Imbolc: The Coming of Spring
by Bridgette Cormac
Brigid, Brighid, Bríde, Brigit, Brìd, St. Brigid. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Brigid is one of Celtia's most famous triple-aspect goddesses. At her festival of Imbolc, the world turns from the Cailleach, hag of Winter, to Brigid, bright goddess of Spring. It is time for cleaning the hearth, reading house ashes, lighting candles and bonfires, purifying livestock, gathering crafts, prognosticating the weather, and leaving a cloth on a bush overnight to gather Brigid's blessings. Don't forget corn dolls for unmarried maids wishing for a handsome husband and the making of brooms and Brigid's crosses.
This spring festival is called many names: Imbolc in Ireland, Là Fhèill Brìghde in Scotland, Gwyl Ffraed in Wales and Candlemas or St. Brigid's Day in Christianity. Imbolc (pronounced im'olk) is from Old Irish, meaning "in the belly" (i mbolg) that refers to the pregnancy of ewes and is also a term for spring. Imbolc was probably the forerunner of Groundhog Day. When forecasting the weather, a traditional English song tells us:
If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas day be shower and rain,
Winter is gone and will not come again.
Help us welcome spring in Celtia with a variety of activities. We will focus on Cill Dara and Tara this year as co-hosts to the Imbolc events. Join us in a druidic procession and then kick up your heels at the local pub, Brigid's Bruidean. Honor Brighid by composing a poem or story using Nine Magic Words. Browse an all-day crafts fair in Tara's Marketplace featuring broom making and housecleaning advice sponsored by
Airmid's Well. Embark upon a maze and unravel the mysteries of Brighid. Make handcrafted devotional prayer tokens to use in the marketplace. An "Uglee Plak" event featuring the hag-goddess of winter Cailleach is sure to be an experience to remember. Check out the
Imbolc 2008 festival map for all your events and frivolities.
The Continuing Saga of Magh Croimor
by Lasair Cormac
Imbolc finds the outlaw band of Magh Croimor
returned home from the Summer of Revenge. The badly wounded sidhe-woman, Winter Mist,
regains her strength while her Telltown husband, Sean,
claims his place as chieftain of the renegade tribe after his Da's apparent death. The healer, Baine,
mourns the loss of her lifemate Hadaig, comforted by the gender-bending Lasair who
continues her disguise as the man known as Labraid. Recently
a poet delivered a cryptic message to Labraid from a mysterious princess; and Baine and Winter Mist discovered what seems to be a
changeling child - or is it? Keep reading as the intriguing winter tales of this roleplay unfold!
Arthurian Intrigue and Exploits in Celtia
by MacMorna Niafer
All major characters in the
GRAAL Role Play have converged upon
Camelot, and a serious confrontation may be in the offing.
Artoros seems intent on proving his manhood by
overthrowing the "Old Ways" and relying on his strong right arm to protect his land of Prydain. Of course, that strong right arm is wielding that tin sword he pulled out of the stone, a strong part of the magical "superstitions" which have supported the realm until now. The King has been convinced by his personal priest,
Father Taren, that "Y Crist" is
the only God worthy of worship. Now, Artoros wants to take his knights and unearth the head of the Blessed
Bran, which was buried in ages past atop the White Hill in
Caer Lud (London) to ward off plagues and Saxons. (Not much difference in my mind.)
Arrayed against the Round Table crew is a host of "old world" characters.
Merlinus has
returned from his cave under
Din Tagell
(Tintagel),
Nimue has
forsaken her lake in the
Brocéliande Forest, and
Modron
has been
sent by her dad, the King of
Avalon. To complicate matters, there is
Luned and her
Ysgrithrau, a group of "honored guests" (Hostages) of Artoros, who conspire amongst themselves to run both Court and Country through their Machiavellian machinations.
Meanwhile, with the
help of the Gododdin princess,
Arianwen,
Peredur the lowly shepherd boy has been
transformed into Perceval by the mere matter of his
slaying the Red Knight, the tyrant Melwas. Now he wants to sit at the Round Table with the big boys and is eager to be off on Knightly errands and adventures.
Will they all go haring off after the Black Rood, The Holy Grail, or whatever comes into their knightly heads? Will they leave the country wide open to the incursions of the Saxons? Will Peredur grow to fill the armor of The Red Knight? We¹ll soon find out!
