• Samhain - October 31
• Yule - December 22 (Winter Solstice)
• Imbolc - Febuary 1 & 2 (Candlemas, Groundhog day)
• Ostara - March 20 (Spring Equinox)
• Beltane - April 30 (May Day)
• Litha - June 21(Summer Solstice)
• Lughnassad - August 1
• Mabon - September 23 (Fall Equinox)

Feb 1 & 2... Happy Imbolc!

Imbolc is the ancient festival of light - reflecting the lengthening of days and the hope of spring. Now is the time to plant the seeds of our hopes and dreams for the coming summer months.

Imbolc is a festival of waxing light and purification, heralding the potential of spring. It is associated with our goddess of the hearth - Brigid. Imbolc is the point at which the old Crone is transformed into the Maiden.

Light candles in each room of your house to honor the returning sun, or in each window from sundown until dawn. This is an appropriate time to cleanse or bless your house, to seek inspiration, and to purify yourself of limiting thoughts and negative attitudes.

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Celebrate Imbolc with your Children

Kid-safe Candles
Have your children color a square of paper and glue it to a toilet paper tube. Glue the tube to a disk of cardboard and glue a flame to the inside of the tube sticking out the top.  Get creative - you can color the candles with intent-specific colors, or decorate them with symbols and sigils of your choice.  Let your kids decorate their altar with the candles.

Planting Goals
Discuss the meaning of the word "goal" and why it's important to have goals. Have your kids decide on a goal to work on magically at Imbolc. Break it down into steps for the children to work on mundanely, as well as magically.

Obtain small terra-cotta planters and help your kids decorate them with paint, cutouts, or glitter to represent their goal. Get some seeds to plant.  Put a small stone or crystal of your choice over the hole in the pot (to allow for drainage without the dirt falling through the hole) and fill the pot with dirt. 

During ritual, plant the seeds while "planting" your goals. Explain to your kids that goals need nurturing just as plants do, and that as they water and feed and give sunlight to their plant, they will so nurture and work for their goals. And as their plant grows, so will the manifestation of their goals.

Paper Plate Sunshine
colour a paper plate yellow.  Outline your children's hands and cut them out.  colour them yellow and orange and red... all of those nice warm colours.  Glue the hand cut-outs to the under-side of the paper plate (wrist end glued to the plate).  Let your children wave the plates in the sky in celebration of Brigid.