WELCOME IMBOLC!

  It is always such a pleasure to welcome a new sabbat! The approximately six weeks that one sabbat lasts is the perfect time to prepare, celebrate, and get over it, in order to be ready for the next one.

  Now it is Imbolc time. Officially on Feb 1st, but I start preparing a couple of weeks beforehand.
  To me Imbolc is the first sabbat of the Wheel Of The Year. It locates between the darkest day of the year and the spring equinox, so in Nelland, this marks the beginning of spring. Yes, climate-wise we´re still in the middle of the winter (often the coldest days still ahead of us), but lightwise is  what counts.

  The biggest difference to Yule is the slowly lightening skies, as daylight increases. Soft baby blues, and delicate pinks start to emerge from the great greys that have been surrounding us for so long. Grey and white are still the dominating colors in nature (and thus in my color-palette in everything), but mixing these pale pastels with them, is what makes the style of Imbolc.
  Along with snow and greys of the earth, ice plays a big role. Ice equals pastel mint and light turquoise in color. These go nicely in the season, having a significant role in nature at this point also.

 When thinking about clothing, the above colors rule! Materials that accentuate this mood include fleece fabric, wool, all knits, and why not fake fur. Everything super soft, warm, and cozy.

  Food at Imbolc is a more challenging theme than the rest. At this point of year, there aren´t that many preserves left from last summer´s crops, and the food closet looks quite empty. There are some cabbages, potatoes, and onions left, so we must value those as the base of our table.
  Luckily nature is full of miracles, and we can now start filling the nutrition gaps in our diets with sprouts! All sorts of seeds can be sprouted, and there are good instructions on preparing them on the net. You can start by checking out what Wikipedia has to say about sprouting  here .

  Imbolc is the time of year to fully enjoy winter, it´s beauty, and uniqueness. Out of all the seasons, I like winter the least, but wouldn´t want to give it up nonetheless. On good, sunny days it bears such beauty, that it can be breathtaking! All us people need to do is feast it with our eyes, and enjoy!

  Happy Imbolc everyone! Aren´t we just plain lucky to be able to live on this wonderful planet?!