Well, this year has started off with a bang: a new moon at the start of the year, now a new moon at the start of a new month AND a Wheel of the Year celebration, plus the beginning of the new Chinese Lunar Year! This year has started off with so many celebrations and we're barely a month into it.
But the season of winter is typically associated with death due to the apparent lack of life at this time of year. However, what we don't see is that the growth is occurring under the surface. The earth starts to prepare for the blossoming of new life in the spring at Imbolc as it heralds the ending of the winter Crone months with the announcement that the Spring Maiden is just around the corner.
Imbolc is a very feminine festival as it celebrates animals coming into their milk, particularly ewes but cows would also fit the theme of Imbolc. Cows are symbolic of how sacred motherhood is, how a being's life-force is sustained and nourished from the very start of their life.
Imbolc is also the time when Brigid is venerated in two of her aspects: as the Maiden heralding the impending arrival of Spring, and then as the Great Mother. She is seen as an ell-encompassing goddess though, accompanied by a cockerel which is the herald of the new day and a snake which is the symbol of regeneration that is carried by a lot of other fertility goddesses.
Brigid is also associated with healing, particularly healing waters and wells, and this theme actually helped her to survive as a Christian Saint as she is still venerated for this. This adds to another layer of her Triple Goddess because she is associated with fire fom smithwork and forging, air for inspiration and poetry, and water for healing. However, I feel like she has a connection to all of the elements because the metal would come from the earth and so would any plants used in healing. As a goddess, Brigid is automatically directly connected to Spirit, which completes the five elements.
Brigid, as the goddess/patroness of inspiration, can be viewed as the goddess who keeps the continuity going so that we can be inspired and encouraged to keep going ourselves. I found a saying that I absolutely loved during my research of Brigid (sadly, my memory isn't serving me to remember where I saw it): "Those who have gone before inhabit the realms between the world, overlapping to keep the old songs and stories heard and repeated". This idea ties into a 12th century story where Merlin is inspired by a geminine figure who represents the sovereignty of the Land of Britain. This same figure causes Merlin's visions to reach through British history to the end of the solar system. But what is interesting is the Brigid, in the form of the Roman goddess Minerva, has been shown on British coins to personify the Land of Britain. One of the other forms of Brigid's name is actually Brigantia which was also the name of a pre-Roman Celtic tribe that lived in northern England.
That same saying was mirrored in something that Emily mentioned: "the stories and the songs are the memory of the people with the stories being told and the songs sung as the ancestors". I love this idea because it brings those who came before me a lot closer to my modern life.
I really enjoyed the Imbolc ritual that Emily hosted as she tied the themes of this celebration into calling in the directions: Air in the East is full of the promise of new beginnings (this also tied into an item that I received as part of the January 2022 Witch Casket - a dark wooden egg that was engraved with a sigil for new beginnings), Fire in the South as the flames of nourishment and warmth, Water in the West as being full of healing waters, Earth in the North full of the unseen quickening, and Spirit in the centre that contains the stories and songs of history, prophecy and lore within.
In the main body of the ritual, Emily invited us all to enter into a meditative state that would allow us to follow the meditation while also making notes when asked to do so and what follows is my own experience.
The meditation started with a visualisation of a clearing surrounded by willow trees (a sacred tree associated with Imbolc) and in middle of the clearing was a pool of water. There were ribbons tied to the willow branches and a flame dancing on top of the water in the centre of the pool. Within the clearing, Spring had sprung but outside the ring of willows Winter still held the earth in her grasp and it was almost like winter still needs to be honoured despite the approach of Spring. There was no sign of Brigid whose pool it was but I felt like I had her permission to be there. The entire space was filled with flowing energy, just like air, fire and water flow.
In this first part, we stayed in the clearing but connected to the energy held within it to connect with any messages that may have been hidden within our subconscious selves that are needing to be acknowledged or worked on moving forwards. This felt very much like a winter-y exercise to me because it focuses on dreams/aspirations and then what I am personally impatient to see again.
In my liminal cave of rest, I dream of reading more and learning more. I dream of finding stillness and peace. I dream of discovering my own inner flame, my own inner fire that feeds my soul and its purpose. I dream of cross-stitching, of moon-gazing hares and newborn lambs. I dream of being at peace with myself. I dream of remembering my mum and her inner and outer strength.
In this time in between, I am impatient for answers and the next phase of my life. I am impatient for truth. I am impatient for the return of warmth. I am impatient for new knowledge, more knowledge that I can teach to others. I am impatient for uncovering hidden truths and decisive actions. I am impatient for new life to start/return to the earth. I am impatient for the creation of my own witch's garden.
In this second part, we stayed in the clearing again but connected more with the Spring-like energy hidden within it. This was all about winter still being alive with possibilities, while the new moon energy that was also occurring served as a reminder to pause and reflect on the quiet that happens just before growth blossoms all around.
I feel hope awakening in my body. It is alive with the possibility of answers and truth. It is also alive with peace that comes from new life and a renewed sense of purpose. It is also alive with the creativity that accompanies new life.
I am preparing my soil with the shed remnants of uncertainty and shame. I'm also preparing it with self-denial and elements of self-shame, the supposed need to keep certain things hidden from the world. I'm also using the element of hermit-ism, of hiding myself away from the world due to shyness or a very strong sense of self-criticism.
I decided as a result of this whole exercise that the seeds I will be planting in my life in general will be a greater sense of self-confidence and pride, inner strength and peace. I am also going to work on growing the idea that I am allowed to just be, that I don't have to be doing things all of the time. I will also tend to my creativity, and homeliness (or at least working towards having a more comfortable home). One of my more literal projects for this year is the dream of having a witch's garden because I have some actual seeds that I am hoping to plant once the weather is favourable so that I have my own crop of herbs to use in my own magickal practice.
While Imbolc has now passed, I wish you all the blessings of this festival going forwards!! I hope this also inspires you to work with the energies of this time of year as well so that you can create your own Imbolc rituals and practices in the future.
Peace and love to all!!
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