Not all modern pagans celebrate Imbolc, but many wish to honor the cycles of nature in one way or another. It’s easy to pull together a simple altar space to cleanse and purify your home while encouraging those first inklings of new life from deep within the earth. Spring is beginning to stir. Small trays of crystals for healing and guidance, salt jars with purifying greens, and white candles can add a decorators touch to your home while still keeping the sacredness of your space in the forefront.

What will you put on your altar space this season? Here’s a peek at what’s on mine.

White Candle

Most of the time I am at home you will find a white candle burning on my altar.  This is my daily devotional offering to Hestia, Olympian Goddess of home, hearth, and the right order of domesticity.  This tradition of mine fits right in with the Imbolc theme on my altar.  Imbolc celebrates the Celtic Goddess Brigid, and like Hestia, hearth fire is sacred her and is her altar in every home.

Spring Salt Jar

Salt and Bay represents the coming of Spring on my Imbolc altar. Simply full your glass half way with salt, and tuck in some bay leaf (or rosemary) to represent the first signs of spring bursting through the snow. I find the bay leaf reminds me of leaves of snowdrops, the first flowers up each spring in my area.

While this is just one piece of my altar decor, if you’re short on space it’s not difficult to create your entire Imbolc altar in a glass by tucking a crystal and a tea light down into your salt.

Salt –  I use sea salt in this for its ability to release and cleanse negative feelings.

Bay Leaf –   I use fresh bay leaf, but if all you have id dried that is just fine. Another excellent herb for this is rosemary.

Crystal Tray

I always have a crystal tray out on my altar, but what is sitting in it changes depending on what my current focus is.  At Imbolc you’ll find a collection of stones that are going to cleanse and purify my space while encouraging light and new growth.

Selenite (large white palm stone) – Selenite’s milky sheen seems to illuminate the stone from within.  A positive stone, selenite helps to promotes purity and honesty.  Selenite can be used to used to cleanse magical tools and other crystals after use. Selenite wards off toxic energy and draws in the power of the moon.

Black Tourmaline (small tumbled black stone) – Black Tourmaline is a powerhouse, a super “energy purifier” on the spiritual plane, it transmutes negative energy to positive energy.  At Imbolc it symbolizes deep earth, a place of initiation and change from which now life grows.

Clear Quartz (clear druzy cluster and larger double point) – Clear Quartz represents the ice and snow in this crystal tray.  The ability to program and amplify clear quartz make it perfect for manifesting intention. An all-round “go to” crystal, it adds strength and clarity to overall intention of the crystals around it.  This stone helps to open the mind and elevate negative perspectives to a broader consciousness.

Viking Sunstone aka Optical Calcite/Iceland Spar (clear rhombus) – Viking Sunstone is said to clear your mind, grasp the bigger picture, and help you find your way.  At this time of year the snow may still be piled deep; this stone helps us to remember that the earth will reawaken and Spring will come with brilliant shoots of green. The property of double refraction in viking sunstone doubles efforts and helps new life to grow.

Overall I find that the act of cleaning up and changing my altar space from the Yule decorations to Imbolc helps me to move forward in a new year with a fresh attitude.  An Imbolc set up similar to this one will freshen up your space, remind you that spring is stirring, and help turn the wheel of the year.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek at my altar leave a comments and let me know what’s on yours!

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