Celebrating Imbolc: Reawakening & Preparing For Spring

After a long, dark Winter, change is in the air. Signs of Spring are emerging in the hedgerows, from the earth and in the sky. Daylight is creeping in a little earlier each morning, and birdsong fills the air as animals begin to go about their business of preparing for Spring. As the phrase goes; do like the animals do; it’s time for us humans to prepare for the shift in season too. 

The Meaning of Imbolc:

The beginning of February sees the Celtic festival of Imbolc, marking the midway point between the Winter solstice and Spring equinox, welcoming the start of Spring. This change from the cold depths of Winter to brighter, sunnier Spring days can be gradual, but it’s also a time of significant change when it comes to living seasonally. Winter holds cold, introverted yin energy, encouraging us to turn inward, rest and restore, whilst Spring reintroduces us to growing yang energy, asking us to reawaken, reinvigorate and begin to re-engage with the wider world again. Indeed, if mid-Winter January 1st didn’t feel like the ‘new year’, Imbolc is the real new year, when the world ‘springs’ back to life again. 

The name Imbolc comes from an old Irish word meaning ‘in the belly’, referring to pregnant ewes and the return of milk – signs that Winter is losing its grip. It’s also closely associated with Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire, poetry, healing, fertility and smithcraft, and centres around themes of renewal and rebirth, the return of light, purification and preparation, and hope and intention-setting. 

If we want to connect to the seasons and live in alignment with the earth, celebrating Imbolc is a meaningful and powerful way to help us move physically, mentally and energetically from Winter to Spring. At the arrival of the nature’s true new year, this is an opportunity to give ourselves what we need, exactly when we need it most.

5 Ways To Honour Imbolc

To connect with the ancient traditions of Imbolc and the beginnings of Spring, here are 5 simple practices to adopt and share with your loved ones:

1. Reconnect with light

As the sun rises a little earlier and sets a little later each day, and as the temperatures slowly rise, it becomes a little more inviting to connect with sunlight and all it has to offer us. The dark Winter months can contribute to low mood and energy levels, so embracing sunlight at the midway point between the solstice and equinox is an important and effective way to replenish and reinvigorate our mental health. Sunlight supports ‘happy hormones’ like serotonin, as well as the motivational hormone dopamine. Not only that, but morning sunlight also has a huge impact on the balance of cortisol, and production of pregnenolone, a ‘master’ hormone which in turn effects reproductive hormones. 

Putting it into practice: Try getting outside as soon as possible after sunrise to soak up the beneficial morning rays. Take breaks throughout the day to get some fresh air and sunshine (even if it’s cloudy!) and for a bonus, bring natural, nourishing light into your home by lighting candles or your fireplace to mark the return to light.

 2. Express yourself

To honour the Celtic goddess of poetry, one of Imbolc’s traditions is poetry writing and reading. Traditional Imbolc poems focus on the ‘quickening’ of the earth, snowdrops, hearth fires, and the first milk of the ewes. Caroline Mellor’s words put it beautifully; 

‘I am the dream of awakening.

I am the returning of the night. 

I am the tough green shoot pushing up through the paper stones. 

I am the first case of sunlight on the unfurling petals of the snowdrop. 

I am the wind which whispers the gentle pull of home to the migratory bird. 

… I am hope, potential, rebirth and promise. I am the kindling beneath which transforms the flicker of inspiration in your creative core into a blazing torch. 

…Give me the frost-hardened wilderness and I will breathe radiant green life over it. 

Give me the healer, the writer, the crafts person in the storyteller and I will replenish her essence and make her new again.’ 

Read the full poem here

Putting it into practice: Write down the words that ‘spring’ to mind when you think of the changing seasons and practice writing your own poetry. Gather with friends and family to share your poems and thoughts.  

3. Support purification with seasonal herbs

The theme of purification runs strongly through Spring, as both the East and West prioritise detoxification in this season by supporting the liver. Within the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) each season links to a particular pair of organs, and Spring is all about the Liver and Gallbladder. It just so happens that throughout this season, many foods and herbs become naturally available to us to promote gentle detoxification. This doesn’t mean we need to practice a strict detox regime or extensive fasting; it’s simply about gently supporting your body’s natural detoxification pathways and choosing the right foods and herbs. 

Putting it into practice: As they begin to emerge from the earth, look for dandelion leaves (these promote a healthy flow of bile, which aids digestion and detoxification of hormones), as well as nettle (a rejuvenating herb which is high in iron and minerals that support cleansing), and cleavers (this sticky herb can support the lymphatic system by acting as a gentle diuretic and lymphagogue, stimulating lymphatic flow). Check the online shop for fresh herbs and greens pulled straight from the My Little Farm earth too.  

4. Prepare your home

After more time spent cosying up at home over Winter, it’s time for a refresh. De-cluttering and deep-cleaning the home can have a profound impact on helping us feel reinvigorated and renewed, as our environment often influences how we feel. A house with less mess, more space, and a breath of fresh air promotes more spaciousness and renewal within our minds too. Look for any objects that no longer serve a purpose or that link to an old mempory that no longer serves you, and consider donating or recycling them. Where can you create space, where can you bring in more light?

Putting it into practice: Choose 5 things from your home that you’ll donate or recycle this week. What do you no longer need, what do you no longer use? What is simply taking up space?

5. Set intentions

As we mentioned, mid-Winter’s January 1st really isn’t the ‘new year’, which is one of the reasons intentions and resolutions can be quickly forgotten. Right now however, at the precipice of a new season, is the perfect time to set new intentions; to bring in new habits and release old ones. 

Valuable time spent reflecting allows us to notice where we’re at emotionally, how we’ve changed and grown, and what we may want life to look like in the near future. Intention setting can be a powerful way to focus our minds on the present; to channel our energy in a positive way; and encourages us to be the most true, authentic and highest version of ourselves. 

Putting it into practice: Settle in to spend time writing your intentions for the year ahead. Perhaps choose 3 things you'd like to focus on, then share your thoughts with loved ones; how can you support each other's intentions as you move into Spring?

Written by Emma Newlyn