Imbolc
Today is the Sabbatt Imbolc. It is one of the greater Sabbatts. It honors the heralding of springtime. The little signs that show the Goddess is stirring and the planet will soon come to life again. While it is one of the Greater Sabbatts, I don't often hear of large groups gathering together in any major celebration for this one. Not that there aren't gatherings as in any of the others. Just that it doesn't generally bring the same excitement as most of the others do. At least not to modern people.
As we are no longer strictly in a position where winter is something to be survived, (and no guarantees on that) this festival does lean more towards being a teaser. It is the halfway point. Spring isn't here, but it is coming. The Goddess hasn't returned yet, but she is awake. Everything is beginning to move, which is exciting, still it points to the fact that it isn't ready yet.
As such, I have never taken part in any significant Imbolc celebrations, instead taking the time for quiet reflections and personal devotion. Therefore I can't share what those traditions might be. Well I could. If I sift through my Paganet's I could find the last Imbolc issue and pull ideas out of it. However I won't. I will give you this link. It goes into some of the mythology of Brigidhe and associations with this Sabbatt. If you wish to know more about this Sabbatt I will research, but for now, I leave you with the simple, boring aspect of what it means to me.
Edited
I am not going to add to this simply because MC pointed out that I didn't mention life, or something close to it.
As we are no longer strictly in a position where winter is something to be survived, (and no guarantees on that) this festival does lean more towards being a teaser. It is the halfway point. Spring isn't here, but it is coming. The Goddess hasn't returned yet, but she is awake. Everything is beginning to move, which is exciting, still it points to the fact that it isn't ready yet.
As such, I have never taken part in any significant Imbolc celebrations, instead taking the time for quiet reflections and personal devotion. Therefore I can't share what those traditions might be. Well I could. If I sift through my Paganet's I could find the last Imbolc issue and pull ideas out of it. However I won't. I will give you this link. It goes into some of the mythology of Brigidhe and associations with this Sabbatt. If you wish to know more about this Sabbatt I will research, but for now, I leave you with the simple, boring aspect of what it means to me.
Edited
I am not going to add to this simply because MC pointed out that I didn't mention life, or something close to it.
posted by Wanderer at 2:08 PM
13 Comments:
yesterday morning, I was leaving for work, minutes before sunrise, and the birds were in full voice...sounds like spring said I.
THIS POST DID NOT END WITH "life, or something close to it." I FEEL BETRAYED.
Sounds like, perhaps, yet not here as of yet. Still, I enjoy the fact that when I speak to her She is awake. Less eerie that way.
why does she sleep?
I finally got bored enough to read this article, and since I'm sure you don't feel your religion has the authority to rewrite MY people's names, it was Brighid, not Brigidhe. Much like Magic is not nor has it ever been Magik, Magick, or Majik.
Secondly, what does a devout christian (not her fault, societal pressure of the age) Irishwoman from ancient times have to do with your stuff?
I just read some of the article you linked.
Dude, I say this with all objectivity. You should dissociate with this site before it reflects on you that these people don't have any clue about Celtic history. Before I was done with the third paragraph I found so many errors I couldn't even remember them all. I'd be happy to list them upon request, but suffice it to say, whoever put that site up didn't do his homework in the slightest nor does he know or seem to care anything about Celtic history.
The reason why I'm warning you is that this is the same kind of made-up reference that plagues your religion's credibility in the first place, and I thought you'd like to be tipped off before others came to the conclusion that you're one of them.
I am not certain that Brigidhe is intended to have been the same one you refer to. If you know her to be, please say so, as I bow to your more complete knowledge of Celtic history. In truth, beyond the basic claims that Saint Bridget was not a real person (claims I have never researched myself) but in fact an attempt to create a basic association for worship by converted pagans, I know little of the mythology of Brigidhe, other than to know that she is considered a Goddess of poetry, and that is how that Goddess aspect has always been spelled when I have seen it.
I will admit I only skimmed through the article to find that it did hit on the basic points of the mythology of that particular Goddess as I was aware of them.
For now at least, while I do a little more research of my own, I will leave the link there, since it would be inappropriate for us to question the subject and not share with others what it is we are referring to.
the Bible says that YHWH, the great "I AM" never sleeps or slumbers. I am reminded of the Elijah vs Baal event, when Elijah mocks the false god, saying perhaps he is sleeping or on the toilet...
creation is awaking! the Creator never slumbers...
just my opinion of course...
Johnny Part 5 has been posted by the way.
By the way I had a dream about you last night Wanderer. I was in the church of my childhood, St. Monica's and you were following me around...not maliciously, more with a sense of couriosity and friendship...didn't recognize you at first,
Lisanocerous - I hope you don't take offense when I say that your regular comments make me see you as a much more spiritual person than you tend to give yourself credit for.
MaryEllen - What difference does it make if Yahweh never sleeps? As I indicated already it is an issue that by direct correlation lacks understanding. I will point again to the fact that She was asleep while I spoke to her, yet maintained the conversation. You think then, that your God, omnipotent as he is, can't therefore maintain this world with a small fraction of whom He is? I.E. He can handle that which we do even as he sleeps?
Remember that which you quote references vigilance, not actual consciousness. If you feel that your God couldn't rest and keep watch at the same time, I am sad to know that your God is so much weaker than my Goddess.
MaryEllen - Just a little P.S: As is the case with everyone when they get to interacting with me long enough, you have reached the rare point in which I am capable of actually taking offense. You know that just as I have always drawn my sword for you, I must moreso for her. We can have different beliefs, but I have never claimed your God inferior to Her. Do not insult her in such a fashion.
My Rochester crew, as well as my in-laws whom you know well can assert that I am slow to anger, but not incapable. I hope it was unintentional, and in the vein of the tongue-in-cheek nature that we are known to employ in both directions, but this is a line the crossing of which I can't accept.
but we're ok now, aren't we?
Yeah. We're ok.
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