The Wheel of the Year: Imbolc 1st – 2nd February
The Season of The Growing of the Light
January usually drags on, but for me, this month has zipped by in a flash and has actually been quite mild so far. A few windscreen-scraper mornings, but my garden bulbs are already poking up through last year’s rotting leaves. Maybe there’s still a harsh frost coming, but for now, I’m content that things are moving in the right direction.
Imbolc is a time of repairing, fixing, repurposing, and rebuilding. Sew a button, mend a sock, make soup, shape bread, clear out that one drawer that’s stuffed full of crap you keep “just-in-case”.
After the huge cost, and equally huge disappointment at last season’s Christmas crackers*, we’ve decided to make our own this weekend as our Imbolc activity, so that by the time we get to pull them at the end of this year we will have forgotten what gifts we put inside (entirely possible with my memory!).
We have also decided to replace the traditional groan jokes with our predictions for the year ahead. Something that has made me think quite a lot about current affairs, economics and the possibilities going forward. Some scary talk of WWIII, western dictatorships and “switching off the internet” as and when they choose came up, but I settled on some more light-hearted ideas in the end, so we’ll see.
What do you plan to do this weekend to honour this ancient festival of light?
Blessings from me to you and yours this Imbolc.
Joanne.
x
*For my American readers, Christmas crackers are a very British thing. They are decorated cardboard tubes, pulled with a bang at the Christmas dinner table by two people holding either end of the tube. They each contain a flimsy coloured paper crown, a lame Dad joke and a small gift or puzzle.
They started life in a London sweet shop in the 1840s. A confectioner called Tom Smith was inspired by wrapped sweets. He’d seen in Paris and began selling sugared almonds in twisted paper. The bang came later, sparked by the crackle of a fire, and his family went on to add paper hats, tiny gifts and jokes. The crowns are thought to echo Roman Saturnalia, a winter festival where everyone wore festive headgear and social rules went out the window. Very Victorian, slightly daft, and all about looking like an idiot at the dinner table. The hats are meant to be one-size-fits-all. But in my experience, they are one-size-fits-no-one!
So excited to be introducing you to our brand new deck of nature-inspired oracle cards.
We trialled a small batch at a few fayres last year and got some fantastic feedback, so we will be placing a proper print order soon.
Do let me know if you would like to pre-order a set (£25 each).
In the meantime, a limited number of signed copies will be available at the Reading Alternative Market on Valentine’s day!
The Forest Bathing audiobook is out! I have a limited number of UK and USA
promo codes for the Audible platform which will allow you to listen completely free of charge. Click the button below to request a code via email.
It’s easy to set up an account if you don’t have one and allows you to listen anywhere, anytime to all kinds of books, podcasts, series and shows.
In the meantime, for a shorter read, why not check out some of my blog posts.
My hands have been busy with heavy denim and a seam ripper. Influenced by a collection of sewing books I received for Christmas, I am learning that creation is often an act of destruction first. By dismantling the seams of an old khaki skirt, donated to me by a friend, I am forcing myself to create something new with it on my mannequin. I’ve made an enthusiastic start, which led to a few minor mistakes and a lot of learning, but I’m enjoying the process far more than I thought I would.
At Imbolc, we are in that “liminal” space: the old year has been stripped back, and the new life hasn’t quite bloomed yet. The old khaki denim that is transforming into a dress is currently in that exact same state!
Wobblegate Orchards Sussex cider taproom, traditional pizza kitchen, annual apple wassailing… all set in 200 acres of rural farmland to gaze upon whilst you sip! what more could you want?
They also hire out the cidery for private events – stunning!
Look out for fungi still fruiting throughout the woods during these mild winter days. I was gob-smacked to see my Oyster mushroom log fruiting behind my compost bin at home this week. So I ventured out to see what was decaying at Rais and found all kinds. It was of course incredibly muddy and slippery, and unfortunately there was also a deer carcass rotting in the wayleave – or should I say, feeding others and giving itself back to the land. Such is the cycle of life.
So until next time, blessings from Rais wood. Stay warm, stay safe and enjoy the returning of the light!
Joanne
x
