Honoring Imbolc – The Esoteric Start of Spring

The Spiritual Significance and Meaning of Imbolc

Imbolc is an ancient Celtic festival celebrating the earliest breath of Spring deep within the womb of the Earth in midwinter. It is the time of a hidden, but genuine shift, where even if the ground is still covered in snow outside, we may begin to notice the days growing longer, and a new sense of hope and aliveness in the air.

Winter is far from over in many locations, but on Imbolc, we celebrate that soon, the time of Winter’s rest and retreat will come to a close and all of nature will be alive and buzzing with new growth and life once again.

Right around the start of February, Imbolc is observed at the cross-quarter date or midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.

Traditionally, Imbolc celebrations begin at sunset on February 1st and continue through February 2nd.

The exact Cross Quarter Date for 2024 is February 4th this year.

The Wheel of the Year Turns

Imbolc is one of 8 main seasonal celebrations that make up The Wheel of the Year. If you’re not familiar with the idea of the Wheel of The Year, it is essentially a map of the Earth’s journey through the changing seasons throughout the course of a year.

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The Wheel of the Year divides one calendar year into 8 segments. These segments track the progression of the earth through the seasons, and the symbolic cycle of death, rebirth, growth, life, and decline. Imbolc is the start of one of these Segments.

The hidden start of Spring.

Imbolc is a time during which Winter still very much has its hold, but the forces of light, growth, and warmth are stirring within the Earth.

Suddenly now, amidst the continued cold and darkness of winter, there are small signs and hints as to the increasing light, and the approach of Spring.

There’s a sense of hope and anticipation about the coming Spring … But there also can be a sense of heaviness, even loss around this time.

We’re still very much in the Winter period of introspection on Imbolc, and looking inward, and yet, we may begin to really realize how much is shifting or preparing to shift in our lives. Expansion is on the horizon, and as humans, we tend to resist change and expansion, quite simply because it can be scary to level up your life.

The work and opportunity of this time is in integrating and alchemizing all your experiences of the past year into new growth and life that will emerge in the Spring ahead.

If you’re feeling challenged around this time, know that it may simply be because there are these big seasonal shifts and energies at play. You are in a process of growth and expansion now. Even if you can’t see it fully yet, there’s growth, shifting, and changing happening within, and that can feel uncomfortable, and depending on the changes you’re navigating, the resistance can be intense.

Remember the power now of welcoming yourself fully with gentle care and compassion. This is a wonderful time to step up self-care, and self-love, and to nurture and to nourish yourself – body, mind, and spirit.

The Symbolism of the Daffodil Bulb Buried in Snow

A beautiful symbol of this time is that of a daffodil bulb buried beneath a layer of snow.

The daffodil, one of the first signs of Spring, is still frozen within the Earth, and yet,  within the daffodil bulb, forces of light, warmth, and presence awaken.

The daffodil flower has retreated within, into its very core where it has reconnected with the Truth of its essence.

This is the opportunity the Winter Season brings you too: An opportunity to reconnect with Truth at your very core. To dive beneath the illusions of external manifestation… To go within and through silence, stillness and presence remember the Truth and Core Essence of who you really are.

Like a frozen daffodil bulb, the Winter season invites you to retreat inward, to embrace a period of rest, stillness, and introspection all the while knowing that inner re-connection precedes outer manifestation.

The final stage of winter is essential… To prepare for Spring.

Soon in the days of Spring to come, the daffodil bulb will sprout and grow… It will emerge from its core and reach up and out towards the light.

The bulb will grow, push through the surface of the Earth, and eventually, bloom as a beautiful flower.

All the inherent beauty of the daffodil flower is already present within the bulb. It still exists even when the bulb is frozen, and buried under a layer of snow.

All the beauty of a wildflower is present within the seed, even when it’s lying dormant.

Imbolc is a time for a final dive inward. Into the depths of your core, to reconnect with Truth and prepare for the next stage of growth, of Spring, and outer manifestation that will soon align for you.

A time of diving deep within… To cultivate the strength and courage needed to push through the doubt and resistance around expanding into more of who you are becoming in your life.

This inner Winter work isn’t easy, but it is essential, and so powerful, for preparing for the stages of blossoming ahead.

And so now, around Imbolc, this time of midwinter it’s such a powerful time to go within and reconnect with the warmth, light and truth within. To reconnect with the divine presence within you, which becomes accessible through quieting your mind and allowing yourself to rest and simply be.

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Inner connection now is powerful preparation for the season of growth and blossoming into your True Divine Nature we’ll move into in the Spring.

The Meaning of “Imbolc”

The etymology of name Imbolc, pronunced Im-Blk, comes from the old Irish word I mbolc meaning “in the belly” as well as the word imb-fholc meaning “to cleanse”.

By understanding the meaning of the name, the opportunity around this time becomes crystal clear.

This is a potent time of fertility, where can go within to reconnect with what is truly important in order to manifest greater blessings in our lives.

Simultaneously this is a powerful time for purification and cleansing.

A Time For Purification

When you look at the etimology of the word February, it comes from the Latin root word Februa, which loosely means Purification.

So here is another synchronicity, and a clear reminder that now is a powerful time to cleanse and purify.

We’ve reached the hidden start of Spring, and so its the perfect time for a little spring cleaning at the level of your physical surroundings, but perhaps even more powerful and more potent now is the opportunity for purifying your emotions, and cleansing your mind.

This focus on purification now, through releasing what no longer serves, and peeling back the layers of old energy prepares and empowers you to blossom more fully in the Divine Truth of who you really are in the spring.

This is also a really powerful time to detox the physical body. To consciously cultivate health, and vibrant vitality within you. Purifying and cutting the cords to the things that no longer serve you and choosing to ingest things that support your vitality and your vibrant light.

Through cleansing your space, purifying your thoughts, clarifying your emotions, and reconnecting with your inner light… This purification creates an immense opening to receive new inspiration and guidance for how you can more fully and vibrantly thrive in your life now and moving through this gateway into the future.

Imbolc Candles

Traditionally, Imbolc was seen as a time of growing light, and a perfect time for making candles for the seasonal celebrations in the year ahead so they hold the magic of this time, and of the Sun’s bright new energy.

There are connections here with the Holiday of Candlemas as well, when churches will bless all of the candles for the coming year ahead.

If you’ve never made candles before, these easy beeswax candle kits look like a great way to tap into the magic of this Imbolc tradition.

Imbolc Journal Prompts

1. How can you best nourish and take care of yourself now?
2. What is stirring within you to create and expand into in the next few months?
3. What changes or transitions in your life make you feel uncomfortable or uncertain now?
4. What loose ends do you need to tie up to create space and opening for new beginnings ahead?
5. What would bringing more self-love into your life look like?
6. What have you been dreaming about or drawn towards this Winter?
7. Where in your life are you being called to grow and expand?

Cultivating Divine Presence

As Imbolc marks the hidden entrance into Spring … On and around this time is a beautiful opportunity to look for the signs of spring beginning to appear in the Earth around you, and to also look for the inner warmth of Divine Presence within you.

Cultivating Divine Presence within now will prepare you to bring it to the surface of your life more and more as the wheel of the year turns, and as the seasons change, there is a new level of opportunity for a new layer of your Truth to emerge through all you do.

Go within now, reconnect with your inner Divine Presence, core Truth and vibrant light, so in the Spring time of growth, and in the days to come… You can more fully shine in perfect harmony and Truth… As the divine being, you really are.

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This is also the perfect time to start planning a garden for the Spring! What seeds will you sow in your garden this year? I’m working on putting together an order of berry bushes and trees right now! It’s exciting to feel the pull of Spring forces and be making plans to co-create with the incredible forces of life force and nature. This co-creation brings so many blessings into life!

Hope this was helpful for you!

With so much love and bright blessings,