Imbolg is a time of the year where the sun is starting to return to the world, and the coldest days are behind us. In this time, current scholarship suggests that the ancient Celts offered to the gods of their hearth to keep away hunger and illness until life could once again return to the land.
For Stone Creed Grove, this is especially a time to honor Brighid, the Celtic goddess who personifies fiery inspiration and the year’s midwife who gives rebirth to the sun.
Video of an Imbolg Ritual
Photos of past Imbolgs
Brighid's Flame
Passing through Brighid's Girdle
The Brighid-Og
The Brighid-Og
A singing praise offering
Calling the Descent of Brighid
Calling the Descent of Brighid
Brighid's Flame
Drumming and Chanting in Ritual
Opening the Gates
Honoring the Hallows
Making an offering
Offering to the Earth Mother
Opening the rite
The Hallows
Post-ritual dancing
Ian
Potluck Feast
Calling the Descent of Brighid
Brighid's Flame
Passing through Brighid's Girdle
Brighid's Girdle
Taking the Omen
The Brighid-Og
Speaking in Ritual
Speaking in Ritual
Making an offering
Making an offering
Making an offering
Opening the Gates
Honoring the Hallows
Offering to the Outdwellers
Making an offering
Introducing the Ritual
Image of Brighid
The Hallows
Post-ritual Music
The Omen
Calling the Descent of Brighid
Speaking in Ritual
Opening the Gates
Ian and Sue leading the rite
Honoring the Hallows
Making an offering
Making an offering
Ian and Sue leading the rite
Making an offering
Processional
Taking the Omen
The Brighid-Og
The Hallows - Post-ritual
Post-ritual feasting
The Omen
The Hallows - Post-ritual
Calling the Descent of Brighid
Passing through Brighid's Girdle and Receiving Brighid's Flame
Taking the Omen
Ian and Sue sing a praise offering
The Brighid-Og
The Brighid-Og
Making Offerings
Speaking in Ritual
Speaking in Ritual
Introducing the Ritual
The Purification Altar
Making Brighid's Crosses
Potluck
OK, lets eat!!
The Omen
The Hallows - Post-ritual
Closing the Gates
The Gates are closed and the rite is ended.
Brighid's Flame
The Grove Folk receive candles to receive the blessing of the Fire of Brigid.
Passing through Brighid's Girdle
The Grove members pass through the Girdle of Brigid.
Taking the Omen
The Omen is received for the Grove.
The Brighid-Og
The Brighid-Og is carried around the circle as a Hymn to Brigid is sung.
Invocation of Brigid
Invocation to the Dagda
Offering to the Deities
Offering to Nature Spirits
Offering to the Ancestors
Honoring the Hallows
Lit Flames
Offering to the Earth Mother
Washing Hands
The Hallows - Pre-ritual
Making Brighid's Crosses
Omen and Brighid-Og
The Blessing in Waters and Flame
Offerings and Taking the Omen
Final Offerings
The Folk
Passing through Brighid's Girdle
Bethane and Carl have been the Brighid hoop holders for several years now.
Purification
The Grove is purified by sprinkled water and incense.
Offering to Outdwellers
Darius makes offering to the Outdwellers.
Washing Hands
Imbolg always begins with the lathing (bathing) of hands.
Honoring a Pet
Stonecreed Grove offers healing to Scott who lost his trusted companion, Vader
Brighid's Flame
The congregation meditates on bringing Brighid's Flame into their hearts.
Brighid's Flame
We light a candle from the Brighid flame, and then take the flame into our hearts. The candle is then snuffed out, waiting to be kindled again.
Opening the Gates
Manannan is offered to as the Gatekeeper.
The Omen
The Imbolg 2004 Omen for StoneCreed Grove, ADF.
The Grove Oath
Imbolg is our traditional time for the Grove to renew oaths and re-dedicate ourselves to the Great Work.
Brighid's Flame
Nina receives the Flame of Brighid.
Purification
Our Fifteenth Imbolg Rite began as always with the Lathing of the Hands.
The Hallows - Pre-ritual
The Hallows - Post-ritual
The Hallows - Post-ritual
The StoneCreed Grove Hallows after the rite.
The Hallows - Pre-ritual
The Blessing
Behold! The Waters of Life!
Brighid's Flame
Candles were lit from a candle that had been lit from a match that had been lit from the flame at Brighid's Well in Kildare (Eire). The flame is snuffed as we bring Brighid into our hearts, and can be rekindled at any time we need her light and blessing.
The Omen
The Omen for Stone Creed Grove's Imbolg season.
Opening the Gates
The Gatekeeper - Mannannan - is called to open the ways between.
The Weather
It was cold and snowy outside, with an unexpected snowstorm dumping many inches of snow overnight and on through the day.
Brighid's Crosses
Ritual attendees made Brighid's Crosses, which were blessed during the Rite.
The Omen
The Grove Omen for Imbolg 2002.
Invoking the Dagda
Besides Brighid (and the rest of the Shining Ones), at this time we also make offerings to the Dagda. Here, Ian offers a descriptive Invocation.
Ian and Sue leading the rite
Liafal and Ian lead this years Celebration of Light.
Ian and Sue leading the rite
Liafal and Ian lead this years Celebration of Light.
Pre-Ritual Briefing
The pre-Ritual briefing being held on the east side of the building (seen through our Brighid Hoop).
The Hall
Rivergrove I (or Chestnut Shelter), longtime home to our Imbolg Rites. We held our first Imbolg here in 1992. The price hasn't changed much since then and they've added heating.- not that we needed any on this glorious day.
The Offering Table
The Hallows Shrine
The Hallows
The ubiquitous Grove Hallows picture, an hour or so before the Rite.
Bagpipe playing
StoneCreed's official Islamic, Masonic, Scottish, Bagpipe playin' Mortician helped set the mood!
Handfasted couple
Congratulations Bethane & Carl! Now get thee to a bower.
Handfasting Party
Some old friends of the Grove were handfasted before the Rite.
The Omen
...and after. The Omen were the three following Oghams: Elder, Ash & Birch.
The Hallows
The grove Hallows before the Rite...
The Brighid-Og
The Brighid-Og, or Brighid Dolly, harbinger of good fortune for the folk.
The Omen
Our Imbolg 2000 Omen. Hey aspiring Runesters, what do you think it means?
The Offerings
The table of offerings, always better to get the shot before the ritual than after.
The Brid-og
The Brid-og (Corn Dolly image of Brighid), carried into and around the Grove by a young maiden and then dressed, and laid to rest.
Deity images
Close-up of the shrine aspect of our hallows. An image of Brighid on the left and Dagda on the right.
Singing
Now there's an unusual sight!. Sean, Liafal & Ian singing.
Children at play
The Kids love playing around the hallows after the Rite. Coral and friends are getting a head start on their 15 minutes.
Grove Folk
Our Mighty Grove Champion and his mighty cute son. Can you guess which is which?
Ian removing his robe
Swiftly, the Robe had engulfed Ian and was inexoribly tightening. Grove Members look on in helpless horror...
The Cauldron
...which was revealed to be a 2/3 replica of the Gundestrap Cauldron
The Hallows
The ubiquitous Grove Hallows Picture. Note the covered object in the middle...
The Mantlepiece
Not quite what is commonly referred to as Brigids' Mantle...
The Imbolg Hallows
The Folk
Though lightly attended, the congregation more than made up for it's size in quality.