I knew this winter was going to be long and this year it seems to me that the world finally stood still around the December Solstice and then didn’t really start up again. The weather over the festive period was atrocious, and I think there might have been one day that we managed to get out and walk, when the rains subsided.
January seems to have been a constant storm on steroids. One storm after another our coast has been battered with high winds for weeks. Going to sleep most nights to the sound of raging winds! I always look forward to February and the celebrations of Imbolc as it means that we are halfway out of winter and spring is just around the corner. This year in the time leading up to Imbolc I have been working on something a little bit different. I created a Green Man Mask. The Green Man is a symbol of rebirth, and he represents the cycle of new growth that occurs every spring. He emerged from the Depths of winter to brighten my outlook and has given me hope for the coming year.
I remember back in 2017 when I was creating the Initiates Way Arcana, I sat in the Sanctuary after doing the God of the Grove pathworking, and I saw with absolute clarity and insight – the face of the green man looking at me in my inner vision.
He had such a kindly face and looked at me with the kind of sympathy you would expect from a fatherly archetype. I remember feeling so much better after this vision and feeling infused with energy and creativity to move forward into the spring.
We are coming up to Imbolc and in our home, the celebrations will focus and. centre around the Goddess Brighid. She is one of my patron deities that I have worked closely with over the years. So I will be setting up a healing altar dedicated to her. And in the process of this I through it would be fitting to create some Brighid dolls that I can take to the next healing events that I attend, for those who honour the Goddess in their Homes.
I have been on a long journey of discovery and healing over the last few years which has taken me through some very interesting discoveries. One of which led me to find out that my great great Grandmother was an Irish Gypsy. Tracing Ancestry and connecting with my Matrilineal line has been such a blessing and I am hoping to revisit the ground they walked on this year as it has been over 35 years since I set foot on the soils of my grandparents in Ireland. Knowing who you are, and where you come from is so important in these crazy times. Our authentic “selves” are overshadowed by all these ideologies of who and what we should be to be perceived as being successful. Being true to ones self could possibly be one of the bravest things you ever do in your life because you are literally swimming upstream against the current of the norms.
As we enter February we are stepping into the collective Archetype of Aquarius and the time of the Star Maiden.
Use this coming phase for self healing, self love, and giving yourself time amid the chaos to be still and listen to your inner voice. Be the star that you were always meant to be and shine for all to see.
Pathworking for this can be found here if you would like to partake.
Check back soon for dates of the events I will be attending this year. Looking fwd to seeing you all out in the wilds!!
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