The Magickal Cottage

Imbolc is the time in our coven when we welcome new dedicants to the priesthood. This sabbat is a time when we honor the lady Brighid who is the goddess of poetry, smith-work and midwifery. It is a time of new beginnings as represented by the goddess as midwife, and so it is appropriate to start the journey of a year and a day at this time.

This year we are welcoming a new dedicant and hopefully at this time next year he will be elevated to first degree priest. It’s always exciting to welcome a new person to the priesthood path!

I like to set up an altar to honor Brighid with symbols that represent her. New born animals, the milk that feeds those babies, hence, the milk maids and cow cream pitcher. My fellow priestess and I decided that since red and white are the colors of Imbolc, and since Brighid is a goddess of the hearth and the hearth is the heart of the home where she lights her magick flame, the hearts we see at this time of the year are perfectly fine in our displays. How’s that for witchy logic??

The idea of taking a year and a day to study for each degree in the priesthood is partly so that the entire wheel of the year can be observed and experienced on the pagan spiritual path. There are facts to be learned, experiences to be had, and activities to participate in throughout the seasons that will transform the dedicant over the course of the year to become a priest or priestess of the God and Goddess.

It has occurred to me that even though we say that the year is like a wheel, it is really not like a circle. Certainly there are cycles that repeat throughout the year, but every year is different. There is growth and change but nothing stays the same. Once the priestess reaches the level of high priestess and clergy does she then just stop learning and growing? I hope not.

To me the year is more like a rotation in a spiral. We strive for an upward spiral to increase in spiritual knowledge and wisdom, but that spiral should never end. Every Imbolc I plan to rededicate to this pagan path as I start yet another year and a day.

Will you take some time during your Imbolc ritual to dedicate yourself to another turn on this spiral path?

As I address the Lady I may say:

Lady Brighid of the Healing Flame,

Bright and shining one, please show the way,

as I continue to walk this spiral path for another year and a day.

May I progress in becoming ever more like You!

So Mote it Be!

Blessed Imbolc,

Sarina ❤️