COIRE (stirring)

IMBOLG - IMBOLC - CANDLEMAS

Imbolc means "in the belly". It is the quickening of the year; the first fetal stirring of Spring in the womb of Mother Earth. Like all Celtic Great Sabbats, it is a fire festival, but here the emphases is on LIGHT RATHER THAN HEAT, THE STRENGTHENING SPARK OF LIGHT BEGINNING TO PIERCE THE GLOOM OF WINTER.

The moon is the light-symbol of the Goddess, and the Moon above all stands for her threefold aspect of Maid, Mother and Crone. (enchantment, ripeness and wisdom). Lunar light is particularly that of inspiration. So it is fitting that Imbolc should be the Feast of Brigit. (Brid, Brigante). Brigit is pronounced Breed. She is the radiant Muse-Goddess who is also a fertility-bringer; for at Imbolc when the first trumpets of Spring can be heard in the distance, the spirit is quickened as well as the body and the Earth. Probably the words bride and breed come from her name.

Brigit, who gave her name to Brigantia, the Celtic kingdom of the whole North of England is a classic example of a Pagan Diety christianized with little attempt to hide the fact as Frazer puts it in the Golden Bough, She is "an old heathen Goddess of fertility disguised in a threadbear Christian cloak." St. Brigit's day, La Fheilie Brid (pronounced approximately 'law ella breed') in Ireland is Feb. 1st. the eve of Imbolc. The historical St. Brigit lived from about C.E. 453-523; but her legends characteristics and holy places are those of the goddess Brid, and the folk customs of St. Brigit's Day in the Celtic lands are plainly pre-christian.

For example, the making of St. Brigit's crosses of rush or straw is probably derived from an ancient pre-christian ceremony connected with the preparation of the seed for growing in the Spring. In Scotland on the eve of St. Brigit's Day, the women of the house would dress up a sheaf of oats in women's clothing and laF it in a basket called Brigit's bed, side by side with a phallic club. Then they would call out 3 times...Brid is come! Brid is welcome! They would leave the candles burning by the hearth all night. If the impression of the club was found in the ashes of the hearth in the morning, the year would be fruitful and prosperous. In other communities all over the British Isles similar and related customs still take place. Doreen Valiente in ABC of Witchcraft relates that "the evergreens for Yuletide decorations were holly, ivy, mistletoe, the sweet-smelling bay and rosemary and green branches of the box tree. By Candlemas all had to be gathered up and burned or hobgoblins would haunt the house!

In other words, by that time a new tide of life had started to flow through the whole world of nature, and people had to get rid of the past and look to the future. Spring-cleaning was originally a Nature Ritual.

Another Candlemas belief widespread in the British Isles, France, Germany and Spain; is that fair weather on Feb. 1st. meant more winter to come, but bad weather on that day meant that winter was over. This sounds very much like Groundhog Day in the U.S. Perhaps this is a kind of 'touch-wood' acknowledgement of the fact that Candlemas is the natural turning-point between winter and spring and so to be impatient about it is unlucky.

In the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, the High Priest usually invokes the Goddess into the High Priestess. But on Candlemas the High Priestess invokes the God into the High Priest. (In Tapestry tradition, we invoke both Energies at all Festivals). Perhaps this was a seasonal invitation to the God to impregnate the Earth Mother. In Christian tradition the Crown of Lights is often worn by a very young girl, presumably to symbolize the extreme youth of the year. In our tradition the crown is allotted to the Maiden.

In conclusion then Coire, has many different aspects. In Elvish Coire comes from the root word 'coi' meaning Life! Coire, therefore means the stirring of life. On the one hand it is a fire festival, celebrating the return of the

light, or the strengthening of the sun. As the light was "quickened" at Yule, so the Earth is 'quickened' at Candlemas, and the 'seeds begin to stir in the earth. We may thus think of Coire as a time of awakening for both the Earth and the Sun. In many Craft traditions this Sabbat is the traditional time of 'Initiation'. Thus emphasizing the awakening of the spirit. Initiation is also referred to as 'Illumination'. In many societies, initiation is a custom for the youth of the tribe or community; welcoming them into the adult world, the world of knowledge. At Imbolc we are reminded of the youth of the year, the need for light, both spiritually and physically. Without light, we cannot grow in spirit or body; for nothing can live without light.