1st - 2nd February
“In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move.” – Henry Rollins
And just like that we’ve found ourselves halfway in between Winter Solstice & Spring Equinox. Re-emerging from the sleepy Shadow introspective part of winter, we now look ahead to the arrival of spring, a new cycle of life, prepping for all the Great Work in the Sun that will now stay up in the sky for a little bit longer each day.
Known among modern Pagans as Candlemas or Feile Brighde, “the quickening of the year”, ‘Imbolg’ originally most likely meant ‘in the belly’ – this is a period when nature is pregnant with potential, that’s growing every day in equal proportion with Sun gaining strength & days becoming longer. Life underground starts stirring and readying itself for the annual rebirth.
Also called (St) Brigid’s Day – an ancient Celtic festival honoring the fertility of nature that awakens from winter’s sleep, dedicated to goddess of arts & crafts (straw dolls decorated with early spring flowers would be hung above the door for protection & blessing), poetry, healing & abundance.
Today, collect snowdrops, light a bonfire or candles (green & white ideally) to represent & celebrate the returning power of the Sun (Brigid is also a Goddess of fire & blacksmiths), create a piece of art, write a little poem and hide within it your wishes for the spring ahead. Meditate or journal on the energy of ‘The Star’ tarot card and how it shows up in your life.
I was lucky to meet this year’s Imbolc energy head on straight at the very dawn today. I currently volunteer at a small lakeside animal shelter close to Munich, Germany. My mornings are brutally early & brutally below zero, but starting my days with scratching our black sheep under their chins (did you know they waggle their tails like dogs when you give them chin scratches? I didn’t!). There’s been some strong gale winds here lately and the rabbit enclosure is now compromised and a couple of our rabbits managed to get out last night. I spotted them in the trees nearby this morning, happily hopping around, munching on a few of the green leaves and plants that survived the frost. We’ll obviously try to get them back, but sadly the chances are, foxes will beat us to it. Or not! It’s the risk of ‘leaving the nest’ and ‘braving the elements’ outside our comfort zones. Emerging from nurturing arms into the indifferent world and trying our luck at survival. It’s hard to reconcile, but foxes need to hunt and eat for their own survival too - and they might already have a few hungry fluffy babies of their own screaming for some nurturing in the darkness of the underground den.
An important reminder that this also is part of nature, of which we are an important part of, even though modern life with all its technological wonder places too much importance on separation of ourselves away from the rest of our natural world. Far away from fluffy cuddly Easter bunnies, chicks emerging from eggs & little birds calling to their parents from their nests - the typical symbols we now associate with arrival of spring, our ancestors understood nature in all its complexity: with all of its perpetual, deeply inspiring and also brutal and raw cycles of birth, death & rebirth.
So today, take time to reflect on these cycles as they manifest in your own life. What cocoons are we emerging from after hibernation of winter? What creative ambitions do you want to plant and grow in the year ahead? Write a simple gratitude note as if you’ve already received your blessings, venture out into nature and release your note into a stream or river (Brigid is also patron of wells & springs).
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn
♒ AQUARIUS SEASON MEDITATION ♒
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