How to Set Up An Altar for Imbolc

Here in Chicago the days are dark and Spring still seems so far away. For me, Imbolc is a much needed reminder that this coldness is just temporary and that the wheel of the year will continue turning.

Imbolc is a call to appreciate the stark beauty of this season. The falling snow, the warm comfort of a cup of tea, and the bright lights of candles are all things I associate with Imbolc.

Like all other sabbats, I like to decorate my fireplace mantle as an altar so that I can appreciate the holiday. I like to start by laying down a simple altar cloth. The colors I associate with Imbolc are white, red, and green so I try to incorporate these colors for my altar set up.

Imbolc is traditionally a festival to honor Brigid, a Celtic goddess associated with fire and the hearth. Her presence was such an integral part of rural communities that Christian missionaries could not stop people from honoring her. Instead, Bridget was woven into the Catholic church as St. Bridget and today many pagans and Catholics alike celebrate her at this time of year.

One of the most popular activities for Imbolc is making a Brigid’s cross out of reeds or grasses. Living in the city, I didn’t have easy access to green reeds so I made some Bridget crosses out of simple pipe cleaners. This is a really easy craft and if you have kids it would be a great way to introduce them to this Pagan holiday.

The term Imboc comes from Imbolg meaning 'in the belly'. Thus, this time of year is associated with pregnancy and the reawakening of the earth. At this time we welcome the growth of the returning light and witness the earliest stirrings of rebirth. I love lighting lots of candles for my Imbolc altar to symbolize the light reawakening in the world.

Traditionally, festivals honoring Brigid occurred at the beginning of the lambing season. For me, Paganism is all about reconnecting with the land and our agricultural roots, which can sometimes be tricky for me since I live in the city. So, for a simple snack while I worked on my altar I got some Sheep’s milk cheese to honor this lambing season.

As Imbolc represents the earliest return of life any type of Spring flower or new growth would be a great element to add to an altar. We don’t have any new plant life yet here in Chicago so I just picked up a simple bouquet of baby’s breath to use for my altar this year.

Lastly, I like to add some tarot cards to my altar that remind me of this particular season. The Empress is a great card to use as she can represent the fertility of the earth. I’m also going to use two Aces - The Ace of Pentacles can represent the earliest stages of new plant and animal life and the Ace of Wands can represent the beginning of a new fiery energy in the world.

I really hope you enjoyed this post & video! Comment below what items you like to use for your altar, or even better make a video response. I look forward to reading all your comments!