Blessed Imbolc

Honoring Brigid and the Mid-point between Winter and Spring

Artist Unknown

This week for those of us that celebrate the seasonal turns of the wheel we are celebrating Imbolc AKA Brigid's Day on February 1st. (In ancient times these were seasonal celebrations that last more than one day -often a week or more.)This marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and The Spring Equinox and I cannot be happier that we are welcoming more light into our days. Imbolc is considered a "fire" or light ceremony, where the light is beginning to penetrate the dark, and nourish the seeds that have been sitting dormant. And even when we can't "see" activity and growth with our outer eyes, there is a stirring beginning to happen. It is evident and yet still mysterious. This time marks the beginning of the fertile season, the time to really illuminate what we want to birth into the world, and begin to get inspired by our own magic and ability to bring those visions we set and dreams into form.

Working with these cycles gives us the opportunity to slow down, to not rush things, as a seed cannot be rushed from a seed to a blossom. It is time to light the candles and really distill down the visions and intentions we set in January, and choose which seeds we will penetrate with our light (and life force energy), which ones we will tend, and give those that are really lighting us up, the time and attention it takes to mother them into form.

As I write this, I am feeling like a caterpillar emerging into a butterfly. I have spent the last two years in the imaginal cell soup, the messy middle between one thing ending, imagining into what will emerge next, and the re-generation into something new while still carrying the DNA of who I was and what I have done up until this point in my life. I have remained open to the mystery, while being in angst around not “doing” anything. I am impatient and things were not moving quickly enough. But I sat and I waited for the next Divine directive. There is no timeline or rush when we know we are here to be of service and we are waiting for the next Divine directive. The Divine can be a trickster and the test of my patience and trust, and ability to listen to my own intuition that over these last two years said “no not this, no not that” and in my frustration I would constantly ask “THEN WHAT??” In the end I was rewarded for my patience and trust and the what just recently appeared in the most aligned way possible. Can’t say just what the what is right now, but I will when I can! What I do know is I was holding onto some stories about what I didn’t want to do again, or so my mind thought because it was hanging on to past experiences. But in working with releasing those stories, and maybe how I did certain things in the past I realized it wasn’t the thing, it was the container and lack of support I had surrounding me. Both energetic and in the humans around me.

What stories do you need to release to birth what is next and to nourish the vision into form?

I am also musing on time and how much of a currency we can make of it. I am so glad I do not put the pressure on myself to complete ALL THE THINGS by December 31st (or even do much of anything the last two years besides tend my hearth and my beloveds…which is SOMETHING). Because holy mama it's already February.I am already certain that the visions are at once so simple and yet bigger and longer term, and know my ventures and visions reach far beyond 2025. I know I have to do less to receive more, or do less of certain things but more of others to feel prosperous and purposeful.

What in your life is being called to do things differently?

I know for me, I am doing my scheduling differently. I normal do the opposite of what the common business wisdom and coaching is out there, and I am nothing if not unconventional. The new opportunity that is coming up for me, will really turn things on their head compared to my current lifestyle. I will have to be very intentional about what I do and when I do it. I will have to lean into timelessness. This opportunity will also give me a chance to do leadership differently than the over-culture and aligned with who I am and those who I lead and inspire. And that is what I have been yearning for these last few years. My excitement is palpable.

Loves I invite you to spend this week shining a light on distilling down what you want to nourish into life in the next cycle, whether that cycle is a month, a season, a year, several years, or a lifetime. And then start deciding how you want to nourish those seeds and bring them into form.

And as a homage to Brigid light a fire, make a commitment to yourself and your creative fire, speak your intentions into your favorite scarf and tie it around a tree on Imbolc. Wear or have that scarf in your “space” throughout the year as it will carry those intentions as a remembrance even when you might forget.