Pagans, what do you do for Imbolc?

Question

I usually just wear my pentacles, make a lamb dish for dinner, and have a fire. I don't like to do outlandishly silly things, but I was wondering what more dedicated practicers than I do to make the day stand out.

Answer 1

Here's what we do:

Before Imbolg (my spelling)
I clean the house from top to bottom. Then I smudge the whole place to get rid of any pent up negativity. I do a shielding spell on all the windows and outside doors.
I clean and re-dedicate our family altar too.

On Imbolg:
We make new Sun Wheels and a grain dolly. We make new bedding for the dolly's bed. We have a family ritual to welcome the return of the Sun and have a feast. We usually have a lamb dish and always have honey cake for dessert.

Enjoy the Day and just relax. The Goddess understands how you feel!

Answer 2

Imbolc is actually the start of a month-long thing for us.

On Imbolc I create a Solar Cross out of hay and weave into it all my hopes and dreams for the coming year in the presence of the family and including their hopes and dreams. Then we pass around last year's cross and talk about the year past and then we burn it to put the past in the past and hang up the new cross in its place over the kitchen altar.

I fast the entire month of February and don't eat anything that came from the death of anything. That is, I eat fruit and nuts mainly all month to cleanse myself of negative energies that come from eating dead food and to give my body a rest from digesting hard stuff like grains and animal products.

I clean the whole house, my car, etc. and take everything I haven't used in the past year to the Salvation Army on the last day of February. When I return I do my annual house blessing and protection ritual.

Answer 3

here are some other dishes to add
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/imbolcrecipes/Imbolc_Recipes.htm
The feast begins with a short prayer, or toast:

Blessed be the earth, and all who dwell upon it.
We give thanks for the season now departing from us,
For the blessings it has bestowed upon us,
And upon those with whom we share this world.

Blessed be the new season.
We pray that it will be a time filled with peace,
With abundance, with prosperity,
With wisdom,
With love.

Blessed be all who share this feast.
Let us now prepare for the time ahead
By opening our hearts, and our minds, and our spirits.

Blessed be.

You may want to try this site it has an interesting change from what I have been doing
http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/imbolcrit.htm

Answer 4

Merry meet!! Personally, I have always been drawn to 'Brigit'; i would like to make a cross (usually i will weave out of ribbons) and thought this year i might make one out of yarrow for personal reasons, but i cannot find it in 'stalk' form so i will have to 'improvise'..but as springtime prep is the time of year to clear out the 'past' & negativity this year i chose to do something special. My familiar passed away Dec. 27th; (i am STILL torn to pieces over the loss-he was 17 yrs old, but 'spry' only 2 mos. ago!) I am going to light 3 candles as per usual: 1-purple (perfect-color of the day is purple and purple helps the dead 'pass over') 1- white (for spirituality, protection, etc.) and 1-pink (love, personal reasons as my mum passed 2 on xmas eve - her fav. color & mine) but each candle also represents each daughter of Hagad - & the triple goddess...i sort of have a ritual devised but am also open to suggestions to help release my fur baby to roam 'free' and have a smooth & protected transition to his next stage...

For yourself, u can try the llewellyn website for a resource as they are non-biased, non-judgmental in my opinion, and i, myself can b contacted thru profile as i am always lookn 2 correspond with other solitaire practitioners!!

Blessed be!