Making a Brigid’s cross is easy! Originally made out of rushes or straw, Brigid’s cross is equal armed with a woven center. If you can’t find rushes, raffia and straw are readily available at Micheal’s or JoAnn Fabrics.
      Take 4 strips of rush (or whatever material you have chosen) and fold them in half cross wise. Hold a strip with the fold away from you. Take a second strip and loop it over both thicknesses of strip 1, about 1/2″ from the fold of strip 1 with about 1/2″ overlapping on the fold end. Strip 2 should now be at  right angles to strip 1, with the fold on your left. 
     Take strip 3 and loop it over strip 2 so that the fold is facing toward you and overlapping by 1/2″. Take strip 4 and loop it over strip 3, with the fold on your right and the tail pointing toward the overlap of strip 1. Push both free ends of strip 4 through the overhanging loop of strip 1. Lay the cross flat and gently pull the free ends of the strips so that the 4 make a cross with a woven square in the center.
    You may want to ease the cross apart now that you have flat creases and put a dab of craft glue inside the fold to secure it. If you do, then be sure to re-tighten the weave.

    Imbolc is celebrated on February 2. It is an early spring festival also called by the names Imbolg and Oimelc. The exact meanings of these names has been debated, but Oimelc is generally accepted as referring to “ewe’s milk”. Imbolc means “in the belly”, referring to the shoots of spring starting to stir under the soil. The Christian festival of *Candlemas occurs on the same day.                           
    Imbolc is a holiday of promise and hope. Yule is over and the days are dark. the weather (especially here in WNY) is extremely cold and wintry. The days, though, continue to grow, giving us more light. Cooped up in our houses, we have time to clear out old possessions, discover old things that give us joy and most of all honor the goddess in her guise as Brigid.
    We can get ready for the new season by putting away our Yule decorations and ritually sweep away the cobwebs. Not only can we plant seeds of inspiration, some of us can actually start seeds for our gardens at this time. We can honor the Goddess and God in their child aspects by chasing the winter blues away with games. In this way, we can reaquaint ourselves with the child inside all of us.
   Imbolc is what as known as a “fire festival”, celebrating the returning light rather than the Sun itself. Each day the Sun rises a little earlier, giving us a few more minutes of daylight. At Imbolc the Goddess is present in all three of her forms. She is the crone, slowly retreating as winter also retreats. She is the mother, nurturing the seeds under the ground. She is the young maiden playing and laughing, leading us to spring.
   The goddess Brigid has been worshipped since the time of the early Celts. Pagans loved her so much that she became Christianized as St. Bridget, the “Mother of all Ireland”. Many Brigid’s ritual’s have survived, such as making Brigid’s cross.
   This is also a time of the God. His is now a young boy, exploring the world. The Goddess and God are aware of each other. They are now childhood playmates who know that they are made for other. In the not so distant future they will be together in the ecstasy of love.
   Dairy and foods made from milk are significant for Imbolc. While you may wonder “Where will I find sheep’s milk?”, it is easier than you may think. Greek Feta, French Roquefort and Pecorino Romano cheeses are all made from ewe’s milk. Your tribute  doesn’t need to be sheep’s milk. How about a cup of hot chocolate or a rich soda bread?
  However you choose to celebrate Imbolc, all will be accepted by Brigid!

* Candlemas is the Christian feast of The Purification of the Virgin Mary. It’s associations with womanhood and the goddess have been preserved by this merge.