Winter is burning.
Seasons are turning.
New life is coming back to us.
Imbolc is typically celebrated on February 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere.
Also known as Brigid's Day,
This sabbat marks the beginning of spring.
Even if you live in a region that is still covered with snow at this time,
You will still be able to perceive subtle changes that point to spring's return.
At Yule,
The sun is born again.
At Imbolc,
We hear the first faint whispers of its return to fullness.
Imbolc means in the belly,
Signifying that nature is soon to give birth again.
For this reason,
Some Wiccans and Pagans will choose to bless the garden seeds they will soon plant and might even begin starting some of those seeds indoors.
This practice was crucial for our ancestors,
As they did not have the convenience of grocery stores that we now know.
Those of us who enjoy gardening on any scale are able to,
In many ways,
Relate to the importance of this.
Speaking strictly from symbolism,
Seeds represent new beginnings and the promise of abundance,
And that is what this season celebrates most.
What follows is an example of how I bless my seeds during the season of Imbolc each year.
I invite and encourage you to adapt this in a way that best fits your personal practice and is most meaningful to you.
I will start by lighting a white candle while white sage is burning in my cauldron.
Feel free to use any incense of your choice.
If you are sensitive to smoke,
You might choose to brew a cup of sage tea and allow the steam from it to simply rise up and fill your working area.
I will then take a packet of seeds,
Or a box of them,
In my hands.
At this point I ground and center,
Visualizing a white light of protection rising up within me and surrounding the seeds.
Then I will say something like the following.
Goddess Brigid,
On this your day,
Hallow with me these seeds that came my way.
Sturdy plants may these seeds bring,
As earth awakens to celebrate spring.
Upon these seeds,
Magic I bestow.
As above,
So below.
So mote it be.
For those of you who are gardeners,
This is an exciting time of anticipation.
I think many of us garden more for pleasure than self-sufficiency,
Which is certainly wonderful,
Because it creates months of opportunities for us to practice mindfulness and to connect with nature on a certain level.
If nothing else,
It makes us more appreciative of where our food comes from.
So if you do enjoy gardening,
I invite you to take a moment right now to call to mind what you normally plant each year and look forward to harvesting.
For me,
It's multiple varieties of hot peppers.
What's yours?
I'm guessing it's a safe bet that you weren't thinking about weeds.
Why not?
Because we typically plant only what we truly enjoy growing and or eating,
What makes us happy.
This extends beyond our gardening space too,
As all of us plant seeds each and every day in one form or another.
Regularly stop and ask yourself what you are in the middle of planting at that moment.
Are you sowing your favorite vegetable?
Or weeds?
We are sowing what we truly love when we sow with love,
With love,
Compassion,
And a peaceful spirit.
Moments spent in anger,
Haste,
Indifference,
Or speaking negatively amounts to planting weeds.
We are in complete control of what we plant and what we will eventually harvest.
I invite you to join me now in a short meditation for tending to our spiritual gardens.
Begin in a comfortable position.
Perhaps you will choose to close your eyes.
Allow your neck and shoulders to relax,
Releasing any tension they might store as you shift your focus to the present moment.
As you do so,
See yourself in your gardening space.
This can be your actual garden or one that is imagined.
Whatever brings you the most joy.
Take several deep breaths and release them slowly.
However you are positioned,
Sense that you are being supported by the earth in this growing space.
You are not only supported,
But you are loved and you are worthy.
Focus on your breath as you allow yourself this sacred space to completely relax.
Your spine is straight.
Your hands are completely relaxed.
Continue to breathe mindfully as you feel yourself rooting into the earth and drawing in energy from the core of the earth.
The energy flows up through the mantle of the earth and into your feet,
Traveling up until it reaches your crown chakra.
See this energy also forming a white light of protection around you as you further your connection to nature and spirit.
As you continue to enjoy your garden space,
You have a vision of what you would like to see growing in it.
The soil is rich and fertile.
The soil is rich and fertile.
It contains no rocks.
There is no room in this space for weeds.
But there is an abundance of soil for planting only what is meaningful to you.
Focus on planting only what brings you the most happiness.
What supports your highest good and that of those around you.
See it in your mind's eye as a packet of seeds.
Take a moment to absorb the joy that just the thought of these seeds brings to you.
Now see yourself planting these seeds in fertile soil that receives plenty of sunlight.
You are only planting what you have chosen.
And you are doing so mindfully,
With love in your heart and with a peaceful spirit.
Now take a moment to look into the future and see the seeds you planted growing tall and with strength.
Continue looking forward to see,
Sense and feel the happiness of your first harvest.
As you do so,
Realize that there are still no rocks or weeds in your garden because you didn't put them there nor did you make space for them.
Everything in your garden is beautiful because of your intentions.
When you are ready,
Allow any unused energy you have gathered to slowly return to the earth knowing that it will be there for you whenever you need it again.
At your own pace,
Begin bringing subtle movements into your fingers and toes.
And eventually into the rest of your body.
Take your time.
When you are ready,
Take another deep breath and open your eyes.
Blessed Be.
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