This has been a very long week

Maybe you are feeling it too. This destabilizing energy of the incoming administration here in the US has taken up a lot of air in the collective room. 
I’ve been hearing about it from friends and clients and doing my best to stay informed and take breaks too. 
I’ve had moments where I have felt deeply disconnected from my Craft and unable to access my own inner spark. 
But then it shifts. 
The hum of the bees in the willow tree. The murmur of birds flying so close this morning my friend and I could hear them.
The earnest and sweet storytelling of my 4 year old nephew. 
All of these things bring back my connection to source. 

But something deeper has been niggling in my belly too.  Whether it is the voice of the earth or the sky, or the whispers of ancestors, I am not yet sure, but there is something brewing deep within me. And all the little places of reconnection are guiding me toward something bigger. I just don’t know what yet. 

What I do know is that we are guaranteed that there will always be change.
That even in the darkness the light returns. 
And in my own moments of darkness this is a Truth that I hold onto as a guiding light. 

Here in the Northern Hemisphere nature is doing her thing and turning us closer to the light and the Spring. 

This coming Saturday is Imbolc (or Imbolg) This literally means “in the belly”. And while we certainly find ourselves in the belly of Winter to be certain but it is also the belly of fertility, as animals begin to mate and some to give birth. 

This celebration marks the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. 
It is a time for celebrating the coming Spring, for preparing homes and (where possible), garden beds and fields. 

Weather witching also arrives with Imbolc. Remember our friend the Groundhog? It is said that if he pokes his head out on the 2nd of February and sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of foul Winter weather are to come, while if the sky is grey, and his shadow is in hiding, then these last 6 weeks of Winter will be mild. 

A similar story of weather divination lies with the Winter Hag, the Callieach, who goes to gather her firewood at Imbolc and if the day is fine and fair, she finds herself able to gather lots of wood which suggests the remainder of Winter will be fierce, while if the day is dark and dreary and only a bit of wood is found, the Spring will emerge sooner. 

It is likely you also have heard that Imbolc is the goddess Brigid’s day. She is a goddess of fire and water, of forge and healing, of creativity and poetry. This day was a day to celebrate and honor her and ask for her blessings. 

Simple Practice
Light a white candle
Pour milk into a bowl and mix in a drizzle of honey
Meditate on what the awakening of the earth feels like inside of you
Ask yourself what seeds you would like to plant in your life
What seeds you’d like to plant in your community
(You can use Tarot or Oracle cards for deeper inquiry if desired)
Spend some time journaling about these things
Then whisper into the milk and honey the seeds you are preparing to plant
Pour the bowl on the land where you live

If you want to read a bit more about Imbolc and get some ideas for celebrating you can check out my blog from Imbolc 2020

And if you would like to meet Brigid at her sacred well, you can listen to a meditation on the Witch Next Door podcast here 


Sending you all so much Love,
Emily

PS if you are needing a little community and a space to listen and be heard, I am hosting a sharing circle on Wednesday at 4:45 PT. You can sign up to receive the link
https://forms.gle/LFxcChZHUvUps5GC8
This is a circle for sharing and listening, for those of us that are feeling the negative impacts of the new administration.
Please note: If you are happy about the incoming president and his plans, this is not the space for you at this time.

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