Imbolc, Candlemas & Winter's End

Imbolc, also known as Bride's Day, or La Fheile Bride (law ayl-uh breej-uh) in Modern Irish, is the celebration of the end of winter. While it was celebrated at the beginning of this month, the focus of this Moon continues. Soon the herd animals so vital to the survival of the Celtic tribes will be born; animals we still depend upon today. This is the time of year for setting protection wards over hearth and home to protect the new borns from disease and welcoming blessings for the new year. During this Moon bring light into your home with candles and celebrate the turning of the Wheel with poetry. Bridgett, the Celtic Goddess celebrated during this time, is the Maiden Goddess of poetry, divination and metal work. Seek inspiration from the changes in nature for your poetry, look ahead with divination to the blessings and challenges of this year, and work to strengthen yourself physically and spiritually as you move forward in life with purpose. A little Greek mythology for this time of year:

Why winter comes and how spring is brought forth

- a story of Demeter, Persephone and Hades

Demeter is the Goddess of the Earth and Persephone her young daughter. Persephone was a maiden with golden hair and supple body, whom Hades fell in love with when he spied her bathing. He lured her into the Underworld with him and took her as his bride. As Demeter searched the world for her daughter the land became cold and the crops withered. This is how winter begins, but a nymph tells Demeter that Hades has Persephone in hopes that Demeter will return the land to spring. Persephone had eaten 6 pomegranate seeds in the Underworld and was so bound to remain with Hades (much like the warnings that to eat in Faeryland will trap you there). As Demeter wept the Earth became cold and lifeless, falling into a deep winter. Seeing that the Earth was becoming bleak like the Underworld, Hades returned Persephone to Demeter, with the promise that 6 months out of the year Persephone would return to the Underworld with him. To celebrate, an altar adorned with six white candles is decorated with fresh spring flowers and a feast of the last ale and wheat of the winter stores is shared.

What She's Made Of

She is water as tears roll down her cheeks.
She is earth as she falls to her knees.
She is air as she begins to scream.
And she is fire as her rage boils.

She is water as she wipes her tears.
She is earth as she grips the ground.
She is air as she breathes deep.
And she is fire as she takes a stand.

This is what she is made of.

by Jenna, HPS

Facebook page "Women Witches"

As paganism once again booms around the world, more and more men are being drawn back to Goddess worship. The rivalry between male Wiccans and female Wiccans began when Gerald Gardner with Doreen Valiente founded the Gardnerian tradition and Zsuzsanna Budapest founded the Dianic tradition - the Gardnerians focus on both the God and Goddess, but founded by a man make some women uncomfortable; the Dianics focus on the Goddess and exclude the God with such vehemence that they've earned a reputation for hating men.


Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and Z Budapest have all been phenomenal instruments of the Goddess to bring hope, healing and empowerment back to women, myself included. Unfortunately, through rediscovering that they are powerful and in control of themselves, many women have come to believe that this rebalance of power can only occur if all divinity and power is stripped from their male counterparts. Yes, counterparts.

Unfortunately the truely ironic thing is that a lot of people who become Wiccan do so to leave Christianity because Christianity has institutionally stripped the divinity from women over centuries and continues to do so. To separate one gender from their divinity is a horrendous act of degradation that has happened in Christianity and now some push for it to happen in Wicca, which is a religion meant to heal and restore natural balance.


This is a horrible imbalance which only harms. A person, regardless of gender, is a child of the Goddess and can connect and be empowered by Her. Groups such as the Facebook page "Women Witches" serve only to convince women that all men are patriarchal pigs who hate and degrade women. While some men may be this way, the evil acts of a few do not dictate the behavior of millions. The same is true of women. There are some horrible women who are abusive and demoralizing to everyone around them coining stereotypes, but the evil acts of a few do not dictate the behavior of millions. For every chauvinist, there is a gentleman. For every bitch, there is a lady.

A wise witch will seek to discover their own inner power,

their own inert ability to create and destroy, to nourish and to protect,

the God and the Goddess.