Liminal Time: Between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox
Three feet of snow lines my trail as I snowshoe up a steep mountainside. The sun is shining so warm and bright that I remove my hat and sweater to cool down. It is midway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, and I can feel the liminal space between the seasons here. Pine trees laden with clouds of white snow drop their slushy loads in intervals that cascade from branch to branch like a sprinkling of dust up ahead. The air shimmers with the snow’s dispersal before it collapses on my head and I laugh at the joke. The sun’s reflection on the snow’s surface creates sparkles of glitter of the winter forest floor, revealing the spring yet to come.
This weekend is Imbolc. This is the midway between winter solstice and spring equinox. This means the days are getting lighter and winter is nearing its end in the northern hemisphere. The warmth is causing the sap to rise. The birds are returning north from their southern migration. The bulbs are cracking open beneath the earth and sending up green buds to the surface not quite yet ready to break through.
Imbolc Reflections: Inner Seasons and Intentions
In this time of late-gestation, when the land is in a state of pre-birth, there is a moment to reflect on what is in a state of pre-birth in your own life. You might recall intentions you set at winter solstice and see how they are beginning to show up already for you now. Energetically, we might begin to check in with how we feel about the seasonal shift. In the winter, the desire is often to stay inside, sleep more and to be more introverted. But now we are moving toward spring, and you might feel a shift in yourself of wanting to be just a bit more social. Perhaps maybe yearning for more time with friends, a weekend retreat, or a night out at the movies.
Imbolc reminds us to slow down and be patient. Things take time. When we try to rush transitions, they often don’t go as smoothly as they might if we were to sit with what is and allow changes to reveal themselves on their own time. Listen deeply to the living world around you and allow situations to unfold without rushing forward into the future. The earth is taking its time coming into bloom and giving us permission to do the same. Trust that all will fall into place at the perfect timing for you.
Living Seasonally: Honoring Your Inner Winter and Emerging Spring
By noticing the movement of the natural world around us, we can notice the movement within ourselves as we are deeply connected to nature. Living seasonally allows us to go through all the seasons with intention and also the between times, noticing how it feels to transition from one season to the next. As we are experiencing the seasons externally, we are also having our own seasonal adjustments within. You might not feel like you are ready for spring just yet. You might still feel deep in the winter and not ready for change and that’s completely fine. Other people might be feeling like they are bursting at the seams and can’t wait for winter to be over.
I am personally enjoying winter this year. I am enjoying the quiet and the cold. That’s unusual for me. This year, I’ve really been able to use winter to be more creative and as Imbolc rolls around, I feel now that I can share that creativity with others. Take a moment to check in with yourself. See if you’re feeling inner winter or if you’re ready for outer spring.
Rituals and Ways to Honor Imbolc at Home:
Go on a nature treasure hunt or solo medicine walk, searching for the first signs of early spring, the spring before spring.
Catch every sunrise and sunset in a week and notice the two extra minutes of sunshine each day.
Start planning your garden and ordering seeds.
Take a ritual bath in candlelight, representing rebirth and new light.
Journal prompt: What seed that you planted in winter is ready to slowly unfurl into spring? How can you be patient with it?
Light a fire and burn what no longer benefits you.
Clean your house and cleanse energetically with salt, herbs, incense, etc.
Grains, seeds and milk represent nourishment for new life. Cook something simple with dairy and grains, like oatmeal with cream, fresh bread and butter, seed cakes, or a hearty soup. Or make pancakes with syrup to represent the rising sap. Share it with loved ones.
Do nothing. Put on some relaxing music and allow yourself to rest deeply, knowing that your restoration will ease the transition.
