Altar Cloth: Imbolc
Altar Cloth: Imbolc
This altar cloth design is inspired by Imbolc (Feb 1st), one of the four major Pagan fire festivals in the Wheel of the Year.
Featuring an original illustration by Irene Mudd, this altar cloth consists of printed cotton fabric, backed with an embroidered satin fabric*, and machine stitched with an eye-catching metallic silver thread.
Dimensions: 19.5x19”
*I use vintage fabric I have on hand to back each altar cloth, so some backing fabric may vary from what is pictured.*
Imbolc (spelled Imbolg in native Irish) takes place on Feb 1st of each year, marking the transition from late Winter to early Spring. Imbolc is strongly associated with Brigid, a triplicate goddess of Pre-Christian Ireland. Among many other things, Brigid rules over the home, the hearth, and pregnancy. Brigid’s knots (the 4 pointed wheels on either side of the design) are woven on Imbolc and placed on doors and windows for Brigid’s blessings and protection. The period of Imbolc can be one of the coldest times of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, but while the ground may be frozen solid outside, beneath earth, the first buds of spring are beginning to germinate.