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Kindling the First Flame

For tending the returning light

Before You Begin

Find a candle. Find darkness—real darkness, not just dimness. This rite works best at dawn or in the evening, when you can sit with flame and silence.

The Rite

  1. Gather. A single candle. Something white if you have it—cloth, paper, milk in a cup. A seed or stone to hold.

  2. Sit in darkness. Let your eyes adjust. Feel the cold that still lingers. This is honest winter, not yet spring.

  3. Light the candle. Say aloud or in silence: I kindle the flame that was never extinguished.

  4. Hold the seed or stone. Name one thing beginning to wake in you.

  5. Let the candle burn. Stay as long as you can. When you leave, carry the warmth.

Notes

Imbolc means “in the belly”—the quickening before the visible. The light returns slowly, and so do you.

A fuller version of this rite, with correspondences, lore, and invocation, is available as a printable card in the shop.