Carl F. Neal

This book was better than I expected, and that's always a good thing. I wasn't sure how much I'd get out of it, as Imbolc is not a sabbat I've ever had all that much affinity for. Happily, this book covers a range of situations. It starts by describing what may be the typical climate of the UK in early February, but acknowledges that the reader may be in a different climate (yeah, if the ground near me is thawing at Imbolc, that's more a sign of climate change than of spring). So while there's plenty of discussion of nature-related ways to celebrate Imbolc, there are also several mentions of the themes of this sabbat—new beginnings, starting to sort out what goals you wish to pursue in the year ahead, cleaning/purification—that aren't necessarily tied to the temperature outside.

Imbolc follows the same outline as other books in Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials, with sections on old and new ways of observing the sabbat, and chapters on spells and divination, recipes and crafts, and prayers and invocations. There are also three rituals, one each for a solitary practitioner, a couple, and a group. It wraps up with a section on correspondences for Imbolc, and a bibliography for further research. I thought the Old Ways section was a bit of a hodgepodge, going from commentary on how harsh winter was to our ancestors to a discussion of Brigid, then to a list of other cultures' holidays that happen to fall at this time of year. The New Ways section seemed nicely practical, including an in-depth explanation of how to plant seeds as part of a ritual. This is a good guide to Imbolc, and encourages readers to tweak their celebrations to make the sabbat truly personal.… (mais)

I liked this volume more than the Yule one, mostly because it remained pretty firmly fixed in Brigid lore, rather than being spread across a broader variety of cultures. This gives it a depth- although I also appreciate a broader approach!

Imbolc is a quiet festival, and the crafts and rituals described work well for it.

I will mention that in re recipes, one is for making butter; it would have been helpful to many people to be informed that ultrapasteruized cream will NOT make butter, no matter what you do. Often that is the only kind of cream available! But that failure is NOT an omen! it's due to the processes.

Mildly recommended, and I will likely get more in the series.… (mais)