This morning marked the end of my week-long Imbolg activities. As I cleaned up the altar from last night’s feast and brought in the Brighid’s Mantle from outside, I could not suppress the urge to continually smile. What a wonderful holiday this has been.
The festive madness began a little over a week ago. I decided that, since it was around Imbolg and since I had been living in my apartment for nearly six months, it was time to do some much needed spring cleaning. Over the course of the week, then, I cleaned everything—and I mean “everything.” I emptied out all of the cupboards, wiped them down, and then put stuff back in an orderly manner. I sprayed down every fixture that I own. I made sense out of my all too often neglected closet. I even spent the morning of my snow day scrubbing down a nice, rock-hard bodied man named John—and by that, I mean my toilet. By the end of the week, everything in the apartment sparkled. Even now, it is still possible to get a whiff of residual bleach.
Having physically cleaned the apartment, my next task was to cleanse it energetically. Therefore I woke up one morning, waited for my roommates to meander to class, and set to work. Going from room to room and closet to closet, I asked protection upon the house and household. It was a great thing to do, and it made the whole atmosphere feel “lighter” and at peace.
I ended the house blessing with a traditional invocation of Brighid which came from a family line in Connacht/Mayo, asking her to bless the home and its inhabitants. It was the perfect way to end a traditional Imbolg cleaning.
A plaque dedicated to Brighid that hangs in my living room
With the house cleaned, protected, and renewed, I awoke on Saturday morning, got ready for my day, did my daily devotionals, and headed off to Milwaukee to go see Riverdance. (What a perfect Imbolg treat!) The show was fabulous and the dancers phenomenal. I am fairly certain that the music in the first part of the show—which, coincidentally, is my favorite part—was speed up. That was really unfortunate. Still, it was an amazing experience, and I am so glad to have gone. Not to mention that the lovely woman who organized the trip arranged a meet-and-greet for us with some of the dancers! It is refreshing to know that the “Riverdancers” are not just robots—they are real people, too!
Sunday was the big finale of my Imbolg week. I had planned a dinner and small ritual with a friend, and both of these went off splendidly. The dinner turned out to be a feast; we had a seven course meal for two people! All of the food was superb and the company was even better than the food. By the end of the night I was pleasantly full and pleasantly joyous.
A table full of feast, including braided bread, salad, soup, and crêpes
Bailey's Irish Creme chocolate truffles were just one of our desserts
Interspersed throughout our meal, my friend and I did a variety of ritual activities, including an invocation to Brighid, the making of Brighid’s crosses, and the blessing of Brighid’s Mantles. The presence that could be felt was simply awe-inspiring. Brighid certainly knows how to attend a festival!
The altar complete with offerings, crosóga, and Bride's bed
One of the Brighid's crosses--I cannot believe how easy they are to make!
Finally, after entering our sixth hour of festivities, it was time for the night to end. My friend headed for home, and I headed for bed, a smile on my face.
This morning, that same smile was still tickling my cheeks. As I was getting ready for class, I noticed something profound: suddenly, as if they had disappeared over night, the ideological, philosophical, and life-direction problems that I had been struggling with for so many months were gone. It finally all made sense—not in an academic way nor even in a mental way. Rather this was a feeling, a feeling that cannot be put into words, pictures, or otherwise taken out of the subjective experience. Somewhere, at the seat of my being, there was a deeply rooted sensation, and that was the understanding which I had been trying to access for so long. Perhaps it is this feeling that so many refer to as “the Mystery.”
Whatever the case, I know that I will never forget this Imbolg. I am still grinning.
Beannachtaí agaibh, a chairde!
