Lorri@Mabon_House 1/25/22 Lorri@Mabon_House 1/25/22

5 Easy Thrift Ideas for Celebrating Imbolc

Celebrating Imbolc doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. There are many ways to celebrate Imbolc using what you have on hand. However, if you do decide to buy things for Imbolc or any other Wheel of the Year holiday, starting at your local thrift store can save you money and is often more sustainable than purchasing through big box stores. Here are five items to look for at the thrift store for your Imbolc celebration.

Art Supplies

Imbolc is associated with the Celtic Goddess Brigid, who was the goddess of craftsman. So making some arts and crafts is a great way to celebrate in her honor. Look for paper, garbic, yarn at your local thrift store. These items are usually pennies on the dollar over buying new. You can use your thrifted art supplies to make Imbolc crafts like a Brigid's Cross or a corn dollie. You could also create a junk journal or add materials to a grimoire. To help you get started I’ve curated some Imbolc craft ideas on Pinterest.

Baskets

Baskets are always a good thing to look for at thrift stores. You can use them all year long for decorations and storage. Baskets can be used to hold bread and rolls, which are popular foods to make during Imbolc. You can fill a wicker basket with freshly cut winter greens for an easy winter centerpiece. Or use thrifted baskets to hold all your Imbolc arts and crafts or altar items, until you are ready to use them.

Candles

Imbolc marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox and the return of the light and it’s most well known symbol is a candle. Candles from the thrift store are usually inexpensive and often brand new, still in the wrapper. You can use thrifted candles for your altar, if you put one up, or as decor around your home.

You can also do a simple Imbolc ritual with a candle by selecting a word that has meaning to you or is something that you want to implement in the coming seasons (i.e. simplicity, abundance, love, etc…). Carve the word onto the side of your candle. Light the candle on the night of Imbolc and meditate on what you want to be, do or have as the candle burns down.

Linens

Table linens including tablecloths and napkins can add a sense of occasion to a simple Imbolc dinner. Look for linens that are white, pink, gold or red - the colors associated with Imbolc.

Dishes

As with table linens, china dishes are an easy way to dress up your Imbolc celebration. Vintage dishes are especially pretty when mixed and matched. Plus, they are one of the most inexpensive items to buy at a thrift store.

Imbolc is a time to celebrate the coming spring as well as the quiet stillness of winter. Creating some cozy spaces in your home, with simple activities is one of the best ways to celebrate this turn on the wheel.

Lorri@Mabon_House 1/17/22 Lorri@Mabon_House 1/17/22

The Season of Imbolc and the Goddess Brigid

Here in Maine we are expecting our first big snow storm in a few days and the winter air is full with anticipation. I’ll spend some time later today filling the woodbox on my back porch, emptying the ashes from the woodstove and checking my pantry to see if I should pick up any groceries before the snow descends.

Winter storms in Maine are not that big a deal. It’s just part of living here. But I do find comfort in preparing ahead of time. There is a wonderful sense of hominess and security when I top off the woodbox or have a bucket of ash ready to spread on slippery steps. Unlike summer, when the days are long and hot and the work in the garden seems to never end, the cadence of winter is more my natural pace. A burst of energy to get things done, with a promise of hot tea and rest by the fire when I am finished.

Snowstorms aside, I’ve been thinking about springtime and what I’d like to accomplish this year, both in my gardens and in other areas of my life. For this is the season of Imbolc, when we can plot and plan, as well as pause and rest. To celebrate, this week I’m sharing a post about the History of Imbolc and the Goddess Brigid.

Along with the free Mabon House Imbolc Celebration Guide in the Members Library, this week’s free printable is a new word art print that I created to remind myself that ebb and flow, change and constancy, are all part of life’s balance.

Lorri@Mabon_House 1/13/22 Lorri@Mabon_House 1/13/22

The Triple Goddess: The Maiden, Mother & Crone

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One of my favorite allegories is the Triple Goddess, also known as the Maiden, Mother and Crone. A fairly new idea that really took root in the 1970s, the Triple Goddess aligns with the different moon phases and represents all the phases of womanhood. It highlights the power of the feminine and no matter your age or maternal status, you can look to the Triple Goddess for guidance, inspiration and comfort.

History of The Maiden, Mother & Crone

The concept of the Goddess goes back to most ancient civilizations and was often presented as a tripartite being, meaning that it was seen in three different images or phases of life. According to Skye Alexander in her book Modern Guide to Witchcraft, the feminine Goddess was represented as the maiden, mother, crone, while the masculine God power was shown as youth, maturity and old age. Goddess and God were often worshipped together, to draw from the different types of passive and active energies for a balanced life.

The specific idea of the Triple Goddess as its own deity or power was first popularized by 19th Century folklorist Robert Graves in his book The White Goddess. In it, Graves melds together several mythological figures popular in European culture to form the archetype of the Triple Goddess, which reflects the still popular notion of conventional beauty and feminine mystique. The Maiden is seen as blonde and conventionally beautiful, the mother as plump and matronly and revered for fertility and homemaking, while the crone is seen as bitter and a reminder of death. This western patriarchal idea of womanhood is still reflected by popular culture, which revere youth and motherhood, while often ignoring women once they age past a certain age.

Grave’s research was eventually discredited, though his ideas continued to permeate the neopagan movement of the early and mid 20th century. The modern day celebration of the Triple Goddess as a stand-alone divine feminine power took root in the 1970s, following the rise of the Wiccan religion in Western culture.

This article from Learn Religions gives further insight into the history of the Triple Goddess.

The Triple Goddess & The Moon

The most common association with the Triple Goddess are the three phases of the monthly moon. The waxing (growing bigger) moon represents the Maiden, the full moon represents the Mother and the waning (shrinking) moon represents the Crone. At a quick glance this comparison would align to life and death. We grow, we peak, we die. But upon closer study, the Triple Goddess and the moon phases can be applied to many aspects of our lives. In her excellent book Modern Witchcraft Book of Natural Magick, author Judy Ann Nock states that “The lunation cycle is our best representation of the triple goddess….We are constantly reminded that the only constant is change.”

The Maiden

The Maiden is represented by the waxing moon and associated with the start of the growing cycle of late winter and springtime. The Wheel of the Year sabbats Imbolc, Ostara and Beltane are associated with the Maiden phase of the Triple Goddess.

In popular culture (AKA the male gaze) the Maiden is often portrayed as a white, able bodied blonde teenager who is, if we’re being honest, a bit of a ditz. Think of every classic fairytale princess ever. Beautiful and noble, but totally unable to make good decisions and possesses no problem solving skills. She is young and vibrant, but also needs to be balanced out by more active masculine energy, usually in the form of being rescued by a dashing prince.

A modern take on the Maiden is viewing her as our youthful curiosity, openness and sense of adventure. The Maiden can happen multiple times in one’s life. When you go back to school, learn a new skill or hobby, or have a general sense of excitement at life’s opportunities - that is the Maiden channeling through your spirit.

Traditional myths featuring the Maiden include the Greek Persephone and Artemis and the Celtic Rhiannon.

The Mother

The Mother phase of life is represented by the full moon- the fullest part of your life. In the Wheel of the Year it is associated with the harvests of Lughnasadh and Mabon.

The idea of motherhood has long been associated with safety, love, security and home. The Mother is often portrayed as plump and matronly and loved by her family, while also being dismissed as anything else beside being a mother - Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter comes to mind. But despite the matronly associations with the Mother Phase - It is one that lives within all women - regardless of maternal status. It represents the fullness of life - the growing season and the start of the harvest. Those early ideas and possibilities that happened with the Maiden are now coming to fruition.

The Mother is represented in nearly every ancient culture including the Roman Ceres, Greek Demeter, and Hindu Lakshmi.

The Crone

The Crone phase of life is represented by the waning moon- when the cycle comes to an end and a new beginning starts. The Crone is full of wisdom and life experience. In the Wheel of the Year she is associated with Samhain and Yule, when the days shorten and the growing season officially ends. Author Judy Ann Nock likens the Crone to seed magick, observing “...the seed is the Crone containing all wisdom within, arising at the end of the life cycle, the culmination of all the seasons and the many turns of the wheel.”

Historically there has been a lot of fear around aging and for good reason. Dying peacefully is a fairly new idea, thanks to modern medicine. Previous to modern medicine, death could be painful and prolonged for many. So it isn’t a surprise that the Crone is associated with pain, fear and bitterness. But if we go beyond this superficial association, the Crone can represent our own innate wisdom and strength. Life’s storms leave their mark, but the Crone demonstrates how we can come out stronger and more resilient than ever.

The Crone is represented in many cultures including the Russian Baba Yaga, the Indian Kali and the Celtic Morrigan.

Despite the association with feminism, the Triple Goddess has historically been seen through the male gaze of western patriarchy. Her energy is associated with passivity rather than action and balanced with the more active male/God energy. Modern interpretations value the Goddess for her own power and representation of the life cycle. For those that want to align with the Triple Goddess, looking inward is a good place to start, knowing that no matter what phase you are in, the Goddess stands with you.