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I am in a club planning an Imbolc celebration (we have to get paperwork in soon) open to the entire campus. Several of our members are not pagan, but some of us are. We're trying to do something that includes pagan traditions without doing a public ritual so that everyone can enjoy it. Any suggestions?

2006-11-29 13:52:13 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

10 answers

The promise of Spring. lights, the earth warming and sun/Son growing stronger.

2006-11-29 14:15:22 · answer #1 · answered by Epona Willow 7 · 2 0

Well I've never been in your shoes, as a Pagan, but I have had friends who have done this. Like for yule a group of friends who worked for a pagan owned company that had a black and white gala, and everyone had to come dressed in black and white. The candles were lit at the proper time and it was a way of blending the the two culturals, people still got to be dressed up for a normal party and the pagans still got to celebrate their holiday.

Though with Imbolc it would be a bit harder, as it is revolved around Groundhog day and Imbolc is mostly seen as a fire festival to begin the starts of the steps to spring. Maybe try have it set up so the candles are the lighting for the party and maybe try to explain to the non-pagans that the meaning of the party is to celebrate the sun is getting longer and more towards the rebirth of spring. Make paper flowers are a group and enjoy the meaning of the gathering. You don't need to make it all ritual like to enjoy the sabbats.

I hope this helps.

2006-11-29 14:18:11 · answer #2 · answered by mistressofsafehaven 1 · 1 0

Also called Oimealg by the Druids, or An Fhéill Bhrìde (the Feast of Brighid) and it's pretty typical to have some sort of "planting of new hopes and plans" for the coming months into Summer.

Since I don't know many people who do not like chocolate, you could get a new clay planting pot, line it with plastic wrap, and fill it with chocolate mousse. Then the participants can "plant" M&Ms into it, saying what they are hoping to have grow or be nurtured for the group.

When that's all done, the pot of mousse can go on the feasting table, and folks can "take in" the seeds that have been planted by eating the mousse and M&Ms, symbolically becoming the nurturing earth in which the hopes will grow (nice, that - because the members of the group ARE where their hopes will grow or wither).

Milk should be on the table. In fact, everyone should drink a little milk (unless they are lactose intolerant) as well as filtered water (Bride is a Goddess of wells). Fresh cheeses (not aged) of all sorts should be a part of the feast. Also foods made with/from seeds - pumpkin seeds, poppyseeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, any kind of seed bagel or mufin (lemon-poppyseed cake would be terrific).

Since this is also a Festival of Lights (a fire festival), and the theme is renewal and new beginnings, maybe even before you do the "planting" people could write on a piece of paper what they would like to cast off, and then feed it to a fire.

Yeah - first cast off, and then plant.

You need only explain as much as you want to, but I'd recommend that you at the very least explain what you'll all be doing and why, so a little bit of story telling or such might not be a bad idea. have them picture being in a small one-room house not only with at leat a couple generations of humans, but with the sheep and domsticated fowl and coew that the family owned, fi you didn't have a barn that you could keep heated.. You've had to be very careful in doling out your winter supply of food, and you have anxiously kept watch for any sign of thaw. Then, though Winter still has the Earth in it's grip, your herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders.

What a cause for celebration!! Even if you've gone through far more than half of your winter stores of food, once you have a supply of fresh milk, you'll survive!

2006-11-29 15:26:38 · answer #3 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 4 0

This isn't going to be hard...Imbolc is Feb the 2nd - Groundhog Day! Incorporate that theme into the celebration as well. The idea is of Imbolc is "the light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak. Winter is winding down, Spring is around the corner...go with that. Also part of Imbolc is either lighting candles in the windows or tunring on all the lights (it used to be called "the festival of Lights") One good source you check for more info is the book Imbolc by Amber K...there's some good ideas for celebrating the holiday in that book.

2006-11-29 14:12:36 · answer #4 · answered by nuthnbettr2do0128 5 · 1 0

Are the non-pagans pagan-friendly?
Imbolc is also celebrated in the Church as Candlemas. It's supposed to be the first hint of spring. You could look at some church-based candlemas traditions and try to blend the two into something non-denominational. Make sure you have places in the ritual for people to call upon their own pantheons of spirits, deities and gods (silently or aloud).

2006-11-30 00:05:34 · answer #5 · answered by Gevera Bert 6 · 0 0

no longer this Wiccan for particular. My mustache could have been a Mead mustache. LOL. As for Ash Wednesday, it falls on the recent Moon Esbat, so i assume us Wiccans (those individuals who celbrate the recent moon Esbats) would be sharing an afternoon with the Christians. that's ok, i do no longer suggestions sharing in any respect. satisfied Ash Wednesday to you Christians accessible. Brightest advantages, Raji the fairway Witch

2016-10-13 09:53:07 · answer #6 · answered by shakita 4 · 0 0

Hmmmm. I'd emphasize the end-of-winter and beginning-of-spring aspects, for a start. I don't know if I'd want to open it up to absolutely everybody, because some people can be really hateful and nasty.

2006-11-29 13:55:21 · answer #7 · answered by GreenEyedLilo 7 · 2 0

That's hard....Especially if some of the non-pagans are pagan hater....

2006-11-29 13:54:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 2

Really hard.... center it around fall and winter. The changing of the seasons.

2006-11-29 13:59:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 3

as usual

2006-11-29 13:56:25 · answer #10 · answered by george p 7 · 1 1

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