“May the blessing of the rain be on you; the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up, and shed their sweetness on the air.
May the blessings of the great rains be on you, may they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there many a shining pool where the blue of heaven shines, and sometimes a star.”- Traditional Irish blessing.
We now return to Imbolc, light a candle in a private corner of your home. Bring your face close and let its flame dance its teasing warmth across your skin. Track your breath, slow, slow in and slow, slow out, relaxing ever deeper into the physical movements of your body with breath.
Imagine your inner light and heat becoming stronger with every breath, just as the sun is becoming stronger with every day. Let this inner heat thaw the frozen-over places inside of you that hold your stagnation and resistance to change and new growth.
When you feel present and centered in your body, focus on the candle’s golden light; use its shimmering energies to shift your awareness to the place between the worlds where Brigid’s sacred flame burns brilliant and strong. Put your hands on your belly and sense the heat of Her fire infusing the seeds of your beauty and wounding that are stirring at this turning time, calling you to new growth and possibilities. Let these potent forces draw you to Her doorstep.
Meditate on new beginings and begin to plant your seeds. This is a time of nurturing your dreams, setting foundations and awakening after the cold of winter.
As an archetype Brigid is the Goddess of the Fire, greets us on Brigid’s Day, February 1. She is a Celtic sun goddess whose light burns brightly, illuminating the darkness of the land, of a heavy heart, and the dark night of our soul. With her shining light to guide us, we are lifted out of the Underworld darkness where we tend to descend in Winter, to the light of the World above, teeming with life as Spring begins to unfold her wet wings.
Brigid reminds us to activate our solar plexus and to birth new ideas. She urges us to come out of hiding and shine our light on the world. This may be done in a quiet manner, such as sitting by the hearthfire and doing needlework, finding inspiration by a walk in nature and writing a poem, moving about the kitchen making soup, getting busy with an art or craft project, or in big ways by taking on new roles as healers, artists, and leaders and calling others to join us.
Imbolc is celebrated at the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, on or around 1st February. It’s a Celtic festival that celebrates the awakening of the Earth and the rising life force that initiates fertility and growth. As the flowers start to bud and re-emerge after the cold Winter months, it signifies a time for action and new beginnings, a time to plant seeds for change and a time of re-awakening.
Imbolc is a reminder to ourselves to keep the links to our inner world open and to keep in touch with our intuition and our receptivity as we move further into the outer world.
This is a good time for spring cleaning and reflection, letting go of the old and initiating change and giving space and time to review our ideas, visions and desires. Whatever we seed now will grow and manifest throughout the seasons of Spring and Summer .
Yoga Asana practice for Imbolc:
Sun salutation, Low Lunge (Anjaneyāsana,) Goddess squat ( Utkata Konasana), Warrior one (Virabhadrasana), Lion Pose (Simhasana), Tiger Pose (Vyaghrasana).
Herbal Teas for Imbolc: Chamomile, Heather, Basil, Tulsi and Rosemary.