I'm Back In Time to Celebrate Imbolc!

Well, crazy week, 'nuf said. Hopefully, next week won't be as manic.

And here we are at Imbolc, the midpoint between winter and spring. If you don't know, it's an old tradition that marks the time when lambs start to nurse and focuses on fertility and the return of the sun from the dark, cold days of winter.

If you're curious about my altar photo:

• The white cloth and candles, plus the blue candle, reminded me of the wintry season we're in.
• The "white wand" at the left side is a mana tube I made. It contains sand and a quartz crystal within a copper pipe to attract energy. It's decorated with clear beads, reflective ribbon, glitter, white tape and white adhesive skulls. Yes, I am a 12-year-old girl--so there! Anyway, I actually made this several months ago. But then I read that St. Brigid, the patron deity/saint of Imbolc, "uses her white want to breathe life into winter," I thought, perfect!
• I have a dead twig to symbolize winter and a sprig of monkey grass to symbolize the coming spring.
• The ginger snaps also symbolize winter and the last celebration, Yule. The milk recognizes the nursing lamb aspect of Imbolc.
• The stuffed wolf is actually a poppet I made when i was given the name "Riverwolf." The wolf is one of my animal totems/spirit guides, and they have several connections to Imbolc. Some say that wolves, along with groundhogs, come out of hibernation about now to check the weather. In some areas, February is considered the "wolf month" because of its harshness and old tales of wolves eating humans to stay alive. Also, in roughly 2 weeks, is when Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival, was once held (roughly same time as our Valentine's Day). The best part? As part of the fertility ritual, the men would run around town naked except for a wolf mask! Sounds like fun--but it's a wee bit too cold for that around here!

Given the fertility rites surrounding Imbolc, it's a good time to focus on what we hope will grow in our lives in the coming year and how we can sow these seeds. I had my usual: more writing assignments, more honesty in my life and relationships and, of course, a whole lot more fun!

It's good to be back!