I do not celebrate/observe Imbolc. Yeah, that's right, today is just another day for me. Not only do I not celebrate Imbolc but my heathens and I have removed it from our burgeoning tradition entirely! *insert shocked gasps here*.
Okay okay, to be fair not everyone is going to be shocked by this. I know for a fact there are plenty of other pagans/witches that do not observe Imbolc, or any of the Sabbats for that matter. That being said I have received enough push back from the more "traditional" pagans that I felt like it was worth mentioning here.
I do not observe Imbolc and that's okay, no really, it is!
Let me back up just a touch...
Imbolc is observed by many as the First of Spring. As I look out the window at the snow covered landscape in NE Ohio all I can say to this concept is..."wait, whut?" The idea of February 1st/2nd relating to the First of Spring is utterly laughable for the area I live in.
Others view it as the midpoint between Winter and Spring and focuses on burgeoning life deep in the Earth and spring cleaning and such. Okay, cool, but again didn't really work for us. We associate those energies with the Spring Equinox and the arrival of Imbolc was most often met with a series of shrugs and a definite lack of give a fuck among myself and my coven mates.
This holiday is also very much associated with the Celtic Goddess Brigid. If you are a devotee of Brigid that would be reason enough to celebrate this Sabbat, the seasonal connotations aside, but Brigid is not a Goddess of the Starspun Path and none of us have personal associations with Her so again we were met with no real good reason to bother with it.
So we don't. And that's okay. It's important that you are celebrating Sabbats/Holidays because they mean something to you, because the energy of the day resonates within you, because it makes sense for you and your practice. As well it is important to work within the energies and cycles of the land you live on rather than forcing a theme that makes no sense. Perhaps in Celtic Europe it made sense for this day to be the First of Spring, and in some parts of the United States it would make sense as well, but for those of us in the snowy North it really is bullshit to try and mold this day into a Spring holiday.
If you love Imbolc and wish to honor Brigid and/or celebrate the coming Spring, great! Do it! That's what this is all about, doing what works for you! But if it doesn't you are under no obligation to force yourself. It does not make you a "bad pagan" or "lazy witch" if you do not wish to celebrate this Sabbat/Holiday.
What it all boils down to is doing what is right for you because it speaks to your spirit and your practice and not doing something simply because "that's how they always did it back in the day". You can honor our roots and our spiritual ancestors and still forge your own path.
So for those that do observe this Sabbat, Blessed Imbolc (or Lughnasadh for those in the Southern Hemisphere). For those that do not..Happy Thursday.
*Originally published February 1st, 2018 on my now defunct Wordpress site.
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