The following is an excerpt from my work/article/text on Imboloc and St Brigid's folklore
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This is also the day associated with all sort of divinations. In Eastern Europe for example, popular are fire divinations, where the flames would be asked question and the bending would be inspected. Today same can be done with simple candle flame , minding some basic ?code? answers,
? flame bending left ? no
? flame bending right ? yes
? flame decreasing or bending down ? slowly, maybe , weakly
? flame rising or bednig up ? swiftly, likely to, prominently
? flame flickering often ? omen of danger, approaching or passing
? flame burning strongly, steadily and bright ? good fortune, presence of kind spirits
People like to do bone divinations, in Eastern Europe pelvic bone divination is often employed, where dots, colors and auspicious shapes are inspected. Also , often consulted is chicken?s wishbone. Smaller bone fraction in right hand meant ?no? , while the bigger faction meant ?yes?. Usually employed to see if some wish is coming true.
Milk is sometimes poured into cauldron with optional addition of butter, and chosen plants dipped. Cauldron is encircled with candles, and praye d over. The plants are then taken out, dried and considered to be extremely powerful in magick and charm making, so used throughout the year. This simple ritual symbolizes another common practice of Imolc and that?s empowerment and consecration of items . Since it?s believed that Brigid or St. Brigid walks among humans on this day, people leave ribbons, fabrics , stockings etc outside, in the eve and in the morning they collect this, now charged power objects that are believed to bestowed luck and blessings. This was often done by Young maidens for the it?s believed that the St.Brigid is particularly y kind to them.
Many candles are lit, usually on windows sills, to greet the lengthening of the day. Any candle could be asked question and then through ceromancy , answer s obtained.
Here is a neat suggestions for the ritual according to Cass Eason :
?Make one very large candle to serve as the main Candlemass candle, and when You light it allow everyone to make a secret wish for the coming spring.
As You make smaller candles to shine in every window , visualize each one being endowed with optimism, for new beginnings, new directions and plans, and name one for each absent family member or friend.
Prepare a feast that includes delicious seed breads and cakes, milk, honey, seeds of all kind, lamb and dairy products, and spend the evening playing party games and charades.
If You have decision to make light two candles of the same size and thickness and endow each with an option. The one to burn down first indicates the right choice? [3]
Colors of the day are white, silver , pale yellow. Corresponding stones and gems include but are not limited on : Rubies, Sun Stone , Bloodstone, Garnet, Onyx, , Amber etc. Incenses include Frankincense, Bay, Ben zoin , Basil , Myrrh , Dragon?s blood and Cinnamon, among other, and herbs Angelica, Basil, Bay, Rosemary , Snowdrop, Daisy, Saffron, Sage and others.
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