Imbolc Recipes: Drinks for Imbolc Celebrations & Rituals

Revive your spirit with each sip of these Imbolc recipes. Whether it’s a citrus cocktail or a warming tea nonalcoholic mocktail, these drinks make a perfect addition to Imbolc celebrations and rituals—or even be a ritual all on their own!

Learn about the meaning of Imbolc, ways to celebrate, ingredients to use, as well as beverages to fill your cup as you beckon back the return of light.

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About Imbolc

Imbolc is something called a cross quarter day: it’s the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Following the dark of winter, Imbolc promises the return of daylight and the coming of Spring. It is a day of cleansing, reawakening, and hope. 

From Autumn to Winter, the hours of daylight wane and the hours of darkness grow. This offers a perfect cocoon for rest and transformation. But at Imbolc, we steadily notice the hours of daylight growing once more. Now is the time for purification, to cleanse and renew the spirit for the return of Spring. 

Imbolc, as we celebrate it on the modern Wheel of the Year, hails from the Celts. The goddess Brigid (a goddess of creativity, fire/smith craft, poetry, healing and more) is celebrated at this time. This was even integrated into Christianity as St. Brigid’s day.

Also called Candlemas, Imbolc rituals often include: lighting candles to help beckon the light of spring back, blessing seeds (both literal and metaphorical) for prosperity and growth, and feasting on Imbolc recipes with seasonal ingredients to ignite the light within.

Ideas for Imbolc Celebrations & Rituals

• Light Candles. Candle lighting is a common Imbolc ritual to guide back the light of Spring. Doing so can act as a symbol of hope, purification, and renewal.
• Blessing Seeds. Meaning “in the belly,” Imbolc carries the promise of coming growth. Many witches also bless seeds at this time, whether it be for a Spring garden or as a symbol of what you wish to manifest.
• Purification. Imbolc is a key time for cleansing rituals. Refresh your energy as you anticipate the change of season and the new growth of Spring. Consider salt baths, smoke cleansing with rosemary, or your favorite cleansing ritual or spells.
• Home Cleansing. Purifying the home helps clear stagnant energy, and makes a great Imbolc ritual. Ideas include asperging (sprinkling cleansing water around the home), smoke cleansing, using a magical broom, or physically cleaning—just like an early Spring cleaning!
• Lemon Spells. Lemon is both energetically cleansing and uplifting in witchcraft—perfect for purifying out the old, while reinvigorating. I like to incorporate lemon as an ingredient in both my Imbolc recipes and rituals. This way, I create resonance between what I ingest and the energy I surround myself with.
• Food & Drink. Like any holiday, Imbolc celebrations are marked with food and drink. It’s more than just eating in tune with the season; what we ingest, our bodies break down. When we craft aligned recipes (and infuse them with our intention) we invite that energy into our physical vessel. It is a powerful way to align to seasonal transitions and your goals. And, many ingredients we use in the kitchen can be used in spells, allowing for the perfect Imbolc ritual.

An Example of an Imbolc Spell and Drink Ritual

As you’ll see, the simple spell below incorporates many Imbolc ingredients and symbols. Ingredients that can also be used in Imbolc recipes! By using the same ingredients (where edible) in both my spells and drinks, I create seasonal rituals that align the energy both within, and without.

Key Ingredients for Imbolc Recipes (& Rituals)

Here are a few of my personal favorite ingredients for Imbolc recipes. Focus on incorporating things that cleanse and inspire growth, as well as renew your sense of hope and positivity. For an easy Imbolc recipe, try adding one or two of these to recipes you already love!

• Lemon – for cleansing, renewal & uplifting. Whether it’s for homemade cleansing washes or renewing Imbolc recipes (or both), lemon is a fast favorite.
• Milk , Cream, & Butter – for nurturing & spirituality. Milk, cream, and cheese in general is a traditional ingredient in recipes for Imbolc. This is in part because milk would often be among the first early Spring foods available. Vegans can try alternatives, such as poppy seed milk.
• Poppy Seed & Poppy Seed Milk – for new growth & abundance. As a traditional ingredient for fertility and abundance, many pagans and witches enjoy poppy seed in their Imbolc recipes. Poppy seed milk is a great way to incorporate both poppy seeds and milk.
• Seeds in General. Since Imbolc means “in the belly” and is a popular holiday to bless seeds, all kinds of seeds, oats, and grains make great choice at this time.
• Honey and sugar – for sweetening energy & to call back the sun. While bees are not quite active yet, honey is associated with the sun and a great way to coax back the light. Sugar in general can be used to bring a comforting, sweet energy and draw in your goals.
• Eggs – to symbolize rebirth. Cracking an egg is a perfect Imbolc ritual for rebirth and you can reuse the shell in protection spells or powders as your new ideas take flight.
• Salt – for cleansing. It’s a great choice for both cleansing the home, in spells, food, and drink!

Other Imbolc Ingredients to Consider

• Cleansing & Renewing Herbs. Think rosemary (also sacred to Brigid), bay leaf, or even mint. An evergreen shrub with cleansing, mind-harmonizing associations in magic, rosemary is an easy choice. Depending on your location, you might even consider bay leaf or mint for renewal and purification in Imbolc recipes or rituals.
• First Buds & Dried Flowers. Flowers can be a great touch for hope, and also pre-celebrating the coming of Spring. If you’re using them for cooking, just be sure they are edible! Consider what early buds arise at this time (depending on where you are). Violet flowers are often the first to bloom, symbolizing hope ahead of renewal. Dried flowers, such as lavender for purification and peace, can also make great additions for Imbolc recipes.
• Blackberry. Like basil, blackberry is another summer ingredient that some witches and pagans incorporate into their Imbolc celebrations. This is because blackberry is associated with the goddess Brigid, and utilized to inspire healing, prosperity, and sensuality. 

At the end of the day, the perfect ingredient for Imbolc is accessible and whatever you consider cleansing, rejuvenating, and inspires hope! Don’t be afraid to go against the grain, and integrate what speaks to you.

Imbolc Recipes (from the Blog)

From refreshing herbal, honey cocktails, to warming spiced mocktails, here are several Imbolc recipes to enjoy this season.

Suggested Imbolc Recipes From My Books