Written and compiled by - Patricia Jean Martin I've chosen Amber
as the stone for Imbolc, even though this attractive gem is not
a stone at all, but is, rather, an ancient fossilized tree resin
that once flowed from the wound of a conifer. The pine trees
from which Amber hails are no longer in existence, and the
specimens of their once life-giving resins which we hold today
are roughly between 25 - 50 million years old. I think it
fitting that just as Imbolc which means "in the belly" and
Oimelc (or Oimelg) which means "ewe's milk" which has begun to
flow... so, too, was Amber once in the belly of the tree whose
essence flowed forth to gift us in its new form. The name Amber
derives from the Arabic word "ambar" which refers to ambergris,
a secretion from the sperm whale which is used in making
perfume. The only similarity between the two, though, is color,
for they are without a doubt two totally separate things.
Although both are often transported on the waves of the sea, it
is this, along with their color s