Blessed Imbolc to you!
February 1st-2nd celebrates the halfway point between winter and spring, the connection we get to continue having with the earth and her cycles, and new beginnings.
Imbolc first came to my awareness a few years ago when I was exploring what it might mean to connect more deeply with my ancestral roots. With a strong Celtic lineage, Imbolc was the first of these holidays that I honored in a more direct way. And while these pagan celebrations can certainly be honored far and wide, being intentional in this way has felt incredibly supportive of a more embodied connection to my roots.
Last year, one of the things I did was make a caraway seed cake to honor the day. As someone in love with food and the multitude of ways it can nourish, I really wanted the kitchen to be where the magic happened, and a seed cake can be a delightful way to celebrate the seeds we plant and the possibilities that might come from them. The recipe I found used traditional ingredients of eggs and dairy, and so I made some simple changes to make the recipe align with my ethics (flax eggs and plant-based butter truly can do wonders in baking!).
The process of making the cake, saying a spell while stirring the ingredients, and savoring each bite all felt like a beautiful way to root myself in this midwinter celebration.
And what actually made it feel like an even more grounded practice was the fact that I made changes to the recipe. It challenged my tendency to feel like unless I'm "following the rules," things won't be "right" (whatever any of that means).
I made it my own. I leaned into nuance. I honored my past as well as who I am presently.
Much like Imbolc is the midpoint between winter and spring, this simple seed cake helped me embody that sacred midpoint between my ancestral roots and who I have chosen to become, both because of and in spite of where I come from.
It's a reminder that intention is what makes the magic, and trust in ourselves is built through practice and time.
And this year presents a similar lesson. While my plan was to again make the seed cake, I've decided against it—my household has felt a touch run down lately, and so we've refrained from things like baked goods for a bit while we work to support our bodies' ability to be fully sustained and nourished.
And once again, I had to remind myself that celebrating Imbolc is not about following rules, and that "tradition" can mean different things in different phases of life.
Allowing myself to embrace fluidity in my approach is something that I'll be working on for a lifetime, and then more lifetimes after that. It's not an easy process. And also, letting it reside in my body and in my practices has been one of the greatest gifts I've experienced thus far.
And so this year, instead of baking, I'll do some gentle de-cluttering, take a walk outside, and do a tarot spread...and I'll light some candles in the evening to celebrate the light that continues to grow as the seasons shift, and to honor the fire within our own bodies and spirits.
There are so many ways to be rooted, to connect with the nature in and outside of ourselves, to acknowledge the magic of midpoints and that sacred moment between a deep breath in and the release out.
And in all of it, there is hope. The seeds we plant now hold infinite possibilities, and there is magic in that.
How might you honor this in yourself today?
February 1st is also the Lunar New Year! These two holidays don't always fall at the same time, but this year they do—which, to me, makes the day feel even more sacred and magical. To all those who celebrate the Lunar New Year, many blessings to you!