Imbolc, the Snow Moon, and the First Hints of Spring: Delivery 1

Welcome to the first delivery of the Witch\’s Garden. Under the Snow Moon, your subscription will contain items related to Imbolc, the Goddess Brighid, the turning of winter to spring, and the theme of this winter moon\’s unique power. The Witch\’s Garden seeks to center us in place, learning about our landscape here in Tennessee and on the North American continent. As we review the contents of this delivery and their magickal correspondences, we\’ll return to these themes. Let\’s become a student of the landscape and the complex history of our traditions, finding ways to care for the land around us and the landscape within us.

Password Update

The password for this month is \”wereallmadhere.\” Each month\’s password will come from song lyrics by SJ Tucker. This month\’s password is thanks to the fan favorite \”Cheshire Kitten (We\’re All Mad Here)\”. Click her name to find her and her work online, or listen and maybe buy the song on Bandcamp.

Imbolc

Our first stop on the Wheel of the Year, Imbolc is a traditionally Gaelic or Irish fire festival. Imbolc is the festival of the \”fire in the belly\”, the early stirring of spring quickening the land, celebrating the turning of the wheel as winter begins to give way to the first signs of the coming warmth.

The Goddess Brighid

Imbolc is traditionally dedicated to Brighid, the goddess of healing, inspiration, fire, and the forge. A member of the reknowned Tuatha de Danann, Brighid is deeply seated in the history and tradition of the British Isles. To Christians she is St. Brighid, a patron saint of Ireland.

The Snow Moon

In the northern hemisphere, the winter is at its deepest and coldest during this time. Many Native American groups of eastern North America referred to the February full moon as the Snow Moon or the Hunger Moon, when food was scarce and the winter weather cold and harsh.

The Celtic Tree Calendar

A tradition of some Celtic pagan paths, most likely arising in the 1800s but based on the historically ancient ogham writing system, relates a tree species to each lunar month. This month\’s lunar correspondence is with the Rowan, which is not local to our part of the world. The apple, however, is closely related and carries some interesting symbolic and magical relationships with Rowan.

Your Items

What\’s in the box?

• Blueberry wood
• Applewood
• Green-dyed Angora mini-skein of yarn
• Magnolia leaves and bud
• Juniper
• Basil oil
• Basil mint lip/cuticle balm
• Brick dust
• Eastern Red Cedar/Juniper
• Yellow-died merino wool fiber
• Beeswax candle and applewood stand
• Dried daffodil and applewood stand
• Copper spiral charm
• Dried Basil
• Pecans
• Cotton twine
• Baby Garlic – will provide in next month\’s bag. It\’s currently frozen into the ground.
• Egyptian Walking Onions – will provide in next month\’s bag. Also currently frozen into the ground.
• Fresh Baby Garlic and Onions are replaced in mailers with homemade hotfoot powder. DO NOT EAT.

Correspondences and Uses

Each item in your box is practically useful, and also has symbolic or magickal meanings – correspondences. Below, find details on each item in your delivery:

• Dried Daffodil – These daffodils come up earlier than any other flower in our gardens, even crocuses or snowdrops. In the face of the January cold they seem to shake a fist at the sky and dare the ice to take them. Their heads will droop and their petals partly close in cold or wet weather, but when the winter sun peeks through the clouds or a day dawns clear and brisk, they raise their faces to the sun and seem to celebrate all the warmth and beauty that\’s coming. They are my first herald of spring, and my favorite company in early morning animal rounds in the deepest parts of winter. They are hope, spring sunshine, and the glow of family. Bright, beautiful, and fiercely resilient, they represent the \”fire in the belly\” that winter can\’t freeze.
• Blueberry wood – blueberry carries connotations of protection. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make blueberry a symbol of regeneration, longevity, and a powerful sense of security.
• Applewood – cross-cut an apple and find a five-pointed star at its core, a commonality apple shares with Rowan. Long a symbol of esoteric knowledge, the apple and its tree correspond to love, health, and future happiness. Apple is one of nine woods traditionally sacred to druids and used to light fires for sacred ceremonies.
• Magnolia leaves and beginning bud – these are decorative only. DO NOT EAT OR BURN. Magnolia is related to rhododendron and the fumes of both are poisonous.
• Juniper/Eastern Red Cedar – this can be burned and creates a sweet-smelling smoke. I combined mine with dried red cedar wood and small twigs of blueberry and apple, tied with the provided cotton twine. This created a bundle that can be burned like palo santo or tossed on a larger fire with ritual intent.
• Green-dyed Angora rabbit mini-skein – The rabbit is an ancient symbol of fertility, plenty, and spring. The dye is natural – turmeric and pea fiber – and I hand-dyed this with the intention to share the anticipation of coming spring with all of you. I braided mine into nine braids, three strands apiece, and used it to construct a Brighid\’s cross that will go on my altar. You can use the mini-skein any way you choose, but I\’ve included the instructions I used here. The pale green color is the result of a mix of turmeric and pea flower natural dyes on the fur of our \”lilac\” gray Angora, Ayla. The color would have been brighter against a white fiber, but I wanted to work in the steel gray of Ayla\’s wool as a tribute to Brighid of the Forge.
• Yellow-dyed Merino sheep\’s wool – Like the daffodil, a symbol of warmth in winter and the first signs of spring, the sun\’s light returning. Sheep can be some of the first animals to bear young in the spring. Sheared wool also implies the release of the cold and the related need for a winter coat. The turmeric dye is made from a warm and invigorating spice, symbolizing purification and a spiritual connection to the earth.
• Copper spiral charm – I crafted these from heavy-gauge copper wire as a tribute to Brighid. Copper is a symbol of early metal work, precious to Brighid, goddess of the forge and of healing. The spiral is a symbol of mystery traditions the world over.
• Basil oil – Basil leaves steeped in olive oil for a month at the close of the harvest season. Basil symbolizes wealth, royalty, love, and protection. Sensing a theme yet? This is the green liquid in a small bottle.
• Basil mint lip/cuticle balm – Created with wildcrafted beeswax, basil oil, and mint oil. Mint adds symbolic correspondences of prosperity, good fortune, and love. Medicinally, mint is soothing to the throat and can help an upset stomach, among other uses. Bees represent wisdom, hard work that is good and satisfying, and the cycle of birth and rebirth, and beeswax was once worn and used by the religious holy and by royalty.
• Hand-dipped ritual candle made from wildcrafted beeswax – My husband harvested this beeswax from a wild hive that took up residence in one of our outbuildings, rendered it, and gave it to me as a Yule gift. What a treasure. I dipped these candles myself, layer after layer, with intentions to celebrate the coming of spring and share a sense of love and plenty with each of you.
• Brick dust – From the foundation of our historic house, brick dust is used in multiple folk traditions as a protective barrier.
• Thundersnow water – Last winter there was a violent winter storm here that resulted in a snowfall concurrent with thunder and lightning, on the full Cold Moon. I put my biggest stainless steel pot out and collected the blowing snow, leaving it to melt in the winter sun after the storm passed. I\’ve strained this and stored it in glass, but I intend it FOR RITUAL PURPOSES ONLY. If you\’re going to drink it, boil it first, ok?
• Pecans – An example of \”Hunger Moon\” foods that our ancestors may have relied on in southeastern midwinters, whether from the bottom of food stores or harvested from the winter ground on a hunting trip, to me these are symbolic of both lean times and the gifts that come when needed. Pecan is a symbol of coming money and plenty, of immunity, and of a long and fruitful life. THESE WILL COME IN YOUR NEXT BOX – the Cailleach had her own plans for me today and the pecans are inaccessible thanks to the ice.
• Garlic and Onions – Garlic is planted in the fall, overwinters, and is harvested the following summer. The Egyptian Walking Onions in your delivery are perennials, and you\’ll find they have a stronger flavor than standard \”store bought\” onions. These propagate by growing small onion starts near the tips of the stalk, causing the stem to bend or fall sideways until the new onion touches the ground and roots, so that over the years the original plant can spread and \”walk\” along the ground to new locations. Both anti-inflammatory and medicinal, to me these represent winter plenty AND the decisions that we all make – pull the baby garlic to use now, and you won\’t have a big head of garlic next summer. Pull the onion that\’s now at the edge of the patch, and it will \”walk\” no further. I remove not just the onion I use today, but the footprint of all its progeny that might have grown beyond its current experience. THESE WILL COME IN YOUR NEXT BOX – the Cailleach had her own plans for me today and the garlic and onions are still in frozen ground.
• Hot Foot Powder – A traditional hoodoo ingredient born of African foot track magic, hot foot powder is a peppery blend that will make you cough and want to run the other way as soon as you open the bag. Use it with care. A little goes a loooong way. To me, this concoction calls to mind the same qualities of protection, \”fire in the belly\”, and heat that the garlic and onions do. For the mailers, where fresh foods won\’t work, this was my replacement for the garlic and onions.

Using Your Items

The items in your box are yours to do with as you please. I don\’t put together \”spell kits\” or provide rituals for you – you have your own path to walk, and I have mine. Instead I try to provide you with items to use in your own practice, sharing some of my own plans and ideas as inspiration. Legalese, because it\’s an important thing sometimes: By using these items, you acknowledge that YOU are responsible for any and all outcomes, including any allergic reactions, and not me or The Witch\’s Garden. Know thyself, witch.

• Dried Daffodil – Use on your Imbolc altar. With the temperatures as up and down as they have been, I couldn\’t trust that I\’d be able to share fresh daffodils with you at delivery time. I dried these with silica gel. In the mailers you\’ll find them pressed flat with an ivy leaf; in the local deliveries you\’ll find them in a small cardboard box with an applewood stand. Silica drying preserves color beautifully but makes them very friable… If they don\’t survive their journeys, please tell me and I\’ll find an alternative to put into a future box to make it up.
• Blueberry wood –  Use in spellcasting, burn in fire magick or a ritual fire, or use in freezer spells as a powerful protective force. I tied mine with small applewood and fresh juniper to the aged red cedar to make a bundle. I used dried basil for kindling and burned the bundle like palo santo on my altar.
• Applewood – Find two pieces of applewood with your copper charm in the Imbolc bag, and larger applewood of two sizes tied with twine to be used either symbolically or in a larger fire. I made a cross of the two small applewood pieces, tied with some of the merino wool, and that became a frame to straighten and strengthen my fiber Brighid\’s cross. Use the rest in spellcasting or burn in a fire. It\’s also wonderful wood for smoking meat, if you use a charcoal grill or have a smoker.
• Magnolia leaves and beginning bud – These are decorative only. DO NOT EAT OR BURN. Magnolia is related to rhododendron and the fumes of both are poisonous. Magnolia is a symbol of romantic love and passion, perfect for the quickening spring. You\’ll also find a tiny catkin in your bag, the bud of our cucumber magnolia. These are an \”I\’m sorry\” addition for the garlic, onions, and pecan delay. I used mine on my Imbolc altar and the bud broke open overnight near the warmth of our fireplace.
• Juniper/Eastern Red Cedar -You\’ll find two pieces bound together with fresh Juniper – one smaller, lighter, and far more dried, one fresher and more fragrant. The dryer, older piece can be burned like palo santo; the fresher piece can be used on an alter or burned in a bigger fire for fragrant smoke. I combined mine with small twigs of blueberry, juniper, and apple, tied with the provided cotton twine. This created a bundle that can be burned like palo santo or tossed on a larger fire with ritual intent.
• Green-dyed Angora rabbit wool -I braided my fiber into nine braids, three strands apiece, and used it to construct a Brighid\’s cross that will go on my altar. You can use the mini-skein any way you choose, but I\’ve included the instructions I used here. If you\’d like to set out a \”Brighid\’s Mantle\” on the eve of Imbolc (the night of February 1st) but don\’t have an appropriate green scarf or wrap, pin your fiber cross to any piece of clothing and use it as a symbolic mantle. Not a crafty sort? Cut three short sections of yarn, set them side by side and tie them at one end. You\’ll find they resemble plant roots. This by itself can be a lovely symbol of spring and fertility to lay on an Imbolc altar.
• Yellow-dyed Merino sheep\’s wool – Imbolc is often associated to sheep or goats\’ milk rising to feed their coming babies. Use on your Imbolc altar and/or in spellwork. Add to gri-sgris or charm bags, use to start a fire or burn during fire magick, or bury as part of a protective charm for the land you live on. Even use it in your compost for a garden boost.
• Copper spiral charm – Egyptians used copper to purify water and keep wounds clean. In some healing circles copper is thought to improve blood flow and thus help stiff or swollen joints, though the jury is still out on medical utility.
• Basil oil – Use to dress your candle, anoint yourself,  or to saute food (but just use a little and dilute with regular oil or butter… this is a concentrated oil. Careful – the flavor will be strong and can be mixed with olive oil or any other plant-based oil used for cooking.)
• Hand-dipped ritual candle made from wildcrafted beeswax – my husband harvested this beeswax from a wild hive that took up residence in one of our outbuildings, rendered it, and gave it to me as a Yule gift. What a treasure. I dipped these candles myself, layer after layer, with intentions to celebrate the coming of spring and share a sense of love and plenty with each of you.
• Basil mint lip/cuticle balm – Mint can help with an upset stomach, among other things, making it a pleasant lip balm when you\’re feeling ill. Basil is a symbol of prosperity and draws plenty toward you. I\’ve been using this balm on torn cuticles and cold-chapped hands and my skin soaks it up. It leaves me feeling blessed and plentiful, anointed with something precious and life-affirming. It\’s a gentle way to incorporate magick and self-care into my everyday. Personally, it also reminds me of my husband\’s love and his singular ability to find a plentiful worldview – and wonderful gift ideas – outside the \”buy-buy-buy mindset and industry of gift-giving. I don\’t mind sharing a little of that symbolism with you :).
• Brick dust – This is a gift for you. I refuse to sell it. The house literally shares it with us over time. I\’ve never had to hammer or crush brick for dust. But it\’s more than that. Our house was built by enslaved people. Those bricks were hand crafted and laid by coerced labor, and I believe that whole system had evil at its roots. We are blessed to be able to live there, with that roof over our heads. The story and the history make it a unique and powerful magickal item for banishing, but I will not profit from it. Use it as you will or gift it to someone else.
• Thundersnow water – This is the small bottle of clear liquid in the copper-colored Imbolc bag. Use it on your altar to Brighid, who is among other things a goddess of sacred wells, as you celebrate the melting of winter into spring.
• Pecans – these are not perfectly preserved pecans, harvested as soon as they fell. These have overwintered outdoors. Many are ideally preserved, some will be only shells emptied by hungry animals, and others may have rotted within their shells. Crack them with a hammer or the back of a metal measuring cup if you don\’t have a nutcracker.
• Garlic and Onions – Use these magickally, as herbal medicinals, or enjoy them with your dinner. Kitchen witchery is another long-lived tradition and those boundaries are so often blurred. Food is alchemy and magick. Go where it takes you.
• Hot Foot Powder – A traditional hoodoo ingredient born of African foot track magic, hot foot powder is a peppery blend that will make you cough and want to run the other way as soon as you open the bag. Use it with care. A little goes a loooong way. To me, this concoction calls to mind the same qualities of protection, \”fire in the belly\”, and heat that the garlic and onions do. For the mailers, where fresh foods won\’t work, this was my replacement for the garlic and onions. This blend is made with red cedar as a local replacement for sandalwood and our brick dust which contains sulfur – see the story above. It\’s a gift to you. Use it with discernment.

Happy Imbolc, beloveds. May the Hunger Moon pass over you with gentleness, and may the stirrings of spring stir warmth in your overwintered heart, as well. The light is coming back!