growing curious: candlemas - imbolc

I realized it's a wonderful "coincidence" that I'm putting creativity and fragile dreams in the forefront this week because Candlemas is right around the corner on February 1st and 2nd.

Waverly Fitzgerald has published a fantastic introduction to Candlemas and its connection with Imbolc and Brigid (a pagan goddess who later became a Christian saint).

This is my favorite earth-based sacred day because it's all about new life growing -- fragile new life that must be nurtured. This is the time when ewes begin to lactate because they're soon to give birth to lambs.

Brigid is the goddess of inspiration, healing, crafting, and poetry.

There's a wonderful story about how Saint Brigid desperately wanted more land for the nuns in her abbey. (How many times, as women, have we needed more space of our own to live our lives in meaningful ways?) When she asked the local lord for this land, he scoffed at her and told her he'd give her as much land as she could surround with the edges of her cloak. Inspiration struck Brigid in the night, and she unraveled the threads in her cloak and tied them together with many knots to make one long thread. Then she walked the land and layed down the thread to mark off enough land for the abbey. In the morning, the lord realized Brigid's intelligence and commitment and granted her the land she desired.

The story makes me wonder, How can I use the humble materials in my life in new ways? What would it be like if I believed in myself enough to do something crazy/radical/unexpected in order to make my dreams come true? I also think: Only a smart woman could have come up with a solution like that, and I'll bet Brigid was smirking while she layed down that thread.

It's obvious now that the days are getting longer. The anticipation for spring is high. We are so close! We must get ready to plant our seeds! This is the time of the year (in the garden, in our spirits) when anything is possible.

I think I want to spend the entire month of February celebrating creativity and the glowing fire within all life. I want every day in February to be Brigid's Day. Would anyone like to join me? How can we strengthen our trust in our creative selves? How can we use our ingenuity -- like Brigid did -- to mark off more space for ourselves? What small acts can we do each day to bring ourselves and loved ones healing? Let's take pleasure in the small signs that spring is around the corner. Will you light a candle with me at the beginning of February -- whichever day? What else will you do for yourself?