The Sun Greets Us In The Morning
I will never crave the sunlight the way I do at Imbolc. I’m not a fan of the heat, so eventually the sun and I will settle into a grudging detente through the summer. But now, when it had been so cold for weeks, cloudy and grey, when I have been leaving the house in darkness and coming home bare minutes before the sun sinks towards the horizon, my spirit reaches out towards the sun with such yearning.
At Imbolc, the sun is up noticeably earlier in the morning, and sets around dinnertime. While the weather hasn’t changed and may not for a while yet, the lengthening days lift my spirit. I turn my face to the sun to get every scrap of light on my cold face. This winter has been a frigid one, with snow accumulating without respite. It’s beautiful, but at Imbolc, I feel how temporary it is. The Wheel continues to move. At Imbolc, the energy shifts, and I feel more alert, emerging from my winter burrow rested and ready for new adventures. I didn’t know if I’d make it to rested this winter, but for the last week or so, I’ve been bursting with energy.
It feels strange to be full of life at the same time we watch the world contain such pain. It’s strange to be just a border away from a country being pushed into authoritarianism, but heartening to see the resistance coming from people protecting their neighbours, their communities. This Imbolc-tide, I set an intention to help as I can, and to be vigilant at home to protect against our own versions of these people who want to harm and divide. I also intend to joyfully create in the face of destruction, to turn my mind to new projects and to strengthen the web of community around me. The Sun returns, and the Wheel reminds us that it always does, that change is inevitable.
Happy Imbolc!
#wheeloftheyear #Pagan #imbolc