3 Imbolc Rituals to Attune to Body + Nature
/How do we reclaim connection to the balanced moods, active sex drive, and graceful aging that are symptoms of a harmonious hormonal cycle?
How do we most effectively take a stand for the health and vitality of our beloved planet?
The answers to these seemingly different questions are actually the same…
As above - so below
As within - so without
As the universe - so the soul
Your miraculous body mirrors nature + nature is mapped onto the cycles of your body.
In Earth’s yearly cycle, we find ourselves at the midpoint between Winter Solstice + Spring Equinox, called Imbolc by the Celts. This is one of the eight high holy days (sometimes called Earth Sabbaths) of our beautiful Mother planet, Gaia.
Imbolc is the quickening of life, the growing of the light, the initiation of Spring. As days lengthen, frost begins to thaw and tiny green shoots bravely poke their heads above snow. Hope is in the air.
These Earth holidays aren’t a matter of religion, culture or global origin - these are mathematically grounded astronomical facts rooted in the physics of our solar system that have been acknowledged and celebrated as holy by our ancestors as far back as we know.
These dates were honored in prehistory through the building of global ancient pyramids, underground initiation chambers and by erecting complex structures of standing stones that still defy our current technological capacity.
By reclaiming these universal Earth holidays, we step back into the logic of ancient wisdom - returning to harmony with nature herself.
Your body is but a tiny version of the Earth herself so when you're in harmony with the logical intelligence and mystical grace of nature, you return back into harmony with your healthy, balanced body.
The environmental crisis is, first and foremost, a crisis of disconnection from our bodies.
When we are disconnected from our bodies, caught up in doing + thinking, we are disconnected from our be-ing. When we are disconnected from our be-ing, we are disconnected from our joy.
Until the wide scale use of electric lights, women still shed their menstrual blood in sync with the new moon and in sync with each other.
It wasn’t until around 1945 when most homes in the US finally had electric lights. This is the first time in history that we witness the mass hormonal disregulation of women’s bodies - complaints of pain, infertility, emotional upheaval - “PMS” was born of electric lights.
Our bodies are mirrors of nature.
For those of us who’ve spent our lives bleeding every month, another way to understand the high holy day of Imbolc is by mapping our menstrual cycle onto Earth’s year.
Winter Solstice is the moment when your blood finally drops. The sacred cave of menstruation itself is the winter pause - the hibernation, the composting in preparation for the fresh start.
Four to seven days later, once you’ve finished bleeding, you get a welcomed dose of the hormone Estrogen that begins raising energy levels, mood, creativity and brain function.
For many of us, it’s a hallelujah moment - we’ve made it through the darkest tunnel of winter to arrive at the precipice of possibility.
In Earth’s year - this moment of hope, this rebirth of action + creativity is Imbolc.
Since consciousness is the foundation of both personal and collective change, one of the most powerful ways to restore your sacred body is by reclaiming your ancestral practice of Earth reverence, by honoring the cycles of the year through celebration.
We celebrate by taking spaciousness to feel ourselves, by being in nature, spending time with our people and practicing ritual. Enjoy these simple rituals alone or as an excuse to deepen intimacy and share Earth honoring values with those you love.
Simple Rituals To Honor Imbolc
1) Seed Spell
Imbolc is a time to start seedlings indoors in preparation to plant in the garden at Spring Equinox. Take seeds in your hand and gently, sweetly and lovingly blow your intentions and wishes. This is especially beautiful to do with children, with a partner or with friends.
Allow your intuition to guide you to a simple hand guesture that symbolizes your intention. Three times, speak your intention as you wave the gesture over your future seedling - casting a spell for your future harvest.
You might rite down on a small piece of paper a word or symbol that represents your intention and place under the soil in the pot. Cover seeds with soil and lightly water daily while remembering your intention. Each day, repeat the word and hand guesture, deepening the spell.
2) Nature Walk, Self Care with Oats + Journal
Because crops aren’t growing right now, our ancestors relied on ancient grains to get them through the end of winter. Oatcakes are a traditional imbolc food in ancient Europe. Repurpose this nutrious grain to make a tea or facemask for a self care ritual.
Take a chilly walk outdoors to notice the details of how nature meets the cold possibility of Imbolc. Study the nakedness of the trees, breathing in their resiliance in the face of challenging weather. Then take a delicious ritual bath, light a candle, brew some Oatstraw tea or put on a homemade oatmeal facemask + journal:
What were the gifts + lessons of Winter for you this year? What are your hopes for Spring? What within you desires rebirth? What are you going to allow to remain as compost?
3) Candle Magic
Honor the return of the light by bringing it into your home. Light one candle in each room, speaking a prayer of intention with the lighting of each candle. Each intention may map to each room. For example, in your office you might set the intention of “focus + abundance,” in your bedroom you might set the intention of “deep rest + communion with your body (and/or your beloved).” Let them burn as you enjoy some delicious stretching, a bath or a home cooked meal. If you have tea lighst - let them burn until the end. If not, when you blow them out say a prayer, “May my (insert your intention for that room) be of benefit to this Earth and all of life.”
Please let us know how these went for you by leaving a comment below.