Table of Contents Back Issues Homepage February 2, 2002       Candlemas: the year's quickening by Leslie McIntyre     Candlemas, coming up on February 2, is one of the eight witches' Sabbats, or "occasion of power," the cross-quarter day halfway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Candlemas is also known as Imbolc, meaning "new lambs" and Brigid, for the Celtic Goddess of fire and inspiration. This time marks the first beginning of spring. It is a time of the first "quickening", as new life begins to stir in the womb. Temperatures start rising as the wheel of life turns. The Goddess appears as Persephone, still a child at the breast. Spring is born and nurtured. This is a time of new creativity, inspiration, healing, initiation, dedication, poetry, graces and the nine muses as well as a time of initiation for new witches. It can also be a time for women to dedicate themselves to transformation, purifying themselves and opening up to new choices. If you wish to name yourself a witch, you can do this on your own, by repeating three times "I am a witch", or in a group where you can be witnessed and dedicating yourself to the Goddess and Goddess-within. Goddesses to be invoked at Candlemas are Goddesses of fire, light and healing, such as the Irish Brigit, Polynesian Pele, Japanese Amaterasu, and Italian Befana. The following ritual is adapted from Diane Stein's book, Casting the Circle. Many like to do a solo ritual. The following can be used alone or for a group. A Candlemas ritual altar can be dressed in white to symbolize new life and purity. Place on the altar a white and a gold (or rose) candle for each woman. Also choose white for the central altar candles. White flowers can also be used to adorn the altar. Spread out lots of crystals on the altar to create a magical presence. To begin, light the central altar candles, leaving the others unlit at this time. (In a group, perhaps there is a priestess of the evening, or if all are acting as priestess, then you can decide what each woman will be doing.) Purify the space, with rosemary wands and water, or sage or perhaps even twirl a stick of incense in the dark. Cast the circle by invoking the directions with Goddesses of inspiration, light and creativity. Some examples have been given above. Goddesses may come to you at the time you cast the circle. (I have often found that I don't know who will be showing up until I am actually there ready to create the ritual.) Read aloud "The Charge of the Goddess". [link to offerings] Next comes the invocation. This can be a poem honoring the Goddess and her relationship to this particular time, a song or prayer -- whatever comes to you to do at this time. Diane Stein suggests a Candlemas poem, which can be found in Casting the Circle. Each woman in turn lights a white candle and speaks a dedication of herself to the Goddess in some way. A good way to open this dedication is to say "I am____, daugher of ______, grandaughter of_______. I am a powerful woman. I dedicate myself to the Goddess as _______ and I pledge myself to________." She then places her lit candle on the altar. Each woman then lights in turn a gold candle. She speaks to whatever she feels she needs to say relating to transformation, asking the Goddess to support and guide her. The self-blessing follows. For this, there should be on the altar a hand-held mirror draped in cloth. This is passed around the circle as each woman holds it in front of her and speaks something like "I love the Goddess-within. I dedicate myself to the Goddess. I love myself as a woman." Perhaps a song might follow this. Raise the cone of power by clasping hands and chanting "Ma", the universal word for "mother". As the chant deepens, raise up your hands and visualize the cone of energy spreading out across the globe, seeing healing and love streaming forth. See what you have asked for be granted and feel the energy showering down upon you. Take in the energy and be transformed! It is done in beauty. Ground the energy. Thank the directions. Open the circle. Hugs and good food to follow!