Candlemas, commonly celebrated on February 1 and 2, is the next upcoming sabbat for practitioners of the craft. This sabbat is a high holy day and is known by a variety of different names. Candlemas is sometimes referred to as Imbolg, Imbolc, Oimelc, the Feast of Torches, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Feast of Waxing Light, the Snow Drop Festival, Brigid’s Day, or The Festival of Light. This sabbat is one of the four greater sabbats, a fire festival, and it is the time of year when practitioners revere the earliest stirrings of spring and the slow return of the sun. When practitioners are celebrating Candlemas in the Northern Hemisphere, those practitioners living in the Southern Hemisphere are celebrating Lammas.
Since fire is considered an element that purifies, this sabbat is identified with acts of purification and preparation as we clear away the old and prepare ourselves for new beginnings. This sabbat is an ideal time for purifying oneself mentally and spiritually, and for ridding oneself of baneful habits. It is also a time of dedication, initiation, and reaffirmation. This is a time to spring clean and bless the home and it is an excellent time for home clearings.
Since Candlemas is associated with the first stirrings of spring, it is a sabbat that is associated with the Maiden aspect of the Goddess: the virgin, the Holy Bride. It is the earliest moment where we are preparing to transition out of winter’s dead season and into the vibrant season of spring. The mother earth goddess has slumbered during the winter months and now she prepares to awaken: this is often symbolized by the snow crocus which begins to grow beneath the earth and which will emerge from beneath the snow.
Goddesses Associated with Candlemas
Candlemas has long been associated with the fire goddess Brigid; this goddess is associated with the fires of inspiration and thus, Candlemas is an excellent time to seek out inspiration for creative endeavors of all kinds. Other fire goddesses associated with Candlemas include the Hawaiian goddess Pele, Freya the Norse fire goddess, the Greek fire goddess of the hearth Hestia, the Egyptian fire goddess Sekhmet, the Roman goddess of fire Vesta, and the Japanese goddess of fire Fuchi, among others. Goddesses in their maiden aspect or virginal aspect like Athena and Artemis are also goddesses associated with this holiday.
Gods Associated with Candlemas
Fire gods associated with Candlemas include the Roman god of fire Vulcan, the Greek god of fire Hephaestus, the Vedic god Agni, the Slavic god Svarog, the Akkadian god Girru, the Japanese god of fire Kagutsuchi, and the Celtic god Belenus, the Celtic god of fertility and animals Cernunnos, the Egyptian God Osiris, and the Greek god Pan.
This is the time period when the Goddess has already given birth to the Sun God (occurring on Yule), and Candlemas marks the recovery of the Goddess, and the slow returning of light. Mother earth begins to awake, to stir, and to come to life as is witnessed by the spring’s earliest stirrings of life. The Sun God, at this time, is still a very young child.
Candlemas Traditions
This sabbat is often celebrated with the making of candles, with the burning of candles, and with the burning of sacred bonfires. It is also a common tradition to take up the besom or witch’s broom which can be used to magickally sweep away negative energies in and around the home. Some practitioners begin planting seedlings indoors which can later be transferred outdoors when the weather permits. This is an outstanding time to assess the contents of your witch’s cabinet too in order to ensure that you have all the supplies you will require for your magickal workings throughout the year.
If you are decorating your altar on Candlemas to correspond with the sabbat and season, gold, crimson, magenta, red, scarlet, yellow, and white are excellent color choices. On the altar you may want to place different stones associated with the element of fire like rubies, garnets, bloodstones, amethyst, turquoise, onyx, and sunstones. This day is also an excellent day for initiations or self dedications since it is a day marked by new beginnings and change.
Incense selections for the holiday include things like cinnamon, dragon’s blood, ginger, basil, myrrh, sage, vanilla, and angelica. Adding a few indoor crocuses to your sanctuary will help beautify the room too. White flowers, yellow flowers, Heather, Violets, Daffodils, and Wisteria also make wonderful floral arrangements for the holiday.
Cautions: If you are using candles to honor this holiday, please be cautious and do not leave candles unattended at any time. Make sure you light all candles on a fireproof surface and that you extinguish the candles when you are through using them. It is not recommended that you burn a candle throughout the night since an unattended candle is hazardous. Instead, snuff out the candle until another time and relight it when you can monitor the candle and allow it to burn safely in your presence.
Other Activities
Some practitioners like to make candles from scratch right before Candlemas or shortly thereafter. This makes for an excellent time to restock the witch cabinet with needed magickal supplies, to re-consecrate tools, and to clean and re-consecrate one’s altar too. It is a time for planning of projects, and it is also a good time to start or launch new projects since Candlemas marks the season of fresh beginnings. Some practitioners like to make acorn wands this time of year, and it is common for some practitioners to position their besom (witch’s broom) by the front door to keep negative energies at bay or in an effort to symbolize the clearing away of the old and the welcoming of the new. This is also a wonderful time to make a brand new besom if you need one, or to purchase a new witch’s broom if necessary. Since the moon will be in its waning phase on Candlemas in 2010, this is definitely a powerful period for clearing away old energies.
Making Brigid’s cross is also another tradition that some practitioners partake of, which can be later hung in one’s home to keep the home protected from baneful, un-welcomed energies. Since Brigid is a fire goddess, it is believed that Brigid’s cross also helps to keep a home protected from fire. The cross can be made out of plastic straws, or it can be crafted out of two sticks that are crossed and tied together, and the “God’s eye” of the cross can be crafted out of different colored yarns. Once completed, the Brigid’s cross can be hung in the home as an amulet for protection.
