Merry Meet and a Happy New Year - January 2006

At the moment, it seems as if the winter is upon us and the days are still long, grey and cold, but Imbolc is just around the corner and soon the spring will herald its return with snowdrops, bluebells and hazy sunshine to warm the Earth and our hearts.

At Imbolc we celebrate the turn of the Wheel. Some like to see Imbolc as a fresh start, a new page. We throw out the old and eagerly await the new.

The themes of Imbolc are the rejuvenation and growth of the God after his death at Samhain and subsequent rebirth at Yule, new beginnings, the hope of new life and the return of the sun. These things can be symbolised on the Imbolc Altar with flowers, candles and of course crystals and gemstones.

Snow Quartz, clear crystal quartz, moonstone, opals, chalcedony, topaz and many more can be used for decoration and in Imbolc spellwork. Not only do they represent the colour of the season and the flow of milk which is an important part of Imbolc and the coming of spring, but also symbolise purity, purification and freshness.

You might like to also place warming stones of orange and yellow on the Altar in honour of the strengthening sun. Sunstones would be perfect. Amber, Jaspers, carnelians, citrine and sparkling goldstones would also be an appropriate addition.

Imbolc Fresh Start Spell You will need: A few small pieces of white chocolate A piece of white cloth and a green ribbon A handful of Jasmine flowers A pinch of salt A quartz crystal You might also like to burn a white candle and some cleansing, purifying incense.

The colours used in this spell are those linked with the season, white as mentioned above and green to represent the new life which begins in spring, shoots and seedlings pushing their way through the soil, leaves and buds forming on the trees. Jasmine and salt are used in magic to purify and cleanse. The white chocolate also has all the colour associations as well as the milk aspect.

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