01/22/2026
REMEMBERING IMBOLC: A PRIESTESS’S TALE 🕯️
Many years ago, in the deep of winter, when the land was locked in frost and the nights pressed long against the doors of the people, there was one thing never allowed to die.
The sacred flame.
It burned low in the hearths of stone houses and round huts alike, not bright, not proud — but steady.
Carried from night to night, tended by hands that understood patience and hope.
The wise Druids of old taught that this flame was not merely fire.
It was the memory of the sun, held in sacred trust.
Trust that each year, the little sun king would be born again and return to the earth.
As winter wore on, the land lay silent.
Seeds slept beneath frozen soil.
Roots held fast in darkness.
The rivers moved slowly, and the people turned inward.
Toward shadow & bone. The focus was survival, and they carried only what was necessary, both outwardly & inwardly. Winter stripped away all that was not true, strong, & essential for future growth.
And then came a period of subtle change… a threshold known as Imbolc.
Not as a sudden thaw.
Not as a declaration or a bright blossoming.
But softly, as a gradual return of light — the days grew longer, slowly.
Tiny bits of green began to poke through the snow, & the unrelenting cold started to fade, leaving space for warmth & quiet relief.
It was said that Brighid walked then…
That when her feet touched the earth at Imbolc each year, the snowdrop flowers bloomed & speckled the earth with bits of green.
She moved through hearth smoke and milk pails, through the hearts of those who suffered a harsh season, through the hands of healers and poets, through the breath of those who kept faith during the dark half of the year.
And where she walked, the creative life force returned. The dreaming time was coming to a close.
The forges were lit, new tools crafted for the upcoming spring season.
The bards slowly came out of their winter hideaways to travel, with new story’s to tell, new songs in their hearts.
Tavern Keepers pulled out the stock they’d been saving through the cold months in preparation for busy nights soon to come.
Artisans & Craftsmen displayed the wares they’d labored over on cold, dark days.
And where her presence passed, in every hearth, the flame burned stronger.
The first plants pressed upward through frozen ground.
Ewes grew heavy with milk & the animals prepared to birth their young.
The land did not yet bloom — but it stirred.
The Druids marked this moment carefully.
For Imbolc was a test of endurance, devotion, & presence.
All would celebrate in the height of summer when bonfires blazed & the earth was abundant.
All would praise the harvest season when grain was full and visible.
But Imbolc was a quieter time, a season that celebrated survival, faith, honesty, & hard work. A time of heightened clarity, quiet wisdom, reflection, cleansing, & preparation. It belonged to those with the strength to survive the long dark.
The Wheel of the Year is not a circle you stand outside of.
It is a living current which carries you with it.
At Imbolc, the current shifts & the quickening begins.
Winter’s inward pull loosens its grip.
The first light of spring returns to ask:
What flame did you carry through the dark?
What quiet work is ready now to be rooted before the blooming of spring?
So the people cleansed their homes & hearts.
They blessed their tools.
They anointed hands and hearthstones.
Tended the inner flame.
They spoke intentions softly, knowing that seeds do not answer to shouting, but steady care.
And Brighid, keeper of the sacred flame, was honored not with spectacle, but with love & kindness.
A plate of cheese or a cup of milk. A warm spot laid out beside the fire, a bowl of the first blackberries off the bush.
Because the ancestors know…
Spring does not begin with flowers.
It begins with bulbs.
And only what is rooted blossoms.
So, my loves, know that what you tend now — patiently, faithfully — will rise with the light when the land is ready.
Bardic Tale & Channelled Artwork by High Priestess Brittania ❄️🌿🔥
What are you committed to birthing when spring finally arrives? Comment below to share & connect 💖 👇
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