It's a beautiful new day, new Moonth, new year!
Our current sense is that each season begins with an Equinox or Solstice.
Yet some of our ancestors celebrated these new beginnings at the 4 tidal shifts between those points.
One of these phase shifts occurs around February 1st when we experience the earliest signs of Spring.
This year, the February 1st Holy Day of Imbolc coincides with the New Moon, with Sun and Moon kissing in Aquarius.
We also celebrate Chinese New Year today, and welcome the energy of the Water Tiger.
This confluence amplifies the potential energy that initiates new patterns.
Some of Imbolc’s sacred symbols like the living flame survived its Christianizing into Candlemas.
Our culture has also retained the ritual of divination, now used merely for the weather forecasting of Ground Hog day.
The Triple Goddess Brighid, known as the “Exalted One” continues to be honored on this day.
Tracing Her name back to its Proto-Indo-European roots, we find its root meaning - To Rise.
Thankfully the increase of sunlight is palpable these days ~ as the sun rises earlier and sets later.
Tiny shoots are rising too, with blooms of snowdrops, crocus, or even daffodils, depending on our latitude.
Despite living through the strangest of times, our bodies do respond to this increasing light by lifting our spirits.
Ideally we’ve spent some restorative time resting inwardly this winter, pondering our dreams and reflections.
The Wheel of the Year turns and this is the time of quickening. Take some time to feel into this, if you have not already.
All around us, life is stirring, as the land rouses itself out of winter’s hibernation.
Let’s open our senses to the changing light, birdsong returning, small buds appearing, and new scents wafting.
Deeply imagining our embodied self as the Earth awakening - revives an ancient means of connecting to life itself.
We begin by tuning into our inner experience, feeling if there are some parts of us moving very slowly, or not at all.
This is an auspicious time to inquire whether a physical or emotional sense of ‘melting’ might offer some relief.
One of the artifacts of experienced trauma is the ‘freezing’ of our body’s fibers, and the vitality that is intrinsic to them.
A very instinctual part of our old brain once learned that to hold perfectly still might save our life. It also helps to reduce intensity.
Healing includes the trust that helps us to relax enough to restore movement at every level of self.
Imagine feeling like a light curtain floating upon a soft breeze, or seaweed gently undulating with a flowing current.
We could slowly dance with the question: what does my body need right now, what needs to be free?
We might play with the resonance of our voice, finding the notes that both awaken and soothe us, help us to settle, humming…
Here’s an Imbolc Meditation ~ Melting the Ice of our Winter Landscape
You can find an mp3 recording of it, at the foot of this email.
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Guide your attention home to your body and allow your self some time and space to begin fully settling down.
Let go of the myriad distractions of the outer world, and begin tuning into the world of your inner sensations.
Feel how fast or slow your inner state is pulsing. Allow the rhythm of your conscious breathing help you to relax.
Notice if your presence is primarily up in your head, and if so, begin to include your heart area with your sense of self.
Welcome the sensations of your belly and pelvis, arms and legs, hands and feet into a deep awareness of your whole body.
Stay with your breath as you take a moment to accept and appreciate all of these sensations.
Notice whether any areas feel numb, or feel too intense to find comfort.
Gently offer yourself unconditional acceptance of whatever you feel.
Once you have a more intimate relationship with your inner landscape
Begin to wonder if any of your body’s sensations resonate with your sense of the Land that holds you -
Here, now - as the tides of winter are beginning to ebb.
Imagine and sense that you belong to the Land, and even - that You are the Land.
The Earth welcomes you to join with Her as She makes Her own changes.
She is so accustomed to transformation, and She can ease your way.
Begin to look for any parts of your body that might feel like they’re less connected to your core.
They might feel like little islands floating upon a far horizon. Bring them home.
Some areas may feel as if they are underground, heavy, dense, asleep or even dreaming.
Do these heavier parts feel like stone in ways that strengthen, or immobilize you?
Take a moment to sense if there are any emotions or areas that feel stagnant or frozen.
Imagine the yellow warmth of our increasing sunlight finding its way into these places.
You may sense a response of tiny waves of movement being remembered by these deep parts of self.
Just as the ice is melting in the landscape, so too do we welcome the melting of frozen energy.
Tears may come like gently rain or a needed downpour.
New rivulets of energy are remembering what is possible when we are whole.
There is no rush to awaken. This is the promise of Spring inside of us, and all around us.
This is the time of year when tiny blossoms follow the deep urge to push their way up through snow.
Listen to your heart, sensing your desires as rising energy, like an underground stream flowing up to the surface.
Bring your hands to your low back, and imagine your kidneys are your little lakes warming up.
Ice is melting, energy flows freely.
Lay your hands on your belly, and imagine the molten fire of earth’s core, warming your creative center.
Spring is ‘quickening’ within us as well.
This is the time of promise, the promise of Light’s Return as an elemental reality. We can feel it.
Stay with your embodied presence for as long as you wish.
Spend time with any structure, organ, or emotion, in relation to other landscape features that call to you.
Trust your inner guidance. Trust your body. Trust the way Mother Earth holds you.
Bright Blessings of Brighid to you this day of new beginnings.
Love
Sharon