Imbolc and the Full Snow Moon: A Sacred Turning Toward Renewal and Returning Light

February 1, 2026 arrives under the light of the Full Moon, the Snow Moon.

And this year, that light lands right on top of Imbolc.

I came across this reflection through a post shared by @earthfairyholistics, and it stopped me in my tracks because it names something many of us are already feeling. That quiet shift. That almost-imperceptible turning. That sense that something inside the belly of the world is beginning to move again.

In the Celtic world, Imbolc literally means “in the belly.” It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, honored for centuries in Ireland and Scotland. Imbolc marked the very first stirrings of spring. Lambing season begins. The ground starts to soften. The days grow a little longer. Light, which has been scarce, begins its slow return after the deepest darkness of winter.

This was never a loud festival. It was not about harvest or celebration in the obvious sense. Imbolc was about transition. That liminal space between what has been and what is coming. Not quite winter. Not quite spring. A threshold.

Traditionally, Imbolc was a time of renewal, purification, and returning light. It was closely associated with Brigid, a pre-Christian Gaelic goddess of healing, poetry, fertility, and the sacred spark of creativity. Brigid carried fire and water together. The hearth flame. The healing well. The inner knowing that life continues even when the land still looks bare.

After Christianization, Brigid became St. Brigid, and many of the old customs carried on quietly through folklore and daily life. The names shifted, but the essence remained.

People honored Imbolc in simple, grounded ways. Candles were lit to welcome back the sun. Hearths were tended with care. Brigid crosses were woven from rushes or straw and hung above doorways for protection. Sacred wells were visited for purification and blessing. Cloth or food was left outside overnight so Brigid could bless it while the world slept. Homes were cleaned, not as a chore, but as a symbolic clearing of winter and stagnation.

These were not abstract rituals. They were practical acts of relationship with the land, the seasons, and the unseen forces that shape life.

This year, Imbolc aligns with the Full Snow Moon. That overlap matters.

For much of human history, the full moon was not just something to admire. It was used to time ritual travel, planting, and seasonal shifts. When lunar events lined up with seasonal festivals, they carried extra weight. Illumination layered on transition. Light shining directly into the in-between.

A festival of returning light under a full moon.

The Snow Moon itself reflects the coldest, heaviest part of winter. Snow still covers the ground. Resources can feel thin. The future may not yet look clear. And yet, the moon is full. Bright. Whole. Unhidden.

That is the teaching.

Even in the coldest part of the year, the light is already returning. Not later. Now.

@earthfairyholistics offers a few ways to honor this moment that are beautifully rooted and accessible. Light a single candle after sunset, not for drama, but to mark the return of brightness. Step outside and look for signs of early spring. Buds just beginning to swell. A bird testing its song. A subtle shift in the air that your body notices before your mind does. Clean one small area of your space as a symbolic release of winter. Let it be intentional, not overwhelming.

And reflect on what you want to grow this year.

Imbolc has always been about beginnings. Not the loud, confident beginnings of spring or summer, but the fragile ones that happen in the dark. The ideas that are not ready to be spoken yet. The healing that is still tender. The creativity that flickers before it flames.

The Full Moon brings illumination. Imbolc brings renewal. Together, they mark a turning point.

This is not a demand to rush. It is an invitation to listen. To feel what is stirring in your own belly. To trust that even if the world feels heavy, even if healing feels slow, something is already moving toward life again.

Not just in nature.
In us.
And in the world we are trying, piece by piece, to heal.

Call to Action

If this moment speaks to you, listen to that nudge.

The turning of the season reminds us that healing and renewal are not meant to be done alone. Your donation helps keep this work alive and accessible. It supports intention circles, shared rituals, grounded spiritual teachings, and spaces where people can slow down, feel honestly, and reconnect with themselves in a real way. Every contribution helps hold the light a little longer for those who are ready to return to it.

If you are feeling called to go deeper, I invite you to join The Awakening Collective. This is a heart-led community devoted to conscious healing, intention setting, and collective support through life’s transitions. We gather under the moon, in moments like this, to release what no longer serves and to remember who we are becoming together.

And if you are looking for a personal, daily way to anchor this work, check out The Awakening Journal: A 30 Day Return to Self. It is designed to gently guide you back into your body, your truth, and your inner knowing through daily reflection and intentional practice. No rushing. No fixing. Just steady, honest presence.

Donate if you are able.
Join if you are ready.
Begin where you are.

The light is returning. Let’s walk toward it together.