mid-winter marking
Hey Kathleen,
Today, as you flip your yearly calendar from January to February, chances are that you'll discover this familiar yet quirky label for February 1:
Groundhog's Day.
I mean, seriously, beyond admiring this little cutie pie for his/her natural animal magnetism and of course, watching the perennially entertaining movie starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell…
…what are women who are interested in honoring the thresholds & milestones of Time, Season, and Purpose supposed to do with THIS ?
It's a question I asked myself during the years that I was deep diving into the rabbit holes in search of what I've come to call the path of the Well-Seasoned Woman.
Happily, I'd like to share a bit of what I discovered/uncovered related to the annual occurrence of February 1 and offer some ideas to spark your own mid-winter's seasoning.
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three alternative identities
Perhaps one of these non-advertised, alternate approaches to celebrating this time of year might resonate a bit more deeply with you.
The Crone's Imbolc. Imbolc (pronounced E-molk), marks Winter's halfway point. The name is believed to have derived from “ewes milk” and/or “in the belly” as this was often the time of the year's first lambings on ancient farms. To me, Imbolc feels like a Cronish, primal intertwining of the very old and the very new. It's like the Aged Crone of Winter stands in a stark & frozen forest, pointing at the snow-laden branches while whispering, “Dearie, it's time to say toodle-loo to all that extra dead weight that's just no longer needed," while Winter's Agless Crone stands at the fireplace stirring a pot of stew and encourages, “I just know you've got a bevy of heart-dreams yearning to be quickened now so that they might be birthed into something as deliciously new as these baby lambs come Spring. Dream those dreams now, angel-girl."
Candlemas/Presentation Feast. As part of the Christian liturgical calendar, Feb 2 marks the Feast that honors the Baby Jesus' first visit to the Temple, timed to coincide with the ancient Jewish code that prescribed the number of days following birth that must transpire before a woman--in this case, Mary--could return to worship. This date is also the traditionally accepted time to officially bless a year's worth of candles for use in Catholic & Anglican services throughout the upcoming year. To me, blessing light sources in the midst of the season of darkness is a very good thing indeed. NOT because darkness is bad and meant to be overcome by light, but because darkness is sacred and radiant and healing, and it deserves adorning as a way of accenting its profoundly beautiful goodness.
Brigid's Day/Saint Brigid's Day. Brigid began as a pagan (i.e. nature-based) deity who was so loved by the people that the Christian missionaries eventually chose to adopt a “if you can't beat ‘em, join ’em” policy, and made this feminine force of nature a recognized church Saint. Brigid is the goddess/saint of home & hearth & healing. She is the goddess/patron saint of the Forge/ metalworkers and poets and midwifery. When we invoke Brigid-energy, we're invoking what's needed to Winter well. Home & hearth? Oh, yes, we need shelter, warmth & food to survive the season of scarcity. Poetry, forge-artistry, & midwifery? Absolutely, for when we feed our dreams with heavy doses of creative expression, we're truly fertilizing our soul-soil for the growing season ahead.
ideas for a mid-winter's marking
I'm sharing a few of the things that have comprised portions of my own Imbolc keeping over the past years. Use some of them to spark your own celebrating of mid-winter this week or next.
#1 connect with mama nature
As the weather allows, take an unplugged walk around your yard or around your block. Take deep breaths as you connect with the world that is happening all around you, in real time.
#2 bless your candles
Scoop up all the candles you have around your house and put them on a table together. Designate one candle to be the Crone candle. situate it in the center of the table, and light it. Then, say something like: “With the blessing of these candles, I set my intention that 2023 be a year in which my light and life shine with truer purposing and enriched seasoning. I affirm that the use of these candles be an outward sign that Love and Hope and Faith are warming my body, kindling my heart, sparking my mind, and igniting my spirit.” When you're ready, blow out the Crone candle. The candles can either stay on the table for a few days or you can return them to their regular spot right away. Then, every time you get all hygge & light a candle in the days ahead, you'll be renewing your Imbolc blessing.
#3 spend time reading/writing/listening to poetry
Go old-school with the poetry of Whitman, Tennyson, Longfellow, and Dickinson. Go all-in with modern feminist poets like Nikki Giovanni, Rupi Kaur, and Maya Angelou. Or, go all youthful fun with Shel Silverstein, PD Eastman, and Margaret Wise Brown. Whatever combination you choose, light a candle & get cozy before getting started. Use printed poems, audiobooks, or even youtube readings (I link to one of my favorite youtube recordings below). Read each poem silently or aloud, maybe even sing & dance them--after all, songs are poems set to music, right? If you're really feeling in the mood, try your hand at writing a bit of verse yourself! Whatever you do, savor the delight that meaningful poetry always is.
#4 get tattooed
The photo, below, shows the finished results of a juicy and laughter-filled fake tattoo application party my friends & I recently enjoyed in celebration of Brigid's Day. There was something about these swirly-metallic tattoos that reminded us of a goldsmith or silversmith's work & called to mind the goddess/patron saint of metalworkers. Now, for the next couple of weeks, every time we look at our tattoos, we'll be reminded of our own inner Brigid, and shine our own light into the world with a little more fire and fierceness. (I bought these via Amazon.)
I believe there's a real reason why Groundhog's Day continues as an annually designated holiday on our calendars.
No matter whether or not that groundhog sees his shadow, there are always six more weeks of winter left (The threshold to Spring is the Equinox on March 20), right? But, this mid-winter event can serve as a PAUSE moment for each of us.
Let's use this week to renew our commitment to wintering well. Tending to the “home and hearth” of our physical bodies, dwellings, and resources, while giving ourselves lots of margins to dream, to celebrate beauty and artistry, and to feel the quickening of what is preparing to be birthed into our lives in 2023.
