The time between Winter and Spring: Imbolc embracing the shadow

     I was taught what Imbolc meant last night by a powerful group of women as we circled up around a sacred fire.
It was a beautiful conformation that what I was going through in some way or another all the women were also feeling.
I was not alone, and we never are.
This feeling that we shared was that many things in our life were revealing themselves.  No more time for secrets or unclarity.  Any thing that was unresolved or we had  been avoiding was now coming up to the surface.  Imbolc celebrates the time right between the  dark womb of winter and the light of spring as everything is being born.  It is a time when the uncomfortableness  of all the stuff that was limiting you in some way from being your true self, is now asking for attention in order to be healed, forgiven, accepted, celebrated.

A seed must break open in order for it to grow above the earth and reach the sun.

Many of you know that I have writing a book about empowering women through embracing their divine feminine to restore balance to themselves, their relationships and the earth. I have been working on my book for one year now and it has been an incredible  journey.  I recently teamed up with an amazing friend and co-writer  Milena Worsham and the first draft will be turned in to my publisher mid March.   My publisher Marc Allen, beloved friend and mentor who is the owner of New World Library said to me "The person who you are when you begin writing this book will be a completely different person when you finish writing the book".  When I heard this from Mark, I laughed and welcomed this change with the journey  of writing my book. I had no idea this book was going to break me open, in order for me to see every thing- the good, the bad and the ugly.  I must admit I have been going through feelings of  loss, anger, sadness and have felt challenged. The challenge has come from resisting being with these feelings and going even deeper that how I usually dive. YES! this time I had to get my diving suit to go in to the deepest parts of me and do some exploring. 

I am now in a peaceful place, my heart is very loving and forgiving of all my past painful, difficult relationships and situations. I am now enjoying no longer resisting being  inside the womb of winter and looking forward to the time of birth in the Spring.

Many of my coaching clients as well as friends were in some way or another dealing a lot with their shadows in the past weeks. When I learned to celebrate and honor Imbolc I was reminded that we are a part of the earth and we too go through the cycles of the seasons. We now live in large cities where there is little connection to nature.  We have forgotten our Earth based rituals, this emotional and spiritual connection to the seasons has been lost.
Fortunately  w e are finding our way again and reclaiming the celebrations of the Seasons and our mother Earth.  

I was really inspired to share about Imbolc because when it was shared with me I felt that this time of opening and seeing deeply within was a beneficial time  and I could surrender to it. 
I no longer carried the heaviness that going difficult times brings. Celebrating Imboc reminded me to have faith in the process (what ever difficult and challenging situation you may going through).  Know that this time offers the possibility to release of the old shell that protected you as the seed and  now you are sprouting ready to come to the surface and be all of your greatness!

Be gentle to your self, more loving, celebrate all that you have been going through.


Check out some more about Imbolc bellow.
So much love and miracles
Xochitl Ashe  © 2012

Special gratitude to my Queens:  My grandma, Nefertiti,  Milena, Michelle, Lucy, Marcia, Claire, Patrice, Daisy,  and Tanya it is your light that calls for my light to shine brighter when it gets dark.
 

***From Huffington Post
This year's celebration of Imbolc begins the turn toward spring, although with 59 degree weather in Boston it's unclear whether we've had winter. With only six weeks of winter left, this is the time to set intentions and clear away the clutter, composting it in preparation for new growth.

This year, my women's ritual community asked us to journey within, to retrieve the power of our shadow. All that we reject, parts of ourselves that we push into the unconscious, whether anger, sexuality, vulnerability, creativity, what ever we have disowned, has power we need to reclaim. We need all of our resources for the work ahead. A flower essence of Black Eyed Susan is one tool to use, to overcome the fear of looking deeply and embracing the shadow. We are all human, a package deal, and avoiding one's whole self does not serve us at this time. 

Astrologer Jenny Yates gives some powerful advice for the year to come. She explains that it "is all about the breakdown of structures, including structures that have existed, unchanging and unquestioned, for a long time. This is good, people. A period of intense change gives everyone a chance to get involved and to clarify what's important. It's not just a time of change, but also a time of high-stakes resistance to change. ... It won't be until the spring when things start to really percolate again" so all the more reason to attend to the inner work of this moment.