Imbolc / Groundhog Day / Chinese Year of the Wood Dragon
As Mother Earth awakens,
May your heart be like a seed,
Planted and rooted firmly in your faith,
Ready to bloom.
Greetings To All You Wild Luminous Ones!
Hip, Hip, Hooray and Yeah! February has arrived and I have much to say. It is an astronomical time for us to reconnect with some of the ancient timekeeping traditions. We started the adventure of this month with the Celtic celebration of Imbolc/Brigantia yesterday. Today we celebrate again with Groundhog Day! Then on the 9th in this part of the world we will herald in The Lunar New Year with the Chinese Year of the Wood Dragon! There are no dull moments on planet Earth, so remember to put on the Full Armour of God and buckle your seatbelts it is Leap Time!
**FYI…in case you forgot…The Full Armour of God includes:
The Helmet of Awakening; The Goggles of God (the eyes are the windows to your soul and they needed shielding); The Breastplate of Righteousness (come into right relationship with yourself and your body; the Creator; your neighbours and community; the plants, animals, Spirits, and all the earth); The Belt of Truth; The Shield of Faith; The Sword of the Spirit; and finally put on The Boots of Peace (may your footsteps be peaceful, loving, and tolerant).
The Festival of Imbolc reminds us to acknowledge and honour the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is a time to listen to the whispers of Spring. I have been paying particular attention to the not so quiet sounds of running waters and the occasional croak of a frog. There has been a whisper of warmth in the air and a whisper of sunlight peaking through the clouds. Listening to the whispers of the earth is a vital spiritual practice as winter hangs on and our souls may feel dampened by the copious amounts of rain and lack of sunlight.
In Irish Gaelic “Imbolc” means, “in the belly of the Mother”. It was often the time of year when baby lambs were being born. It is time for us to remember that we are magical, magnificent seeds of new life that have been planted in the Earth to grow and flourish! It is time for us to feel the quickening in our souls just as an expectant mother feels the movement of new life within her body. The quickening of creation is happening all around us. Put on your Googles of God and take notice of the simple, small things. I got excited as I noticed the snowdrops and dandelions in bloom. I imagined a healthy spring salad of picked wild greens with my name on it. We are invited to send our roots deeper into the sacredness of the living world around us.
Today is Groundhog Day! A celebration that had its beginning in Europe with a migration to the United States and then Canada. It is believed to have begun in Germany with “badger day.” If the badger emerged from his den on this day and saw his shadow, he would crawl back into his hole, portending a month or so of winter still to come. In 1887 this celebration went from the badger in Germany to the groundhog/woodchuck in Pennsylvania as the tradition migrated with the early settlers to America. Today Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, which may herald an early spring. Statistically speaking he is only 39% right.
In Canada we have a few famous groundhogs across our vast country, and they were in the news today. There is Wiarton Willie, Manitoba Merv, Shubenacadie Sam, Fred la Marmotte, and Balzac Billy. Some saw their shadows, and some did not. Spring will likely arrive in its own time! Groundhog spirit reminds us to acknowledge that change is coming and so is spring. We are invited to let go of resistance as we wait for something new to be born in us and to rest and restore ourselves as needed.
The Lunar New Year begins at the sighting of the new moon on February 9th. Each year is associated with one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, and also aligns with one of the 5 elements (earth, fire, metal, water, and wood) to form the Chinese astrological year. 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, which is connected to power and progress. If you are curious about what this means for you, I offer this fun look at the 12 signs for this year with Karina Collins.
It is such an amazing world and time to be luminous in. These human-devised divisions of time that are all based on the stars, the Sun, and the Moon above us, promise that good things are still to come. Blessed be!
Please take a few minutes to absorb the beauty of this piece by Olivia Rosebery entitled, “Spirit Is Calling.”
With Hope, Faith, and Love,
Jacqueline
What’s Happening?
- Wild Seeds of Light Church this Sunday, February 4th at 11 a.m. in the yoga studio at 8140 Cedarwood Road in Halfmoon Bay. Mark Your Calendars Re These Upcoming Church Dates: Sundays February 18 and March 3.
- Wild Yarns… you are invited to Teresa’s on Redrooffs Rd. at 6:45 p.m. this Monday, February 5th.
- Sacred Play every Tuesday morning from 10-noon. We will meet at the same yoga studio on Cedarwood Road.