Imbolc

After embracing winter, it is time to look forward to spring. On either February 1st or 2nd, we celebrate the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Outside of religion, this is also the time when people look to nature to see if winter will harden or soften, which is called Groundhog Day in North America. Groundhog Day was inspired by a German tradition of looking to the badger, bear, or fox for signs of an early or late spring. This year, we're in for an early spring!

Imbolc is the Celtic festival celebrating the slow end to winter and the Sun's return. It comes from Old Irish words that mean "in the belly," a time for reflection and preparation for the beginnings of Ostara. While winter is not yet over, nature is at work below the surface. Part of the hidden transformation is Brigid, the Celtic goddess of spring, transformation, inspiration, poetry, wisdom, hearth, and healing. On the evening of January 31st, she warms the ground for new growth. Everywhere she walks, wildflowers can be found the next day.

A common symbol of Imbolc is Brigid's cross. It can be made from dried grasses and hung above doorways for protection and to welcome her into your home. Another way to honor Brigid is using natural materials to make a doll of her and build her a small bed. For fertility, bring home acorns and pinecones.

During this time, called "the Quickening" in ancient Ireland, changes start slowly but as soon as they've started, they gain momentum. As the Sun hangs in the sky for more hours each day, light candles to welcome the returning light. Use the extra daylight to do deep spring cleaning, not only purifying the space but also removing negative energies to create an ideal environment for positivity and growth. This is also a great time to make plans for a spring garden, that way you are ready to plant after the last freeze of the season. Let yourself soften just as the soil does, and spring will arrive soon enough.

Þorrablót

Seems to be the theme for the world that January didn't count for 2024, and I'm jumping on that train! At work we started teaching a whole new curriculum a couple weeks ago, and I've been exhausted by all the excitement. I'm hoping that I can get on a better routine so I can post about my holidays before they happen, but for now I'll settle for afterthoughts.

On January 28th, my husband and I celebrated Thorsblot, otherwise know as Þorrablót or Þorri. It is inspired by an ancient Norse midwinter feast, and as such is celebrated either in late January or early February in our modern calendar, which would've been the month of Þorri in the olden times. Þorri is the Icelandic name of the personification of frost or winter in Norse mythology, but has long been identified with Thor. Þorrablót was likely a sacrifice dedicated to Þór (Old Norse for Thor) himself, hence why we refer to it in English as Thorsblot.

While the history of my holidays is important to me, they cannot be celebrated without some traditions. Since pagan traditions are informed by nature's cycles, for the midwinter feast we prepare a meal of preserved foods that would've been the main source of winter food before globalization. This includes cured meats like Serrano ham as well as cheeses, dried fruits, and pickled vegetables, much like a charcuterie board. When possible, we try to incorporate traditional Icelandic foods as well as any hunted meat. This year my husband went on his first duck hunt, so duck gumbo and pâté were part of our feast.

While filling our bellies, we do as many cultures do during the winter and tell the stories of our ancestors. We focus on Norse and Celtic mythology, exploring the gods and their journeys, as well as discussing the values of the past that we see in them. Unlike some other religions that focus on sharing the same faith, we focus on sharing the same practices, allowing for more freedom when it comes to personal beliefs.

Since much of pagan religion has been lost to Christianization, we rely on historic texts to inform us. Unfortunately male figures are the focus of the available Norse mythology, but this is not because they valued men above women. In reality, pagan Germanic societies valued men and women equally and their mythology reflected this, which we can see today in the vastness of female figures that have names but not stories. Those who recorded the myths left out many of the female figures, quite possibly as an influence of Christianity. By informing ourselves of the female figures, we are able to return balance to our religious practices. I will mention three from the Völuspá (Prophecy of the völva, a seeress) in the Poetic Edda here, Urður (being), Verðandi (becoming), and Skuld (been), who came from Yggdrasil (tree of life). They are now known as The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone. May they guide you through the year.

Nature Therapy

Human accomplishment has led to areas of population density that were unheard of not long ago. As much as we are communal creatures, we are designed to live in small communities surrounded by nature. Now we spend most of our days inside staring at screens, and only communing with our household on a daily basis. While it can be hard to find community in our busy lives where we're over-saturated with human contact, nature is everywhere.

I was privileged in my youth to have the forest in my backyard, tucked away in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The trees, ferns, moss, creeks, salamanders, daffodils, and foxglove of that magical time are still clear in my mind. When my family had to leave it behind, I yearned for the wilderness. Mental health issues led to me finding peace in mindfulness with the nature of everyday. The free medicine of going for a walk, alone or with friends, just breathing, seeing, hearing. A lavender bush covered in busy bees, a bright red cardinal chasing his mate, the screech of squirrels as I walk my dog. Insignificant in the grand scheme of things, I have found comfort in the little things. It's amazing what can be hiding in plain sight if you take a moment to observe your surroundings and be present. We are constantly pressured to be productive, but it's okay to embrace serenity. There is beauty and life all around us, even in the midst of a winter freeze.