Merry Imbolc

The translation of Imbolc is “in the belly”. This is the time between winter and spring, where hints of the changing seasons start to creep into the periphery and give us thoughts of warmth.



It is a time where, in Kent, you can have a day of warmth and sun, enough to hang clothing out on the line followed by a day where the snow rushes the feathers of sparrows, robins and tits alike.





Early season daffodils are blooming, as are the snowdrops we didn’t even know we had.


It is the return of the Sun.



In other traditions this festival is known as Oimelc. This means “in milk”. It is the time when cows and ewes give birth and lactation begins.




It seems to be that most of our celebrations fall when D is out of town for work. Many of the ways in which I celebrate are stretched over the season with the goals alone starting on the day itself. For Imbolc this year, I feel especially attached. For obvious pregnancy reasons, the symbolism resonates with me.

Here are ways I am going to celebrate:

Phase 1 of spring cleaning. This is more of a great big tidy, than a spring cleaning. Over the winter, in our little Kent cottage, our world has slowly come down to the living room. It is where the fire is, and where the fire is… we are. Because of this we have bits and bobs from everywhere in the house in the living room. Mostly in a moat around the couch. Phase 1.. make a direct path to the couch again.

Another part of Imbolc is the hint of new beginnings. It is a time to day dream of things to come. I am in the middle of the worlds. With only another 5 months to be able to lug a 25 kilo massage table up the stairs, and a university debt that I can’t defer because I am not living in Canada. Time to create, daydream and manifest some ways to bring money in with integrity.

It is also a festival of light. A time to make candles for the rituals for the rest of the year. This is something I need to get supplies for. I have been looking for a more local source and found this company. Not only do they sell bees wax but they also sell sheep skins, something that I have been looking for locally, but unable to find. That is a post for another day, but for now, I am impressed with my find.

The last thing, and the most witchy perhaps, is the garden of light I am going to plant. I got the idea out of a book called : Celebrating the Great Mother: A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children by Cait Johnson and Maura D. Shaw. The idea is to write down wishes, dreams, hopes, thoughts, and plant them in a small garden. Then taking birthday candles and planting them over the wishes, you light and symbolically let them grow. There is a lot to be grateful for and a lot that needs light shinning upon it this year. I look forward to this very much. I have always found great comfort in ritual. Not magical rituals, just any ritual that turns an ordinary event into something with value.

But as I said, these are goals for the season. The goal for today was to build my first English snow woman....

... goal completed!