Imbolc: A Fresh Start

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wicca-spirituality-Imbolc/Brigid Daisy in the Sun

The upcoming celebration in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year is Imbolc. Also called Imbolg, Imbolic, or Brigid, this is a festival of Springtime.

Imbolc gives us a fresh start!

And yet, there's a tension at this time of year... maybe you feel it. The days are beginning to grow, the first hopeful greens are making a cautious appearance.

Everything in us, and in Mother Earth, is desperate to throw off Winter's blankets and open the doors to Spring.

Except for one little problem . . . Spring isn't quite here!

Struggling Under Limitations

So Imbolc has an energy of dynamic tension. We want — so strongly — to move forward, yet we must bide our time, and wait.

Anyone who has been pregnant knows this sensation!

This is a time of gestation, and nothing can be done to rush the seasons along.

There is massive forward momentum all around us, yet we feel stuck at the same time. We know things are changing but we can't quite see it yet.

Just like the Planetary Rebirth, the spiritual transformation we are going through on Earth. It can be difficult to see the evidence of it, yet the momentum is great and the movement is undeniable to those who see with their hearts rather than their fears.

Still, it's darn frustrating to feel so stuck!

So put that emotional energy to work: prepare for the shift.

Getting A Fresh Start

Even though we must be patient, it's not an idle time. We have a task. Just as a pregnant mother — of almost any species — uses the gestational time to prepare for the coming child, so must we use this grace period to prepare ourselves for the growth and harvests of Summer.

In the garden, this is a time to clear away Winter's debris and repair any damage, in preparation for planting when the Earth warms a little more.

Along with this task is the inner work of clearing away what clutters our inner lives: emotional baggage, old expectations, and struggle of all kinds.

Magickal House-Cleaning

This is the time to do some deep spring-cleaning! Not just on a physical level, but on a spiritual and magickal level . . .

Cleanse and purify yourself — and your ritual tools — in Brigid's holy waters and sacred fire — symbolically if not physically.

Release old spells and ritual momentos, by giving them to the fire (if safe to burn), the living waters, or the Earth.

Cast a Circle and clean your house as a spell: make every action a symbol of clearing space in your mind and heart and life, for new growth.

Toss out old clutter, which is just holding you back. Make way for new bounty to enter your life. (If this is hard for you, just throw out what you can, and then consciously revel in the feeling of lightness and relief that comes. Makes it easier next Imbolc!)

Light candles (safely) in all the windows, to invite inspiration, clarity of purpose and blessings for your year.

The very act of cleansing yourself, your ritual tools, and your home will liberate you to a great extent. The "drag" of the dark season will be lifted, at least somewhat.

Spring will feel a lot closer, and the days a lot lighter.

With Brightest Blessings,

erin Dragonsong