Collection: Imbolc Late Winter Collection

Celebrate Imbolc with the perfect all-natural fragrance for late winter.

What is Imbolc?

Imbolc (or Imbolg) is a modern pagan celebration marking the approximate halfway point between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It is the beginning of the end of winter, and the first perceptible elongation of our daylight hours as midwinter moves toward spring.

Imbolc is the time of year when our agrarian ancestors would have been watching for—and finally seeing—the year’s first signs of new life, signaling that the barrenness of winter and the dependance on what had been stored away from last year’s harvests is nearly over. It is a time of awakening, of the first, deep rustlings of rebirth, and of the cool, soft light that bends around the planet before the sun climbs over the horizon into view.

Where does Imbolc fall on the Wheel of the Year?

The Wheel of the Year includes four Quarter Days and four Cross-Quarter Days, including the winter and summer solstices, vernal and autumnal equinoxes, and four midpoints bisecting each of these quarters. 

The dates of these eight points derive most directly from the pre-Christian Celtic calendar, a solar-lunar ritual calendar dating from the second century AD that divided the year into eight roughly-equivalent seasonal sections. 

In order throughout our modern annual calendar, the eight division points on the Wheel of the Year include: 

• Imbolc (late winter), celebrated on February 1
• Ostara (early spring), celebrated at the vernal equinox (on or around March 21)
• Beltane (late spring), celebrated on May 1
• Litha (early summer), celebrated at the summer solstice (on our around June 21)
• Lammas (late summer), celebrated on August 1
• Mabon (early fall), celebrated at the autumnal equinox (on or around September 21)
• Samhain (late fall), celebrated on November 1 (often beginning at dusk on October 31)
• Yule (early winter), celebrated at the winter solstice (on or around December 21)

Our Wheel of the Year seasonal incenses, solid perfumes, scented veils, and soy candles are formulated with all-natural essential oil blends that reflect the best of each of these seasons—from Imbolc’s cozy sandalwood and cedarwood to Litha’s heady vetiver and nutmeg. Each blend provides the perfect way to ring in a new season or harken back to seasons past at any time.

When is the Imbolc line available?

Like all of our Wheel of the Year product collections, the Imbolc line is a premium seasonal scent, and only our Imbolc incense sticks are currently available year-round.

The complete line, which depending on the year can include an Imbolc scented veil spray, solid perfume, essential oil candle, and/or an Imbolc gift set, generally launches about six weeks before Imbolc itself, shortly after the celebration of Yule (the point on the Wheel of the Year immediately preceding Imbolc).

What does our Imbolc scent smell like?

Imbolc our first sandalwood-forward seasonal aroma. Additionally, it features a supporting host of essential oils like cleansing cedarwood, uplifting lemon, and grounding holy basil, all accented by carrot, benzoin resin, and lavender essential oil. The effect is reminiscent of fresh morning light filtering through barn rafters after a long, dark winter.

For use in spellwork, the Imbolc blend aligns with the Earth element; Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo zodiac signs; The High Priestess tarot card; and the Berkano rune.