Today is lunar Imbolc in the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Calendar Imbolc follows on the 1st February. Imbolc from the Irish language, means ‘in the belly’ referring to the time of year and the lambing season. So the energy is that of preparation and initiation, rebirth and renewal.
It’s time for noticing all the small signs that Spring is on the way. Have you noticed that the early mornings are now much lighter and the days are slightly longer, that the bird song and their behaviour is beginning to change?
Other signs of this turning of the wheel is the snowdrop, which is synonymous with Imbolc as is the colour white, which corresponds to the return of milk being produced by animals, something our ancestors would have been relying on.
Other spring plants like Cleavers, Lesser Celandine and Daffodils are now making themselves visible and beginning to grow. This is the time of year for celebrating fertility and new life returns to the land as nature wakes up from its winter rest.
This process of growth and renewal is a slow transformation and change, it’s the time for preparing the ground, clearing out the old; planning and nurturing the new with a gentle encouragement and soft unfurling into the new year.
Imbolc is also connected to the Goddess Brigid, who was later morphed into St Brigid with St Brigid’s day being celebrated on 1st February.
We also have correspondences with both water and fire – the combination of contemplation/wisdom/intuition and outward energy/action and the warming of the land from the strengthening sun.
A simple Imbolc Ritual
Contemplate what you might like to create this year. Start off by feeling into what most needs your attention before you begin the creation process – what first needs preparing, releasing and clearing away from your life? Think of preparing a garden for seed sowing and tending to what needs clearing, weeding, digging, fertilising etc. What aspects of your life would relate to those tasks as metaphors? What would help make way and prepare the ground for what it is you want to ‘grow’?
When you have some clarity, (write down your points if you need to) light a bundle of natural, herbal incense, (preferably local/home grown) and circle it round three times, in front of or around yourself anti-clockwise.
Without inhaling the incense, take a nice deep breath in then a strong breath out. Visualise letting go and releasing all that needs to be released as part of the preparation and cleansing process. Notice if any insights come up about what would be helpful for you to do on a practical level.
Next, bring to mind your intentions for the year (again right them down if you’d like to,) and now circle the burning herbs in a clockwise direction for that intention setting, as if drawing intentions to you.
Imagine you are offering the smoke and fragrance of the herbs in gratitude and in complete certainty, that what you wish to bring forth this year has already been accomplished. Feel the emotion of joy/peace and the appropriate sensory experience of it having happened as clearly as possible.
Breathe in that gratitude while remembering there’s no rush to get there on the linear timeline, releasing the attachment to results and allowing for an unfolding, just as nature does, as and when the time is right.
Again notice if any insights arise and make a note. An additional step can be writing out what is to be released and your intentions on paper and burning it in a safe way.
You could also write your intentions on seed paper and plant them in Spring.
This year my intentions include teaching Reiki Drum practitioner training and organising other workshops in Worcester! I’m teaching Reiki 1 in February & March with Reiki Drum dates being finalised shortly.
Nature-focused, Shamanic Reiki Drum, Reiki & Reiki Massage, Forest Therapy 