As January ends, and Brigid approaches, I've been looking for signs of the quickening of spring. At first glance, winter is still in full force, but right around Brigid, the foreshadowing of spring
can appear, if you pay attention. That's one of the things this sabbat is about!
This tuning into the changes of the seasons is just one of the gifts of my nature-based spiritual practice that I hold dear. In finding the first buds of green among the stark branches of winter's trees, I find and experience the Divine. The mystery of this and the timing never ceases to amaze. Jason at the Wild Hunt blog brought my attention to an interview with the pagan author Waverly Fitzgerald who has written a book about the benefits of "slow time", which is nature's time.
One of the first things I did as a young witch was to make a moon calendar in order to help me tune into the rhythm of moon and tide. Now, I closely watch the plants and trees as we wheel around the year, honoring too the quality of light which is particular to each season. As a a therapist, I do my best to pass this on to clients. Experiencing natural time is healing. I know because I've experienced this. The old adage "time heals all wounds" was not talking about clock time. It's the time of seasons, moons, and green that is the cure.
It's rainy and gray here in San Francisco, but this morning the plum tree outside my bedroom window sang out the cry of a future spring. One precocious bud has appeared amid the naked branches. Looking closely, the tree has bits of green sprouting everywhere. It won't be long until it's dressed in frothing blossoms. Here in California, we don't need a groundhog or a shadow.
The trees say it all. And it's poetry.
10 comments:
oh, thanks for the insight re: "time heals all wounds"
love it!
Finally, I find the woman who started this blog tradition! I've loved posting poems the last few years, and am happy to finally trace the thread back. My contribution will go up on Friday morning.
You expressed my feelings about this time of year exactly!
What a beautiful blogpost about Imbolc.
Here's my offering for the third annual Brighid poetry reading.
People could also post the poems to del.icio.us using a special tag, 2008-brigid-imbolc, then they will all be gathered in one place.
I love this idea! :) I've been posting various pieces (my own and others) throughout the week, and reveling in the poetry explosion on other blogs as well. :)
You'll all excuse me if I sit this one out?
I'm honouring Lugh this Monday, instead!
I love this north-south polarity. Keeps things real.
A blessed Brigid's Day to you and yours.
Love,
Terri in Joburg
In the SF Bay Area, I've found it magically fruitful to pay attention to tidal rhythms. I think this has an effect of slowing down the frenetic perception of everything as too urgent, of being obliged to live at freeway speed on a endless concrete ribbon.
Serendipity was afoot. I posted a poem and then through the magic of blogs I found out today is the day that we celebrate St. Bridget's day.
go figure?
Two things that would make the poems easier to find.
(1) If people could be encouraged to post a link to their actual blogpost, and to write it in HTML so it makes an actual link, thus: <a href="http://nemeton.blogspot.com/2008/01/imbolc-haikus.html">my poem</a>
(2) If they could be encouraged to tag it on del.icio.us, as described above (so next year's tag could be 2009-brigid-imbolc).
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