Imbolc (Imbolg) – Cross Quarter Day

Imbolc (Imbolg) the festival marking the beginning of spring has been celebrated since ancient times. It is a Cross Quarter Day, midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, it can fall between the 2nd & 7th of February, in 2012 it falls on the 4rd of February. Imbolc derives from the Old Irish i mbolg meaning in the belly, a time when sheep began to lactate and their udders filled and the grass began to grow.

At the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara the rising sun at Imbolc illuminates the chamber. The sun also illuminates the chamber at Samhain, the cross quarter day between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. More …

The Mound of the Hostages at Tara is a Neolithic Period passage tomb, contemporary with Newgrange which is over 5000 years old, so the Cross Quarter Days were important to the Neolithic (New Stone Age) people who aligned the chamber with the Imbolc and Samhain sunrise. In early Celtic times around 2000 years ago, Imbolc was a time to celebrate the Celtic Goddess Brigid (Brigit, Brighid, Bride, Bridget, Bridgit, Bríd). Brigid was the Celtic Goddess of inspiration, healing, and smithcraft with associations to fire, the hearth and poetry.

When Ireland was Christianised in the 5th century, the mantle of the Goddess Brigid was passed on to Saint Brigid, born at Faughart, near Dundalk, Co. Louth. She founded a monastery in Kildare and ended her days there. The goddess Brigid festival was Christianised to become Saint Brigid’s Day.

The Saint Brigid’s Cross is one of the archetypal symbols of Ireland, while it is considered a Christian symbol, it may well have its roots in the pre-christian goddess Brigid. It is usually made from rushes and comprises a woven square in the centre and four radials tied at the ends.

The Saint Brigid’s Cross was traditionally hung on the kitchen wall to protect the the house from fire and evil. Even today a Brigid’s Cross can be found in many Irish homes, especially in rural areas.

In Christian mythology, St. Brigid and her cross are linked together by a story about her weaving this form of cross at the death bed of a pagan chieftain who upon hearing what the cross meant, asked to be baptized.

Gerald of Wales reported in the 12th century that a company of nuns attended an ‘inextinguishable’ fire at Kildare in St Brigid’s honour. Although it had been kept burning for 500 years, it had produced no ash. Men were not allowed near the fire.

According to myth, Saint Brigid travelled to Glastonbury and set up a small chapel on Bride’s Mound. She is one of the four holy people celebrated with a small stone monument in the Glastonbury Tercentennial Labyrinth.

Ancient cultures such as the Neolithic (Stone Age) people who build Newgrange in Ireland aligned their monuments to the major solar events, the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. The solar year was further divided to mark the half way points between the major solar events giving the cross quarter days of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.

Lough Crew Cairns and St. Bridgid’s Well 

Just down the road from Lough Owel Lodge Bed and Breakfast at Cullion, Mullingar there is an ancient spring, traditionally associated with Saint Bridgid. A path of stones representing the Stations of the Cross leads to a small stone beehive chapel. The water has healing power and many people visit the area.

The UNESCO World Heritage Brú na Bóinne sites of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth are world famous. However there is another prehistoric complex at Loughcrewin County Meath. Clusters of Megalithic Cairns are dotted around the Slieve na Caillaigh hills at Loughcrew. The illumination of the passage and chamber at the Winter solstice sunrise in Newgrange is world famous. Less well known is the Equinox illumination at sunrise in Cairn T at Loughcrew. Thebackstone of the chamber is illuminated by a beam of light at sunrise on the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes. The sun light is shaped by the stones of the entrance and passage and descends the backstone while moving from left to the right illuminating the solar symbols. Visitors are welcome to walk up Carnbane East to Cairn T, a ten minute walk up a grassy hill from a small car park. During the summer months there is a guide at Cairn T, at other times Cairn T is locked, so to get inside collect the key at the nearby Loughcrew Gardens.

Visitors are welcome to walk up Carnbane East to Cairn T, a ten minute walk up a grassy hill from a small car park. During the summer months there is a guide at Cairn T, at other times Cairn T is locked, so to get inside collect the key at the nearby Loughcrew Gardens.

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