Imbolc

Imbloc (Candlemass, Imblog, Imbole) – February 2nd
Pronounced: EE-Molc
Incense: Rosemary, Frankincense, Myrrh, Cinnamon
Decorations: Corn Dolly, Besom, Spring Flowers
Colours: White, Orange, Red
This holiday is also known as Candlemas, or Brigid’s (pronounced BREED) Day. One of the 4 Celtic “Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of Spring. Also called “Imbolc” (the old Celtic name).
This is the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other words, it is the festival commemorating the successful passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural year. This Festival also marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden.
It is the day that we celebrate the passing of Winter and make way for Spring. It is the day we honour the rebirth of the Sun and we may visualize the baby sun nursing from the Goddess’s breast. It is also a day of celebrating the Celtic Goddess Brigid. Brigid is the Goddess of Poetry, Healing, Smithcraft, and Midwifery. If you can make it with your hands, Brigid rules it. She is a triple Goddess, so we honour her in all her aspects. This is a time for communing with her, and tending the lighting of her sacred flame. At this time of year, Wiccans will light multiple candles, white for Brigid, for the god usually yellow or red, to remind us of the passing of winter and the entrance into spring, the time of the Sun. This is a good time for initiations, be they into covens or self-initiations.
Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her. The God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer days. The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes seeds to germinate and sprout. And so the earliest beginnings of Spring occur.
This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of Winter, through the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival of light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes, torches and fire in every form. Fire here represents our own illumination and inspiration as much as light and warmth. Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid’s Day, and probably by many other names. Some female Witches follow the old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but many more carry tapers during their invocations.
IMBOLC LORE

It is traditional upon Imbolc, at sunset or just after ritual, to light every lamp in the house – if only for a few moments. Or, light candles in each room in honour of the Sun’s rebirth. Alternately, light a kerosene lamp with a red chimney and place this in a prominent part of the home or in a window.
If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment, recalling the warmth of summer. With your projective hand, trace an image of the Sun on the snow.
Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the dairy, since Imbolc marks the festival of calving. Sour cream dishes are fine. Spicy and full-bodied foods in honour of the Sun are equally attuned. Curries and all dishes made with peppers, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate. Spiced wines and dishes containing raisins – all foods symbolic of the Sun – are also traditional.
Ritual for Imbolc/Candlemas
Supplies: Symbol of the season, such as a white flower, snow in a crystal container, also needed, an orange candle anointed with cinnamon, frankincense or rosemary oil (unlit), red candle to represent the elements, and your ritual supplies.
Arrange the altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the Circle.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Say such words as the following:
“This is the time of the feast of torches,
When every lamp blazes and shines
To welcome the rebirth of the God.
I/we celebrate the Goddess,
I/we celebrate the God;
All the Earth celebrates
Beneath its mantle of sleep.”
Light the orange taper from the red candle on the altar. Slowly walk the circle clockwise, bearing the candle before you. Say these or similar words:
“All the land is wrapped in winter.
The air is chilled and
Frost envelopes the Earth.
But Lord of the Sun,
Horned One of animals and wild places,
Unseen you have been reborn
Of the gracious Mother Goddess,
Lady of all fertility.
Hail Great God!
Hail and welcome!”
Stop before the altar, holding aloft the candle. Gaze at its flame. Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed energy and strength.
If you need to look into the future or past, now is an ideal time.
Works of magic, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
Thank the Goddess and God.
Release the Circle.

**sent to me by a friend.

IOTD

Calendar day; February 1, 2015

Sunday, the 1st of February, 2015y is the 32th day in 2015 and in the 5th calendar week.

Black History Month
February 1 – 28, 2015 in USA, Canada

Black History Month is observed in February 2015. Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.

The African diaspora refers to the communities throughout the world that are descended from the historic movement of peoples from Africa, predominantly to the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, among other areas around the globe.

The expansion of Black History Week to Black History Month was first proposed by the leaders of the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of the Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, in February 1970.

Where is the event?
Nationwide USA, Canada

LGBT History Month in the UK
February 1 – 28, 2015 in UK

February 2015 is LGBT History Month in the UK. LGBT History Month was instated in the UK by Sue Sanders and Schools Out and first took place in February 2005. The event came in the wake of the abolition of Section 28 and is intended to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against, an otherwise substantially invisible minority.

LGBT History Month is a month-long annual observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements

Supporters of the event countered that it is important to challenge heterosexist attitudes in society. LGBT History Month is intended to be an annual event in the United Kingdom taking place every February to coincide with a slower month in the schools calendar.

Where is the event?
Nationwide UK

General Events:

Super Bowl XLIX Sunday
February 1, 2015 in the USA, World

The Super Bowl game each year is one of the most anticipated Sports Events of the year, especially for the men! It is another excuse to get together with friends and family, drink too much wine and beer, and over indulge on Super Bowl Food, which is typically just lots of Snacks! It’s not unheard of, to sit and snack for hours on end!

Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at University of Phoenix Stadium
Kick Off 6:30 PM ET

Where is the event?
Nationwide USA

National Freedom Day
February 1, 2015 in the USA

National Freedom Day takes place on February 01, 2015. National Freedom Day is a United States observance honoring the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. President Lincoln signed the Amendment outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865, although it was not ratified by the states until later.

Where is National Freedom Day?
Nationwide USA

National Baked Alaska Day
February 1, 2015 in the USA

Baked Alaska is a decadent dessert made with ice cream, sponge cake, and toasted meringue. Although the name “Baked Alaska” did not emerge until the 19th century, this dish is part of a long culinary tradition.

The concept of serving cream and cake together dates back to the Renaissance. The cooks of the era were the first to adorn their baked goods with a whipped topping. This laid the foundation for Baked Alaska, but it does not account for two of the dessert’s distinguishing characteristics—temperature and texture.

The Chinese were the first culture to cook pastry over an ice cream filling, which results in a delicious combination of hot and cold components. Credit is also due to the American physicist Benjamin Thompson, who experimented with the heat resistance of beaten egg whites and discovered how to make meringue.

Whether you prefer to call it Baked Alaska, glace au four, omelette a la norvegienne, or Norwegian omelette, celebrate National Baked Alaska Day with a scrumptious serving of this unique dessert!

Where is the event?
Nationwide USA

Historical Events on 1st February:

1327 – Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.

1587 – Queen Elizabeth I of England signs death warrant for Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

1713 – The Kalabalik or Tumult in Bendery results from the Ottoman sultan’s order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.

1814 – Volcano Mayon on Luzon Philippines erupts killing 1,200

1861 – Dike breaks in Gelderland, Netherlands

1865 – 13th amendment approved (National Freedom Day)

1884 – 1st volume of the Oxford English Dictionary, A-Ant, published

1887 – Harvey Wilcox of Ks subdivides 120 acres he owned in Southern California & starts selling it off as a real estate development (Hollywood)

1902 – China’s empress Tzu-hsi forbids binding woman’s feet

1908 – King Carlos I of Portugal and his hier, Prince Luis Filipe are assassinated by Republican sympathisers in Terreiro do Paco, Lisbon.

1920 – Royal Canadian Mounted Police forms as Royal Northwest Mounted Police merge with Dominion Police

1926 – Land at Broadway & Wall Street sold at a record $7 per sq inch

1946 – Republic of Hungary proclaimed, Zolt n Tildy as communist president

1948 – Federation of Malaysia forms from 9 sultanates

1951 – 1st telecast of atomic explosion

1959 – Swiss men vote against voting rights for women

1968 – Saigon police chief Nguy?n Ng?c Loan executes Viet Cong officer Nguy?n Van Lém with a pistol shot to head. The execution is captured by photographer Eddie Adams and becomes an anti-war icon.

1972 – 1st scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) introduced ($395)

1972 – Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard