Imbolc

[icymist]

At the end of January and the beginning of February is one of the 8 major pagan holidays called Imbolc. It falls at the point of midwinter, directly between the Winter Solstice (Yule) and the Spring Solstice (Ostara). If you google search the term, you can find plenty of useful information about the origins and historic celebrations of the holiday. For example many sites refer to the Irish or Gaelic words i mbolg and oimelc which mean “in the belly and “ewe’s milk” respectively. Current popular thought about the historical origins claim it is a celebration of the time when the herd animals began to lactate. Lactation would signify successful pregnancy, which would in turn mean continued prosperity and livelihood for the upcoming year as the flock increased.
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