highly entertaining movie.
But how many of us realize the inherent spirituality behind this movie? Think about it
for a moment: the act of reviewing one's behaviour, one's life patterns, over and over,
until you see the true meaning behind everything you do, until you begin to see the
beauty in the little things, in each part of every day, in each person you meet.... I
can't think of terribly many rituals that are more befitting the Candlemas holiday than
this.
However you wish to name it, Candlemas/Imbolc/Oimelc/St. Lucia/Groundhog Day is a
wonderful opportunity for tarot meditation. I always think of the winter time as "down
time" anyway. Biologically we are meant to spend more time indoors, more time in
reflection, more time taking care of ourselves mentally and spiritually. When there are
fewer hours of daylight, and colder temperatures, the body's natural tendency is to
conserve resources and spend more time inwardly focused instead of outwardly.
When I meditate at this time of year, I have several strong associations which factor
in. First, I start with the actual groundhog himself, good ol' Punxsutawney Phil. I'm
speaking metaphorically, not literally, of course; I think of his coming out and seeking
not his shadow, but the light itself. He breaks from his hibernation and comes out to
see that the light is indeed returning. The media may have decided that he looks for
his shadow to see whether spring is coming or not, but the truth is, at this point in
the year the spring is always coming and it's always exactly six weeks away! So the
search is more to take a break from hibernation to feel the sun on his face and
appreciate his progress in surviving another winter.
I also think of my favorite book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Lion, The Witch
and The Wardrobe. My favorite characters are the little girl Lucy and Mr. Tumnus the
faun. I remember the scene where Lucy is working her way through the wardrobe, feeling
her way through the dark, making her way through the snow. She pushes aside the heavy
fur coats hanging on the racks, moving through the furry coats into the cold and snow
towards the path in the forest. And at the end of the path is a lamp-post, shining
brightly. I think of that lamp-post as a guide for her journey and equate it with the
sun that Punxsutawney Phil is feeling on his face when he emerges from his cave.
And then I realize that the lamp-post is none other than the lantern that the Hermit is
holding up for us, in the tarot card. Many different designs have been done for the
Hermit but one thing is always there, and that is the lantern. No matter how else the
card is drawn or painted, that symbol of warmth, light, illumination, and understanding
shines through and calls to us. In this time of darkness, quiet, conservation of
resources is important; we must also go within ourselves and push past the fur coats to
find the lamp-post that guides us.
As with any meditation, it's important that you ensure you will not be interrupted. I
usually prefer to lock myself into a private room; or if I'm home alone, the den will do
nicely. However, for this meditation it is best if you do the meditation in the morning
in a darkened room. I know I'm an exception, so you don't need to do it exactly the way
I do; I perform this meditation at 4 in the morning with the blinds open so I can see
the street lamps shining out onto the snow. Everyone has a "power" time, and yours may
very well be in the morning or early evening. Whenever you feel your most secure.
Find a place in the darkened room where you can sit comfortably. I like to sit on the
floor with my back against the bed or against the couch if I'm in the den. It gives my
back more support than just sitting in a chair or on the floor out in the middle.
You'll need a blanket or quilt, a candle in some sort of safe jar (those Glade Air
Freshener candles are perfect), some kind of white noise, and the Hermit card from as
many different decks as you can find. If you don't own many decks, you can always go
online and round up some scans of Hermits and print them out or even just look at them
and study them right before you begin the meditation. Personally I have to limit myself
to about six or so different Hermits. For my white noise I usually have the humidifier
running. I usually like to use a soft gentle music for meditation but I find it
distracting for this one. White noise allows you to focus on something other than the
tunes.
Wrap yourself up in the quilt - not tightly, more like a snuggly blankie around your
shoulders and back, so that you are comfortably tented within its warm folds. I like to
have it halfway up around my head so my ears are covered for this meditation. Seating
yourself in a comfortable position (it doesn't have to be a lotus position) and lay out
the Hermits on the floor or table in front of you, so that they are all facing you in a
semi-circle. Place the candle in the center of the semicircle so the Hermits are fanned
out behind and around the candle. Light the candle (I have to remember not to take this
part for granted! LOL)
With the white noise humming in the background, feel the warmth of the quilt surrounding
you, and close your eyes. Feel yourself slowly going into your center, feel the coziness
of the quilt becoming a cave which nestles and protects you as you are in deep
"hibernation." As your body and mind slowly still, and the distractions of everyday life
fade away, you'll hear the white noise becoming more and more a part of your
surroundings. Become aware of the sound and visualize yourself going into the wardrobe
and feel the coats brushing you as the snow falls silently on the ground. The white
noise is the sound of the forest air humming as the snow falls. As you move deeper
within, you slowly become aware of a light flickering ahead of you in the snowy forest
night. As if guided by a beacon, you slowly emerge from your warm coverings and pull
the quilt back from around your face to feel the cool air on your cheeks. You gaze at
the flickering lamp-light and as your eyes adjust, you realize that there are several
figures gathered around the lamp-post. You look at each of them and recognize these
Hermits as your guides.
Look carefully at each one of them, see how he (or she) is dressed. Note the way each of
them holds aloft a lantern to show you the way. As you address each one of them, you
feel a calm assurance come over you as you know that each of them holds something very
special for you to learn about yourself. The time has come for your guides to show you
a way to simplify your life and remove some old habits that you no longer need. As each
Hermit holds aloft his lamp, he shows you a recent image of yourself doing something that
is no longer appropriate for the new life you have chosen. You may see yourself arguing
with a friend or family member, smoking, or doing something else equally unhealthy;
instead of recrimination, the Hermit's eyes are shining as he shows you that these are
things which no longer are necessary in your life. Feel that their hold on you no longer
exists, and know that as you leave the winter cave you will leave these things behind.
Instead, the Hermit opens his lantern, and the light escapes it and becomes a star. With
a gasp, you watch as this star enters you and know that the light shines brightly within
you.
As each Hermit gifts you with the star of his lantern, you are graced with inner beauty
and light, and a sense of spiritual peace. You no longer feel weighted down by the
burdens of the past, and the dark of the winter takes on a healing regenerative power for
you. Be sure to thank each of the Hermits for their gift of wisdom and inner light.
With these lights shining within you, turn and head back into the warmth of the quilted
cave. As you re-enter the coats and leave behind the forest lamp-post, you know that the
time spent in the cave is when you make your preparations for stepping out into the light
of day, emerging as a new, enlightened self.
When you finally come out of your quilted cave, turn to the window and open the blinds or
curtains so that you can feel the sun's warm light shining on your face. Since I perform
this meditation very very early in the morning, I often am just in time to catch the
sun's first rays coming up over the horizon. Feel your kinship with the groundhog coming
out to see the sun, and know that you are on the way to the new spring and the new you.
The turning point has been passed, and the journey is assured.
I like to end this meditation with a song. My favorite song for this is "Morning Has
Broken," by Cat Stevens.
"Morning has broken, like the first morning....
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird....
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the world."
Copyright 2001 by Gina M. Pace
Wicce@wicce.com
Wicce's Tarot Collection
http://www.wicce.com
