1st & 2nd February is Imbolc one of four great Celic Pagan festivals. It marks the beginning of Spring and the start of the lambing season.  (Although Dorset lambs start lambing before Christmas).  It is sacred to the Goddess Brigit or Bride or Bridie, the power of the new moon, the Spring of the year, the flowing rivers and the sea, corn dollies and the Great Moon Mother - Patroness of Poetry Making and Healing.

Fire Goddess

Although she is a Fire Goddess there are many rivers named after her because wherever water appears from the earth is considered a place sacred to the Divine Mother. She is closely associated with the Triple Goddess and Imbolc marks her change from Crone to her Maiden aspect.  

Look at what you want to achieve this year and ask Brigit's help in making it happen. It is also the Catholic Holy Day honouring St. Brighid and Candlemas a neo-pagan holiday celebrating longer days with the coming of the sun and is traditionally celebrated by lighting candles.

The orignal meaning of the word is "in the belly" and is Feile Brighde the "quickening of the year".  It is the promise of what is yet to come with all its unseen potential. The light is returning and rebirth is underway.  It is a time for clearing out the old and preparing for new beginnings. It is the original reason for Spring Cleaning.  

There is a lovely chant which I believe is connected to the Rivers Bride there are many verses and its history is hotly debated and lost to time, this however is the corus. I can't go past or over a river without thinking of it.  

The river is flowing, flowing and growing,  

The river is flowing down to the sea, 

Mother earth carry me a child I will always be  

Mother earth carry me down to the sea. 

Picture of the River Bride Burton Bradstock taken by Joylina Goodings - and Bridport was once the Port of the River Bride. The river has changed its course a bit and now flows into the sea a little further up at Freshwater and the two rivers which pass either side of Bridport are now the Asker and the Simeon both flowing into the sea at West Bay.