seasons and cycles

SEASONAL TIDES AND CELEBRATIONS. An article By Bev Murray

All over the world many women are being drawn back to the old, traditional ways of expressing their Goddess power. They are reconnecting with nature and its flow of seasonal activity. They are reclaiming the Magik that is part of being Female. Honouring the essence of their femininity. In early times women were recognized as sacred vessels through which the Gods could achieve manifestation upon the earth. They held the mystery of birth, they tended the crops and tilled the earth, and they knew the lore of Herbs and healed the sick. By aligning our life journey with the cycle of nature we too can rekindle the spark of the Goddess within.

INTRODUCTION.
For centuries woman all over the world have recognized the earth' s seasonal changes as sacred times when the energy of their own lives could be brought into harmony with that of our Mother the earth.The flux of the seasons is like a personal clock that allows us to work on ourselves in ways appropriate to the natural flow of the earth's energy. For example, the natural urge in winter is to withdraw, looking for warmth and safety, sitting by the fire, reading, going to bed earlier. We create more time for reflection. As individuals we look more deeply within ourselves. We meditate, plan, get organized, ask ourselves questions and let go of out- dated ideas.
With the coming of spring, we begin to enjoy the outdoors again. We picnic, take time to garden, go for walks. We begin to put our plans out into the world, we take action.

The seasons embrace our work-a-day lives on many levels. By understanding and working with the seasonal fluxes, we can positively aid our own life journey. Due to energy flows, planet rotation, gravitational pulls and balances and years of cumulative participation, these times possess much power. Using this power wisely for our own good and the good of others enables us to have an empathy with the larger world of humanity and the earth itself.

Our yearly cyclic journey is a mirror for the whole of the human life. On a smaller scale, each day is a cycle unto itself. The night is like winter; the dawn is like spring and so forth. The cycle is constant and can be attuned to, on many levels. Eventually one begins to see the flow of one's own life, reflected in these natural cycles. It is even reflected in breath, the very act which gives us life…each new breath in is like a little birth and as we breath out we let go into the little death…we breath in spring/we stop a moment and enjoy the peak of summer/we let go and breath out like leaves falling in autumn/we stop a little and experience the deep relaxation of winter…We go about everything in the cyclic way, day to day, sunset to sunset. Every night into the womb of infinite possibility, the conceiving place of the new day, just as Winter is the conceiver of the New Year.The recognition of these seasonal tides is an acknowledgment of our participation in the great wheel of the Universe. It allows the externalization of the collective inner journey upon the personal karmic path.

Coming up for us now, in the Celtic Calendar, as best as we can translate it for the Southern Hemisphere is Imbolg.

Imbolg or Candlemas
Southern Hemisphere - 2nd August
Northern Hemisphere - 2nd February.

This is a celebration of initiations and beginnings. Imbolg literally means " in the belly ". It is the " quickening " of the year, the stirrings of spring in the womb of our Mother Earth. As such it is very much a goddess celebration. The goddess's 3 aspects of maid, mother, Crone, stand for enchantment, ripeness and wisdom. At Imbolg we dream, make plans and are inspired towards future achievements, through poetry and love. Lunar light, the light of the goddess, is that of inspiration. At Imbolg, when the first heralds of spring can be heard in bird song and seen in new growth, the spirit is inspired as well as the body and the earth. In the Celtic Traditional Calendar this was the time when all the candles for the coming year were made - to symbolise the light coming out of the darkness. A new tide of life is recognised and we are called to get rid of the past and look to the future.

The themes of cleansing and purification are carried out in the action of spring cleaning, where we prepare our minds and bodies for something new.The young sun-god approaches the earth with desire and love. Through his union with the goddess, there is new-life. Like the young god, we are bringing the spark of energy to our plans, the determination and action which gives life. We can consolidate the flame we kindled at Yule and begin to give it form in our lives. From now on we enter a time of growth and discovery! It makes good sense that the idea of Christmas in late July in the southern Hemisphere has to some extent taken root!

Following are a few ideas for your own Imbolg celebrations:

1. Light 3 candles for 3 dreams or wishes and place these around your room. The first candle is a wish for the world, the second for a friend, the third for yourself. This is a celebration of the 1st stirring of the light in the world, in your life, in your dreams.
2. Spring clean, and ritually sweep the floor with a brand new broom. Think about what you are magikally sweeping away from the world or your own life. What needs to go for new creative possibilities to be realized? Fear, guilt, despair, prejudice, deprivation, anger. When you have swept the dirt and debris into one pile, place it in a box and later burn it. Now put down your broom and dance sunwise in a fresh circle of life. Dance to welcome the inspiration and beauty of spring.
3. Plant new seedlings, fertilise older plants, bring flowers into the house, above all nurture a positive attitude.