buds swell even as more snow approaches-Imbolc part 1

the sun now rises each day more towards the East
and dusks and dawns are longer.
 
Afternoon light lingers
across endless snow and
each day not overcast or snowing
is a gift.

We grow weary with winter
but the air is crisp and the sun stronger.
More snow and bitter cold will come,
but so will Spring.

Bridget keep us safe,
Bridget keep us healthy,
Bridget keep us whole & holy.
Keep us safe from fire or famine,
extend your blessings like your magical cloak,
inspire us to do good things,
to do good,
to be good,
to be whole & holy.

Irregardless of ice and snow,
delays and slowing down,
or maybe because of all that,
Spring is springing
deep within the Earth mother.

Though there is a deep silence, the stream flows and that sound in the absence of sound
is so loud or maybe not loud
but clear.
 
So grateful for Bridget in our lives.

Today the snows arrive,
lightly this morning but with temperatures close to freezing now the snow pours, we will receive a lot of accumulation. But it feels like a Spring snow, and though the snowpack won’t allow for rapid melting,
it will be gone soon rather than later.

The activation of Spring has Sprung.
Thanks dear Bridget for your Spirit.

No notes from ritual just photos and recollections.
I remember the ease of the schedule,
even with many activities, Imbolc arrived gently.

It is 6 months from then.
Only 6 months and we have come far.
It is a gift to be here and so even the cold and the snows don’t totally matter.
Thank you Bridget for your healing,
we are so truly grateful.
Imbolc is always joyous
because even though February
is the longest shortest month
full of the heaviest and/or endless storms
we welcome Spring.

So it seems easy to be simple,
to acknowledge how hard it is to survive,
to get from Winter to Spring,
to be born & reborn,
to be alive.

Cleaning the kitchen or laying out crackers and cheese or gathering sacrifice and offerings and prayers and sticks and making a fire on frozen land.
 
It’s about the embers.