Brigid's Day of Healing, Crafting, and Candle Making

The pagan wheel of the year turns and has landed upon an important holiday; the celebration of St. Brigid. Today marks the halfway point between the December solstice and the equinox in March. On the wheel of the year (the Neo-Pagan calendar created with historic and re-envisioned holidays) this day is usually referred to as Imbolc in the Northern Hemisphere.

I personally reside in the Southern Hemisphere of Earth and celebrate a combination of the Northern & Southern versions of each of these traditions. A little bit Imbolc, a little bit Lammas, and generally, a celebration of the goddess and saint Brigid.

So, who exactly is Brigid?

Brigid is a pagan goddess of poetry, health, protection, crafts, and animals, especially domesticated pets and who is celebrated in both paganism and Catholicism on February 1st and 2nd. Later on the goddess was synchronized into the Christian pantheon of saints as St. Brigid of Kildare who may or may not have been a real person living around the year 400 and who represents many of the same areas as the goddess Brigid.

When the pagan wheel of the year was being formalized in the early 1900's based upon historical seasonal celebrations and plenty of reconstruction (and speculation) the name Imbolc was chosen to represent this day though plenty of folks call this holiday Brigid's Day as well.

I personally have called on her help when animals and people are in need of healing. Her images decorate the pages of my notebooks where I work on my writing projects.

Leading up to this magical day I have watched a dozen videos about celebrating Imbolc & Brigid's days surrounding the 1st and 2nd of February. Other witches suggest creating a Brigid's cross and making candles for magical rituals.

And then there is the Irish tradition of Brat Bríde or in English Brigid's Cloak which requires that the practitioner leave a piece of cloth or scarf hanging on a tree overnight. By the next morning the cloth is said to be infused with healing powers and will help miraculous cures take place and especially the banishment of migraines and headaches. Although the traditional cloth color is said to be white, I chose the scarf that has a lot of symbolic value to me.

It was actually my friend Daisy who told me about the tradition of leaving a scarf (or some other piece of fabric) out over night on the eve of St. Brigid's day. Last year I took part and will certainly do again tonight and tomorrow night. The idea is that the dew that falls from the sky on these nights has extra healing powers. This scarf is one that I use frequently in practical and magical matters and seems to be the best recipient of healing vibes.

The rest of this morning I will be dedicating to cleaning the house, clearing out any negative energy, and welcoming good energy inside. And while I work on cleaning I will be slowly melting down beeswax for a candle making session. Above are three that I made already.

Happy Holidays to you all!