Yesterday was the Pagan celebration of Imbolc here in the Southern Hemisphere.
We've reached the midpoint of Winter. While we may feel as though everything is still dormant, the Earth’s Life Force is actually beginning to stir and awaken beneath the ground. Buds are beginning to swell on the trees. Bulbs are blossoming, too. Spring is coming! It’s a time of renewal, hope, and real excitement for the year ahead!
Our own precious seeds of possibility and potential that we dared to dream into at the Winter Solstice are also beginning to stir within the Cosmic Life Force. Tender shoots are sprouting.
Imbolc is a time of new beginnings and initiations. As Starhawk says, “An initiation is both a commitment and a test. It requires training, preparation, and the courage to face challenges. We have to leave the shelter of all that is comfortable and safe, and take risks but, in the end, we become more truly ourselves.” This is when we decide to dedicate ourselves to the raw potential of what our lives could become, if only we were courageous and daring enough; if only we believed in ourselves enough; if only we valued ourselves enough.
Imbolc is a key moment in the turning of the Great Wheel, because it calls us to embrace the glimpses we've had of our fantasy, idealised Self. We’re being asked to boldly claim our vision of Life, without copping out on ourselves; without underestimating ourselves; and without settling for less than we know we’re capable of. (Basically, the health of the 6 Archetype in our chart is being tested.)
As part of Imbolc’s celebration, we'll need to do some Spring cleaning, both internally and externally. Life has been crystal clear throughout the recent eclipse season, about what we need to let go of in order to create room in our hearts, minds, and lives for our new Path. In stepping across this sacred threshold, it’s best to be intentional and deliberate about what (and who) we want to take with us. What do we want to flourish and thrive in our world? And what do we need to leave behind, else it crowds out or blocks our precious new beginnings?? Let's be ruthlessly honest with ourselves!
Be mindful that the seeds we are planting now, and then water with our love, energy, time, and devotion, is what we'll begin to harvest at Lughnasadh next February. Are you intentionally and strategically planting your garden with the visions received at Yule? Or are you absentmindedly allowing the winds to blow random seeds into your garden??
Pay attention to what you are giving energy and space to in your life.
Plant your seeds with care.
May we all plant and tend our gardens well for the upcoming season! And So It Is.
Blessed be, beautiful people.
Peace Juliette xo