Once upon a time, winter was something to survive.
It was no joke.
I don’t mean like, lacking vitamin D, wishing you could wear shorts, and grumbling about commuting home in the dark.
More like a quarter of your community freezing or starving to death, succumbing to illness, being lost in a storm, or munched.
Dramatic, maybe. But once upon a time, this was reality.
So this time of year, early February and Imbolc, was important.
For our European ancestors who followed The Wheel of the Year, Imbolc marked the final weeks of the Dark half of the year, a time when the light had measurably grown and food sources, like fresh milk, became available.
It was also when families and communities would take stock; who survived and who didn’t.
Because, some didn’t.
Those who survived might appreciate their lives all the more, feeling the preciousness and fleeting nature of their own flame; inspired to live life to fullest.
For those walking a devotional path, Imbolc was when vows, specific promises and commitments for the year ahead, were taken. These vows harnessed the life-force of those who survived, and honored the lives of those who did not.
Many of us still walk this path, responding to an earthly rhythm that inspires devotion, dedication, and vow-taking.
I’ve taken Imbolc vows each February for the last 16 years.
Because of this yearly practice, my life has consistently refined and clarified. My offerings have evolved. My focus has become a reliable tool.
Some years my vows were pages and pages, other years one singular verb.
Either way, they’ve served as my North Star, keeping me on course, reminding me of my precious life.
If you are ready to devote your life force instead of being on auto pilot, if you are ready to honor your own precious, hard-won flame instead of just lobbing what comes at you back over the net, The Priestess says good.
Because, it’s time.
It’s time to take your self seriously, focus your energy, and decide how you will spend your life this year.
Have you ever left the house with some hard-earned pocket money, then got home at the end of the day and realized you spent it all on stupid shit like coffees and parking meters and too-expensive cocktails?
I hate when I do that.
It’s all hard earned. So I really try to be mindful about how I spend–my money and my life.
We will never get this time back. It’s now or never.
So with a twinkle in her eye, The Priestess greets us as we wake from The Dreaming and looks at us like, ready to rock and roll?
I’m a hell yes.
You?
xo,
