Moonrise Herbs Blog — imbolc

Sacred light in the darkest night Our beacon in the cold of winter Our guide to the dawning of spring We hold vigil on this sacred day Welcoming the Goddess Brigid Welcoming the return of the sun Asking for protection and abundance To our hearth, our homes, our fields, and family On this night and every night thereafter Bless us Brigid, the keeper of the flame -from thegypsythread Find this drawing and more beautiful art by MaskIllustration here  

As we stretch our way toward midwinter...the point in the Wheel of the Year that marks a time of renewal for many cultures and (here in the Northern Hemisphere) we feel the first fertile stirrings of growth within the earth.   The pagan sabbat Imbolc (pronounced EE-MOLG, meaning "in the belly") is, like so many other festivals from nature-based spirituality: a rejoicing in the return light/sun/flame that is so dear to us as a human species.  It is also a time to celebrate this first emergence of the green things, the animal young, and the coming abundance of nature after a long, cold winter....

We hope it’s a happy Moonday for you, dear friends!  As the first days of February approach, many cultures around the world mark this time with celebrations of transformation, purification and renewal. In nature, we start the see incipient plants like snowdrops break the bonds of their seeds and rise from the frosty ground.  Like those intrepid plants, it’s the perfect time for us to wake from the inner dream-time of winter and embrace the fire of transformation so we too may break through to reach the fullest potential of our dreams!  For this week’s Tarot & Tea, we will...