Candlemas: Feast of Flames (Paperback)

by Amber K (Author), Azrael Arynn K (Author) "In the northern hemisphere, this festival comes while winter's grip is still upon the land..." (more)
Key Phrases: ritual tools, triple goddess, clear quartz, Saint Brigid, Chalice Center, Ancient Ways (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Beyond the darkness of winter, there is an oasis of light and warmth on the journey from solstice to spring. Known as Candlemas, Imbolg, Brigantia, or Lupercus, it is a hope-filled celebration held in early February to welcome the returning light and the promise of spring.  Candlemas sheds light on the origins, lore, and customs of this ancient holy day with:

·Myths and stories: Brigit the Goddess, Brigid the Saint, and her meaning today
·Candlemas magick and divination: flame scrying, hearthside divination, candle magick, and protection magick
·Late winter goodies and feasts: Brede's Braid Bread, Guiness Stew, Bubble and Squeak, Mulled Cider or Wine
·February festivals and traditions: rituals for purification, blessings, and renewal, from the Irish, British, Scots, Welsh, Norwegian, Greek, Roman,  and Chinese cultures
·Seasonal crafts and games: Brigid's crosses or sun wheels, "Begging for Biddy," and a Brigit corn dolly



About the Author
Amber K is a third degree priestess of the Wiccan faith. She was initiated at the Temple of the Pagan Way in Chicago and served on the Council of Elders there. Her books on magick and the Craft have been widely circulated in the United States and Europe, and for nearly 25 years she has traveled across the U.S. teaching the Craft. She has worked with Circle and the Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess, and served as National First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess for three terms. She is a founder of Our Lady of the Woods and the Ladywood Tradition of Wicca, and currently is Executive Director of Ardantane, a Wiccan/Pagan seminary is northern New Mexico.

Azrael Arynn K is a third-degree Wiccan Priestess and High Priest of the Coven of Our Lady of the Woods, and has also held offices in the Covenant of the Goddess. She resides in New Mexico, where she is both Facilities Director and Dean of the School of Sacred  Living at Ardantane Pagan Learning Center. She co-authors books on the Craft with Amber K, and travels and teaches widely throughout the United States.


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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738700797
• ISBN-13: 978-0738700793
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #559,825 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive resource for observing the Imbolc Sabbat, January 25, 2002

By	Tom L. Waters (Tesuque, NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Llewellyn publishes a series of books on the eight sabbats of the Pagan year. The books in the series vary quite a bit in quality. This one, devoted to Imbolc ("Candlemas" being the Christianized name) and written by Wiccan priestesses Amber K and Azrael Arynn K, is the best one in the series to date.

What sets this book apart is the substance of its content. There is very little padding here. February festivals from various cultures are reviewed, and the information given is well researched and accurate. Many of the customs and folkways described cry out for adoption into one's own seasonal routine.

There is an enormous amount of material of the Celtic goddess Brigid (pronounced Bree-id), later identified with a 5th-century Irish saint, a rough contemprorary of St. Patrick. After reading the material collected here, the goddess comes alive as something much more than a symbol of smithcraft, poetry, and healing. She emerges as a powerful personality, central to the land, its people, and their identity.

The cross-quarter days are all associated with divination magick, and this book offers some fine, original suggestions suited to the season. I particularly appreciated the instructions for scrying with fire. This is such a primal magickal operation, accessible to human beings thousands of generations before the first tarot card saw the light of day.

The ritual suggestions (for solitaries, families, and groups) are thorough and carefully thought out, and will carry significant personal meaning when performed. There is, naturally, a section on candle-making and candle magick, which gets into the details of traditional methods and materials, not often encountered in other books. The table of correspondences for candle magick also displays the authors' characteristic attention to detail and thoroughness.

The book winds down with a fascinating selection of recipes appropriate to the ancient and medieval Irish roots of the Imbolc festival. The practice in other books in this series has been to feature mostly "fun" recipes that somehow carry out the theme of the holiday, in color, decoration, or sometimes just name. There's a place for this, but it was a delight to open this book and find something more-an attempt to make some kind of connection with the original people for whom this festival was an important milestone in the passage through winter.

In fact, that seems to be what this whole book is about from cover to cover, a vigorous and lively attempt to forge a link-to the extent that it's possible for us-with Brigid and her people at this, her most sacred time of the year.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Honoring Brigid with candles and love, February 7, 2002

By	Melusine (www.FantasyLiterature.net) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I've been interested in the goddess Brigid for a long time, and jumped out of my chair when I heard this book existed. I was even more ecstatic when it didn't disappoint me. I was afraid the book would be a skim-over-the-surface effort, touching only briefly on Brigid and then continuing on to subjects having nothing to do with her. Basically, I was afraid the book would try too hard to be eclectic.

Fortunately, the two Ladies K did a wonderful job with their subject. They briefly mentioned other holidays celebrated in other cultures at the same time, and then settled down quite comfortably to talk in-depth about Brigid in her several forms: as an ancient goddess, as a faery of the Sidhe, and as a human saint. I was especially impressed with the section on St. Brigid. Most pagan authors, when writing about Brigid, simply frown angrily at the end of the goddess's myth and rant, "And then the Christians stole her and made her into a saint!" Lol. Here, St. Brigid gets respect. There is an impressive collection of St. Brigid wonder tales, several of which were completely new to me. The authors even see a silver lining in the replacement of the goddess by the saint--by recasting Brigid as a human woman, the Irish may have felt closer to her, since she was more like an old friend than a distant deity.

Then the authors get into practical suggestions: rituals, crafts, and recipes. They include rituals for one, for a family, and for a coven. There is a thick chapter on making your own candles. And the recipes, which I didn't get to try yet since I got the book the day before Imbolc, look yummalicious! And for the authenticity police, there is a note by each recipe saying whether it's ancient, post-Crusades, or post-Columbus.

Overall, a warm and approachable guide to the Imbolc Sabbat, by two authors who seem like really great people. I have tons of ideas for next year now.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly well done, March 24, 2002

By	Cynthia M. Caton "minion" (Ireland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although disappointed that Llewellyn has chosen to name the books in this series mostly by their Christianized names rather than their pagan names (Imbolc), I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The introductory information seemed a stretch but the rituals are really outstanding. I was tremendously inspired by their sabbat and Brigit celebrations. It made me rethink my entire festival. They clearly know how to craft a ritual. Recommended!