2025 Imbolc newsletter
Embrace Hope my friends,
Imbolc is the time of hope for new life and the return of the light.
In the US, most people think of February 2nd as Groundhog Day, the portent of how many more weeks of winter are in store. However, for thousands of years, Imbolc, meaning “in the belly” was a sign of hope that the ewes were pregnant and there would be lambs born in the spring. People also noticed that the days were gradually lengthening.
Hope is one of the most important emotions that allow us to feel alive and attract the possibilities that lead to feeling that we do have agency. When hope is purposely destroyed, we lose the will to live. Hope is not the same as wishing things were better but it is cultivating the strength to allow ourselves to anticipate the possibility of joy, turn away from thoughts that dash hope, and to celebrate life, even in the small things we can look forward to, keeping our focus on what makes us hopeful.
The older traditions are based on the signs in Nature, our most important teacher. Hope was generated by the signs Mother Earth provided such as pregnant sheep and the first flowers poking up through the snow. Even though our culture has mostly disconnected us from paying attention to the natural world, there is a growing trend to bring us back to practices such as Forest Bathing, to planting our own healing herbs and to protecting both plant and animal species.
We can all use signs of hope. So much fear has been evoked because of our political upheaval at this time and it has caused trauma for many people. The deep healing potential provided by Nature, from Rain Forests’ powerful healing plants and trees, to natural healing springs, She has always provided us with what humans need to heal.
Here are two quotes, one old and one more recent, that capture the link between the feeling of hope and acknowledging possibility.
“Hope is a passion for the possible.” – Søren Kierkegaard
“Once you choose hope, everything is possible.” – Christopher Reeve
For Imbolc, I invite you to have your own gatherings; include friends that will bring others, or join with a community that is dear to you. Promoting connection increases health and feelings of wellbeing which raises our energy, making choosing the path to hope possible.
May you renew your feeling of hope through connection,
Much Love, Linda
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