Thoughts on the Cross-Quarter Days: Imbolc
For the past few years, I have endeavored to freshen my perspective when observing the sabbats. As a contemporary—and for the most part godless—pagan, the old ways do not always resonate with me, specifically the cross-quarter/high sabbats. The liminality of these times is quite strong, and my perceptions of the energies at work are hazy and difficult to put into words. As part of my practice this year I am going to attempt to share some of my impressions and what I plan to do during these four fire festivals.
Imbolc,—and the whole month of February—is a time of restless stasis. The winters here in Indianapolis are not the quiet, beautiful, snow-covered scenes of my youth in Western New York. To quote my favorite holiday movie of this season, "It's going to be cold, it's going to be grey, and it's going to last you the rest of your life." Or at least that's how it feels.
When I convince myself to brave the wet cold that chills me more deeply than any snow, I like to spend a little time in our garden or take a walk around our neighborhood—and right now, the signs of budding life are already apparent, as you can see in the photos from our urban garden.
So, what am I going to do in observance of Imbolc?
In her book, The Green Witch, Arin Murphy-Hiscock refers to this time between Yule and Ostara as "the cleansing tide," and I agree. It seems a good time to reset and recenter—cleanse ourselves of the psychic baggage we've been accumulating over the dark half of the year and prepare ourselves and our homesteads for the coming spring.
So, I will be performing a self-cleansing ritual as well as broom cleanse on our house and my workshop. Sweeping can be a wonderful and practical form of meditation—and the cats like the sound of the vacuum cleaner even less than I do. Excellent examples of cleansing with a broom can be found in The Green Witch as well as Scott Cunningham's The Magical Household.
The garden will also receive attention this month as weather allows. We let it go wild last year and there is a lot of weeding to do as well as some earthwork and box rebuilding. I know we'll be posting shots of those activities as weeks go by.
I also plan on performing a seed ritual with a focus on awakening my slumbering creativity.
What are you and your family doing during this time? If you'd like to share or would like to discuss the season with me, feel free to email michael@greenwitchvintage.com. I'd be grateful to hear your perspective.
And remember, "Don't drive angry."
